The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-03-27
Writing a
Picture Play
A Story Showing That a Villain
Can't Be Made Of a
Good Model
BY ?. A. mitchell

Observation-Disclosures
One way In which women have dis
tanced men is In becoming movie stars
The plays that attract most are thos,
written for some woman. On tn,
screen we see a dozen women stars tt
one man star. 1t stands to reason tina
women are best adapted to write see
narios for women heroines. I, wo
man, tried my hand at this kind O:
work and at my first attempt made {
brilliant success. Thus encouraged an(
having the proceeds of my play In M.
purse, concluded to try again. Sine
was working on velvet-to use /
slang expression and since I though
to gather inspiration by visiting thu
location of my next play, went tt
the country and put up at the Waiver
ly inn, small family hotel delightful
~ located and overlooking a winding
stream.
The time / chose for my sojour1
there was when the leaves were bud
ding and the birds were mating. Their,
is no more delightful season to IN,
than this, when the sun, having return
ed from his winter journey southwark
warns the earth to bring forth a new
progeny. It Is the season Of love TO
man. for beast and bird and everything
endowed with that mysterious some
thing which no scientist has yet beer
able to define-life.
The inn was surrounded by a farm
ing country. For this reason hat
chosen 1t, because proposed that m,
play should portray group of countr.
persons. had not laid out scheme
preferring that my play should be grad
ually evolved among the persons ant
the scenery to be put on the screen
The only feature had in mind wa
a love affair between country lat
and lass. They were to be my herr
and heroine. What they should do
what other persons should introduce
were either not decided upon or il
embryo.
Hearing that there was to be dane
In barn In the neighborhood, con
cluded to attend it, hoping to get SOM
material The gathering took plac,
early in the evening before the lon,
twilight had fairly begun, and whel
darkness came it was softened by Chi
nese lanterns.
There were plenty Of young fellow
and girls that I might use for models
and / selected one couple that wer
dancing together most Of the time an,
who indicated by their bearing towar,
each other that they were incipien
lovers.
On the opposite side Of the barr
from which had taken my position
as observer wassa man whom l coul,
not class. He was not countrymafl
and yet his rough dress did not mari
him for city man. He was ten year
beyond the average age Of the dancer
and took no part with them. He sa
on farm machine of some kind tina
had been pulled out OF the way an,
lined up with other articles agains
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 hir
which, taken with certain dorman
strength-rather in his facial expires
sion than of musele-almost compelle,
me to be interested In him. won
dered If could not bring him into m,
play. To do this must make his &C
quaintance A woman, unless she /
tfmid as TO her actions being miscon
strued, has great advantage In thi
respect. She may either scrape an &C
quaintance or encourage man to d
SO. At 10 o'clock the dance was end
ed, and we all left the barn. Assam
ing that in the country all know on
another, finding myself beside tn
man who interested me spoke to him
remarking upon the difference between
barn dance In the country and
ball In the city, approving the lack o
constraint In the former contrasts
with the conventionalities of the latter
He evidently took my freedom fron
form in the spirit in which it was Of
fered and replied both cordially an,
respectfully. We passed out into moon
light, and since our paths lay in til
same direction we walked on together
On reaching the inn he turned into !
with me and said that he was stoppin
there. | was surprised, for had NO
seen him there before.
The next morning after breakfast
sat on the veranda with pad and per
ell before me trying to think up a pIal
for my play. The man had wake
from the barn with came out, and
nodded to him. He returned my SO
lutte and, taking chair, sat dow
and began to open mail that he ha,
evidently just received. Later ! pick
ed up an envelope he had thrown ava
and read on it the name Edward Fol-
roster.
After he had finished his mail be sa
looking on superb view spread on
before us. Noting his, expression,
fancied that he was dreamer / be
gan to weave him in as a foil for m
country boy hero. The latter was t
be simple rustic in love with a gil
| Of his own station. Mr.. Forester wa
to appear on the scene and become
| rival for the girls affections, repre-
senting intellect while the rustic rel
resented only honesty and devotion
| The heroine being attracted first b
the one, then by the other. would
the motif of the play.
! might get on without model fc
my young farmer, coming him out {
my imagination, but for his rival
must have something tangible. NJ
Forester was either too well bred {
| take advantage of my friendly az
vances or was not disposed to be 81
ciable. Ny scheme for play depent
ed largely on my being able to stud
him, and / threw away what COZ
sidered false modesty and resolved
spare no effort to submit him to m
purpose.
| I soon convinced him that desire
his acquaintance, and, when sure tbs
he would not be presuming, he recil
rocated my advances, and, althoug
there was no revelation of his inne
self, we came to be on excellent term
| Every day my play was takfn
shape, the young couple had seen
the barn dance being my leading ma
and woman and to whom / had give
the names respectively Of John an
Edna. 'concocted pretty scenes b
tween the lovers, interspersing theI
with periods of influence brought I
bear on Edna by Forester. The rule
Of dramatic procedure are imperativ,
and found myself obliged to max
Forester the villain of my play. Bt
IL he must be villain he should be