The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-06-26
Writing a
Picture Play
A Story Showing That a Villain
Can't Be Made Of a
Good Model
By F. A. Mitchell

tanceQ men Is In becoming movie stars.
The plays that attract most are those
written for some woman. On the
screen we see dozen women stars to
one man star. 1t stands to reason that
women are best adapted to write see
narios for women heroines. l, wo-
man, tried my hand ut this kind of
work and at my first attempt made a
brilliant success. Thus encouraged and
having the proceeds of my play in my
purse, l concluded to try again. Since
l was working on velvet-to use
slang eXpressiOn-and since | thought
to gather inspiration by visiting the
location Of my next play, l went to
the country and put up at the Waiver
ly inn, small family hotel delightful
ly located and overlooking a winding
stream.
The time l chose for my sojourn
there was when the leaves were bud
ding and the birds were mating. There
Is no more delightful season to me
than this, when the sun, having return
ed from his winter journey southwark
warns the earth to bring forth new
progeny. 1t is the season of love for
man, for beast and bird and everything
endowed with that mysterious some
thing which no scientist has yet been
able to define-life.
The inn was surrounded by farm
ing country. For this reason l had
chosen it. because l proposed that my
play should portray a group Of country
persons. l had not laid out a scheme.
preferring that my play should be grad
ually evolved among the persons and
the scenery to be put on the screen.
The only feature l had in mind was
a love affair between country lad
and lass. They were to be my hero
and heroine. What they should do,
what other persons should introduce,
were either not decided upon or in
embryo.
Hearing that there was to be dance
in barn in the neighborhood, l con-
cluded to attend 1t, hoping to get some
material The gathering took place
early in the evening before the long
twilight had fairly begun, and when
darkness came it was softened by Chi.
nese lanterns.
There were plenty of young fellows
and girls that might use for models,
and l selected one couple that were
dancing together most of the time and
who indicated by their bearing toward
each other that they were incipient
lovers.
On the opposite side Of the barn
from which had taken my position
as observer was man whom l could
not class. He was not a countryman,
and yet his rough dress did not mark
him for city man. He was ten years
beyond the average age Of the dancers
and took no part with them. He sat
on a farm machine of some kind that
had been pulled out of the way and
lined up with other articles against
the barns side.
There was something about this on
locker that held my eyes to him in
stead Of the material for my play
There was an Incidence about him
which, taken with a certain dormant
strength-rather In his facial express
sion than of muscle-almost compelled
me to be interested In him. | Won
dered if could not bring him into my
play. To do this must make his ac-
Quaintance. A woman, unless she Is
timid as to her actions being miscon-
strued, has a great advantage in this
respect. She may either scrape an ac-
Quaintance or encourage man to do
so. At 10 o'clock the dance was end
ed, and we all left the barn Assum-
ing that in the country all know one
another, finding myself beside the
man who interested me spoke to him,
remarking upon the difference between
a barn dance in the country and a
ball In the city, approving the lack of
constraint in the former contrasted
with the conventionalities of the latter.
He evidently took my freedom from
form in the spirit in which 1t was Of
fered and replied both cordially and
respectfully. We passed out into moon
light, and since our paths lay in the
same direction we walked on together.
VII iSdSulLS Tue lIlH lie turned INTO IL
with me and said that he was stopping
there. l was surprised, for had not
seen him there before.
The next morning after breakfast
sat on the veranda with pad and pen
ell before me trying to think up a plan
for my play. The man | had walked
from the barn with came out, and
nodded to him. He returned my sa-
lutte and, taking chair, sat down
and began to open mail that he had
evidently just received. Later / pick
ed up an envelope he had thrown away
and read on it the name Edward For
reSter
After he had finished his mail he sat
looking on superb view spread out
before us. Noting his expression,
fancied that he was dreamer. l be-
gan to weave him in as foil for my
country boy hero. The latter was to
be a simple rustic in love with a girl
Of his own station. Mr.. Forester was
to appear on the scene and become a
rival for the girls affections. repre-
senting intellect while the rustic rep
racanfad nplr honactu ora Io-aSsoz