New-York tribune., 1922-05-14

look. remember he has Wriften
about 35,OO0,000 words of dime
novel "copy'
~ nee every three months or so limou-
IL sine draws up in front of the Twenty.
third Street Office that still bears the
familiar name of Frank Tousey, pub
Usher Of dime novels and prosperous look
ing man steps out.
The prosperous individual makes his way
10 stairs to the Tousey office and proceeds ts
by up all the dime novels in sight. Sometimes
Il spends $50 on these paper backed works
visch were plentiful generation ago but
which now are getting into the class of literary
c1riosities.
When our heroic lapse into the vernacular
Of the dime novelist-has bought all the paper
covered books in sight, and when his plaintive
Aren't there any more?' has been met with
a final wearied No on the part of the office
saff he goes home to an orgy of old-fashioned
redng.
The man in the limousine is simply one of
substitute for his fayorite reading He is the
. proprietor Of a big hotel in New York, and has
money enough to buy plenty s. books But
that IS not the idea, not at all. He is one of
considerable army that the recession of the
cine novel wave has left stranded Not all the
others own linousnes and can drive 10 to the
one plant where literature OF the old ashioncd
ic bain ~.
letters which usually begin:
i used to read your stories years ago and
would like to reread them. I would like to get
IN particular, a story entitled Old King
Brady's Last Chance | have net been able to
get any copies i'll my town and would be obliged
Ii you can get one for me- and also Other
stories Of the same kind" etc.
No end of letters in similar strain are re-
cefyed at the Office where the dime novel is
making its last stand There is something pa
thetic about them. They tell of a desire for
entertainment which the ''movie" has not sat
lsned, and which is not satisfied by more pre-
tertlous magazines which some of the old pub
Asners OF dime novels are bringing out TODAY
AT the New York Public Library these
classics OF by-gone age-"Nick Carterv
'Deadwood Dick and the ike-aro ken+ for
she sake OF these oldtime fans who have not
found anything in the way of entertainments
70 take the place of the dime novel and the
mcKei library The only trouble is that these
Ieiics from the dime novel age are read 50 con-
sIsIently that their iinsy covers are wor, off
ana 1'eir eoges are ragged. When the present
supply Is gone, apparently, the dime move
reader IS IN for hard time for MANY Of III,
''''''e laVorites are out Of print At the
Sseoho hand bookshops in New Yorl, where
w magazines and aper-backed books are
ueai' IN. 1t is said this type of literature ;s
s''iee' "A feW years ago the bookstores were
AOoDed with them, but to-day dime novels ara
'a'eu IN the curio class. MANY of them aro .+
premium. Thrillers which ORIGINALLY, cola
'0r hve cents will now command 26 cen+s and
N'e almost impossible to get even at that nyice
Inc motion pictures put the dime novel !,
~ present precarious state of existence En-
'aie. 1he victory is not yet to the intcr)dno,
". nao appeared SO unexpectedly on the scene
'Ae nero was thrust back to the edge Of tho
p'ecipice, and for a time it looked az If no
''S gong to be thrown over, with no ra;r.c,,
ous escape possible. But right at the same old
Is'ehologlcai moment that has saved so noanv
Sssperatc situations there came a snddan
sAnse in public sentiment. The "movies,
.'Asel'es went into bad slump. II was M
yAser possible to pack the crowds into INV
,,;o ;, VI showroom that had string of elec.
"shts IN front. Thriller" screen s+or;ox
=. e'"efai were the heaviest sufferers.
ss' ~ the same time ther came strrircs
ssa. sa'sa indicated that the dime novel Wa. not
s.i sssa' Our hero shook off the hands ~ .,u +ha
,s;. ss'e villain and staggering to his feet ex m
aimed a huskily: ~ A'''' GA
o,. 0.and back, villain I refuse 70 ha +hro,,,oa
'er this cliff. S' " NC 'nr0"eo
soys, A =, 's the situation to-day. The dime
t,n.' Almost at the point of death. shows
aow s VI, -, a comeback. Nobody pretends to
nsss ss Just why. Perhaps it is because Of +hs as
s..s ssay Increase in prices of movie shoua -. 'ne
u,,sp ssps 1t is because no drama Of the h,ood
pra.a mug type can provide the thrill that au tha
b, b,s0 =. word gives. Incident on tho soraau s,
No. ~ limitations; but incident on the nr;ntea
- never The callowest movie fan lno1,.