South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-07-18
HAVE YOU 4 BUMP
FOR DRAMA? ASKS
POPULAR WRITER
This is a Question Every Seen
ario Writer Asks Many
Times.
BY JEANNE MACPHERSON

Have you a bump for drama 20
That's a question every wOuld-be
scenario writer should ask himself
And not one out of a thousand does.
That intangible. metaphysical thing
that concentrates all OF the emo
tons and situations of q story in the
heart of a central characteristics
drama. But oh how far the begin
ner misses that ideal!
1 spent four hours with "a young
writer recently-and told him at the
end that Ia gladly trade him three
of his gorgeous Hawaiian sunsets
for one real situation, As matter
of fact he did not have a germ of an
/ idea but il was so buried in the sun
sets that he didn't know il was there.
A very large proportion of the
people who send us scenarios are de-
cidedly clever individuals. In their
stories we find occasional dramatic
| situations Of real merit. "a touch Of
clever psychology perhaps. def
| character drawing and wonderfully
I colorful atmosphere.
But the trouble is the beginner.
. the YOUNG winter EtAS ldIElGu w III
| the glories of tmosphere''-and
forgets that il is the struggle of
/ the human TO survive and attain
\ happiness which interests fellow
\ humans. Cecil 3. DeMnle triumph
led with Joan. the Woman, because
\ the play conferred in the heart of
/ Wonderful character. In Male and
! Female" the changed situation Of
| the butler on "a desert isle gripped
|our attention. Ond so it goes. The
|ycung writer with thoughts of col
4 orful sunsets i'm his mind goes away
( from one of these plays and says.
why. I can beat that" For h has
/ i'm his mind a bit OF atmosphere or z
| tiny situation which 10 him seems
I TO surpass the play he has just seen.
Isn't that mistaken attitude g.?
| Instead of going 90 pick the wrongs
why not try TO find the rights
What is there i'm such a production
I that makes people willing 20 pay
/ out their hard-earned money to see
/ DC. 20 be willing TO stand in Ions
! box office lines In anticipation of the
pleasure that awaits withni2 Young
scenario writer's would do we'll 70
I so study current successes. Such in
tenslve. unprejudiced ANALYSIS would
at least help 70 develop their bump
OF drama. To distinguish in their
minds the difference between the
close-woven fabric of well-knit
story and the tansle OF threads one
finds in The usual combination of
atmosphere and unrelated incident
that finds It's way into the hands Of
the scenario reader.
Newspaper reporters have a great
advantage I'm developing a bump
for drama" because their work
trains them 20 think tersely and TO
isolate real news-which is usually
real drama. But while journalistic
training is valuable IL is not essen
tiai. Careful study OF published
novels and short stories will help TO
develop a bump for drama" And
III YOU intend 20 write for pictures
most certainly YOU should be con
slant attendant at motion picture
shows or all descriptions. And when
YOU do see film do try 20 be i'm
personal. When a writer has pet
story idea it's hard sometimes TO
ind merit in the work OF another.
But In ilmdom there's but ore real
crierion, the box-oTice. II people