News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-08-10
Annals Merciless
Critic
By CoRoNE REMINGTON
10 by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate)

tTleu II, is Trying IL or is going U tiy
it tomorrow. Most folks experiment
in film fiction because they fancy them
selves bit clever.
Anna, however, was prompted to
that endeavor only because she was
sure she was little less stupid and a
good deal less badly educated than
Hazel Hazelhurst; and Hazel, so all
Hllsburg was one morning Informed
by the Herald, had written and sold
to the Imperial Films company a
scenario called FLAMING Swords and
Bleeding Hearts" Afterward Anna
had seen the film herself, with the sub
title STORY by Hazel Hazelhurst," as
big as life.
1t was an amazing thing to Anna,
because Hazel, a spinner girl in the
silk mill where Anna was a stenog-
rapher, had left school of her own vo-
lition at thirteen and was the kind of
girl who talks slang exclusively,
chews gum on the streets and goes to
10-cent dances.
If it were really true that inarticu-
late people like that could get hun
dreds and hundreds of dollars for just
lacking together few ideas and send
ing them to film company, then Anna
feat she was doing herself an absO-
lutte injustice by not trying her hand
at this fairy game of chance. She
would do it.
Wherefore, within the next six
weeks, Anna by dint of much mental
toll evolved three stories. Each was
leatly typed and dispatched to the
Colossal Photoplays company, at New
York. And each, about week after
its departure, came back as unerringly
as a homing pigeon. With each was
enclosed the same printed form, stat
ing that the Colossal company "regrets
that the material submitted is not ex-
6ctly suited to its present needs"
1t was just at this time that the Ma
tional Fabrics company decided to
close down its Hillsburg plant for two
weeks for REIMBURSEMENT purposes"
Anna, receiving assurance from the
manager that she would not be affected
by the reimbursement proceedings, found |
herself with fortnight's vacation on
her hands.
She determined that the way to dis |
cover something about this scenario !
game, meantime, was to 60 to the place |
where 1t is played. So she made the
first trip Of her life to the metropolis, |
procured as comfortable a furnished |
room as New York's fantastic prices
made possible to her limited purse, and
set out next day to "learn the game"
Anna expected to get speech with a
couple Of scenario editors, at least, and
to obtain from them some words of adj
vice and suggestion; also, probably, to
secure permission to visit a studio or
two and witness screen drama in the
making. She went to the COlossars
establishment first.
From red-headed typist at the por-
tai Of the scenario department Anna
received establishment. The scenario
editor wasn't to be seen. Nobody was
to be seen. except by appointment. A
million people a day wanted to see
somebody about scenarios. Anyhow,
Mr.. Highland was out. The associate
editor was out, too.
Anna was on the point of beating a
discounted retreat when Ted Maltby,
under inspiration to have an early
lunch, emerged from an inner room.
Ted, one of the Cofossal's keenest
scenario readers, nevertheless was a
departmental joke for his softness Of
heart toward the genus writing nut"
He stopped, looking lnquiringly at the
red-headed girl and toward Anna.
IS lady wantsta see somebody bout
script writin'," volunteered Red Head,
vastly bored.
perhaps l can be of SERVICE" Of
fered Tom. The proffer was made in
sacrificial kindness, but as Anna Ter
hune's face lighted in acknowledgment
Ted whistled, mentally, in delighted
"a regular girl" he inward
ly congratulated himself-"after, oh,
Lord, these many hundreds" Then. to
Anna, II am one of the readers-Malt-
by"
Anna told him her name. "Of Hills
burgY Ted asked. 81 have read sew
eral of your scripts lately"
ooh, I'm so glad!" exclaimed the
girl. "Then you will be the very per-
son to advise me. That's what have
come for, you know"
Maltby experienced the sudden sense ,
Of depression that comes to him who
Is Unexpectedly called on to break the
news to the family of the victim. 81
shall he delighted" he managed to say,
however. II was just going over to
Forty-fourth street for much coffee
md little food. Would you care to ,
come? It's wonderful place to talk" ,
New York is not HiHsburg, even on !
)ne's first day. Anna, quite to her
,vn establishment, accepted the invi-
= zion with no more ceremony than
.ad accompanied It's extension. Ten !
later they were sitting, In the ;
of old acGuaintanceship, d,
It a little undraped table in the pres {
nee of a negligible luncheon and I