History of Local 524

(Celebrating our 100th Anniversary!)

LOCAL 524 was Founded in 1919.

On January 9th, 1919, the International President Issued a Charter to thirteen Stagehands and Projectionists to form the new Glens Falls/ Saratoga Mixed Local #524. Other I.A.T.S.E. Union Members soon transferred to the new Local, like Ralph Guy, who had belonged to the Bill Posters' Local for several years, traveling a few weeks ahead of new shows and putting up Playbills in the towns which they were booked. Ralph spent most of his career on the road, requested by such stars as Jackie Gleason.

When the Local started out, most of the work was for Stagehands, in Variety Houses like the Cosgrove Opera House (rebuilt after a fire into the Rialto in 1918), and the Empire and Strand Theatres.

The Park Theatre (1911 to 1937) was the first theatre in the state built especially to show movies. Our Union theatres existed in almost every town (Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, Fort Edward, Saratoga, Lake George, Bolton Landing, and more).

In the early 1930's the work had become fairly evenly split between Stage and Projection, shifting to mostly Projectionists in the 1940's and '50's, as more theatres installed movie screens, and Drive-In Theatres became popular.

When movie houses reigned, Phil Brilling had his own effective way of collecting Dues from over-due Members: he knew when payday came at every theatre (pay was cash, in pay envelopes then), and he'd simply show up at the door at the end of the show with his hand out, waiting.

There always remained a certain amount of stage work, but the balance didn't flip-flop again until the last few decades, with multiplex theatres and the founding of Adirondack Scenic Studios in 1975, and the Glens Falls Civic Center in 1979.

— Contributed by Brothers Brian DeMell and Adrien Dubee, 1998.