The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-05-05
NEGOTIATIONS
STARTED BY
PRODUCERS
Furniture Hurled in
Melee at Strikers
"Pep" Meeting

dOlLYWOOJ, NdA'S "AoJ
QN.S0.-With seven men seri-
ously hurt in rioting and a hum
bred others bruised, terror gripped
the strike-torn film capital today.
Frankly fearing trouble, labor
strategists withdrew women from
the lines of pickets surrounding
the major studios.
At the same time, producers
swept aside preliminaries and
launched negotiations through
which they hoped to end the worst
strike in the history of the $685.
900 900 motion picture industry.
Almost 500 policemen, armed
with tear gas and guns, were de-
tailed to the studios after the
striking federated motion picture
crafts held a mass pep rally"
last night and reiterated its de-
termination to bring the film pro-
ducers to bay.
Furniture Hurled
First major violence in the
strike broke out last night when
so unidentified assailants forced
their way into a meeting Of the
International Alliance OF Theat-
rical Stage Employees and began
hurting furniture. Six men apply
ing for I. A. T. S. E. membership
were hurt.
The ten striking craft unions OF
the Federation have charged that
the I. A. T. S. E. is company
dominated" and is attempting to
break the strike by signing federa-
ton men.
Both labor leaders and produc-
ers, however, denied that that riot
was sanctioned by strike mead
quarters.
The assailants escaped IN the
crowd before police arrived.
Meanwhile minor riots broke
out at several studios.
John Kline, a property man at
Universal studio, was set upon by
four Unidentified men and severe
ly beaten. ,
TWO culinary workers attempted
to pass picket lines at Metro-Golo-
wyn.Mayer studios and were set
upon by picketS.
In front of Paramount an un-
identified scenic artist created a
near riot when he knocked a
camera from the hands of a picket
who was making a film record OF
all who passed through the lines
Negotiations Start
In the midst of this intra-labor
warfare, Pat Casey, labor repre-
sentative for the Motion Picture
Producers Association, announced
negotiations had been launched on
two fronts. Casey said represen-
tatives of the powerful screen
actors guild already had opened
secret conferences with the pro-
ducers.
AS the strike entered its fifth
day today work on films in the
studios continued unabated
Actors and actresses, pending the
next meeting of their guild, have
been passing unmoleSted through
the picket lines, while the tech
nical departments are being op-
Grated by non-striking employees.
Studio chiefs admitted they
were working under difficulties,
since with the makeup men on
strike many of the stars are
forced to prepare themselves for
the camera.
Strike leaders augmented their
5000 pickets with flying
squad" of 400 ordered to travel
from studio to studio to support
the lines stationed about the
10 lots under fire.
Pickets today started booing
and threatening those who passed
through their lines.
Although all the craft unions
involved in the strike are Amer
lean Federation of Labor affiliates,
strikers announced today they
had received offers Of help from
the Committee for Industrial
Organization.
c. H. Jordan, C. I. o. organizer
for Los Angeles, said he had re-
ceived a Geographic order from
his national chief, John Brophy,
instructing him to support the
strike with every means at his dis
posal.