This First Edition of Alfred Harding's, The Revolt of the Actors, is an eyewitness account of the 1919 Actors' Equity Association strike, when America’s professional stage Actors walked out, and were consequently locked out, of Broadway and the National circuit of legitimate theaters.The Actors' strike was a bold move built on indignation, bravado, and savvy publicity by talented people who, thought to be too flighty to sustain a major job action, proved more than up to a battle for the sympathy of the theater going public. Strikes were dangerous at this time in America and the Actors dressed theirs in lights, music and hoopla. One fundraising event in support of the strike on August 18, 1919 at the Lexington Ave Opera House was described by an observer as “the greatest all-star mob scene ever seen.” The “cast” that night included Ethel Barrymore, Ed Wynn, Marie Dressler, Brandon Tynan, the then unknown Tallulah Bankhead and scores of other Actors who suddenly found themselves, "at liberty." Seemingly upbeat, the strike was called to redress harsh, systemic exploitation of Actors by the powerful “Syndicate” of owners, producers, and managers who controlled the money, the venues, and the terms of employment in the theater industry. The fact that the strike succeeded against such heavy odds makes fascinating reading; it introduces us to many of the Actors who would help invent American theater as we know it today and and opens a window on the temper of the nation poised, seemingly, at the beginning of a new day. Published by William Morrow & Company, 1929. Condition: Good, tight copy with bumping to the spine, and paper toning throughout. Dimensions: 8.34" x 6.25 x 1.75".