The New York herald., 1922-01-14
equity DEADN 1924,
SAYSC0HANI DEFIANT
Actor Producer to Lead
Managers in Fight for
Open Shop.
CHARGES DISSENSION
95 Per Cent of A. e. A. Are
Against Close Restrictions
in Theater, He Finds.
BELIEVES IN UNIONIsM
Thinks Stranding Of Compa
nies Is Caused by Present
Conditions in Management.

ATLANTIC CITY, Jan. 13.-"I am going
to make the Producing Managers AS
sociation fight" declared George NJ.
Cohan here tonight in a statement to
THE New York HERALD correspondent
that bristled with defiance of the Ac-
said:
Heretofore I have shouldered the
brunt of the thing alone. have been
making the fight on the closed shop
absolutely alone. The other managers
were protected until 1924 by their con-
tracts. The program is to enforce the
closed shop in 1924 on everybody, but
they will find a solid front if they at
tempt it. / don't believe they will.
for I do not think there will be an
Actors Equity Association in 1924"
Mr.. Cohan digressed to express the
belief that 95 per cent. OF the members
of Equity are opposed to the closed
shop for stage folk. He went on:
but they have been preached to and
talked to and pleaded with and written
to and read to until they have come to
lean reward the plan. I am standing
with the Producing Managers Associa-
tion in this thing and IL they need any
pep promise to supply it. They will
have TO fight II 1 have to make them
do it.
The Federation of Labor has made
a great mistake in trying 10 organize
q m n In frod do
union theory cannot work out well with
actors. Any one who has made any
strides in the theatrical profession has
had to do 1t on his own. Such men and
women have done things in their own
way.
Union Man Himself.
1T is all very well for stage hands
or musicians to have unions. / believe
in It. In fact, have paid up member
ship In the Musical Union. But it is
quite another thing when you try to
unionize actors and actresses. The
principle is all wrong. 1t can't be
worked out in practice"
Mr.. Cohan was asked IL there was any
inconsistency In his returning to the
Producing Managers Association in view
OF the stand of the Actors Fidelity
League. of which he is a member, on
IL am goirg back to the Producing
Managers Association because they
have waived the ruling that any mem
Der OF an actors association would be
barred. Appeal was ma6e to the man.
ayers by Fidelity man to waive this
clause In my case In order that might
be admitted 10 membership
"Do you think that implies the man
ayers will discard the rule altogether
q -
take the liberty CT revealing the mind
were aware OF it. which ] am not. All
know is the clause tina tordnarily
would keep me out has been waived"
10000 Actors Idle, He Says.
Mr.. Cohan referred to some OF the
Equity propaganda which has been
aimed at him. touched on one portion
of a recent printed attack sent to vari-
GUS New York newspapers I'm which II
was suggested that Cohan try to help
stranded companies II he is so much
in the welfare of the players.
The manager waxed vehement over this
and said:
Until the advent of Equity there
were no companies stranded for fifteen
,ears. / remember sitting in the Clsr
icge Hotel with some friends AMI try
ing to arrive at the facts in that con-
n. ction and We could not find even
the company of an obscure show that
had been stranded for fifteen years
before Equity cana along. They have
stood by irresponsible managers.
There are now $4,000 or more actors
out of work. All because of what we
oail the tank managers out in the mid
die West I recall there were three
shows running In New York at the one
time and none of them making enough
to pay the salaries of their companies.
Ard Equity was then In force.
"T haven't given UP the idea of pro-
ducng shows I'm London. But ! don't
ir tend to do any producing Immediately.
| may produce two or three plays In the
spring. venture TO say that in the
naxt few years there will be a sort of
reciprocal condition. London producers
will be bringing productions to New
York and New York producers will be
going over to London. / may say Lon
don is as important to me now as any
large American city"