Moving Picture News (Jul-Oct 1913)

i6 THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS For Those Who Worry O'er Plots and Plays Credit on Posters CAPTAIN LESLIE PEACOCKE, that Nestor of script writers in a recent interview advocated crediting the name of the author on the film poster. For lo, . these many years, we have been advocating the very same thing and we are glad to have such backing as that of Captain Peacocke. If the writer evolves an original story, correctly laid out, why he should not receive due credit for it is more than we can understand. The author should have credit on the poster, on the film, in the trade journals and other advertisements. The writer of the short story, the novel, the comic opera, or melodrama, is given due credit before the public. Why not the writer of the moving pictureplay? Thirty-five or fifty dollars payment is not enough; give credit where credit is due. There is probably no more versatile or able literary worker in the moving picture world to-day than Captain Peacocke. He understands, if anyone does, the labor and the invention necessary to turn out a good moving pictureplay. And when he advocates poster credit for the author he advocates only what is just and right. A Note of Discouragement Here is a letter to the department that sounds a note of discouragement; "I believe I am about through writing pictureplays. I cannot sell them. Let us reason a moment. There is a cause for it. First, it is not due to improper preparation, nor yet the lack of an interesting story, nor a dearth of tense situation in the action. Neither are my rejections due to favoritism shown others, at least not all instances, though it might be true in some instances For example: My own success in selling a comedy-drama to Vitagraph was, in my opmion, nothing more or less than a mark of appreciation of the stand I took in defending their production of that masterpiece, 'The Reincarnation of Karma' and they practically made me a present in recognition of their appreciation. They have never produced the story on the screen and never will. They did not buy it because they wanted it, for they have refused to purchase any more of my efforts. No other company has ever accepted one of my scripts and, in all likelihood, never will. To 'get the money 'is not all; it is an infinitesimal part of the earnest worker's idea of success. My solution of the situation is that there are too many would-be and really-are successful writers in the field, with the result that companies are fiooded not only with worthless scripts, but with strong, worth-while scenarios, and I merely happen to be one of the unfortunate ones who do not arrive. It is the fault of neither the editors nor myself. It is the result of a condition over which neither they nor I have any control. A quitter? No. But I am not sufficiently a gambler to stay in the game with such overwhelming odds against me. You may, and probably will call me a quitter, but you will, at least, give me credit for knowing when I've had enough." Now the fact is that the rejection of a three-reel script was the straw that broke this particular camel's back, etc. He is not a quitter. For a year past this particular writer had been trying, and trying hard, to succeed — and he has sold but one story. In this, his hour of discouragement, he is inclined to think that Vitagraph accepted the plot out of gratitude. We do not believe that Vitagraph is handing around checks from any sentimental standpoint, and we think that they wanted that story or they vv'ould not have purchased it. Reputable film concerns are not to be bribed or coaxed, Vitagraph least of all. There are not too many successful writers in the field. There are far too few. Many of those successful writers, so-called, would not last ten minutes if stories other than machine-made would come along in satisfying Quantities. There is invariably a market for strong worth-while plots. Why become discouraged; the profession is not a gamble. Gamblers do not like to work and toil; you must if you would become successful in the writing of moving pictureplays. We wrote twenty scripts before we had one accepted; we know of a star writer who labored over two years before he made any headway; there are certain obstacles to overcome before any goal can be reached. Perk up, you who are discouraged; keep pegging away; what others can do, you can also do with some thought and labor. Be optimistic and work, and this time next year just write us another letter! Editorial Etchings Henry W. Mattoni, successful script writer, is also a world-famous inventor. R. D. Stoddard, author and editor, has returned to Cleveland after a vacation spent in the Empire State. Walter MacNamara has enlisted again under the Universal bunting and is an assistant director. He deserves the promotion. Raymond Hoadley, son of Editor and Mrs. C. B. Hoadley, is a comer in the New York film game. Calder Johnson expects to go to the coast to look over conditions there as to needs in way of Universal scripts. George Hall has quit directing and is back in the scenario game. He is a Universalite. ' Giles Warren is one of the best directors in the game and he will succeed if any of them will," is the sentence contained in an official letter received from the head of a big film group. Our Opinion Also In a series of articles on 'The Photoplay" appearing in The Photoplay Author, written by Arthur Leeds and J. Berg Esenwein, we quote the following paragraph: "There can be no doubt that, once each has mastered the working rules of pictureplay construction, in spite of the fact that one man in a thousand without any previous knowledge of writing may become extremely successful, the chances for quick and continued success are about ten to one in favor of the trained fiction writer." This has been our opinion for a long time. It stands to reason that the writer of fiction, a writer trained to plot-invention, or the newspaper man trained to almost every kind of writing should be among the first to score in the new profession once they have learned the rules. However, every writei was once a beginner and the novice who will persevere has an opportunity to show. In one sense of the word no literary training is necessary for pictureplay construction, but imagination and the ability to see an idea and grasp it are of essential import. As we have repeated in the past, if you have the goods you will be accorded recognition whether a famed writer or a newcomer. Essanay Needs P-ssanay is in need of comedies, farce comedies, heart interest dramas and sensational melodramas in one and two reels that, of course, are within the bounds of the Board of Censorship. Essanay has a company of artists capable of portraying only the best that can be written for them as their former work on the stage has been in the best productions. It is impressed upon well-known writers that Essanay is paying top-notch prices for available material that is carefully written. The Essanay company is not an easy market, and it is no use sending slip-shod or inferior stories, but large sized checks await those who can submit the kind of stuff Essanay wishes. The Deitz Family Maibelle Heikes Justice, who has slipped away to the country to make up for lost time in fiction work, has just completed and handed in to a Chicago industrial concern the three-reel scenario which she was engaged to do of the history of the Deitz family and their famous defense of Cameron dam. The picture was the idea of the two young Deitz sons and, produced on the actual land, this promises to be an interesting picture. The play covers a period of seven years and entailed much research work. It is expected that the picture will do much toward securing the pardon of John Deitz as there is already a petition in circulation toward that end. Miss Justice read over 350,000 words of press clippings while preparing her story. PERTINENT POINTERS Send no split-reel stuft" to Vitagraph at present. * * * * No concern will pay $1,000 for a "winning script'' so keep your work for legitimate advertisers. * * * * Cut our your Westerns; the market is getting more and more difficult.