Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-04
FOREIGN TALENT"
INCREASING IN i. S.
. Musicians Fight Against
!: Artists Importation Draws
!.
/ Attention to Conditions.
BY LEMUEL r. PARTON.

3 NEW YORK, August 4.-The fight
of the American Federation OF Musi-
clans to bar foreign instrumentalists
has revealed the increasing Deepen
,dence of America on foreign amuse-
sment talent. A majority of American
mayinC picture producers and players
are of foreign birth. Virtually every
iunortant vaudeville circuit in Amer
ca now has scouts in Europe rounding
M vaudeville performers The num-
her of American bookers abroad now
ttis estimated to be double that c any
other season.
- Like the musicians, the actors ana
movie stars come in under the artist
! classification, and hence are not SUD
feet to the provisions or contract
labor law When II was apparent
, that the federation would carry me
fight TO Congress II satisfaction We're
! not obtained from the Department OF
Labor. there were evidences OF con-
I Germ on the part OF theatrical pro-
ducers who recruit foreign talent.
Actors Plan No Action.
The Actors Equity Association
will take no part in the controversy
unless the increased importation OF
motion picture players should MAKE
Il expedient for the association to join
the musicians in the stand against
! foreign artists" In discussing TINS
today Frank Gilmore, secretary OF the
| Actors Equity, who organized the
motion picture branch OF the Equity
said:
II have heard expressions Of uneasi-
ness among our members about the
increase in the number Of players or
foreign birth. AS the association mas
taken no stand on this, / cannot speak
authoritatively as to what may pc
done. So far as the legitimate theater
is concerned. it is true that in the past
many Of our best players have come
from foreign countries, particularly
from England. America has pronted
greatly from these players, and am
not inclined to believe that the pro-
fession would seek to oppose the entry
of genuine artists of acknowledged
standing, OF course, if large num-
bers Of players Of more doubtful
standing should be brought in, seri-
ously competing with Americans for
employment, it would be something
, for the profession to consider.
Include Many Leaders.
The concern in the movie ranks, re-
$erred to by Mr.. Gilmore, was brought
about by the fact that there are now
about 425 alien.born directors and
players in the American films, COM
prising many of the leaders OF the
profession. They include, among
others, the following:
= F'rance--Lou Tellegen, Jetta Gou-
dial, Adolpe Menjou, CASTOR Glass,
Monty Banks, Lew Cody and Renee
Adoree. French directors are Herbert
Bloche, Georges Archainbaud. Maui
rice Tourneur and George Fitzmau-
rice.
Great Britain-Charles and Sidney
Chaplin; Mary, Jack and Lottie Pick
ford Canadian, Tom and Matt Moore
fIrish), T. Roy Barnes, Nigel Barrie,
Lionel Belmore, Evelyn Brent. olive
Brook, Reginald Denny, William Des-
mond, William Faversham, Cissy
ing, Gareth Hughes, Brandon Hurst,
Claude King, Lupino Lane, Gertrude
Lawrence, Beatrice Lille, Doris Lloyd.
Aileen Pringle and Norman Trevor.
About Is leading directors are Of Brit
/ ish birth. X
Germany-Conrad veidt and Emil
: .Jannings. Directors include Ernst
Luhitsch, Ernest Laemmle, Lothar
'Mendes, F. w. Murnau and Eric Pom.
mer.
Bull Montana Included.
Joseph and Rudolph Schildkraut
and. Eric Won Stroheim came from
Austria; Jean Hersholt is from Den
mark; Victor Varconi and Lya de
Putti were born in Hungary: Bull
Montana came from Italy; Ann May
Wong from China; Sessue Hayakawa
! from Japan; Ramon Novarro and
Dolores Del Rio from Mexico Gilda
Gray and Pola Negri from Poland, and
Vera Gordon and ALA Nazimova from
Russia.
In Europe now scouting foreign
acts are William Morris, jr.; Dick
Henry, booker for Pantages. and
Louis Spielman and Eddie Darling,
, BOXERS for the Keith-Albee circuits.
Representatives Of johnson & Lowen-
steih are booking a number Of Euro
pean acts for American tours, starting
next Fall.
Last year more than 60 per cent of
the successful American plays We're
written by foreigners. This year the
PROPORTION has been less. So far
there has been no invasion Of foreign
songs. The domestic song output is
still, written. published, played and
sung by Americans.
fCopyriRht. 1927