Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-08-21 | Page 4 | Six of Chicago's Theaters Close

Sffili'S! THEATERS CUBE Strike of Mechanics and Musicians Darkens All "Legit" Houses. CHICAGO, Aug. 20. Fi;: theaters wcro "dark" hero tonight as a result of tho slriko of musicians and stage mechanics. Only biirlcsriur, vaudeville and moving picture theaters wre able to give perfurmjiiiceH. Matinees advertised adver-tised for this afternoon were not given, and tho managers spent tho day re- j funding money to persons who h:id (fur-chased (fur-chased tickets in advance. J. '. Winkler, preside:;!, (if tho Chicago Chi-cago federal ion of .Musicians, anil Dick Green, president of the Chicago Federation of Stage Mechanics, stated that their members would remain en tho "sympathetic" strike imt.il tho actors and managers came to an agreement agree-ment in the present controversy. They said mere than ,';00 members of the two unions walked out. A walkout in burlesque and vaudeville) vaude-ville) houses has been threatened, but so far nothing official has been dono about calling a strike. While theater patrons were getting their money back and inquiring about performances this afternoon, the actors, forced to be idle, staged their matinee performance up in tho courtroom of Master of Chancery Zeisler, where tho questioning of members of "Up in Mabel's K-oom" company was continued con-tinued in tho hearing of the managers' petition for an injunction. Tom Wise, a member of the " Cappy Ricks" com-pany, com-pany, which was showing at the Cort, was tho principal witness. Hazel Dawn, one of the stars of the- "Up In Mabel's Room" company com-pany at Woods theater, was questioned ques-tioned today when Master in Chancery fjigiiHind Zeisler resumed the herring of the testimony in the Injunction suits brought by Chicago theater managers against the Kquily Association of Actors and Artists to prevent tho closing of additional ad-ditional playhouses by an extension of the strike. In reply to questions by Attorney. Levy Maher. who appeared for the theatrical managers. Miss Dawn fiaid she had signed one! of tho equity association's contracts with A. H. Woods, to take effect October Octo-ber 31, 1919. . "I do not consider that I nave a contract, con-tract, however, because it has been rendered ren-dered void by Mr. Woods's actions," the witness said. She testified that she received a salary of foOO a week, a maid and traveling ex- penses. t Attorney Mayer then asked the witness wit-ness what causes had led her to go d(n a strike with other members of the c.m-jmny c.m-jmny last Saturday night which resulted ' In the closing, of Woods's theater. Miss Dawn declined to answer the, question on the ground that her replies might incrimlnato her when the contempt : of court chatges are heard August 26. 1 NEW YORK, Aug. 20. The dove of ' pence which hovered over strike-bound theatrical New York today, was driven off tonight by a fusillade of hot shot from tho Traducing Managers' Protective Protec-tive association, which declared, in a formal statement,' that it would never deal with an organization of "contract violators" like tho Actors' Eqnlty association. asso-ciation. Paul N. Turner, attorney for the Actors' Equity association, announced tonight that the association had reduced to writing writ-ing a statement that it does not Insist on tho "closed shop" principle in demanding recognition by the managers. The offer had no effect orr the managers' stand, however. Stage hands and! musicians walked out at the Winter Ga.rden tonight, but the theater put on its "vaudevilleized" musical mu-sical extravaganza, "Monte Crlsto, Jr.," with a piano furnishing all instrumental accompaniment. Tonight announcement was made that the newly formed union of motion picture workers had applied for an American federation of Labor charter, adding that complete organization of the "movie" workers would be reported at a meeting next Tuesday. Demand for increased wages, union recognition and shorter hours is to be made following final unionization unioni-zation of motion picture managers, operators, opera-tors, ticket takers, ushers and doormen, some of whom have been working twelve hours a clay for $14 a week, it was stated.