The Actors' Fidelity League (Fidelity) was a short-lived unaffiliated American craft union representing actors who worked in live theatrical performances. It split off from Actors' Equity Association (Equity) in August 1919 when the parent organization affiliated with the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and adopted strike tactics. Fidelity approved of collective bargaining but objected to breaking contracts once signed (hence the name). A few of its members objected to trade unionism itself in the belief that they were artists rather than craftsmen. Though not a company union in the traditional sense, there was some merit in Equity accusations that the League was too close to the producers.
Initially it had over 2,000 members, but this dropped sharply after settlement of the 1919 strike. When Equity imposed a closed shop on independent producers in 1921, rank-and-file membership in the rival league declined further. The last reported activity of the Actors' Fidelity League was during May 1930.
Background The Equity contract Equity was formed in 1913 to provide collective barginning protection for actors on the legitimate stage. It included both men and women, unlike the older White Rats which represented only white male vaudeville performers. It had no affiliation with other trade unions to begin with, such as the musicians or stagehands. Its goal was to ensure theatrical producers treated actors fairly and consistently. Equity grew rapidly, and succeeded in gaining some recognition from the United Managers Protective Association (UMPA). The UMPA under Marc Klaw eventually agreed in November 1917 to use a standard contract for signing actors, which included an arbitration clause wherein the contending parties would be Equity and the UMPA. This was known as "the Equity Contract", and its term would run for two years. However, with the breakup of the Theatrical Syndicate the UMPA was reduced to just the Klaw and Erlanger theatres. A new organization, the Producing Managers' Association (PMA) comprising some two dozen major producers, took its place, headed by Sam H. Harris.
Negotiations breakdown: June 1919 With the Equity contract agreement set to expire that year, Equity tried to negotiate with the PMA during June 1919 for resolution of some longstanding grievences. These were half-pay for rehearsals; additional compensation for more than eight performances a week, holidays, and Sundays; and a minimum number of paid weeks per season. To measure producer compliance with the Equity contract, it sent out postcard questionnaires to its membership asking on what terms they were now employed. This provoked a reaction among some actors who considered themselves artists rather than craftsmen. They resented being asked to disclose their contract terms, though Equity had not asked for actual compensation amounts. Two objecting members, Amelia Bingham and William Gillette, publicly resigned from Equity.
When pressed to discuss the issues Equity highlighted, the PMA demurred. The producers knew that Equity on its own lacked the strength to force them to negotiate. The PMA also knew that actors as a craft were diverse in background, outlook, and especially wealth; they lacked the social and financial cohesion of traditional crafts. The PMA therefore responded by re-issuing the existing contract with a significant change: the arbitration clause would now apply only to the hiring producer and the individual actor. Arbitration as an equitable process works best when the contending parties are of equal power. An already wealthy and well-known actor might find this agreeable, but the vast majority of Equity's membership would be at a disadvantage. Equity asked William Howard Taft and Charles Evans Hughes to act as arbitrators between itself and the PMA over the contract issue. Sam H. Harris replied that there was nothing to arbitrate, and from then on the PMA ignored Equity.
Equity joins the AFL: July 1919 An impending schism within Equity grew more likely when in mid-July the American Federation of Labor (AFL) extended the charter previously granted to the White Rats to include legitimate stage actors under Equity. This was a goal Equity had been working towards since 1918, but which had been stymied by the White Rats' opposition. A new organization within the AFL, the Associated Actors and Artists of America, made up of officers from both Equity and the White Rats, would hold the charter. This move into trade unionism strengthened Equity's position in a work stoppage, since the other crafts in the AFL, such as stage hands and musicians, would support them.
1919 Strike
As the PMA still refused to negotiate, Equity moved ahead with a limited strike, initially targeting a revival of Chu Chin Chow, then in rehearsals at the Century Theatre on July 29, 1919. It had a temporary failure when three of the four leadsEquity's mistake on the first day was to call out only the lead actors for the strike, not the minor players and extras. kept rehearsing, with Marjorie Wood resigning from Equity as well. However, the London-born Richie Ling honored the call out. He, along with three supporting actressesLucy Beaumont, Ida Mulle, and Clara Verdera. who walked out the second day, became Equity's first Gold Star members. At a mass meeting on August 1, 1919, the membership of Equity voted to authorize their leadership to make agreements with the stagehands and musicians' unions for joint action against the PMA.
The situation came to a boil on August 7, when a general meeting of over 1,000 Equity members voted to strike. That night twelve theatres were closed due to the walkout, and within two days the number had more than doubled. The following day Equity and AFL officials met with officers of the stagehands and musicians to discuss coordinating their activities.
The strike spread to Chicago on August 12, 1919, the same day as Equity sponsored the formation of the Chorus Equity Association, which joined the actors on strike. Theatres were not the only businesses impacted. The Daily News reported that "some of the loveliest girls of the theatre" flooded into Wall Street on August 12 to promote the strike: "Young brokers were unable to get their minds back to business after the visit and the market sagged."
