Moving Picture News (Jul-Oct 1913)

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i6 THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS For Those Who Worry O'er Plots and Plays A Long Step Forward 7 ''HE Universal Film Manufacturing Company has decided to give deserving authors credit on posters and all advertising matter. It is an important decision and an innovation that will appeal to all pictureplaywrights. It means that the plot of the story has been recognized by Universal as the rock foundation of the picture ; it means that credit where credit is due will be proffered : and it will mean to the Universal the opportunity of reading the work of highclass authors. Captain Leslie T. Peacocke, of the LIniversal Script Department, writes ; "I know you will be glad to hear that the Universal Co. has decided to give the authors credit on posters and advertising matter, and those authors who write original stories will welcome such publicity, but those who have been in the habit of stealing their plots from magazine stories or films already released, will not be pleased, of course. I have received a vigorous protest from one author of this class, who naturally shuns such publicity, as his methods will be badly shown up if publicity to authors is universally given. This party accuses me of advocating this movement from a purely personal standpoint, in order that I may have the pleasure of seeing my own name on posters and on the screen, but I assure you that such is not the case. I do not hanker after notoriety, but I am very anxious to have a stop put to the too frequent plagiarism that we witness on the screen. Any author who writes really original scenarios will be only too glad to get the legitimate credit that is his or her due. But the pirates of other people's brains will naturally shun such publicity. Motion picture photoplay 'schools' should be banished from the field. They are all a form of petty graft. The Universal does not consider or read any scenarios submitted from any of these so-called 'schools,' or teachers of scenario writing, and I know that scenario editors of other companies are equally opposed to these grafters." We have been urging credit to authors on posters and screen for two years. We are certainly glad to hear that Universal has blazed the pathway which will sooner or later be followed by other companies who wish to preserve their share of first readings. We have also been accused of selfishness in urging poster credit. Anyone who starts something in favor of the army of writers is sure to be accused of ulterior motives. The fact is that we have repeatedly refused to permit our name to be used in connection with our work. This applies to both industrial and the regular run of picture plays. Captain Peacocke and other experienced writers, with some few exceptions, have also taken similar action and will continue to do so. We believe that credit to deserving authors will prove a source of encouragement and pride to them and will result in higher-class work all around. For that reason, and from the standpoint of ethics, we have urged poster and screen credit and believe that if Universal will stick to the innovation that it will not be long before other manufacturers will be compelled to follow suit. * * * --i! Some "Expert" Advice C. E. Horton writes and encloses a sample of "expert" advice that is being handed to aspiring writers through the medium of certain newspaper syndicate photoplay pages. Here is the inquiry and the answer and we bet Editor McCloskey, of Lubin, will grab a baseball bat in righteous wrath when he sees what is being circulated in an Eastern newspaper syndicate. "Editor Photoplay Column : I see by the papers they want plays written for moving pictures. Now I have never written a real play because I felt I might be laughed at. You folks are right in line, and know the game, while I am only a young man working in a store at Luella Junction. Before I wrote the play out I want you to tell me your honest opinion. I want you to be fair as if dealing with your Own son. How would it be to have a man and his wife happily married. Then along comes one of those gum-shoe, sneaking curs who always takes a man's wife away from him while he is at work. It is the story of a broken heart. I have this all right because my own wife has left me and gone away. I think, with a traveling salesman for an automobile concern. What do you think of such a plot? And who had I better see about buying it when I write it out in earnest?" And now the reply: "There is a great demand for real five photoplays and if the scenario, etc., are practical you might be able to dispose of their sensational productions by writing J. H. Lubin, Eighth St., Philadelphia, Pa." Throw him down. McCloskey! Maybe one "J. H. Lubin, Eighth Street," would be tickled to death to read the "sensational production," but if Editor McCloskey, of the Lubin Mfg. Co., ever gets his hands on that syndicate editor there will certainly be weeping, wailing and the gnashing of teeth. All jokes aside, this fund of misinformation disseminated by syndicate "experts" has never descended from the sublime to the ridiculous. It is invariably the latter. A Much Needed Work There is a suggestion of Washington Irving and Poe with a flavor of Addison in the style of E. W. Sargent. His diction is terse and clear with little embellishment, but enough to make his text appealing. In the "Technique of the Photoplay." second edition, information vital to the success of the ambitious photoplaywright is written in what might be termed the old-fashioned method, with finish and polish and style. It is a scholarly and authoritative treatise on the art of writing pictureplay plots and should be on the working table of every photoplay writer. In the first chapter is a statement that should be digested by everyone ambitious to succeed. Here it is : "The writing of photoplays is no short cut on the road of success nor is it a pastime lightly to be taken up when the spirit moves. It is not possible to read any course or book and at once write scripts that will sell. Success is to be gained, save in exceptional instances, only through close study, hard work and long practice. It is not possible to sell many if any scripts the first year, but photoplav writing is a pleasant avocation, if not a profitable vocation, and careful study and hard work may lead to studio connections and good renumeration. The amateur of yesterday is the expert of today and without exception they are the ones who were willing to study and work hard." The book consists of one hundred and seventy-six pages of actual text and covers every line of endeavor from needed visits to moving picture theatres, to technical terms and sample working scripts. We were the first to write a text-book for photoplay writers. This work appeared three years ago. Since that time the number of writers has grown to a veritable army, new forms of construction and new needs have come and the appearance of Mr. Sargent's treatise is opportune and it promises to long remain standard. Textbooks come and textbooks go. particularly those copied by one Nelson of many cities. However, we have seen but one text-book that is worthy of criticism and compliment and that is the work just issued by Mr. Sargent. This is a voluntary notice, unrequested, but nevertheless appreciative. We congratulate our conferee upon his valuable contribution to photoplay lore and we also congratulate the toilers in the vineyard upon their opportunity to acquire a book that is indispensable to the completeness of the literary workers' librarv. — In cloth, two dollars. Full leather, three dollars. Chalmers Pub. Co., New York City. Editorial Etchings George Terwilliger, of the Lubin script force, is being dubbed "The Shakespeare of the Silent Drama." If anyone deserves the name George does. Mrs. Breuil, recently resigned as editress of Vitagraph, will criticise manuscripts and write two and three-reel productions at present. She may enter a new field as a Consulting Editress. Giles R. Warren, managing editor of the Apollo Film Co., releasing through Warner's features, will produce only threereel pictures. He is now working on a mammoth production of "Rob Roy." Needless to assert that Filmland will eagerly await the "Rob Roy" release. Annette Kellerman is coming over to star in "The Mermaid" the book of which opera has recently been completed by Captain Leslie T. Peacocke. member of the Universal editorial staff. Captain Peacocke is widely known as a script writer and recently finished the first script for Florence Lawrence under Universal direction. He is also not unknown as a writer for the stage. The hero of "The Mermaid" is a naval officer. Miss Kellermann as The Mermaid is the wife of Neptune. We are going to organize a theatre party of script