Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-02-15
Ghos+wri+ing
Grows More
Acceptable
Frank, Menke Is Called
Best Of Them All
BY DAMON RUNYON

WE READ an advertisement
w in a New York paper re-
Gently of a "ghostwriters' bu-
reau," stating that il is prepared
10 furnish material on any topic.
for any purpose, of any length.
We Write It-You Sign It," the
ad said. a statement which sue
cinctly explains ghostwrlting. A
ghostwriter is a fellow who
writes something in some one
else's name.
The ghosiee may be person
of such celebrity as 10 make his
thoughts interesting and impor-
tant, but may lack the facility
for putting them down on paper.
Or he may be too busy TO do
the actual writing. though able
to find time to tell his story TO
a ghost. II is much easier 10
tell something than IT is TO
write II.
COMBINES the ghostee may
~ be so dumb that he has no
thoughts whatever though still
possessing a celebrity that lends
importance TO his name, a situa-
ton that used TO develop when
the names Of baseball players
and other noble athletes were
deemed of value over newspaper
and magazine articles. and in
such cases the ghost has TO
supply the thoughts.
II is not difficult, unless the
ghost has no thoughts. either.
Formerly IT was the practice
10 put only the name of the
ghoStee over the article the
ghost remaining obscure and un-
known. which was not Infre-
Quently the ghosts personal
preference. but nowadays the
tendency IS 10 give both ghost
and ghoStec what YOU might call
screen credit. making II read
by William GioopuS as told TO
Ferdinand Scalllnn
This undoubtedly makes for
better ghostwritrng because
when a ghost knows that he IS
going TO remain quite ghostly
indeed IN connection with the
written product he Is not dis
posed 10 give his very all 10 the
business We are speaking YOU
understand as an old time
ghoStwriier
CHOSTWRITING in its sha-
VI dowier phases suffered some
embarrassment the time the
mighty Babe Ruth sustained a
severe stomach ache that made
all the front pages and even as
he lay groaniuC on a hed OF pam
his article was published IN a
tense that suggested that he
was writing and writing stimuli
taneouSlY
But ghoStwrlting goes a way
back IN human history We are
told by biblical students that II
j. no cinch that some OF the
works in the Bible We're written
by the authors 10 whom they are
credited.
Many a piece Of great ltera-
ture OF the past is, believed 10
have been ghoSted The high
and mighty OF another day often
hired ghosts 70 compose for
them poems and essays for
which they took full credit and
some of whichapcrhapS have I'M
diving fame under the names Of
the choStcc>
IT Is comUon practice now
L adayS for some of or great
est statesmen 10 engage ghosts
10 write their speeches.
We would like 10 have a dollar
word for every word Charley
Nicholson. the Democrats pub
licity chief. has written for pub
lie utterance by the statesmen.
Many a popular song for
which famous performers or
band leaders share credit and
ROYALTIES Is the work of some
more obscure character and the
celebrities Just cut themselves
in on the credit for introduce
ing IT,
One of the most profitable
books in the world today was r
ghost Job This IS Adolf Hitlcr's
"Mein kampf" lis profits are
due. not to its literary merits.
but 10 Hitlcr's peculiar methods
Of forcible craftsmanship
II is admitted that the book
was written by fellow who was
in Jail with Adolf His name
escapes us at the moment.
IF you locked Hitler in a room
with paper and pencils for a
month he probably could not
come out with an essay on any
subject that would pass fourth
grade teacher. a test that might
have disastrous results TO some
of our own notables whose names
appear as authors.
WE STILL claim that tho
w greatest ChoStwrltcr that
ever lived is Frank Mcnkc. a
u.pU EupHp- p,sNssnaperfea1r- who