Founding of Actors' Fidelity Reasons for opposing the strike E. H. Sothern had initially supported Equity's position but when he suggested at the Equity meeting on August 7 the strike be delayed to give negotiations a chance, he was shouted down. He then resigned from Equity, citing that he had contracts for twenty-one theatres for the coming season and couldn't break all of them.
Marjorie Wood, the first Equity member to resign over the strike call, insisted that she was an artist not a laborer. This attitude was shared by some, but a more commonly expressed position was the opposition to breaking contracts. A third viewpoint was grounded in political distaste for "radical" trade unionism, as exemplified by Equity affiliating with the AFL. Zelda Sears, a former Equity council member, said her reason for quitting Equity was that players were being asked to strike productions with Equity-approved contracts.
Howard Kyle, Equity's first secretary, had resigned in early August. A newspaper reported that he and Henry Miller, Equity's first vice-president, who had also resigned were trying to start a counter group called the Actors' Co-operative Association.
E. H. Sothern mediation By August 12 newspapers reported that E. H. Sothern was to start a new association with himself at the head. However, Sothern denied that he was trying to form a new association. His sole aim was to play peacemaker, using neutral parties to mediate between Equity and the PMA.
Sothern called for a meeting of neutral actors at the Hotel Biltmore on August 15, to find ways to mediate the strike. The meeting appointed a committee to meet with the PMA, consisting of Sothern, Mrs. Fiske, Augustus Thomas, Howard Kyle, Leo Ditrichstein and Lowell Sherman. The last two were active Equity members, present unofficially. After two meetings, Arthur Hopkins announced the PMA would accept all of the strikers demands, except for recognizing Equity's right to conduct arbitration. However, Equity rejected any contract that did not recognize the union's right to arbitration. Following this rejection, and with the stagehands now honoring Equity picket lines, E. H. Sothern announced he was "withdrawing from the situation".
The first meeting Louis Mann went a step farther than E. H. Sothern, abandoning neutrality and proposing to settle the strike by starting a new actors' organization. Newspapers and Equity immediately tied this new organization to George M. Cohan's earlier offer to resign from the PMA and support such a group with $100,000.
The first general meeting of those actors opposed to the Equity strike occurred on August 22, 1919, at the Biltmore Hotel. Harassed by Equity partisans,Chiefly Lawrence Grant, who actually was invited up front to debate with Louis Mann and others. and distracted by rumors of Equity misconduct, the meeting did manage to sign up 537 members. However, Cohan resisted Mann's effort to have him appointed leader by acclamation. A committee met that same nightIts members were Louis Mann, Alan Dinehart, David Warfield, Alexander Leftwich, Frederick Carr, William Collier Sr., Janet Beecher, Zelda Sears, Marjorie Wood, Lenore Ulric, and Arthur Ashley. to decide on the new organization's policies, which were presented at a second meeting the next day. This committee would also create a constitution and by-laws.
The second meeting The second general meeting was held on August 23, 1919, again at the Biltmore Hotel. Louis Mann presided, and immediately asked all those not in sympathy with the new organization to depart. About a dozen Equity agitators left, but other Equity members who identified themselves and asked to stay were given permission. Alan Dinehart reported from the By-Laws Committee that the new organization would be called the "Actors' Fidelity League". Louis Mann said the committee would not accept Cohan's offer of funding, but each committee member had chipped in $100 for initial expenses. This would cover the lease of a headquarters at 122 West Forty-third Street in Manhattan.
Howard Kyle read the constitution and by-laws to the meeting. The Sun reported: "Its constitution provides for the inviolability of the individual contract, contains no provision for a strike, and sets up a permanent board for arbitration.... composed of two actors, two managers, and an umpire selected by these four." There was only one change made, when José Ruben objected to a provision for any two board of director members to be able to blackball a new member. It was dropped through a motion carried by voice acclaim, with a majority of directors in an open vote now being required to reject or expel a member. Four officers, to serve one year each, and 21 board directors to serve staggered three year terms,Each year, one third of director positions would be up for election, much as in the US Senate. How this was handled initially, whether some had one year or two year terms, is unclear. were elected. Cohan, who wasn't present, was chosen President, but a delegation informed him he wouldn't be allowed to take part in Fidelity League business until he resigned from the PMA. Cohan's $100,000 check, having been rejected by Fidelity, was donated by him to the non-partisan Actors' Fund instead.
Growth The Actors' Fidelity League was open to anyone who had twenty-six weeks performing experience. There was no restriction on nationality, nor did applicants have to sever ties with other professional organizations. Within a week of its foundation, Fidelity had retained a physician to provide medical assistance at no cost to its members, and set up a relief fund for Fidelity actors affected by the Equity strike.