Considering the long trend of razing older buildings in cities all over the country, SAG-AFTRA members are fortunate that each of the five structures that previously housed Screen Actors Guild’s national headquarters, beginning in 1933, may still be seen today, generally with little external change. The buildings may be found in and near Hollywood, from the first home in the Hollywood Center building (where the Guild started with one employee in a small office off a long, narrow corridor) through the former Hollywood Congregational Church. All have been sites of creation, innovation, frustration, cooperation and conflict, hilarity and sadness, victory and defeat. They remain visual reminders of the growth and change of the Screen Actors Guild over nearly 70 years of existence.
Hollywood Center Building, 1655 N. Cherokee. July 1933–August 1936. Presidents: Ralph Morgan, Eddie Cantor, Robert Montgomery. Secretary: Kenneth Thomson. First employee hired in July, 1933 (Marjorie “Midge” Van Buren), and first magazine, "The Screen Player," launched in 1934.
Constance Bennett Building, 8743 Sunset Blvd. (address today is 8739 Sunset). August 29, 1936–Nov. 1938. Presidents: Robert Montgomery, Ralph Morgan. Secretary: Kenneth Thomson. The Guild occupies the whole top floor. Guild recognized by the major motion picture producers in June, 1937, signs first contract, and is flooded with new applicants.
7046 Hollywood Blvd. November, 1938–April 1956. Presidents: Ralph Morgan, Edward Arnold, James Cagney, George Murphy, Robert Montgomery, Ronald Reagan. Walter Pidgeon. Executive Secretaries: Kenneth Thomson to Dec. 1943, succeeded by his assistant, John L. “Jack” Dales. The Guild rented the entire eighth floor. Executive offices overlooked Hollywood Boulevard. The boardroom was at the building's rear, southeast corner.
7750 Sunset Blvd. Headquarters: April 1956–September 1986. Presidents: Walter Pidgeon, Leon Ames, Howard Keel, Ronald Reagan, George Chandler, Dana Andrews, Charlton Heston, John Gavin, Dennis Weaver, Kathleen Nolan, William Schallert, Ed Asner, Patty Duke. Executive Secretaries: Jack Dales, until close of 1972; Chester “Chet” Migden 1973-1981; A. Kendall “Ken” Orsatti, from 1981. Built for the Guild in 1955–56. Architect was Eduardo Samaniegos, brother of silent film star Ramon Novarro. Second story added to the building, as space gets tight a few years later.
7065 Hollywood Blvd. Headquarters: 1986–1993. Presidents: Patty Duke, Barry Gordon. Executive Director: Ken Orsatti. After leaving Sunset Boulevard offices, Guild was supposed to move to Studio City, but the deal fell through. The union was lured back to Hollywood into an adaptive reuse building.
5757 Wilshire Blvd. Headquarters: 1993–present. Presidents: Barry Gordon, Richard Masur, William Daniels, Melissa Gilbert, Alan Rosenberg, Ken Howard. Executive Directors: Ken Orsatti until 2002; A. Robert “Bob” Pisano, 2001-2005; Greg Hessinger, 2005; Doug Allen, 2005–2009; David White, 2009 - 2021. Building co-designed by Welton Becket, whose office would also design the iconic Capitol Records building.
SAG-AFTRA Plaza. SAG and AFTRA merged in 2012. Museum Square, which was also AFTRA’s home in Los Angeles, was renamed to SAG-AFTRA Plaza in 2015. Presidents: Ken Howard, Gabrielle Carteris, Fran Drescher. Executive Directors: David White, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
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