Evening journal., 1921-08-06
AUTHOR GOES
OSCHOOLNO
Novelists When Writing For
Screen Find They Have
Much to Learn
ARE WRITING
NEW PHOTOPLAYS

CULVER CITY, Cal, Ang- g.
A new trek westward has begun
But the hardy pioneers who leave
their easy homes and sure liveli-
hoods to take their chances in the
West do not travel in prairie schoon-
ers. Though they are picturesque
people, they prefer the Pullman, and
some have been hardy enough to
bump over the country in Fords.
The strange part of this movement
to the West Is that the pioneers leave
their homes for the purpose of go
ing to school. In the East, they did
not till the land for the material
needs of life, but they ploughed the
fields of literature to bring enter
tainment and spiritual satisfaction
to their fellow men. In short, Amer
ica's authors are racing to California
to learn the art of picture making.
In the land Of almost continuous
sunshine, where the principal indus
tries are, in the order Of their mag
nitude, climate and the motion pic
ture, the novelist and the short
story writer are taking short courses
in the technique of picture writing.
Through the foresight of one of our
largest producers, Samuel Goldwyn,
who was the first to associate with
him some OF Americas foremost
fiction writer's, Los Angeles, Holly
wood and Culver City have become
n mecca for authors. Mr.. Goldwyn
was also the first to ask his authors
A Oh 80, d
pictures are made so that in the
course of writing a story, they might
always keep uppermost in their
minds. the pictorial values of their
tales.
Here, at the studios in Culver
City, one may see Rupert Hughes,
Mary Roberts Rinehart, Gertrude
Atherton, Alice Duer Miller. Gouver-
neur Morris and Leroy Scott dis
cussing the comparative merits OF
different types OF close-ups. soft
focus effects. double exposures, and
hundred other technical details of
which they never dreamed in the
cosiness of their Eastern homes.
Though Mrs. AthertOn is a Cali
fornian, her first experience in a
motion picture studio was obtained
on the Goldwyn lot" She is en-
thusiastic about it; and much of her
time not actually devoted to writ
ing, is spent on the various stages
watching the directors, or obtaining
bits of information from camera
men, electricians and the various
artificers who make the motion pic
/ ture possible.
The motion picture studio is a
practical school. in which the fiction
author learns TO translate words into
pictures He sees his manuscript
in the directors hands, grow into a
living thing. Now. these authors
who have all acquired national repu-
tations for their fiction. are writing
original stories for the screen. The
result of their schooling will soon b'
seen, for they have all completed
| their first original screen story; and
some, like Rupert Hughes, already
have many to their credit. But Mr.
Hughes practically lives at the Gold
wyn studios these days. He ha,
given us the delightful Scratch NJ!
Back" and Hold Your Horses" 81
! AMNdNAdnAt - HIS uHEAAN u WAAAt uf
rectly for the screen, that his photo
play work now occupies as much o
his time as does his novel and shor
story writing.
Rita Weiman. who is widel,
known for her short stories, hai
written "The Grim Comedian,
which has been produced and will
soon be widely distributed. Alicl
Duer Miller's story THE Man witt
Two Mothers" will have Cullen Ian
dis as his unusual man. Gouver
neur Morris, whose name has ap
peared on the covers Of all our bes
known magazines. has written "Ac'
of Hearts," a thrilling melodram,
that will be shown in the early fall
Then there is THE Night Rose" b,
Leroy Scott, a master Of the mys
terry and the detective story. Fur
thermore, Mary Roberts Rinehar
has called upon her early experienc,
as a nurse and written "The Clio
rious Fool" This tale is a coined,
with a delightful love story. with
famous hospital as it's scene. Last
but not least, one OF Americas great
est women writers. Gertrude Ather
ton, has produced Don't Neglec
Your Wife," an unusual contrast be
tween the social life OF San Fran
cisco's elect and the existence fol
lowed by the habitues Of New York.
slums.
The authors who go to school il
California study internally; an,
the result OF their application is seei
in their new screen work.