The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-16
WAKEFIELD PLEADS
FOR MANAGERS IN
STRIKE OF ACTORS

resignation OF DdVlQ WdTueio lioIn
the Actors Equity Association, and
his enrolment among the members OF
the new actors society now being
formed by E. M. Sothern, was looked
upon by the managers as a distinct
triumph for their cause.
Mr.. Warfield, upon taking the step,
gave out the following statement:
Il deplore ill-advised actions ana
unfortunate management on the part
of the Actors Association, which Is
now dragging theatrical ideals In the
dust Our great profession with It's
honored traditions is being made
plaything by agitators and selfish men
who have not the best interests OF
| the actor at heart.
II ant to say at the outset I am
| first, last and all time an actor. / am
Of them, and with them, when they
endeavor to live up to the ideals and
the traditions Of the theatre. ! am
against those ill-advised players who
have been led blindly. they know not
whittier or why, obeying orders from
people who do not really represent the
acting profession and who have not
| the best interests of our profession at
| heart.
81 cannot understand wherein the
actors who receive the fabulous sal
aries some of the so-called strikers are
receiving have any grievance. What
| do they want? Do they desire shorter
hours? They only work about twenty
four hours a week, even If they play
through an evening or matinee per-
formance Admitting that conditions
have not always been ideal for certain
minor actors in the past, what can be
said now against the treatment &C
corded them by the Producing Man
ayers association I have been asso-
ciated with David Belasco for many
years, and l know him to be the
actors friend. Mr.. Belasco's first
thought has alays been the comfort
Of the actor, and every actor who ever
played the Belasco Theatre will know
that conditions back of the stage are
ideal Mr.. Belasco has always paid
full salaries to his players when they
were i'll, or when conditions made 1t
necessary to lose performances. Every
actor who ever played for MI. Belasco
will confirm my statement.
Producers Died Poor.
Then there is George M. Conan
one of the finest men who ever breath
u,
worthy charities to players, overtaken
by misfortune. Now you can actually
hear actors decrying him because he
prefers to conduct his own business
without interference. Look at al! he
has done for the actors and then mar
vel at the sight of actors behaving dis
gracefully in front of his theatre. pick
citing the place and annoying the au
diences in an effort to keep him from
giving a performance.
"The present association of Produc
ing Managers in New York Is one Of
the finest associations in the world
Why should the actor think that the
manager is his enemy? Think Of the
number of theatrical producers who
have died poor after working all theil
lives to make productions and pay
actors big salaries. There was Charles
Frohman whom Ethel Barrymore
herself said in her recent telegram
had always treated her fairly-whon
everyone knows kept his word, regard
ed his word as his bond, who spent g
lifetime making productions and pay
ing big salaries to actors, and wher
, he died his actual estate with all debts
, paid was a little over s400. There
was Henry E. Abbey, who died E
| pdUpCT, "A. M d great
, ager in his time, who left almost
, nothing; while even the Augustin DAILY
estate was quite small. No. the patti
: of the theatrical producer is not al
ways milk and honey. All productions
are not successes, only a small pro
portion of them How often do we
: find productions running at a loss
, yet the actors get paid just the same
) l saw in yesterdays paper a remark
| about the poor downtrodden actor:
| riding downtown in their limousines,
carrying banners claiming Not More
Pay, but Fair Play l would like tt
i, know just what they mean by fail
! play.
l Il came into New York today espe
5 cially to join Mr.. Sotherns new or
ganization and to advise all actor!
who love the best Interests of the
: theatre to leave the Equity and it!
agitators, and to join Mr.. Sothern':
t new organization. l believe Mr.. Soth
ern has taken a step in the right di
rection and I have Joined his organi
zation in the hope that it will brint
back to the stage the dignity it ha.
= borne in the past, and which is nov
being dragged in the dust by this dis
graceful strike of fanatical agitator
and selfish men"