The scenario writer may jump
from the present hack to
“Old England." as suggested
here, without effort.
This old. castle wall in part of
the newest and most imposing
Fairbanks-Pickford picture.
0
.
i By One of Them.
{IT in doubtful if there is any one pro
i fession in the world. at the present
Q, time that is more discussed and en-
yiod by the multitude than that of see
aario writing. .
i There are three distinct types of pro-
lessional scenario writers—there are
many types. but I am going to enumerate
only the three that are really the recip-
ients of the fame and fortune one bears
so much about. First, there is the well
known author.or playwright whose novels
or plays are celebrated. He does not find
the road to celluloid fame especially dif~
ficult as his reputation will carry him
over‘ the top wherever he goes.
This type usually became famous long
before motion pictures were card of,
and he is indeed a fortunate fidividuai
in many ways. He can delve into an old
trunk in the store room and bring forth
manuscripts that Were rejected by every
publication in the civilized world before
hislname became valuable. and he can
actually sell his drivel for very large
sums of money.
The second type is not quite so for-
tunate as he really is obliged to work
for all he gets and it is necessary for
him to have a more advanced knowledge
of screen material. This is the type who
can write original scenarios. He door
not necessarily have to be a writer in
every sense of the word, in fact as a rule
he is not a writer at all, and it does not
matter. If he is familiar with what is
known as "picture sense" and can think
along the lines 0! “pictures" rather than
words his products are marketable. He
must, of course. have a knowledge of
drama. and by this I mean drama as
it is known on the screen, and he must
know plot, technic and possess an un-
canny ability to create suspense and be
able to characterize his imaginary pup-
mete.
The third type is more numerous but
not perhaps as well paid. except in un-
usual instances. His occupation consists
ot revising, or rather adhpting, the story
some one else has written and putting it
into proper form for screen material. 01
course it is also necessary for this type
of writer to be familiar with screen
craft. but he is not by nature as creative
as an original writer. This work is
called continuity writing, or adapting.
Occasionally the name of the adapter in
given credit on the screen, but more often
than not. in the case of swell known
author. the adsptor's work does not re-
ceive much attention.
The favorite themes for: stories are ever
and ever the some. horned up perhaps in
a little different style. but the underlying
plot never varies. The "fan” can recog-
nize the villain. the hero, the baby vamp,
the reformed crook or the hard hearted
nociety. girl long before the iilm has flick-
oroditewaythroughthoucondrcel. He
always him what is going to happen,
and no matter how complicated the plot
or how muddled the suspense a good dyed
in the wool tun cannot be fooled. So, I
repeat, the original stories received are
tendon: ,always with the hope that
out of a hatch will prove to contain
the specialists who translate the scenario writer's
one of the new film plays.
age-r, is second from the right.
an original idea. This sometimes hap-
pens, though rarely.
Occasionally an idea contains a germ
of originality or a phrase thou: dinerent.
perhaps a title that is worthy of consid-
eration, but on the whole the plots sub-
mitted are as trite as those concocted by
the regular stall. When an idea isldiuw
covered which can be used by onset the
staff writers a reliable company will pur-
chase it for a small amount. There are
many unscrupulous companies who do not
hesitate. however. to steal such ideas
without paying for them.
The average prolific writer usually and:
himself destitute of plots very quickly.
During the first year at producing. menu~
scripts he usually matings to have
enough material on tap to keep going.
butusoonasthisisexhanstedhehe-
comes desperate for plot germs. If he is
so fortunate as to hold a long term coir
tract with a production company he i".
on his reputation. A‘company that-ha
spent a great desirof money “in mung
an author's name popular hesitates to
lose him, and will go td‘nlmost any-u-
tent to retain his services Menace at his
name, which is, i! a way. a trade mark.
