The Washington times., 1935-11-02


scout given $4,000 cash and WALTER vrNcur11
wood requested study movie technique at the studio and
then write he felt the He accepted the offer turned
15page idea that later became "The Big Parade
and MG-M gave him $25 900 for it. i
Today the movies get great deal of their story material
from the stage much from the popular magazines Every
company in Hollywood has interest in Broadway pro-
duction You will find that Max Gordons play pride and
Prejudice" destined to be MGM movie and Paramount
has the rights to the Pulitzer prize play The Old Maid be-
they supplied the cash to put before the foohts
'Three Men Horse" kicked from most play agents
offices Warner Brothers invested $5O0 the Alex Yokel
venture and will eventually receive at least million dollars
the investment For the horse play story turned out to be
phenomenal hit and has yet to be made movie Holly
wood will always be interested in the stage while there the
chance to pick a long shot like this.
Perhaps word from the Hollywood story pickers will ex-
plain why the big companies take very little interest the
unknowns Let jeff Lazarus of Paramounts tell it. Says he
we csnt afford to read material by pnknowns It's
dangerous If there is taxcab ina story submitted and
we should taxi in of later pictures,
sued. You would be amazed to know how many people
make business of bringing legal actions against studios
thinking to get settlement just because of the socaled
nuisance value Of their claim. Those days over"
"How unknown break into motion picture
scenario Department. How he attract producers at
tention to his work3"
sect their stories published their plays produced
They'll not only get quicker sae but money"
Thrty per cent of picture plots from original
stories by established scepar Ten cent from stage
plays 20 cent from magazines 2 cent from books
Is per from properties owned by Paramount They
include $500 stories"
is alone in his attitude toward unknowns The
percentages of story varies in other udos but all
use the same channels.
Sam Marx scenario editor for GoldwynMayer, is
more emphatic than in refusing deal with
He explains his position by quoting from Don Fer
nando Somerset Maughams book in which the author
says:
n every occupation the professional is better than the
amateur No would dream OF denying this any prac
cal matter, and would be great fool who employed
amateur plumber to repair leak in pipe In music scup
and painting the amateur rightly regarded with dis
because learns write well enough to
put on paper in some sort of fashion say
it is supposed that anyone write book The writer
needs complete training the practitioner of other
of the arts and the technique of writing yields to none OF
them IN its difficulty"
This is all trifle dscouragng to those anxious for
chance STILL if you feel you write Playwright George
Kelly said in "Philp Goes Forth" ttle things like this
should not stop you"
Personally have been shooting stuff at Hollywood for
Is years without getting real nbble. Once Winfield
Sheehan of Fox that this columns list of 'Don
Scenario Writer'S had been posted the studio bulletin
board for everybody and follow Yet in the next mail
my story came back.
The Hollywood story pickers not nfalible. For in
stance some dunderhead in Paramount bought Saor Be-
ware for $4,000 and gets the am BOBBY prize for stu
pdity don't wonder Paramount went through receiver
ship bath with such brains collecting fiction. 1T one OF
the why beginner author has perfect right to
aspire to write for the movies They couldn't do worse
than some of the stories which reach production.
After all you can't blame embryo authors for creditng
Hollywood with being slightly screwy. They take Bulwer
Lytons novel; Last Days of Pompe it as title and
screen nary a scene from his book
They buy reignng Broadway hit "The Chidren's Hour,
and twist the yarn around that you can't recognize it.
Indeed, I know real Broadway punk who works for
Warner Brothers and has made three stories that put me to
Sleep The studio publicity credits him with being
Well like Kate Smith and Rudy Valee wonder how ne gets
by. It must be relative.