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- 0 you remember Alice and her
D adventures in Looking Glass
Land? Have you ever wished
you might walk through“ the big mir-
ror and into the queer country where
everything was so difl‘erent and all
kinds of strange things happened?
Have you longed to meet the poor old
\Vhite Knight and have you hoped
fervently never to come across the
acid—like Red Queen.
Come with me. then, for a little
iuunt into a Fairyland that is almost as
strange and even more wonderful—the
Fairyland of the Films. Let us pause
ill this doorway overhung with pepper
tree lmughs on Vine street (they ought
to call it Pepper Tree street) Holly-
wood. This is the magic gateway to
the land of cnchantment—mand that man
in a brown uniform is the. real ogre
whom we must pass before we can
gain admittance to the interior
4Tls a Fact. .
You may think that strange~but rc-
membcr, it has been estimated it costs
about $100 per person every time a vis-
itor is admitted. This is in time, de-
lays, etc.
The'ogre smiles, we'll say, you be-
ing favored of fortune. We go
through the little wicket gate and there,
before us, rise three big stages whose
if You Would
1. K I
THE very best advice I can give
those who want to write for the
movies is—DON'TI
In to the offices of the Famous
Players-Lasky Corporation. which dis-
tributes more than half the motion
pictures seen daily, come more than
50,000 unsolicited manuscripts every
yea.. In addition ever) play, novel
an magazine produced or printed in
English is carefully reviewed, and most
of the European plays and fiction are
translated and analyzed. The heads of
our different editorial departments
have been With us for years and are
Tcspecially trained to select the
stories which the world offers.
pictures prove that they have been se-
lected well.
Out of all this careful searching and
best
. sifting, we glean a very small percent-‘
333 of available material. The reason
for this small percentage is not hard
. to find—there is so' very little written
which is worth while. A great many
will snort in derision at my statement
“ but it’s true nevertheless. Just now
it seems to b: the fashion to makea
. football of Ithe movies. Very often we
hear it said that the movies are getting
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glass roofs shimmer in the _California
sunlight like the glass hill whcrcon a
pr ncess once lived.
These are the covered stages. Let
us proceed to enter one of them. It
seems at first like confusion worse
confounded. All you seem to see are
unfinished rooms, bare boards, props,
and so on. Overhead the glass roofs
are screened by canvas diffusers. Then
as you penetrate further, order begins
to develop from the chaos. There is a
lc.ely room exquisitely furnished. A
man with the camera on its huge tri-
pod is grinding away—brilliant lights
dazzling, lights are focussed on the
scene~and in the scene people are set-
ing while the director stands, mega-
phone in hand, to tell them just what
is to be done.
Who is the beautiful girl in a wed-
ding gown of gold cloth, the bridal
veil bound up under her chin? None
other than Gloria Swanson, the Para-
mount star—for this is the Paramount
studio to which you have gained ac-
cess. .
Now you know Gloria is beautiful—
that it isn't a trick of camera or mere
makeup. She is lovely, with changing
gray-green eyes and such a. deliciously
retrousse nose and smiling lips. You
ask what the picture is and your guide
Write for the Screen---Don’ t
higher and higher. This has to be so
or the public wouldn't go to pictures
at all Why, most of the pictures the
public was crazy about two years ago
wouldn't draw a corporal’s guard to‘
‘ o
whispers that it is called “Beyond the
Rocks." You don't so: any rocks, but
probably they are symbolical—what—
ever that is!
See Sun Wood.
Sam Wood is at the megaphone—a
good looking chap, good looking enough
to be an actor. And then there is Ru-
dolph Valentino the leading man. You
remember him in the big Mel£ord pic-
ture "The Sheik" and thrill to see him
in real life.
Further along you discover another
very pretty young Woman—dressed as
Columbine—and you remember the dc-
lightful old pantomime of Harlequin
and Columbine. Well—this is a bit of
it and it is in “The Noose,” a Wliliam
D. Taylor production for Paramount.
The sweet Columbine with her fluffy
skirt and ruff is Betty Compson—you
know the girl in "The Miracle Man."
