Evening star., 1939-09-04

writing set never seems to do any,
thing about it but weep and /or have
another drink.
That is what makes almost sig
nificant the circumstance that two
of Hollywoods most agile scriptists
now have constituted themselves a
producing unit. The pair are Gene
Towne and Graham Baker, and their
rebellion born enterprise is to be
known as The Plays The Thing
Productions. Prolific fellows, and
in great demand, Towne and Baker
do not intend to become so aloof
they won't write for any one else.
They will make pictures for them
selves, however, as well as write them
for others.
In forming their own production
unit, Towne and Baker have no in
tention of invading the realms of
either directing or acting. They
concede the Importance of both in
the making of motion pictures. 1t
is their determination merely to see
that their stories shall be treated
as respectable, worthy material, not
something to be hacked up and
thrown away at the whim of some
one who thinks writer Is just a
fellow named Joe.
In their intention to be very firm
about this, Towne and Baker sud-
denly find themselves involved with
lot of money Their first picture,
an affair of six characters (who
already have found two authors, un-
like Pineros six, is budgeted at
$500, 900. Hollywood reports say the
sudden responsibility is making diff
ferent men Of the two. The notion
that they were the cinema's wack-
lest pair, one which they fostered
with surprising brilliance, suddenly
is being tarnished by a new gravity
with which they face the world.
Pioneering in the proof that writer's
are right simply is not to be taken
lightly and Towne and Baker are
not taking it that way.
In the world they left behind them,
money came in to Towne and Baker
when their scripts were delivered.
In the brave new one they are Gre
ating, it not only does not come in
but a lot more goes out, followed
by long wait to see what happens.
Even If one never has had a failure,
it is enough to give one pause.
Should things eventuate as Towne
and Baker are sure they will, how
ever, other writer's may be inspired
to follow their example.
After all, Shaw did it. Didn't he?
Earthquakes, hurricanes. typhoons,
simoons and other catastrophes
having been covered in pictures of
the last couple of years, the movies
march on to other impressive nat
ural phenomena. Next of the
efforts to show nature she is not the
only one who can deal in super
thrills will be a revelation of an oil
we'll fire. 1t is the high light of
"Blackmail,' and in the making of
it even blase citizens of Hollywood
were stirred from their tropical
torpor when they saw their private
sky being licked by those spectacu-
lar flames.
The studio was pretty cute in sew
eral respects in the production of
the spectacle. 1t was cutest, it is
easy to believe, in so arranging the
make-believe burning well that 300
derricks of genuine Baldwin Hills
field show up in the focus of the
camera. "Blackmail," coming to the
Capitol Friday, will be screened to-
morrow.
X X
"The Women" 1876 of them, topped
by Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford,
Rosalind Russell and Paulette God
dard is listed as Palace attraction
for this month :. But it may de-
pend considerably, and we think it
will, on the Wizard of or" run
1t is great time for fantasy
incidentally, THE Women" runs for