Evening star., 1925-11-15
NAL
MURRAY
Columbiia
The Moving Picture
Bv Robert Z. Shcr7uood.

THERE may be one person out Of
every hundred in this country
who has not at some period. tried
to write a movie scenario, but | am
inclined to doubt that this rare indi-
viduaI really exists. If one may judge
by the bales of ma anuScripts that are
deposited in the scenario departments
one must come to the conclusion that
every man, woman and child in the
United States devotes 90 hours of
each day to the composition of screen
stories.
OF these thousands and hundreds Of
| thousa nds of manuscripts that struc-
gle through the post office every
week. how many are actually bought
and produced as photopfays? The an
swer is 10 be found somewhere in
the vicinity of zero. 1t is even doubt
full that any of these vast accumu-
lations of literary effort are even
read by those to whom they are
addressed.
Amy writer, however obscure. who
sends a contribution TO A responsible
magazine may be sure that his manu-
script will receive careful editorial
consideration. This condition does not
obtain in Hollywood. OF late years
the scenario editors there have made
no pretense OF reading unsolicited
stories-the work involved being far
too great and the results too utterly
negligible. Moreover. there is an
element of risk attached, which is
apt to prove expensive.
Formerly manuscripts that were seai
to movie studios were returnedk'to tie
authors with polite note treallys
rejection slip) explaining that the, in
1J~ ,. L. E>o J., fv,
terest and was unavailable for use
at this time, etc.
Now the manuscripts are usually
returned unopened.
There is good reason for this.
Several producers have been subjected
to law suits on charges of pla giarisn,
being accused of stealing ideas that
had been submitted to them in all
good faith.
Charlie Chaplin was thus victimized
by an author, who claimed that he had
suggested the theme for Shoulder
Arms and who presented evidence
lin the form of rejection slip) to
prove that his manuscript had been
received and considered at Nhe Cha plin
studio
Those who know Chaplin realize
that he proba bly, never read the story
in question. for he is not 'one to So
|
sources. But, the evidence was against
him.
/ The same thing happened to Cecil r,
de Mile. who, three years ago, pro
NOTED an idea contest from which
evolved the basic theme of his picture
The Ten Comma ndments. Eight of
the contestants suggested s"The Ten
Comma ndments.' and to each of them
De Mile awarded first prize money.
Sr1hCan11ont1I a ri iy1,n y1f- n
peared and sued De Mile, stating EN-.
phatically that he. too. deserved to be
included in the list Of beneficiaries
De Mile won the case, but only after
an arduous and rather emba IRA ssing
legal battle.
Now. De Mile is careful to return
all unsolicited contributions with the
explanation that they have not been
read by any member of his staff.
In spite of this obvious apathy.
there is :. ev2rincreasing demand for
stories th;l- written directly, for
the screen young authors are
being encouraged more and more to
develop this technique.
Douglas MacLean told me the
other day that he will never make an
other picture that is adapted from a
we'll knownsboo or, play: He is none
in his current production. Seven
Keys to Baldpate." The wide popu-
larity of George Cohan's comedy COM
PEELED him TO stick closely to the
original story. and prevented him
from making any of those purely pic
torial flights of fancy which are es-
sential to successful film farce.
MacLean's next picture will be en-
titled That's My Baby" 1t was writ
ten by MacLean Shimself in collabora-
ton with his staff of gag-men, and
he will therefore have the oppor-
tunity to run wild in his own indi-
vidual way.
X
What promises to be the most i'm
portant picture of the year, THE Big
Parade" is an original story; written
by Laurence Stallings directly for the
screen. It's preordained success will
undoubtedly influence many producers
to shake off the shackles that have
bound them to adaptations of plays
and novels, and will impel them to
look with much greater favor on
stories that are composed primarily
In terms of pictures that move.
tCopyright. 1929 re, =