The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12
Screen Needs Plays,
Not Literature
William C. De Mile Says Books
Alone viii Not Do
at ALI.

Need for new screen literature, with
authors studying its particular needs
instead OF trying 10 adapt TO the camera
books already written, was voiced by
William G. De Mile. At luncheon
given In his honor by Hugo Riesenfeld
at the Hotel Claridge last Wednesday
the producer of Midsummer Madness"
the picture now being shown AT the
Criterion, led up TO his point by telling
how this film was produced from Cosmo
Hamilton's novel. His Friend and His
Wife"
Midsummer Madness, p" he said,
provides an interesting illustration OF
the necessity of cooperation between
authors and directors and shows why
the Paramount producing organization
headed by Jesse Lasky, has brought
group of big writers into it's studios.
Somebody has raised the point that
Midsummer Madness is not Cosmo
Hamilton's book, His Friend and HIS
Wife With this statement / agree
heartily. although I admit that never
read the book. But while admitting
the picture is not the book I maintain
that il does tell the story which the
book told.
Mr.. Hamilton spent more than
month in Hollywood, while we WORKED
In the closest cooperation. Before we
4 l.
the story. He started with the IDEAS
and the words of a novelist. introdus-
ing more than fifty characters an"
sletching in details which make up the
hook. But 7 soon convinced MIN that
from the standpoint Of the picture tho
story must centre in the rour charac-
ters portrayed on the screen by Jach
Holt, Miss Lila Lee, Miss LOIS wilson
and Conrad Nagel. and that ne must
discard every incident that could hot
be told in pictures. He worked over
this for DAVIS on end, my task always
hetney to have him tell his story IN terms
Of motion pictures. The story he finally
avoIvad Is the story OF His Friend ana
rTfa WIFE and Midsummer Madness
But Of course it is not TIE oooh.
ct do not want books. l do not want
n1,vs want authorizations VINO
can learn that building drama IA
terms of pictures is entirely dlliereht
from building a drama for the stage. !
shall probably nevep adapt another oooN
10 the screen, because the future or mo-
tion nietures lies entirely in the estao-
Iishment of n new screen literature
Until yye have that we shall not nave
an art. and the only way 10 get
screen literature is TO have authors VINO
can tell dramatic stories, tell those
stories in motion picture terms.
.srhe motion picture to-day las ABOUT
the same relation to It's ultimate dsVel-
opnnent that the miracle plays OF me
fifteenth century has to modern draiha'
The reason is that up to the present we
have been almost wholly devoted 20 per-
fectfng our craft, learning our tools ana
in,uroving on them. We have now de-
veIoped this craftsmanship to desree
that enables US to present our story
well. Therefore it behooves us TO strike
into new fields and make the motion
picture the art that it is destined to be-
In this we are growing rapidly should
say that every five years in motion
picture growth Is equivalent TO a CEN
turys growth in the legitimate drama.
In about twenty-five years the motion
nictur. will have brought itself down
into the twentieth century"