In one instance a well known wanna
scenarioywritsr in desperation tor plots
appealedtotheproducertoglveheran-
sintanco. Shedechred that she could not
write another photo play. and the pro-
dncerwanlthtoreleaseher.’Itwn
suggested that'some one he obtained to
help her with. original ideas. - A young
woman who was cropland in the com-
pany and who had honeyed unusual still
for adapting and suggesting changes in
stories was consulted. It was smooth:
she should accompany the scenario writer
onatripahroadandthatsheshould
provide tothebeabdfhormldm'
and suggestions for‘nowplotn. .
she seized this opportunity. as it
meantalarge‘rnlnryudschanecta
travel,withthoWuthatifm
wassuoontulohosaould‘gmutunnybo
glvonachaacstewrltoorigtnalm
Huang-hemknowndidnotreeeive
1
credit for her part in the work at the
writer. but at the end of a year‘s tour
the stories the woman scenario writer
produced were better than she had ever
been able to do previously. The enthusi-
asm and youth of Him; combined with
her quick brain. was sufllcient inspiration
to the woman to create some worth while
material.
Scenario writers do not lead the life of
use which is usuallyattrlhnted to their
procession. newer: is tedious and in-
volv- more routine than Almost any
other occupation. They are sometimes
commanded *to produce a manuscript at
very shortnotlce. perhapothree amend-
this meant that they must work day and
night in order to finish» it. Adler they
have Submitted ttnt the appointed time
it very often lie-around on the editor's
desk :3: a month, and when it in sunny
mditiodiuooveredthatthecompany
has either made" changes in its plans
abut producing-«it or that it does not
like the sortptat all. p
A scenariowrltes- willgothcn resort to
(tangents-measures when he is seeking a
new plot. Without intending to be en-
ectly dis-honest. he will often parlour
ideas which meet thousand in nad-
ing old. classics or maimodem'litcre.
tore. W'wtthinramothisim
mediate victnitp—éolico; topaz-ts, confi-
dencerot Mme—beam. potential plot
Wt for mom-x, mm“,
Wm scone Mmm.ma iv
plot into drama. They are “working out" "Robin Hood."
Allan Dwan. Mica Pickford'e director, in fifth from the left, and W. W. Kerrignn. her man-
profitahle. Several scenario writers he
knew well entered into the conspiracy
with him in order to sell interior stories
to the company at large prices. As his
position was one o! authority he was at
libuty to judge on material purchased
without interference His «home was
this: He would purchase tram a writer
a story for about $10,000. with the un-
derstanding that the writer would pay
back to him half the amount, audthe
company bore the burden ot the excess
charge.
The scheme worked well until one ‘of
the writers became unduly nvariciousaml
moaned to expose him. A quarrel re
suited and the matter was brought totho
attention of the owners of the company.
or course the man was dismissed. but. no
'fnrthersaionwnetakenbeonuseotthe
notoriety which would have smell:
I, like many others. was fortunate in
choosing an opportune moment to enter
the field at scenario writing. It was not
Monti. at that'ttmo to ”admittance
nor to convince the company that I was
worth a must deal of money. to than.
The: wekomod me with open arms. I
wintmntlyadmitththaulnotmdea
mmmammwhnm rip-A
portunitles were many I would. never
an
a chance to be a
writer. just as i
had done — and
had succeeded in
getting away with
it! I. however,
nursed a few so-
am ideals. I had
read articles sup-
posedly written
by the great mo
tion picture mag-
nates, in which
they statedjhat
they wanted bet-
ter stories and
lessmaudlin trash
and sickly senti-
ment. ‘ihadagreed
with them when
I read their wor-
thy ambitions and
had hoped to revo-
lutionize the en-
tire works. I
actually believed
that I would be
instrumental in uplifting the silent drama.
from the slough oi pilile if ever I were
given the opportunity to be taken. into
its told. Now I‘ had that opportunity, and
I must confess that my chances to uplift
anything but a fat salary envelope were
slim.
My first assignment to write astrong
drama tor a praninent woman star
con’vifnted me that I would have to delay
my altruistic purpose. I was told to
studythe chamoteristtcs‘oithestar in
Mon- and to dim all her salient
qualities. Alter _ spending several weeks
around the studio I discovered the fol-
lowingdetaii‘ is: She havdbcen a waitress
in a lunehreom in Chicago previous to
her m: as a celebrated star.