And the Harlequin is Theodore Kos-
lotI the famous Russian dancer and
actor.
Now isn't that like Fairyland? You've
just been to a wedding and now you're
plumped right down into a pantomime.
And it is in France—can't you see the
quaint old buildings and the stone
flagged street?
There's a big elevated road over
your head! You expect the trains to
ll ll 3'
day all over the country, which is proof
absolute of what I say. They have to
be better or the public will not con—
tinue to pay to see them. and that's all
there is to it.
Now this talk about poor pictures
and punk stories is all rot. There's a
higher percentage of good in the
movies than in any other form of
creative woflr. If the knockers don’t
believe it, just let them -ponder over
the fact that not 10 per cent of all the
plays produced are successful, not 10
percent of all the books published are
successful, not 10 per cent of all the
music written is successful, and God
knows not 10 per cent of all the pic—'
tures painted are worth looking atl_
I
so it comes down to this: ,
Of all the product of the other
creative arts fully 90 per. cent dies at».
g“birth, but speaking of our own prod-X
ct—w: succeed with 75 per cent of
it! All of which is a first:
toourcritiQsoitseemstome.
Don't Do It ~
As for attempting to write for thb
screenag'ainlsay don'tdoit. The-
kind and quality of the macs-lat which
we must have today is of. such II
order that it in 't possible for a satis-
isctory stbry to be wrnti;
answer ‘
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must know plot and dramatic situa-
tions, that he must continue suspense
as his story progresses, and that he
must. from first to last, be able to vis-
ualize his story in the pictur:s. There-
fore, any mind which can not turn out
an idea big enough to become a four-
act play _or novel or- serial of 8011!)
words-—w:ll,~then that mind is not big
enough to turn out the sort of a story
which the screen must have today. In
other words, I want ‘to discourage :v-
eryoue from‘trying to write for the
screen unless he or she has the gift of
800d writing, and maring dramatic
sense, and in an intimate knowledge
of screen technique. In the old days
thinking out a-on: or two-reel idea
was a pipe.
But today we are confronted with.
the growing demand for six-reel tea,
turcs and ten-real super—specials. It
‘uscd to require no moreab'ility to plot-
out a one-reeler' thaii it did to write a
little article for 3&3 high-school paper:
Today
productions on the screen to compare
with "Main Streef’lnthcbooktn’de,
and “Lightnin'” In stage productions.‘
IhOPéwhatIhnyesaidwill stop:
lot 914:9pl: from trying ‘to' write for
the screen. It's unlawfully touch iob.
Oncewe rauacontcst {or story ideas.
«hid!» 1p four- months wchad Wash-
9. mitted mousse“, M _ 9n: which—was
it's difiercnta—today we want-j.
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corn: rumbling by—for of course
you're in New York now. Only it is
a fairy New York and the elevated
train will not rumble as it runs, and
the stairway: leading up are of wood!
lothlng lining.
What is this over in the corner of.
the big Argyle lot—where the street
scenes are built? As I live—o as: of
pink-eyed whit: rats. Now, no doubt.
they or: all princes and princesses
transformed by some wicked fairy.
They squeak and look at you as if you
might help undo the enchanter's spell
Over there is another cage with snow
white pigeons, carriers, fantails dud
others-strutting about and cooing as
they preen themselves in the sunlight.
And adjoining their house is on: filled
with turtle doves
Another cage with rabbits—surely
the March hare is there, too
And all these work Ih pictures, you
ask. Surely—rinst like the dozens of 3
cats that are seen everywhere and that
lovely Collin dog. All the time animils
are beans empIoYed—for in real 'life
you so: W has pets and the
See-that funny old white Angoracat.
wnhcropcarsandeycsthatanenot‘
mates. Hols boss of ‘lr ”
deaf asparpost.‘ A f . gigantic
arch exceptwhere 9th '31-: com.
Doyouknowwhoss»
and
= backward and forward
' same leopard.
. or two, '
' * \Vorlds. "'
. and to reflect from ' an a alumnum
~ screen difiused lighting for big sets.
