No WGA waiver for the Golden Globe Awards or the Academy Awards, and bigger problem as stars may not cross picket line to attend.

By Alex Ben Block

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 12/18/2007 — There will be no waiver for the Oscars or the Golden Globes from striking writers. That was the decision Monday night as the Writers Guild of America West denied requests for waivers for the two highest profile movie and TV award shows. Instead, the scribes are going for maximum pressure.

The decision was announced at a WGAw meeting in Santa Monica last night and Golden Globes producer Dick Clark Productions immediately said they seek would a WGA waiver as an independent production company, though allowance seems unlikely.

In a statement, the WGA explained: “Writers are engaged in a crucial struggle to achieve a collective bargaining agreement that will protect their compensation and intellectual property rights now and in the future. We must do everything we can to bring our negotiations to a swift and fair conclusion for the benefit of writers and all those who are being harmed by the companies’ failure to engage in serious negotiations.”

The WGA thus “concluded, reluctantly, that granting exceptions for the Golden Globes or the Academy Awards would not advance that goal.”

This means both kudo-fests are likely to be picketed by striking writers, joined by actors and others, which no doubt will ramp up police security concerns. Most of the major stars of movies and television are expected to stay home and watch the shows on TV as the Hollywood b-list muddles through. The star actors will not be there out of loyalty to their guild, a desire to support the workers of Hollywood and mostly fear of becoming the next Powers Boothe.

Boothe was a Texas-born, New York stage actor with a big voice and strong presence who got his big break in 1980 portraying a crazed cult leader in the CBS made for TV movie “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones.” Jones was the religious nut job who herded his flock to Jonestown, Guyana and then convinced them to kill themselves by drinking poisoned Kool Aid in one of history’s most famous mass suicides. Boothe was brilliant and won critical acclaim. Then he was nominated for an Emmy.

Most years being nominated is reason to celebrate, get out the tux and find a dress for the wife. It can be a huge career boost, especially if that actor were to win. It was Boothe’s year. He should have been in an excellent position.

Instead, the 60,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild went on a strike for ten weeks. A week after the SAG strike began, so did a 13 week strike by Hollywood writers. Then there was a walk out by the American Federation of Musicians. It seemed as if all of Hollywood was on strike.

All of the guilds denied a waiver to the 1980 Emmys for the same reasons the Globes and Oscars are not getting waivers – because it is another way for the guild to apply pressure and bring public attention to their cause.

So out of 52 nominated actors that year, the only one to attend the Emmy ceremonies was Powers Boothe. When they opened the envelope, Boothe had beat out Henry Fonda, Tony Curtis and Jason Robards for the golden statue. Boothe’s famous line during his acceptance was: “This is either the most courageous moment of my career or the stupidest.”

It turned out to be the stupidest.

This despite the fact that during his acceptance speech he also said that his attendance was an act of defiance: “I also thought long and hard whether or not I would attend, but I came here because this is America and one must do what one believes. I believe in the Academy. I also believe in my fellow actors in their stand.”

Boothe said in an interview earlier this year with The Envelope that he did not feel it hurt his career, but I believe most critics would say it did. The stardom that seemed to be his destiny in the prime of his career eluded Boothe after that. Now nearing 60, he continues to work in character roles, including the saloon keeper on HBO’s “Deadwood” and Vice President Noah Daniels on “24.”

The latest denial of waivers was delivered in letters from WGA West President Patric Verrone to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Monday. The Oscar organization had sought the right to use certain clips from movies and past Academy Awards shows during this years Academy Awards show. The Globes wanted to be able to hire writers and be assured there wouldn’t be pickets.

There are rumors circulating that the guilds will somehow pull together their own new awards show to build awareness and raise funds. That seem unlikely given the uncertainty of events but anything is possible if the writer’s strike goes on for months more.

In any case, there is the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards on January 27; which has been given a WGA waiver that will allow writers to write and actors to attend. It will be one of the few occasions for stars of this year’s crop of award-worthy movies to get together in glad rags without picket signs in their hands or in their path.

Photo: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences