Henry Vilardo (1923-2015)
Henry Vilardo, Journeyman Make-up Artist/ Business Representative and Trustee of theMotion Picture Industry Health and Pension Plan (1923-2015)
Born in Chicago, Henry Vilardo began his 706 apprenticeship at Warner Bros. Studios in 1944. He worked with some of the truly great actors of the time – James Dean, Paul Newman, Jack Lemmon, James Cagney, Doris Day and Sophia Loren and is credited with films The Days of Wine and Roses, A Summer Place, The Young Philadelphians and Boy on a Dolphin and many others. He began serving on the Executive Board in 1956 and became Business Representative for Local 706 in 1959. He was well respected as a contract negotiator and in order to represent the members better, Hank attended law school and achieved a Juris Doctorate to be in a position to do the best possible job. He dealt with exactly the same challenges that are faced in the union today. He attempted to rectify 32 years of “diminishing wage salary inequity” but unfortunately had no better fortune with that subject than make-up artists and hair stylists face today. The Business Representative of the Film Technicians Local 683 wrote in 1973, “It has been a gratifying experience to negotiate, arbitrate and conciliate numerous problems in the Motion Picture and Television Industries with Henry Vilardo. He has demonstrated his integrity and prowess as an extremely competent Labor Representative and one of the most skilled and aggressive negotiators in the Labor Movement. This is complemented by his keen insight and knowledge of the Motion Picture and Television Industries and his ability to communicate practical and reasonable solutions…Mr. Vilardo is well aware of the employees’ problems in the Motion Picture and Television Industries, as related to foreign production and American-interest “runaway” productions and it was my good fortune to serve with him on a Committee appearing in Washington, D.C. before our legislators. I was personally impressed with his ability in expressing the seriousness of Hollywood’s plight and his suggested solutions which are now being considered in legislative form before the 93rd Congressional Session in the House of Representatives.”
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