Motion Picture Story Magazine (Aug 1911-Jan 1912)

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138 TEE MOTION PICTURE STORY MAGAZINE Inquisitive, Brooklyn. — If you will write to the Simplified Spelling Board, 1 Madison Avenue, New York City, you will be supplied with some excellent reasons why Theodore Roosevelt, The Motion Picture Story Magazine and others avoid unnecessary letters in the words you mention and many others. Enthusiast. — Robert Burns was the Karl of the Vitagraph's "Her Cowboy Lover." H. B., B. Z., D. C, L. G., etc., Wilmington. — We do not know the southern plans of the Vitagraph, but you'll know the answer before this gets in print. Takes a lot of people to ask one question in South Carolina, doesn't it? C. B., Atlanta, complains that too many gruesome films are shown and cites one program in which three out of the five films were unpleasant. He cites "The Black Arrow," the spectacular Edison version of the Stevenson novel of the same title, and here his point does not seem to hold good, but in his complaint is well founded, and he voices the opinions of hosts of others. The manager of the Photoplay theater must take what his renting exchange gives him and he is powerless. The exchange must take what is offered and has but a limited voice in the matter of selection. The manufacturers are partly to blame in their choice of subjects, but they simply cannot obtain the light stuff they want, because it is not written, and there you are. The supply of good comedy is very limited, and the men who write humorous stuff are not among those who declare that there is no money in scenario writing. If more good comedy pictures were written there would be more good comedies played, but the manufacturers suffer from a dearth of good scripts and must produce some of these "shockers" in excess of the real demand. C. B. touches on one of the unsolved problems of the Photoplay producer. Miss Eunice H. — Miss Joyce and Mr. Blackwell are both Kalem players of leading parts, but there are four Kalem companies, so naturally they are not the only leads. (2) Our subscription price is $1.50 a year. T. M., New Jersey. — Edna May was the Helen in the Vitagraph's "Forgotten." Olga B., Brooklyn. — Earl Williams was the fiance in "The Wager," and also played in "The Thumb Print." F. E. F., Pittsburg. — The player's name is Arthur Mackley. The other spelling was one of those typographical errors that occasionally will pass the most argus-eyed proof-reader. Serious and Browne, Dayton. — In writing a Photoplay divide it into scenes as the action changes. This is the scenario proper. For the convenience of the scenario editor condense the scenario into a half-page synopsis, giving only the bare plot. The editor is able to judge from the synopsis whether the story is in line with his company's style of production. If it is he reads the scenario. (2) There is no exact information at hand as to the number of persons employed in the various stock companies, but we presume the Vitagraph has the greater number since it makes five productions each week against two to four from other companies. M. A. S., Taunton. — We do not place the film. (2) Frank Crane was the Sheriff in Lubin's "The Senorita's Conquest," if that is what you mean. We do not find your title listed. M. I. G., Pasadena. — Interior fire scenes are matters of clever stage management. Their method of production is too varied to be fully explained. Slow-burning material or steam furnishes the smoke and the flames may be actual fire or gauze blown by an electric fan. In at least one production — Edison's "His Misjudgment" — the scenery was actually set afire. (2) The 'Biograph lead? She is Miss . (3) Mr. Bosworth has not left Selig. (4) More about the Biograph? Sometimes the company is divided and sometimes it isn't. Miss I. W., Milwaukee. — Elise McLeod was the Mae of Edison's "Mae's Suitors." (2) The studio is 2826 Decatur Avenue, Bedford Park, The Bronx, New York City. (3) Miss Joyce is still with Kalem. Misses E. S. and A. M., Brooklyn. — Mr. Costello is a particularly lively corpse. (2) He is of French descent. Miss G. M. B., New York. — It is probable that the manuscript called the leading character Dora, but the players, not knowing this, called Miss Lawrence Florence. Letters for insertion in the film are prepared by a separate department, hence the failure of the letter to correspond with the name by which the character was addressed. It is seldom that the players know the names by which they are supposed to be called, because they seldom see the script and never see the letters until they are inserted in the film. The matter would escape any but a close observer. Dixie, Decatur. — We'll probably print pictures of all the Photoplayers before we get thru, but we haven't come to Mr. Neill's yet, tho we agree with you as to his cleverness. J. M. H., New York. — Miss Mabel Normand played in "A Dead Man's Honor" (Vitagraph). C. L. A. — The four principal players in Lubin's "A Rebellious Blossom" are Miss Florence Lawrence, Miss Julia Stuart, Arthur V. Johnson and Albert McGovern.