Equity v. Hollywood

The nebulous, noisy demands that Actors' Equity Association (actors' union) has made for two months in its attempt to impose the Equity closed shop on Hollywood cinemacting (TIME, July 8 et seq.) were last week crystallized. Four secret meetings were held in Hollywood between an actors' committee (Equity President Frank Gillmore, Ethel Barrymore, Paul Turner, of the New York Equity office) and a producers' committee (Winfield Sheehan, Irving Thalberg, Jack Warner, B. P. Schulberg, Joseph Schenck, Mike Levee, Cecil B. DeMille, Louis Mayer). The result was a complete deadlock, but both sides, for perhaps the first time, made themselves clear.

When the actors insisted that cinema casts be 100% Equity members, working under protective Equity contracts and rules, the producers flatly refused. The actors then compromised, demanded 80% Equity companies (including principals, minor parts, extras, chorus). The producers again demurred, but said they were willing to employ Equity actors under Equity contracts without attempting to break their allegiance to the union. Since Hollywood Equity membership is growing, the producers pointed out, this would soon result in majority Equity casts.

Last week in Hollywood's American Legion stadium, President Gillmore disclosed these negotiations to a host of 4,000 actors. Loudly they approved Equity's 80% demand. A ballot was taken, the results to be sent to the producers. With a credo thus determined, Equity was prepared to continue its campaign with more sanity, unanimity.