Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

N AN Oh Tic (IlllNS OI iilOtiOli
M pictures complain that the
wv film productions do not fol-
a n low closely the original
novels or plays from which the pic
lures are made. This complaint does
not seem to have sound reasoning
behind it. The author himself may
have occasion to voice disapproval
when his story is mutilated, cut to
pieces and made into all altogether
different yarn. carrying his name as
the writer, but he is the only one who
is entitled to tell his troubles to pro-
Queer and director. This. the author
has found necessary in the past, and
several we'll known writer's of fiction
have refused to have their stories
filmed. Others do not seriously OBJ
Ject to the changing. and it is i'll in
stances of this kind that the best
film productions arc made from
novels
Beau Geste" does not follow
closely the novel story, and neither
does What Price Glory" They are
better pictures for that reason alone.
"Manon Lescaut.' that great Ufa
film, did not follow the original story,
and was even given AN American
ending "a fade-out which was ar
ranged especially for audiences in
this country Novels and stage plays
are not written for film production :;
their writers are not familiar with
photoplay technique and their work
must be changed to fit in with the
ideas OF producer and director--as
Nsa11 %1,n l. Of - ,,iaacn tt
large part OF an audience.
The producers have studied the
demands of the cash customers. and
their endeavor is to pass to the ex
hibitors films which the public will
find pleasing. They are not inter
csted in 'hops. and when the direc
tor changes story it is done with
the idea of making his final product
better picture. 1t is rarely neces-
sary to change scripts which are
written for photoplay production
that IS. if they are written by the
scenario experts-but the novels,
plays and short stories must be cut.
revised and sometimes changed alto
eether to make them fit the photo
play needs. Those who have read the
novel, Beau Geste," and seen the
play, What Price Glory" on the
stage. are able to notice changes in
the film productions, but these very
changes have helped to make the
pictures what they are. In nearly
all instances. it is impossible to fol-
low closely the novel, short story or
play and produce a picture without
many common faults. This is the
reason some we'll known fiction is
hardly recognizable when it is cast
into picture form and thrown upon
q screen.
EIRST NATIONAL PICTURES. one
of the largest producing COM
panies, has reached the decision that
shorter pictures are the need of the
hour. The leaders of the organiza-
ton announce that hereafter most of
their pictures will be limited to ap-
proximately 5000 feet, and they issue
this statement:
The public has become tired of
lengthy pictures. This fact has been
demonstrated time and again. Also,
with the modern method of arranging
programs, with prologue, vaudeville
and special features, too long a pic
-
Is fast-moving age, and the public
wants its moEon-picture entertain
ment to move at similar speed
This plan is step in the right di-
rection, SO far as many pictures are
concerned. However the public
does not tire of lengthy pictures if
the lengthy pictures are good ones
The public will tire of a short picture
If it is poor one. 1t might have
been better policy for First National
Pictures to cut the footage by the
elimination of close-ups and unneces-
sary scenes, which bore the average
photopiay audience: to study their
pictures and cut the non-essentials
rather than go,in for a policy to keep
all pictures within a certain length
Why not cut the poor pictures to a
reel or two, if it is impossible to elimi-
nate them altogether, and let the good
ones run. The public will not tire of
the latter.
CHIC SALE, another vaudeville
star, may be lured to the movies
soon, according to New York reports
ID. w. Griffith recently attended a per-
Torrance of the Winter Garden revue.
Gay Paree." in New York, and he
frankly announced that the show did
not interest him. He stated that there
were big picture possibilities, how
ever, in the star, Chic Sale, so the
latter may receive a contract by the
next mail. The motion picture pro-
ducers watch the New York theaters
pretty closely for new stars and play
ers who may be featured in certain
pictures.
X x *
A CCORDING to the hackers of the