Screen Actors Guild

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is the labor union representing film actors in the United States. The guild guarantees members a minimum daily wage on union productions ("scale") and handles payment of residuals. Since 1995 the guild has also selected members for the Screen Actors Guild Award.

The Blacklist Years

In October of 1947, a list of suspected communists working in the Hollywood film industry were summoned to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, which was investigating Communist influence in the Hollywood labor unions. Ten of those summoned refused to cooperate and were charged with contempt of Congress and sentenced to prison. A climate of fear, enhanced by the threat of detention under the provisions of the McCarran Internal Security Act, permeated the film industry. On November 17, 1947, the Screen Actors Guild voted to force its officers take a "non-communist" pledge. On November 25th (the day after the full House approved the ten citations for contempt) in what has become known as the Waldorf Statement, Eric Johnston, President of the Motion Picture Producers Association, issued a press release: "We will not knowingly employ a Communist or a member of any party or group which advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States by force or by any illegal or unconstitutional methods."

Related Topics:
1947 - Communist - House Committee on Un-American Activities - Hollywood - Labor union - Contempt of Congress - McCarran Internal Security Act - Waldorf Statement - Eric Johnston - Press release

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Although declassified KGB documents showed that there was a Communist influence in Hollywood, none of those blacklisted were proven to advocate overthrowing the government; most had Marxist or socialist views. The Waldorf Statement marked the beginning of the Hollywood blacklist that saw hundreds of people prevented from working in the film industry. During the height of what is now referred to as McCarthyism, the Screen Writers Guild gave the studios the right to omit from the screen the name of any individual who had failed to clear his name before Congress. At a 1997 ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Blacklist Richard Masur said: "Only our sister union, Actors' Equity Association, had the courage to stand behind its members and help them to continue their creative lives, in the theatre..."

Related Topics:
KGB - Marxist - Socialist - Hollywood blacklist - McCarthyism - Screen Writers Guild - Omit from the screen - Richard Masur - Actors' Equity Association

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Ironically, SAG has employed blacklist-like tactics of its own in recent years. In the wake of their strike against advertisers in 2000, SAG and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists temporarily barred actors from their organizations, and gathered evidence on over 1,500 non-members who had worked during the strike. SAG permanently banned one member for answering a non-union audition call. SAG trial boards found Elizabeth Hurley and Tiger Woods guilty of performing in non-union commercials and fined each $100,000. In 1980, led by Ed Asner, SAG called for a boycott against that year's prime-time Emmy awards, which took place during its labor strike. Powers Boothe was the only one of the 52 nominated actors to attend: "This is either the most courageous moment of my career or the stupidest" he quipped during his acceptance speech. Asner was elected SAG president in 1981.

Related Topics:
2000 - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists - Elizabeth Hurley - Tiger Woods - 1980 - Ed Asner - Boycott - Emmy - Powers Boothe - 1981

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