Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-06-15


can desert a member of the family
who has become burden.
There is, indeed, truth in the old
adage that the blacklist hour is just
before dawn. I have seen It work
out too many times to doubt it.
This special dawn began very SIM
ply by a telephone call from the
McCann-Erickson advertising agen-
cy, in New York. Would I come in
and see them?
Would I! I would have crawled.
But you don't tell an advertising
agency that. You pretend you are
very busy and successful writer
and say you think you can manage
it and work out date convenient to
all. It is quite an art.
The best hope I had was that they
might want me to submit something
for a radio program. But also I
knew that advertising agencies ex-
pect the poor author to take all the
risk. Well, would growl a little
about doing it on speculation, but
I'd do it. Maybe something would
come through that is the hope
an author lives on. And the only
way, so far as know, to make a
success of writing is to keep putting
in an oar here and there. After
while you may get your boat NOV
ing.
found most impressive gentle
man who, after some cigarette talk,
wanted to know If I had been to
Hollywood lately.
told him hadn't. While kept
wondering to myself what this
strange conversation meant. Ger
tainly he had nothing to do with pic
lures. Scenario writers were not
hired on Madison Avenue.
I've received a telegram from
Chicago about you," he said and
picked up yellow sheet and slowly
read it through to himself. Hours It
seemed to me it took.
Who in Chicago would wire to him
about me? kept asking myself. But
also I knew the ways of advertis-
ing companies were inscrutable.
He laid the telegram down. ''Havs
you any scenarios you have writ
tenn"
"Scenarios?" I said, for things are
not done that way.
Eyes"
II might have copy Of one. I
don't know. I'd have to look through
my things"
Twill you do that? wish you'd
bring it in and write down list
OF everything you've done for the
movies He picked up the telegram
and again silently read to himself.
Then put it down. Can you do
that today?"
I said it so happened I could.
Then we shook hands and I went
| out.
looked through my things and
found scenario and two or three
Treatments" and some odds and
ends, and raced back.
He picked up one of the manu-
scripts. as that what a scenario
looks like? I never saw one before"
Then looked through it in his slow
methodical way.
thought, eff he doesn't know
anything about scenarios, why did
he send for me?" But maybe this
was the way advertising agencies
| work.
I'll let you hear from me as
soon as l cam" he said finally.
went out again, unable to make
head or tail of the mysterious affair.
Maybe I should have asked what it
was all about. Or should /? I SIM
ply didn't know.
Three or four days passed, then
came telephone call. Could come
in to see him?
said I could manage it.
1--we just talked to Chicago" he
said, land they want me to ask you
some more questions" He glanced
at some notes on his desk and
cleared his throat Have you ever
written a training film?"
hadn't the slightest idea what
training film was. But l wasn't 60
ing to show it. mo, I haven't" I
Sdlu DIS IL HduIl got around TO the
chore.
He cleared his throat again and
said "Hmmm!" and my heart
dropped to my belt.
do you think you could?" he
asked.
1 said l thought l could.
He considered this for some mo-
ments, looking among his papers
and wrinkling his brows. Finally he
said, II guess you are wondering
what this is all about?"
"Wen, yes," said as if the idea
had flashed into my mind.
II haven't been permitted to d.
vulge my client, but think l can
do so now" I leaned forward to
show was interested. 1T is for the
Standard Oil Company of Indiana.
They want to make a film which
will help their dealers"