DGA President Taylor Hackford made the following statement upon learning of the passing of Michael J. Kane:
“As we celebrate the Guild’s 75th anniversary this year, today we honor one of the architects of the modern Directors Guild of America. Michael Kane was the president of the Radio and Television Directors Guild in 1960 when it merged with the Screen Directors Guild to become the Directors Guild of America – a merger that unified all directors of audiovisual content and the teams that support them under one roof. The merger made the DGA unique among entertainment craft unions by eliminating geographic and jurisdictional splits.
“The DGA was fortunate to have spoken with Michael just a few weeks before his death. We interviewed him for an article in the upcoming DGA Quarterly about the momentous period leading up to the merger.
‘I favored the idea,’ Michael, a passionate advocate of the merger, told us. ‘It seemed to me there was no point in having two guilds – directors were directors.
‘The guys on the East Coast were still not too sure about this merger idea. During a board meeting, I remember saying to them – If you guys haven’t got enough courage and self-esteem to be a part of this, you’re making a big mistake.’
“We owe a debt of gratitude to Michael and the other early leaders who recognized that a unified Guild would lead to improved working conditions, creative rights and economic benefits for all Guild members. Thank you, Michael, for everything. You will be missed.”
DGA Service:
Kane was the president of the Radio and Television Directors Guild at the time of its merger with the Screen Directors Guild in 1960 that resulted in the Directors Guild of America. After the merger, Kane served as DGA Executive Vice President for two years. He also served as a committee chair and board member of the Directors Guild of America-Producer Pension and Health Plans for more than 40 years.
