The $1 Issue

Cecil Blount De Mille would rather be remembered--and doubtless will be--as one of the founding fathers of Hollywood than as a union man. Nevertheless, Labor's recording angel will list him as having been a union man. Last week he was no longer a member of his union (A. F. of L.'s American Federation of Radio Artists). He was also, and consequently, out of his $98,000-a-year job as ringmaster of Lux Radio Theater (CBS, Mon., 9-10 p.m. E.W.T.).

In August 1944, the union levied on all its members a $1 assessment to fight a proposed open-shop amendment to California law. Director De Mille looked on this enforced endorsement as a violation of his rights as an individual. Vigorously, quoting the U.S. Founding Fathers, he challenged the right of any organization to "arbitrarily make up his mind for him. . . ." Thundered the pioneer of super-colossal cinematic epics: "I might afford to lose one dollar, but I cannot afford to lose my rights as an American citizen, nor my respect for myself as such. . . ."

The union gave De Mille till September to come across. Then the deadline was eased up to Dec. 1. (Meantime the proposed open-shop amendment had been defeated and virtually forgotten.) He was then given ten days to pay up or be suspended from A.F.R.A. That would mean barring him from the Lux Radio Theater and from all radio activity. De Mille held tight to his dollar and his principle. He also took the case to court.

Last week a Superior Court judge ruled against De Mille: when he joined the A.F.R.A., he had agreed to all the provisions of the union's bylaws, whereby the union had a clear right to make assessments to fight or support legislation. De Mille retorted with a quotation from Thomas Jefferson: "To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. . . ."

Just before Lionel Barrymore took his place on the Lux Theater program this week, De Mille was offered one last chance. If he would just pay the $1, the union would forgive everything and take him back. De Mille coldly declined. With a fresh quiverful of apt quotations, he vowed to carry the fight up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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