New-York tribune., 1922-07-26
Producing Managers Give
Playwright Place Like
Landis Has i'm Baseball
and Will Hays in Films
3-Year Contract
AT a Big Salary
Teamwork With Owners.
Players and Public Is
To Be His Platfor

Augustus Thomas, the playwright,
for many years one of the foremost
figures in the American Theater was
appointed executive chairman Of the
Producing Managers Association at a
meeting yesterday.
He formally accepted the appoint
ment, which is for three years, begin
ming August !. His salary will be large
and the position one of great impor-
tance in view of the fact that the Pro
ducing Managers Association has a
membership that includes virtually all
the important producers in the country
Mr.. Thomas's place as head of the
Producers Association, is considered
by some as being ambiguous to the
positions Of Judge Lands in the field
of baseball and VIII H. Hays in the
motion picture world. Judge Lands
and Mr.. Hays, however, came into base
ball and motion pictures as outsi iders,
whereas Mr.. Thomas, through his ac-
tivity as playwright, has been direct
ly associated with the theatrical pro-
leSslon 1of thirty years.
Right Man, Says Harris
Sam Fl. Harris, president of the
Managers Association, in an announce
ment made in connection with the Sc
lection of the playwright as mead of
the body, said:
The members Of the Producing Man
ayers Association, recognizing the ben
eft that similar organizations hope for
in the concentration of executive sbil-
ity and its delegation to single rep
resentative, informed and i1nrartialIy
situated, have asked Mr.. Augustus
Thomas to serve in such capacity for
them under the title of executive chair
man.
"Mr. Thomas's place in the opinion
of both the public and the profession,
his familiarity with all the departm en- s
of the theater-literary, artistic, inter-
pretive, promotive and managerial
and with all their respective problems,
his personal acquaintance with It's fore
most men and women, his sympathy
with their hopes and ambitions, all in
dlcate him as one most likely % ad-
vance to cooperation toward which
all are disposed and to do so IN way
most agreeable to the public and mos
helpful to the important arts and in
terests involved"
Will Try Team Work
Mr. Thomas, in speaking of his new
position, said: "They (the Producing
Managers Association have many
problems, as has every organization,
and on the question of their proper
solution are as humanity divided as
other groups. They are sane enough
to think, however, that some of this
division may be due to the bias Of per-
sonal interests as we'll as to personal
temperament. They have paid ME the
compliment of putting me in a place
to compose not only those differences
but to present fairly the interests of
other elements in the theater with
which they come in contact, such as
the dramatists, the actors, the musi-
clans and others cooperating, as we'll
as that other element, without which
there could be no theater, the public
itself.
"My hope is to offer suggestions that
will command their respect and make
producers themselves, but among all
the elements involved"
The question for selecting head for
the Producing Managers Associa tion
had been discussed for some time, and
Mr.. Thomas had for weeks been con-
sidered the probable choice. The
names Of Bernard M. Baruch and Sec
retary of Labor James j. Davis were
also mentioned in connection with the
place.
Mr.. Thomas will continue his work
as playwright, but will otherwise give
his entire time to the Producing Man
ayers Association.