Motion Picture & Television Fund
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Motion Picture & Television Fund is a charitable organization that offers assistance and care to those in the motion picture and television industries without resources.
The need for a fund to benefit fellow colleagues who fell on hard times was seen by many in the early days of motion pictures. It began with coin boxes at studios, where industry workers would drop their spare change.
In 1921, the Motion Picture Relief Fund was incorporated with the help of Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Conrad Nagel, Milton Sills, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith, among others. Joseph M. Schenck was president and Pickford was vice president. The original Board of Trustees included many big names, including Charles Christie, Cecil B. DeMille, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., William S. Hart, Jesse L. Lasky, Harold Lloyd, Mae Murray, Hal Roach, Donald Crisp and Irving Thalberg.
To raise money, the fund held celebrity benefits such as balls, movie premieres, polo matches, fashion shows and card parties. Talent was provided by Chaplin, Pickford, Fairbanks, Will Rogers and many other stars. These events raised thousands of dollars in aid.
In 1932, Pickford began the Payroll Pledge Program, a deduction plan for those earning over $200 a week. Studio workers were asked to pledge one-half of one percent of their earnings to the fund. In 1938, participation in the program was increased by including talent groups, unions and producer representatives. SAG helped by ruling for compulsory contributions by its Class A members.
Major stars were asked to appear on the radio program The Screen Guild Theater and donate their salaries to the fund. Members of the Directors and Writers Guilds also contributed their services to the show, which premiered in 1939 and became one of the most popular shows on the air. Millions of dollars were raised.
Eventually, the fund offered services to those working in television, and the name was altered to reflect the change. Attempting to meet the needs of an entire industry, it has expanded to include network, cable and independent stations, as well as video, radio, live theatre, dance, recording, music and industry media.
Besides offering emergency money and operating the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, its comprehensive services operate five outpatient health centers throughout the greater Los Angeles area as well as a children’s center.
The motto of the fund is "We Take Care of Our Own," and is affiliated with a similar facility in New Jersey, run by the Actors' Fund.
Canada and England also maintain places for the benefit of retired performers (see below for their websites).
