Equity v. Hollywood

Since the sound cinema vogue, hundreds of clear-voiced "legitimate" actors have hustled to Hollywood to get rich. With them has hustled Actors' Equity Association, potent labor union which controls the nation's legitimate theatre. But Equity has discovered a mighty objection to its regulations. Opulent Hollywood thinks it knows of its own business better than Equity does.

Last week the American Federation of Labor came to Equity's support, saying: "Your cause is our cause . . . your struggle is our struggle." Equity opponents scorned this as bombastic "moral support." But Equity adherents foresaw that cinemas made by anti-Equity producers might be boycotted by A. F. of L. members and families. Hollywood technicians of all sorts are 'being unionized to help the Equity cause.

Hollywood Equity members complain that they were not consulted. In less than one month, 160 of them have signed non-Equity contracts.