Dramatists Guild, Inc

The most successful and enduring of organizations designed to protect the rights of dramatists, it was not the first. In 1878 Steele MacKaye and Clay M. Greene had established the American Dramatic Authors' Society “to secure protection for their work,” but the group was short‐lived and was followed in 1891 by the American Dramatists Club, which was later known as the Society of American Dramatists and Composers and which was headed by Bronson Howard. This group quickly enlisted thirty‐three leading playwrights but made little headway and remained for a time largely a social organization. In 1911 the Authors League of America was founded and included playwrights among its members. A subcommittee was formed in 1914 to work “towards the standardization of a dramatic contract,” although initial attempts proved fruitless. Following the successful 1919 strike of Actors' Equity, Channing Pollock suggested the League form “an autonomous committee” to work exclusively for dramatists' rights. Out of this came the Dramatists Guild. Matters were brought to a head in 1925 when it was discovered that Fox Films had contracts with seven important producers, which granted Fox uncontested film rights in return for backing plays. In March 1926 the committee met with producers, and on April 27 the first contract was signed. The Guild became an independent corporation in 1946 and has continued to serve as guardian of dramatists' welfare, guaranteeing, among other matters, minimum royalties, mediation in disputes between authors and management, and competitive bidding for film and other rights. The Guild publishes newsletters, a quarterly magazine called The Dramatist, and an annual Resource Directory. Less visible to the public than the actors or musicians union, the Guild nevertheless has had some controversial bouts with producers and even directors.