Our regular General Membership meeting for the month of December will take place, as usual, the second Tuesday, that is, December 12, at the Capitol Hotel, Eighth Avenue and 50th Street. Time 7:30 p. m.
According to the ruling passed at the last meeting, that will be the first at which the fine will be in effect. From now on, members must attend at least one out of three consecutive meetings, otherwise they are subject to a month's dues fine.
The Executive Board decided that in order to keep the record straight, there will be lists with typed names of the members for them to sign at the end of the meeting.
The Executive Board has reached an agreement with Famous Studios in order to carry out our agreement with them to employ only members in good standing without the commotion that takes place when the check is made. From now on, on the first Friday after the 15th of each month the members should deposit in boxes prepared for this purpose, their membership cards or work permits, showing they are in good standing, that is, paid up for the current month.
From now on, Stewards will sign the membership cards. MAKE SURE YOU FIND YOURS. Work Permit holders will receive a special card. It is hoped that members will take care of their due before the last moment.
Johnny Gentilella, Chairman of the Membership Committee, has been instructed by the Board to secure applications, plus the down payment of the initiation fees for those Work Permit holders working at Famous for six months. We ask their cooperation as we would like to have a good group taking the oath at our next meeting.
From the last Executive Board meeting: To a request from Theresa Bernstein for a Withdrawal Card, the Board denied it, on the ground that the worker was not a full member but a Work Permit holder.
The Board is recommending to the General Membership to include the film cutters in our agreement with Famous. The workers in the Dept. should start paying on their work permits as of December.
After listening to further material offered by two workers at Terry, and after consulting our attorney, the Board decided that the facts of the grievance rough before it were considered as having no merit to be taken before the Dept. of Labor Mediation Board.
The Board recommended that the Famous assistants get together to suggest their own plan for obtaining animation. The plan of the whole group will then be considered by the Executive Board.
AT THE WAR LABOR BOARD
Application is being made to the Board by Famous Studios and the Union for permission to pay the bonus money earned under the contract bonus plan during the period it was in operation. Mar. 13 to Sep. 15. This covers even one in the studio except the Animation Dept. According to the Company, only the Inkers, Painters and Inbetweeners earned bonuses. The inkers earned a bonus only for two two-week periods. If anyone in any other dept feels that this computation by the Company is not correct, he or she should immediately contact the Business Agent for an explanation.
In the last Executive Board meeting Pepe Ruiz reported on the application for approval before the WLB for raises above the minimum and for the Animator and Assistant Bonus Plan. Both requests were denied. In the case of the raises to five animators, one inbetweener and one background artist, the WLB, rather than give individual approvals wants to establish a range in which the company could give the increase without asking for them.
In the case of the Bonus Plan, the Board is requesting further information which we are sending them. So we'll have to wait a little long for those raises, as well as for the new ones promised by the company. In any case, all increases are retroactive as to the time the agreement was reached with the studio.
TRADE NEWS
Al Amatuzio has resigned as Vice President of the Cartoonists in Hollywood. Maurice Howard was taken as Business Agent. "Top Cel" wishes him well. He reported to work on Dec. 1. Up to now he was in charge of the San Jose office of the CA Department of Labor.
The entire membership of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will vote in the final selection of short subjects for Academy Awards under a recommendation drawn by the Short Subjects Branch. In the past, judging has been done by a committee
Members of the Disney Unit had a Carnaval de los Test Caballeros at Oakmont Country Club will all guests wearing Latin-American costumes. The decorative and background effects were designed by the members at that plant.
The "Three Caballeros" new Disney feature will be trade shown nationally by RKO on Dec 11. Disney, like Famous, is to release 18 cartoon shorts in 1944-45 against 9 last season.
Possibility that television in theaters may depend on a short "throw" of the telecast image in being closely watched by Trans-Lux because of its patented rear-screen project. T-L feels that it will fit closely in the television picture because of reported close contact with General Electric and the current distribution deal with Radio Corp. of America.
INBETWEENS
Pvt. Frank Spalding, now with Animation Unit in England would like to hear from us: "ASN. 42034911, Training Film Branch, Army Pictorial Div. APO. 413, c/o Pi. NY... Marge York left Famous... Jim Will ready for duty after a few weeks at a San Francisco Hospital... Bill Hudson to the Army Dec. 21... Teddy Pike Hudson going to Miami... Terry Bernstein left Famous to wait for the stork... At Famous, the Coloring Dept. has decided to give their desks a new coat of paint. Curtains and pictures will be hung real cozy! ...Kamma Phelps taking Marge York's place... Dick McDermott having some of his paintings exhibited at the Marine Show at Fifth Ave. and 44th... Alice Rinaldi asking us to send her Top Cel to Los Angeles... Birthday congratulations to Annie (Pie) Gardner. Inkers gave their mascot surprise party... Sorry we omitted Irene Rowland on the list of the Stewards at Terrytoons... Zeke de Grasse expending a 10 day pre-embarcation furlough in Los Angeles... June Tuthill leaving her Famous job for California...
EDITORIAL
With this issue, we are satisfying a long felt desire. This is the first time Top Cel has printed any pictorial matter. The thanks must go to Dave Tendlar who drew the Santa on the front cover and to Joe Goteri who did the job of lettering the mast head and the 100 names of our members and friends in the service.
Since Top Cel represents several hundred cartoonists, it is altogether fitting that we utilize our columns occasionally for the reproduction of cartoons and general art work by the New York and Hollywood members. We would like particularly to receive work from our boys in the armed forces. Any sketches about the soldier's experiences would be especially welcome. And how about a couple of rejects from some of our more famed friends, Baker, Ariola, Vip, Cobean, Adams, etc.?
We would accumulate whatever sketches we receive and print them up when we have a page full. Address your drawings to Woody Gelman, Screen Cartoonists, 11 W. 42nd Street. NY
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As the great war goes into its sixth winter, the casualty lists come in with an ever increasing number of names. The war has settled down to a tremendous battle of attrition. Now, more than ever before the wounded need blood. It is useless to explain why the blood is needed; we all know the reason. This is merely a reminder.
Within the last two weeks, Johnny Gent, Bill Hudson, Violet Szigeti, Eli Levitan, Bill Heine and others have given blood to the Red Cross. HOW ABOUT YOU?
INSURANCE
For the benefit of all we reprint Sec 126 of our constitution:
A beneficial member, not 50 years of age shall be entitled to benefit as follows:
a) Death or Total and Permanent Disability.
$50 on 1 years in good standing
100 on 2 years in good standing
200 on 5 years in good standing
300 on 10 years in good standing
350 on 15 years in good standing
400 on 20 years in good standing
b) Wife's death benefit of;
$25 on 1 year's continuous good standing
$50 on two or more years' continuous good standing.
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