The Omaha guide., 1933-10-28
BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE
DEEP BLUE SEA-
WHAT AM A FELLOW TO DO WHEN HE FINDS HIMSELF IN
THIS KIND OF A PREDICAMENT?

THIS KIND OF A PREDICAMENT?
Well, that is just exactly the predicament Mr.. II. A. Taylor,
who is the owner of the beautiful e Ritz Theatre is at this time.
make demands of Mr.. Taylor for Negro help from many different
angles. Negro girls made pesonal equest for the ticket selling booth,
Negro boys made request for ushers, porters and motion picture
of his good weekly customers, and many nasty threatening letters
were written to the Omaha Guide for publication in their columns
Mass meetings were held and special committees were appointed to
call on Mr.. Taylor, demanding him to employ Negro help. Mr.. Tay-
lr took all of this under consideration, and finally decided to make a
personal survey within a radlous where he a expected t o receive
his patrons from. This was done with a card system by house to
house canvassing with a direct question to each individual as to
what they would like to have the Ritz Theatre to make them
feel more at home, and what kind of pictures they liked best
When this canvassing wa completed, four out Of every five
that answered the questions, asked for more Negro employees. Then,
old man Depression car along and took its share away from the
theatre going group. Mr.. Taylor found himself with a $4,000 invest
ment that was not paying any dividends to the owner. He was forced
IS ali good business men are forced to- make another survey and
find out the cause. And when he went to the public again he received
that same demand, more work for the people that live in this com
munhy and especially u Negro youths When he went to the news
paper office, he was confronted with this same demand, when he
went to social and civic organizations, he as also confronted with
the I'M demand. Finally a group of North Omaha representatives
citizens said this to Mr.. Taylor:
you have a position that is paying $3.50 a week, which is
a motion picture operator, if we present to you an operator, what
consideration will you give US" Mr.. Taylor stated, if they could pass
the city examination, secure a city license to operate a motion pic
ue machine, and could become a member of the Motion Picture
Operators Union, he thought something could be worked out.
This committee under took to have two Omaha youths to
easur up to this requirements, Paul Barnett, who was born, reared
and educated in Omaha, a graduate of Technical High School and
Boyd v. Galloway, who wa reared in Omaha, and went through the
public schools n a graduate OF wendell Philip HIgn ScnOoI In M
cago, with some special university training in Journalistic work, was
requested by this committee to prepare themselves to take an ex-
animation for Motion Picture Operator license. After six months of
study in research work Of all kinds of sound and electrical appliance,
we secured a license motion picture operator to give thief instruc-
tons in operating a motion picture machine. The instructor finally
announced that they were fully capable of operating a Motion Pict-
ire Machine.
At this time the citizens committee arranged for them to take
a motion picture operators examination. After taking three examin-
atoms they received their licenses a $ Motion Picture Operators. The
citizens committee waited o m Mr. Taylor, and informed him Of this
fact, and demanded that he give these two youths a chance to prove
their ability to operate his motion picture machine.
Mr.. Taylor stated that he had
a contract with the Motion Picture Union Operators, and these two
young men would have to join the Union before he could give them
any consideration A chairman and secretary of this Citizens Com
mittee, asked for a conference with the business manager, president
and secretary of the Motion Picture Operators Union This confer
ence was granted and was held in the Y. M. c. A, and the Unions
Business Manager and Secretary said they felt sure these young
men would be admitted to the Union, if they could secure City Ii
cense. Later i, the President and Business Manager, brought two
applications blanks to the OMAHA GUIDE Office, which was
promptly filled out and $500 initial part payment fee thereto at
tached to each application, and the Citizens committee, consisting Of
the following group of civic leaders, :. Harvey Kerns, Executive
Secretary of the Urban League, Rev. o.. Burkhardt, Secretary Of the
Ministers Alliance, Lieut.. Ed. Turner, Claimadiuster of the Amer
lean Legion Roosevelt Post. R. c. Price, President NAACP, DR. G
B Lennox, President of the Working Mems Commission and c. c.
Galloway, Acting Editor of the OMAHA GUIDE in person at 12:45
p. m presented these applications in the Labor Temple to the Mo-
ton Picture Operators Union. The chairman of this committee and
the Secretary presented a strong appeal for acceptance of these two
youths applications.
For thirty days, we waited patiently for an answer. We were
put in what is commonly called the go Long Through Finally a
mass meeting was called of the representatives group, and the story
was told by the Business Manager and Secretary of the Motion Pic
ture Operators Union, and by the chairman and secretary Of the
Citizens Committee, after much discussion the owner, MI. h. A. Tay-
ior a sci again the story told for his benefit. The
motion was put and carried that these two Negro youths be present.
ed to MI. h. A. Taylor for a position a S motion picture operators in
lis theatre. Mr.. Taylor had just had a conference at his theatre with
the business manager and secretary of the motion picture union,
they had made their demands o Mr.. Taylor and the following day.
the chairman and secretary Of the citizens committee called On Mr..
Taylor and carried out the order and wishes of the group to put these
two Negro operators to work at once o suffer the consequence
Il a campaign being sponsored that would stop nnty Eight per cent
Nesro auo attending hs theate. This is when Mr.. Taylor
vas placed between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea.
On September "a, the Union operator was told By the chair.
ssaAA # - citizen cenniHesFthxtscN Qftahsr 1,stka6 fRA Nerrsa
sM1g@1SSsskrs ssias e w&k S3he R5z 9ExStA q tASenst&Am6s
y u Hksne1atrast wier nf~1sys. -Innsaisssly I've Neffsss Were
tceaAsnsA - paes Tfvsl