Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-19
BY the Photoplay Editor

II Fhs EVENING LEDGER Scenario Contest
4h,cuxht out 173 manuscripts-and many
/ ,hsf things, chiefly reflections on photo
I |rsyvrltlng as an art and on the part the
/ ,maseur can play in 1t. The surprisingly
II Arh quality of the bulk of the scenarios
| nhmitted, the genuine interest of large
|,lrcle OF readers and the insight gained
/ hto the possibilities of the photoplay for
/ ihe amateur writer more than justified the
.pscs, care and attention given TO the con-
|lsst from the beginning of Harry o. Hoyt's
/ krlss Of 20 lessons up to the present.
II Is safe to say that majority of the
III, scenarios had filmable material in them
with careful revision and additions they
|tould have, been produced commercially.
Some, Of course, were evidently impossibl,
lon a single glance. They contained no
blot, no continuous action. Others told old
|ad stories In the old. old way. Some few
|howed no conception of the scenario form.
100 maryland some Of the best-contained
|So synopsis But at least half showed
/ na only grasp of form, but also pre-
niid an interesting story that was either
innaately filmable or could be reworke6
tlp flmable shape.
Ollhese, nearly dozen were selected at
pPlpuary readings to receive honorable
nfniion In the competition. Any one could
Aap been produced as 1t stood and would
hye satisfied the cond tions of the prize.
Among the l73 scenarios submitted a
|nipfislng number utilized similar material
y Similar events for a portion of the ac-
Hon The Mexican situation cropped up In
7 great number. The calling out OF the
nlala served, In general, to account ror
y absence OF lovers or husbands, while
pslHans plotted. few were frankly
|llolapays OF propaganda urging enlistment
Hule HlaVprV HPnraH I'm ,ha- %
|,Flpn Attempted suicides from the Glrard
s'eape bridge were much in vogue. Rltten-
.Y'ae Square and West Philadelphia broke
|sRa as favorite abodes of the heroes ana
-Npnes On the whole, there were more
|Eqfsa IN which the hero or heroine worked
+ store than In which they lived lives
Il lsisnre; but very frequently they mar
|ue above their station" While happy
|,-alnss predomnated, there were enough
|s.esoiss to reflect the very evident fact
|-.e |-.e, me movies are not so afraid of grim
|F.ly as the stage.
4 good many current faults of the photo
| were also reflected In the scripts.
Ans we're often a little too vlllainous,
[s- ~f no discoverable reasons. Many au-
|-s's nsla rather peculiar notions about the
+ sna outs OF newspaper office; and
ns EVENING LEDGER figured in more
~ nan the stories. there were a good
|..p naws to be found by newspaper
IL bu at that, this was hardly worse
most OF the newspaper Atmosphere"
r. pnos It's way to the screen.
s.s peeularity OF these amateur scenario
|. OBSERVES a paragraph all to itself.
'ne choice of names for the charac-
100 many who wrote good stories
NC 70 forget all about the world around
Mhen they labeled their characters.
alher they seemed TO remember too
+a q the world. For score OF names
i -aser ~ In the news columns cropped up
'r1 scripts II one of these scenarios
y" produced as written, Americas