Author: Cantor, Muriel G. and Peters, Anne K.

Publication Year: 1979

Media Type: Book

Summary:

Paper presented at First International Conference on Arts and Economics, sponsored by the Association for Cultural Economics, held in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 8-10, 1979. Comment by Alexander Belinfante appears on p. 217. Comment by John R. Hildebrand appears on p. 218.

Abstract:

Paper presented at First International Conference on Arts and Economics, sponsored by the Association for Cultural Economics, held in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 8-10, 1979. Comment by Alexander Belinfante appears on p. 217. Comment by John R. Hildebrand appears on p. 218.

Our interest in actors and the movie and television industries dates back to the mid-1960s (Cantor 1971, 1972; Peters 1971, 1974). As part of our ongoing research on screen acting, we have interviewed over fifty actors, all members of the Screen Actors' Guild, most have been active in guild affairs, holding positions as president, vice president, and board member in either New York or Los Angeles. In addition, we interviewed six paid officials of the guild and several actors who aspired to join the guild, but at the time of the interviews were ineligible for membership. The majority of the interviews took place in Los Angeles and New York in 1976. Part of the reason we conducted these interviews was that we were puzzled by the phenomenal growth of the guild during the years when movie production in the was contracting. As sociologists, we were further puzzled about what seemed to us an oversupply of actors in relation to the demand for their services. (p. 210).

CONTENTS
The open union and employment and unemployment.
The star system: Unemployment and underemployment.
Conclusion: further study.
Notes.
References [bibliography].

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Artists-Resources for