.9 drums and the- laughtu of clowns.
"feet. This was demonstrated ‘when slag ed, but they never knew a” dpgflew“
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with a leopard—a graceful restless nods. And there, too, is our level.
giant cat with a tawny coat who roves
in his home
ceaselessly. H: was used in the Cecil
B. D: Mill: picture,‘ “Male, and Fe-
male." Remember .- ‘ how Thomas
Meighan is supposed to shoot him and
any him 'oflcn his'shoulder.’ It'sithe
they pass on down the crooked stred
arid go around the corner where thq
cameras are and are lost to our visiofl
—qut as all fairly-and people anth
things pass away like mist of dre 3
But I leave it to you—dn't this
marvelous fairyland? And you haven
seen half of it—you don’t know ycb
about the men who toll in the rec
lighted only by ruby light. like 37mm
in their caverns—you haven't seen '
workshop where the man makes htm
tl:_ scenes out of cardboard the l
mayors had in a toy theat: meg:
but You hfi'm't visited the ST
workshop where men make stra
toys—miniature steamers. airplanes in
everything under the sun—or the 9383';
tor shop where statues are built
bricks are constructed by the WM
yard. Those are some at the “and
I may sometimes talc: you to view
another article—i! this has intern
yon-Adam Hull Shirk
Yes, this is surely Fairyland. There
are a couple of dwarfs and a clown
and see that great big tall
thing that looks like one of H. G.
Wells' Martians in "The War of the
That's a billion candle pow-
er I searchlightl For exterior scenes
There's music in the sir—:th: circus
haul—a provincial Pctit ”Cirque. Put-
fsre of trumpets, boom, boom of base
Dear to the child thrtl There’s a
monkey—«he's turning ' somersaults—
and a trained dog, who walks on his
hind legs and wears a rut! around his
Pretty Feet an Essential 3
for Feminine Film Stars
e ‘- ' ’ w ' K ’3 l”
The girl who would break into the from blemishes. I think “‘ “355?:
movies these days must look to her wear straight last shoes EMU“: pfhsd
f::‘ as well as her face. Pretty feet their feel to make than in “
I
are essential to film stars for one never nature ordained they 5!: on u
lie,”
can tell when on: will have to be' pho- .'—“‘—D"‘"T .;
tographed barefooted. Coins and oth- THE IJNSOPHISTICATED LOIS l
er blemishes of the feet are, therefore, WILSON. l
taboo' In moving picture studios. _. ‘ d h”
In choosing a girl to play th3 part of “Speaking of Hollywoo .
Diana Mayo in the Paramount picture one: ' 1 ‘
at E M. Hull's novel, “This Sheik,” Everybody around the firiamlllilq
Georg: Melford. the director, had to west coast studio knows thanIO SS Lul '
be careful that “she had a pair of feet Ion. who moved from {3:016 .
.that would photograph well. A‘g’nes Bett.” to on: of the principal {sped
Arte; who 'pla‘ys this part in the cdlor- “1's Matrimony a Failure? 3331511?“
fut picture,.boasts excepuonalty pretty Ja'més Cruz: comedy. is .3350?
e's 3 II“
appeared: in Ccctl B. De‘ Millé's "'For- til "Steady. In the picture twist alto
hidden FruIt.” 'especIally in the Ciii-~ son appears as the wife 0 dm
derella scenes. In "The Sheik" she is Hiers. the heavywelgm come 1I- Cruz
attired part” pf} the uni: in Eastern_ it was very natural for Dil’mo
truction
F to sing out the following ins
bare f “NOW. LOiS. sit on Walter’s knee."
m.“ Wilson moved over toward h
fat husband (in the picture) and he
itated; Then she turned and with
quizzical look at .Cruzc, asked: I"
“How do you sit on a man's knit;
The, company didn’t quit laug
wi
cm of smut T Rey Barnes, in syrngatthtyl'13 t i
:' forums ' 7'6: star'
offeawaschulEDellIlle's “The
son appeared barefooted In some of the
Columbine and the agile Harlequin-4"
Norwalk Chronicler