Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
TENSION REMAINS
IN EQUITY DISPUTE
Calling Off OF Strike Fails to
Cut Unemployment to
Any Great Extent.
Nv Consolidated Press.

By Consolidated Press.
HOLLYWOOD, Calf. August "a
The Equity-Producer dispute is halted
for the time being. but the acrid smoke
Of battle fingers on. The little groups
Of actors, speaking earnestly, sometimes
laughing, often gesticulating, which be-
came a feature of Hollywood Boulevard
during the weeks the Actors Equity
Association was trying to force film
producers to use all-Equity casts, still
are in evidence.
Apparently the wild rush to studio
casting Offices which followed the an
nouncement that the strike" had been
called off has not depleted the num-
bers of unemployed film players to sny
very great extent. But 1t soon will,
casting directors believe.
Actual production was slightly Af-
fected by the strike. as most of the.
prominent players were under long
term contracts. which Equity officials
agreed should be honored. Character.
small-part and extra players bore the
brunt of the hardship, since they could
not work without violating the sacred
mandate Of their organization.
Favor Equity Members.
The producers are now making every
effort to employ as many Equity play
erS as possible. Instead OF being OPP
posed to employment of Equity men,
bers. producers are showing them
favor. This Is in line with the spirit
expressed by Cecil de Mile, president
of the Producers Association, at the
conclusion Of the strike and also in line
with the preference Of producers for
experienced players.
Illustrating the general attitude of
the studios. Irving Thalberg, M. G. NJ.
executive producer, has Issued orders
that any member of his company found
ridiculing Equity or openly sneering at
its members be discharged.
Since so many Of the 1000 or 5000
Equity members involved were small
part players with salaries averaging
less than those Of ordinary laborers,
woods reputedly golden streets.
Equity officials organized a relief
committee which dispensed thousands
of dollars during the three months of
the war. An employment bureau was
formed and did fiourishing business,
offering chances to starving artists"
to earn living without sacrificing
their pride.
Take to PIebian Tasks.
Most of those thus helped were girls.
Cafes and restaurants were eager for
their services as mattresses at from
SIS to $18 week. plus tips. Many
found places as bookkeepers and stenog-
raphers.
Men whose broad shoulders once at
tracted admiring feminine glances as
they flashed across the screen took to
carrying ice mixing cement, doing hum
dreds of plebeian tasks.
The activity of the bureau sayed
Equity about $3.50 day and resulted
in some players getting good positions
out of the. pictures. Many will not
The Paramount Studio reported that
ending of the strike enabled 1t to
fill q certain part in a new Aim. It
was the role of q scrub woman and
none Of the character women available
during the dispute seemed exactly to
fit.
When peace was reached, however,
the woman who had taken the part
in a stage presentation IF the same
story became available. A number Of
other stage actors who mad been nego-
tiating for contracts signed when the
strike ended.
But the air remains tense. President
Gilmore of Equity left Thursday for
New York. ostensibly to confer with
other officials and possibly with organ
lied labor executives with a view to
returning soon to resume the contro-
versy, which he termed temporarily
abandoned" Equity members Elean-'
while are storming the studios to make
certain that casting directors know
they are available"
(Copyrifht, 1927