The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-10
MOVIE STARS IN'
 REAL LIFE DRAMA.
Atlantic City Sets Stage For Battle of Villains,
 GIamor Girls
By MARTIN KANE United Press Staff Correspondent ]

union controversy which threatens the amusement industry with its most costly shutdown.
 The executive council of the Am erican Federation of Labor, referee ing a dispute between the Asscociat- ed Actors and Artists of America and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, faced the most tenn peramental and wealthiest body of infuriated trade union members ever to threaten a strike.
 Some of the theatrical folk who descended indignantly upon this re- sort were veterans of the equity strike of 1919, among them the Chestnut-haired Tallulah Bankhead, who said she didn't know the req sons for the row, but that she was "emotionally, spiritually and psysi- cally" on the side of the AAAA.
 Poor Darlings Not Blamed
 Wringing her expressive hands Miss Bankhead said in her deepest emotional tones that "the stage hands, poor darlings, are not to be blamed. It's those people that rule them. Nothing but dictators That's what they are"
 Miss Bankhead wore pajamas and a red belt about her comedy midriff when she arrived. She admitted stage fright at the prospect of presenting an argument to the A. F. L. Council.
 "I1l IATSE and FLSOFF and won't know what the hell I'm talk ing about. I'm really not fitted for this sort of thing. mean l just don't understand anything about figures or letters"
 Ralph Morgan, president of the Screen Actors Guild, who flew from Hollywood with a delegation of mo- tables including Binnie Barnes, Ed ward Arnold, Wayne Morris, Jean Muir, Lucille Gleason, Henry Hull and Mischa Auer. was clearer about the intricacies of the situation but no happier about 1t.
 Line-Up of Battle
 Here's the lineup for the battle that begins about 2:3O p. m. (E.D.T) today:
 A. F. L.-The American Federa- tion of Labor, grand-daddy of all the unions involved. Its executive council is in summer session here.
 AAAA-Associated Actors and Ar tistes of America, parent union for all types of entertainers, with II subsidiaries into which stage, screen, radio, opera, vaudeville, cirsus and other performers are grouped more or less separatively.
 Iatse - International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the powerful union of stagehands, with subsidiaries of its own to which ,, props, cameramen, electricians theater projectionists and others belong.
 AFA-American Federation of Ac- tors, one of the AAAA units, com- prised mostly of night club, vaude-
 vile, presentation house and circus performers, presided over by Sophie Tucker, president, and Harry Rich- man, vice-president.
 SAG-Screen Actors Guild, an- other unit of the AAAA, to which
 most movie stars belong.
 How It All Began
 Here is how the quarrel started
 The AAAA expelled the AFA or
 charges that its officers mismanag- ) ed the union and misspent Its \ funds AFA officials then accepted
 a charter from the IATSE. Othel
 units of the AAAA, including tht - screen actors, thereupon charged rt that the stagehands union was try. in ing to invade the actors jurisdic' is tion. Actors feared that the IATSF of might some day get control of then 10 all by such tactics, and they woulc
 find themselves in a union wher, they were outvoted by stagehands. l- Now proceed with the story: oi Morgan and his crew were joined h. here by Miss Bankhead, Miriam ne Hopkins, Peggy Wood, Lawrence n- Tibbett of the opera, Frederic Marcf ;h and officials of most of the AAAA n. units who came by plane and train oo Morgan talked frankly of strik, Id possibilities. Regarding a vote talk ch en by the SAG, which pledged al
 legiance to the A even to the poin on ofa Walout, he said that of 2,20l by votes counted before he left Holly it's wod only four were unfavorable. O. Strike May Be Delayed es. "Of course," he said, i've won n: consider strike until we have hat n: a mass meeting in Hollywood Sun S day and have had a chance tt m. thrash out the issue and give every he one chance to speak" Ha caid fhot ,,tfar lafaat i,1 IL.
 council would mean his persona
 recommendation of withdrawal iron
 the AFL-a situation which would
 point toward strike and shutdown
 of every studio in Hollywood, anl - if Actors Equity, another AAAl II unit, followed suit, of every theatel \ on Broadway.
 As to Sophie Tucker, Morgan hat
 this to say:
 O. "Sophie's heart rules her head. " love 8 person whose heart rule m her head. But sometimes it gets vol D. in trouble. It got me in trouble"
 AFL officials, uncustomed to sucl ,- vociferous members, announced tha I'd the council hearing, as usual, woult e- be secret and Green added tha t. only enough screen and stage foll t. would be permitted to speak as wer' 1t necessary to present their case. k. Against this, Frank Gilmore, pres " ident of the AAAA, protested ard 70 ently. He said the hearing shoult Ill be wide open to both press ant 1- public, since, he said, the controv 10 ersy is vital to all AFT members m theatrical or not.
 CT we won't be stampeded," Greer
 renlied