This was not to her‘discredit.’ but the
W surrounding her rise to
fame caused a few 0! 'my'illusious to
disappear.
enema vain, patronising and slangy
realism when she was quite her-
selLand she had no more ideas! the art
«acting than a-kitten. .As it lain the
warmest motion picture stars who
have rheumatic: origin (in place of.
public adoration. mic-d turned her
bad. I'lurned'that her position in life
was minimums. This was not an
Meagan I soon learned; Almost
every I‘ll” ha] been human," aided.
Mmotcoma’tswwhohadwon
out unfieirown flimsy; and they will
aim remain. ‘aa‘woflhyracroeneelehfl—
fies. but for the-most part. {found that
they hdrisennom‘thamknndiileot
them chorus or wom with few
macaw superiority.
‘13: nextnosig'nment for a nor-y was:
Well the!!! star. whose chisfattnction.
itttnauje needn‘t-.uunuegfeats.
heaping,
m .I‘ _,
9
fo
Salmon change my ‘
.4.
Has; the Plots: Which. Enthral Millions Are‘Made and How a Little '
9f. This and That from' a" Scrap Heap BeComes a Thriller~the
Inside Story of the‘Studios as Told ”by Oné’Who ‘fBroke In” When
Field» Was NeWStars Who R039 to Fame Over Night
Maidens whom the scenario
writer has «sent back to
the twelfth century
r f‘Rohia H‘od." eating
twentieth century lunches between
twelfth century climaxes.
opinion of her after I had 311.11“: T» r a
burst of temper.
I wondered at this time if (if: .‘.‘1
I should
Screen as i had hoped to a”:
became hlase. howevtr. and I. :.; :
art as it is recognized in 11'.» r;.*~;:. .rZC
and drama, and l {mini ' ‘
sufficiently silenced all
on the road to success , ..
writer. I wrote "thrillers'
dyed emotional plots and I » '* Mi
stories of villains, vanms I
mothers, forgetting .. ‘
become so bruis .
hardly have rot-0;.
that iii Wished to he
linquisii any hint of r»
brow" culture. In
of alocfnoss or too ‘
ever know of the .22: ; ”is
looked upon as em 9
could brag about a:
ously. as no one ler‘
gested an air of
(he's fellow creatures i
I found that most of ..
knew little about their art.
unfamiliar with the drama. ‘
1121322.?) U
even the ordinary courtesies (Le
naturally expect from men “'11.; an" i
trusted with the interpretaLE-txs t. 1‘
world’s classics. Must of if: '
connected with theatrical e;
some form or another, some we:
rate actors and others had 3»...
managers of burlesques and s
vaudeville. I might also state i
all truth that some of the 1*
ones had not even been conn .
way with theatricals previous to :‘zUr
entrance into the movie field.
A certain well known producer who
is worth'miliions of dollars is so ifltcr—
ate that he employs a secretary to warts
and read his correspondence, because he
is not quite capable of handling time
details himself. The article-s he can
posedly writes for the Imaginiilli/S in
which hehases his belief [lint we will
have fewer and better pictures are writ-
ten by press agents. Likewise must, at
the articles signed by stars are written
bypersons employed by them.
Now that the censorship laws
taken things in hand it is even more diffi-
cult for the scenario writer. He is n-c
longer a free individual to create tin-inure
from an addled brain. There is Tin doubt
about it that if “fewer and better pic-
tures” ever become an actuality it will
be because the censors have brought it
about and not because the producers hon-
estly desire to achieve this purpose in an
industry that is based first, last and al-
ways on how much money can be made
out of clever mechanical devices.
I cannot view it all irom any other an-
gle than purely commercial production.
When a writer is governed entirely by
footage, not by. words, he becomes a ma-
chine. There is always footage to con
alder, three feet for a kiss, so many more
h a v6
. She-hurl: nonrandom aloirm and was ‘teet for a'death scene, and 50 man)’ more
torn close up. The star, her clothes, her
versatility, or lack of it. the limitations
of the camera (which are many), the ex‘
pense and’numeroua other details must
constantly be borne in mind in whatever
mood. the author finds himself durinn
creative work.
it's
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Norwalk Chronicler