New-York tribune., 1918-11-24
Only Human, but
There Seems To
Be a Catch
By Haywood Broun

Sometimes after seeing a moving
picture like Charlie Chaplin's "Shoulder
Arms" or Charlie Rays "Nine O'clock
Town" we begin to fear that the films
are coming in with such a rush that the
theatre of the spoken drama will be all
but swept away. Then we wait a while
and cheer up because for some reason
or other the food is delayed. We think
that the movies do not sweep every
thing before them chiefly because the
movie men won't let them. In proof of
this assertion, we offer an extract from
recent bulletin of the Authors
League. Our selection is drawn from
an article entitled "What Is the Matter
With Your Motion Picture Scenario ?"
and we assume that the author, who
signs himself "a New York Agent"
knows something about the business.
At any rate, he writes:
"Above all stories should be human
That is vastly overworked word, but
it is the one that describes the quality
most necessary; and modern domestic
stories, stories of everyday life and
everyday people are the type most in
demand.
Writers, professional and amateur,
the movie people need you, and more
than that, they want you. Don't you be-
lieve anything else, for it is from you
that the great number of stories must
come every year, every month, every
week. The stage plays, novels and
magazine stories cannot begin to fill
the demand, and you must make up the
quota.
ut may save time and effort to re-
member that the field is practically
closed to the following:
Costume stories, political stories,
religious stories, war stories, dual role
stories, medical stories, capital and
labor stories, historical stories. animal
stories, stories of illegitimacy, psyche
logical treatises, stories with long
lapses of time, stories that depend upon
mechanical effects, stories that jump all
over the map, stories Of married pco-
ple-don't write them!'
We wonder what Mr. New York
Agent means by human" A world
without war or politics or religion or
married life would seem rather barren
Of subjects. The only thing left which
we can think of would be dress suit
version of Mother Goose, but even that
would not do because the old lady who
lived in shoe distinctly suggests a
problem of capital and labor, while the
COW might be we'll said to have jumped
all over the map when she hurdled the
moon; Peter Piper was a married man.
and Humpty Dumpty has at least war
like aspect on account Of the imme-
diate mobilization of all the Kings
horses and men.
Scarcely play in New York would
pass the test. Many would be barred
out on account of the war; but most of
the others would fare equally badly.
Llghtnln'" deals with married life.
and so does "Be Calm Camilla" Gre
demption" not only has to do with mar
riage, but also religion, and it might be
considered psychological. "The Betroth-
al clearly jumps all over the map, and
its vision forward and back would prob
ably count as long lapses of time. Mar
riage again would be the fatal obiec-
ton to "The Riddle: Woman" "The
Saving Grace" "Tea for Three" "The
Matinee Hero" and Sleeping Part
ners.' The only plays which would
seem to have chance to get by would
be Daddy LongLegs" and "a Stitch in
Time"
For the present, at least, the drama
seems to be slightly less fettered than
its stepsster art