Includes a synopsis of the story, plus character and filmmaker biographies (PDF format).
• PUBLICITY PHOTOGRAPHS
Digitial stills from the film, plus period photographs of the characters in JPEG format.
Click the button above to view a QuickTime movie of the trailer.
• HISTORIC STRIKE NEWS COVERAGE
Click on images to enlarge.
Above left: Front page of 1940 Amsterdam News;
Above right: DETAIL of article about the strike; Click here to download a PDF file.
In 1934, the 125th Street Apollo Theater opened, presenting shows featuring the great band
leaders and acts of the day: Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Jimmie Lunceford, Pigmeat
Markham, Butterbeans & Susie, the Inkspots -- and a chorus line of 16 of the most beautiful
dancers in New York. Over the stage door a sign was painted, “Through these portals pass
the most beautiful girls in Harlem.” They were the glue that held the shows together. While
the headliners came and went, the chorus line rehearsed a new show each week, working 15
hour days, 7 days every week. The first show went up at 11 a.m., and when the curtain came
down at night, the chorus line rehearsed for another 2-3 hours preparing the new show, often
until 2:00 am. They grabbed sleep on rented cots or chairs pushed together. 15 hours a day.
7 days a week. No vacation. Until February 23, 1940.
It is little known that these chorus line dancers led the historic first strike by African
American performers. On a snowy Saturday night, instead of taking "places" for the 7pm show,
the Apollo’s overworked line of chorus girls, walked out in a bid for higher wages, leading the
historic first strike by African American musical artists. Soon the other entertainers followed
them out the door. The “girls” won, and American Guild of Variety Artists was successfully
established for black and white performers
nationwide. The strike lasted one day only, when
owner Frank Schiffman settled with the union.
The dancer's pay was raised from $25 to $30
a week, with $5 extra for solo work, and rehearsal
was limited to 14 hours a week.
