Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-07

THE scarcity of story material
shows itself mostly in the
newest talking pictures o.
smart dialogue variety. The
talking pictures are really talking
pictures. Many of them are en-
tirely devoid of action, In the
sense that we knew action in the
old silent days. Entirely too many
dialogue plays of the stage have
been switched to the screen, many
of the plays unsuitable Tor mo-
ton picture production.
One of the principal attractions
of the screen is action-plenty OF
action. Where the stage is handi-
capped. the screen Is able to give
amusement with all sorts OF plots
and movement. If one goes back
as far as the old-tine keystone
Comedies, he will remember that
the success of these pictures was
largely based upon their action
The humor was secondary, follow
ing along the line of action. Then
came the best of the thrillerS, all
filled to the brin1 with life. This
was really the big day OF the mo-
ton picture-at least, from the
standpoint of entertainment value
Today there is such a dearth OF
story material that nearly all
stage vehicles are being turned
in.0 screen plays. This is not a
wise move on the part Of the pro-
ducers. Some stage plays turn
out to be excellent photoplayS
but others are entirely unsuitable
for the studio. To cite case of this
kind, one has but to turn back to
the ELISA Landi-LewiS Stone pic
ture in Washington last week
Through many reels, this particu-
lar film was dialogue, with posing
by the principal characteristic
sort of dialogue which results In
sleepy audiences and a desire that
the keystone Comedies come back
to life.
What the screen needs today is
the original Story-with action
It cannot possibly live on the cast
offs of the stage. Smart dialogue
is all right in its place, but toe
much of it boreS an audience to
extinction. With the screens ad-
vantageS over the stage, producers
and directors should realize the
value of action.
For 80 years, the photoplay lived
without talk. Now 1t is all talk
What change the past two years
have made!
There piH be an effort made
TO get a bit OF action in the 1e1O
Marilyn Miller picture, "Our
Social Whirl." First National
announces that the star is to
hare a daring role" and that
she 1UiU leap upon the co,1-
catcher OF q locomotive coming
her t0dy. There tDiH be no sing
ing and dancing in the picture,
which tvill be q complete change
from the other pictures in
1Dhich Miss Miller has starred.
MerDyn Leroy 1DilI direct.
+ X
NOBLE MERRICK, The Stars
AA correspondent at Hollywood
writes that the lack Of suitable
story material is being felt around
the studios, and I quote from her
letter as follows:
1.-THE producers and directors
want stories with meat in them,
something that has not been de-
vitaliZed or written to the talents
or needs Of any one person. Some
thing, in short, written for the
screen. The history of the screen
shows that the camera needs Spe-
cial writing. Now and again,
some director works miracles with
material intended for other use
novels and stage plays-but these
are isolated cases. More likely
than not, the novel which scores
q big success falls short Of screen
potency. It often turns out that
bad novels make good screen
plays. Also authors with estab-
nshed regulations have come to
Hollywood under huge salaries,
and they have turned out very
weak material. AS a result, the
producers are becoming increas-
ingly dubious Of the wiSenesS OF
their ways. OF course, with SOC
pictures made in Hollywood each
year it would be impossible to
have them all good"
The coming of the talking
movies practically eliminated the
amateur scenario writer from the
field. 1t Is admitted by the seen
ario Offices that many of them dc
not even open the envelopes OF
unsolicited manuscripts. Members
Of Office stats have instructions
to return such material to the
writer's. The scenario editor Of
Warner Brothers, talking to the
writer in Washington recently
stated that in the thousands OF
amateur scenarios submitted to his
company since the establishment
OF sound pictures, not single one
was used and not a single idea was
found upon to build a picture.
This does not speak very well for
the amateur writer's, but one must
understand that they are seriously
handicapped in producing any
thing for the sound pictures. In
the first place, they are unfamiliar
with sound technique. In writing
dialogue for the screen, they are
unprepared, and they know little
Of the form and structure of mod
ern scenario writing. In all this,
however, they are not far behind
the expensive writer's who are
signing contracts and travelling
the long way to Hollywood. Many
of these writer's have never penned
q line for the movies when they
are employed at large salaries.
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