The 1919 Actors Strike Centennial

That’s the one and only Marie Dressler on the picket line, during the Actors Equity Association strike, which lasted from August 7, 1919 to September 6 of the same year.

The union had only been formed in 1913; this “first strike” was very important, historically, as it demonstrated the efficacy of mass action. Earlier strikes by the vaudeville performers union The White Rats had not been as successful. These unions had been formed in response to the increasing systemization and corporatization. Then, as now, as always, increased organization brings efficiencies and cost savings and such like — which are rarely passed on to either employees or consumers. Unless they raise holy hell. They also can bring them with diminishment of the dignity of the individual. When it’s all cogs, workers also become cogs, and are treated accordingly. We’re still playing out this dismal class war that dates all the way to the industrial revolution. The next few years promises changes as bad or worse than any we have ever known. But for the moment…let us stick with 1919.

Some notable people who struck that year included Eddie Cantor (temporarily causing a rift between him and producer Flo Ziegfeld, who had basically put him on the map), the Barrymores (big stars who had no need to strike, but wanted to show their solidarity), W.C. Fields, Ed Wynn, and about 150 others, shutting down about 19 shows. A surprising supporter of the strike was producer Sam Harris, which caused a catastrophic break between himself and his professional partner George M. Cohan, who was a surprising opponent of the strike. There are people who don’t still have a good word on the subject of Cohan for that reason TO THIS DAY. (I’m not one of them. If anything, I think he is insufficiently honored, though not for that). Another strike opponent was actor and director Holbrook Blinn, who was one of the founders of the anti-strike opposition group the Actors’ Fidelity League. Those were very early days in the labor movement, and honestly, I can see all sides. There are pluses and minuses to unionizing. Unionizing the arts is a complicated business, more complicated than some people make it. Me, personally, I believe that art is something that you can’t put a price tag on. I would make art if I was never paid a dime for it…and have practically done just that! But when there IS a price tag put on the art by the producers, the artists deserve appropriate recompense. As long as art is still made by humans, at any rate.