The Washington times., 1937-12-29
&~EE;
-
Editorial Art Director and
Special Writer of The
Washington Times

worked and worried, tussled
and fought! Who've burned
the midnight oil, paced the
floor, smoked a pipe, and
taken a drink! You who We
jammed hats on heads and
dashed out to. take walks in
the parks! Listen!
I bring you a message
which should once again put
courage in your stout, but
weary hearts; message that
should blow on the greying
embers Of your creative work
like a pine-scented breeze on
a mountain-side camp fire.
I stopped packing my camera
bag, and from an undignified
position in the middle of the
floor Of Rosalie Stewards office,
I looked up at the woman who is
one of the most famous and sue,
cessful Of Hollywood authors
agents.
''It's marvellous to hear that"
I said, 'it will mean so much
to thousands of Washingtonians
who write. You're really honest
about it, aren't you?"
Rosalie Stewart, who before
her treck to Hollywood in 1929,
was the only eminently success
full woman producer Broadway
ever developed, looked down at
me where I sat with cameras
between my be-Slacked legs, and
pencil and paper in hand. Her
keen eyes blazed away at me
through platinum-rimmed pince-
nez glasses. Her brilliant mind
was expressed clearly, simply, di-
rectly.'
Unknown authors are getting
and will get the breaks in pic
lures. Take Charles G. Booth
who wrote '"The General Died
at Dawn" He had only written
a few stories for small maya
zines. This was his first original
and he scored with great sue
cess"
What's an original, please?"
I asked. ..
can original is story written
for the movies. Not first as
novel or a play" she said. This
woman who sold Fannie Hurst's
"Great Daughter" to M-G-M
for 100000, and who disposed
Of "The Show-Off'' for $4,000
to Paramount, moved the roses
to one side of her desk.
"It'S the writer Of originals
who Is going places out here.
We can't depend on novels, there
aren't enough that lend them
selves to pictures. From now
on an author with a good idea
can make Hollywood pay his
price"
And let me tell you folks, this
Rosalie Stewart knows what
she's talking about. No beating
around the bush for her. She
was the agent for Ina Claire,
Ruth Chatterton and many
others when vaudeville was the
big money. Then in 1920 when
she saw vaudeville folding, she
became a producer of legitimate
shows on the Great White Way.
Given credit for discovering
George Kelly (after having pro
duced his one-act plays in vaude-
ville), she put on his five plays
for the legitimate, which in
cluded "Craig's Wife"
In 1929, this woman whose
artistic fingers rest lightly but
unerringly on the pulse Of the
entertainment world, watched
with narrowed eyes as the talkies
began to hurt the road shows.
This woman who moves with
foresight and determination,
left Broadway flat, took bag and
baggage and headed for the
West Coast.
"How about some unknown
author who comes here to your
office with q story or an idea.
viii you see him or her?"
OF course. I'll see anyone.
That's my business. And In
this business anyone who doesn't
know that the little fellow of
today is the big one of tomor-
row-doeSnt know the first
axiom.
my business is to find as
SignmentS for writer's, and to
sell their plays and stories.
Writers are the backbone of the
motion picture industry. They're
realizing that more and more
out here.
"As for reading submitted
material-I read about IS prop
critics (novels, plays, short
stories, novelettes, or originals)
a week, but / love it. can Just
about sense a good story after
my Is years at it,
do you know Frances Mari
on?" I asked.
Eyes, she's marvellous. She,
as you probably know, is the
most successful and highly paid
Of all regular picture writer's"
I've always admired her. I'd
love to meet her some day.
RoSalie Stewart smiled and
snapped her fingers. 1--WE got
an idea" she said. "Wait
q minute"
With that she picked up the
phone and called Frances
Marion. We were straight
away invited to tea. Rosalie
hung UP the phone. "There,"