Organisers of next month's Oscars have yet to come to any agreement with the Writers' Guild of America which would enable the February 24 show to go on.

And Sunday night's Golden Globes, usually a lavish awards ceremony packed with stars, was reduced to a half-hour long press conference in Beverley Hills.

The strike over payment to writers from shows offered on the internet started in November and has led to the Writers' Guild of America refusing to let union members work on the star-studded awards show.

Actors said they would boycott the ceremony rather than cross picket lines.

Legendary publicist Julian Myers, 89, told trade magazine Variety the strike could hasten the end of Hollywood.

"The strike impasse is speeding the end of Hollywood film-making and television production," he said.

"There are more union contracts coming up for renewal, and already unionists are crossing union lines. Insults are being exchanged, faces will be bashed and fatalities are a possibility."

And in the LA Times, Patrick Goldstein said cancelling the Globes was one thing, but any interference with the Oscars would be taken much more seriously.

Talks between writers and producers have been stalled for a month, but the Directors' Guild of America began its own negotiations with producers at the weekend and any deal the union negotiates might prompt writers to follow suit.