New-York tribune., 1919-08-29

fore classed as vaudeville, coming
under the jurisdiction of the vaude-
Vile branch of the Associated Artists
and Actors Of America, with which the
Actors Equity Association is affiliated.
The closing of the Hippodrome was
not the least spectacular act of the
day on the programme of the Equity.
Their $40 ball began last night at the
Hotel Astor at II o'clock, and nobody
who had paid that much for ticket
and then surrendered a withered straw
hat to The checkroom employees had any
idea Of going hone before daylight.
No Managers Seen There
At midnight no managers were re-
ported having passed the doorkeepers,
but there were hundreds OF representa-
tives of every other branch OF the
theatrical industry, to saf nothing OF
others whose normal occupation keeps
them down in the shadow Of Trinity.
Ed Wynn returned Yesterday from
his first labor conventional the annual
meeting Of the State Federation Of
Labor at Saratoga-and in the after
noon he appeared at strike hcadquar-
ters and told them all about it.
Don't worry, but sit tight" the
milton, and we're going to get it. Some
folks are in for surprise. won't
say what. Don't press me. ] promise
the surprise for Monday; perhaps be-
fore then. It will be the biggest blow
the Fidelity League ever got
Referring to George N. Cohans
statement to the members of the Actors
Fidelity League that the contract Of
fered by the managers was not due to
the Equity strike. Wynn said:
Its funny. Those were the very
things we were fighting fo,-the things
in that contract. And Georgia could
have. got it for us all the time.
Think Of it! Oh, why didn't he do it
before the strike began?"
The executive committee of the
board of governors Of the Actors
Fidelity League yesterday issued the
following statements:
The clauses continuing the salient
points conceded by the managers in
George NJ. Cohan at the mass meeting
of the Actors Fidelity League and
which he obtained through MS inval-
liable and generous influence, do not
represent the form of this contract
in it's entirety.
"These advantages are not offered
as temporary bait. They constitute
permanent concessions embodied in the
contract. This contract is to be made
clauses which will be presented to their
entirety at the mass meeting of the
Actors Fidelity League, to be held at
the Hotel Biltmore on Saturday even
ing next. :.
Equity Members Can Join
Eligibility for membership in the
Actors Fidelity League is based on the /
applicant having had twenty-six weeks
continuous or intermittent experience /
IN drama, pantomime, dancing, singing /
or music, collectively or individually.
There has been current misappre-
hension that persons desiring to ioin
the Actors Fidelity League must sever
relations with all other theatrical or
sanlzations prior to enrolment in the
Actors Fidelity League. Actors can |
become members Of The Actors Fidcl- (
ity League so long as they remain /
members OF the acting profession. The !
Actors Fidelity League has no afi,ia-
tion with any other organization or as
sociation."
1t was said at the Fidelity headq quar-
ters yesterday that Che membership
was "about 1000" and that one OF these (
was Joe Weber.
The striking actors gained support
from a new quarter Yesterday, vnen /
William Mccarthy, secretary Of the |
international Alliance of Bill Posters. |
numbering about 5000 members, an
nounced that none OF them will post
Dllis for theatres opposing the striking
actors.
Justice Richard P. Lydon signed a
temporary restraining order Yesterday |
which forbds De Wolf Hopper from
in any performance, either
at the Lexington Theatre in the Equity
benefit, or elsewhere, during the life
31 3 contract between Hopper and
Charles Coburn, member of the Pro
duclng Managers Association and pro
duccr OF "The Better Ole" This CON
tract calls for the appearance of Mr..
Hopper Tor thirtyiive weeks al $1,000
a week Mr.. Hopper is striking. He
was , scheduied to appear in Toronto
last Monday, but. according to M,
Coburn, refused either to rehearse or
appear. Mr. Coburn announced that
ne would sue MIR. Hopper for 5000 600.