Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1915)

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February 6, 1915 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 821 THE PHOTOPLAYWRIGHT Conducted by EPES WINTHROP SARGENT pealing. Professor Neal has lifted from the Stories of th4 Films an example which as nearly as is possible gives satisfaction without violating a sense of the unities. INQUIRIES. Questions concerning photoplay writing addressed to this department will be repHed to by mail if a fully addressed and stamped envelope accompanies the letter, which should be addressed to this department. Questions should be stated clearly and should be typewritten or written with pen and ink. Under no circumstances will full manuscripts or synopses be criticised, whether or not a fee is sent therefor. A list of companies will be sent if the request is made to the paper direct and not to this department, and a return, stamped envelope is inclosed. At the Inquest. CHANCING back to the Savoy got the Inquesters out on time because here the slide is run announcing the closing reel. But a wet night seemed to have a depressing effect on the attendance and only nineteen gathered in the Morgue, including Clarence Storm, the man who was going to curl up and die, but didn't. From what he said it was evident that he has not yet learned to look at a plot from all sides. One comedy, for instance, was a funny one about a drunken Chinaman, but utterly spoiled because the soused Celestial was permitted to kiss a lot of school girls of kissable age. Most of the plots he told of were similarly damned through a lack of thorough searching and the Coroner used his experience to seek to drive home the lesson that every aspect of the plot should be looked at. Marc Edmund Jones told how a recent Mutual was evolved, taking the original theme and working it up and then away from it to the story that actually had been produced, and Miss Maibelle Heikes Justice called attention to the Kalem, "The Stolen Ruby," which was not a part of the night's program, but which, from its original manner of handling, had strongly impressed her. The story virtually consists of two narratives linked by a little straight action, a novel form of getting the idea over. In the plays seen at the Savoy there was little to be said. A Victor dried up about 800 feet out, and an Imp was still born, while a Keystone was funny in spots, but the spots were duplicated too often to get more footage than the 500 toot idea could supply. I'he next meeting will be February 1 at the Savoy. Out. A. W. Thomas is no longer a member of the Photoplay Authors' League, following the action of the Board of Control at a recent meeting. His most recent advertising hints that if you enroll in his course you'll have a chance to have him help you in the Thanhouser contest Squaring Crime Stories. Professor Robert Wilson Neal, whose Short Stories in the Making has lately been added to the limited list of useful books for photoplay students, points to one clever solution of a problem that seems to face authors each day : squaring gratitude with justice and the sense oi fitness of things. He says : Fine judgment and careful management are needed in plots that turn on incidents of violence and crime. The story that does not clearly suggest moral payment by the criminal for his crime, is itself fundamentally immoral, therefore unworthy. A weakness of this sort shows in many filmed stories. A neat example of plotting that avoids any such effect is to be found in the film stories on page 558 of the M. P. World for January 23 — the Eclair drama "Cancelled." The situation, just before the outcome of the plot is revealed is this : Emrick, an Influential man, owes a debt of friendship to Duncan, an outlaw. Duncan is taken prisoner ; severe punishment is certain. Emrick, as an able lawyer, doubtless might procure his release or at least interfere with the operation of justice. At this point is the pitfall for the inconsiderate author or director. For the sake of a little sentimental pleasure, Duncan might be saved at the expense of social order — the criminal might be shown escaping the effects of his own misdeed. But the Eclair story does not show this. Instead, it is so managed that "after a touching meeting. Duncan is taken to jail, while Emrick promises to see that the •utlaw's family shall never want." There is an outcome that satisfies the requirements of morality as well as of sympathy. Our sympathies are relieved because Duncan will have the comfort of knowing that his family is provided for : our sense of fairness is satisfied because Emrick makes a return for the kindness done him ; and yet •ur sense of moral law is not violated by seeing a criminal •scape the consequences of misdoing. Any outcome that shows the failure of moral justice makes the story itself immoral. In this result, the outcome is the vital part of the plot. In its most common form this theme relates that the desperado has saved the Sheriff's life and later the Sheriff Is called upon to apprehend the lawbreaker. The author thinks that he raises up a most dramatic situation in the question as to whether the Sheriff proves an ingrate or foresworn. Too often the situation Is irritating rather than ap BiU Is Busy. Tastes differ. William Lord Wright seems to like Chicago. At any rate he is there for an indefinite number of weeks doing some special work that will help out and at the same time storing up information that will help his readers later on. Incidentally, there is a nice transaction with a cashier on a certain day a week. And Bill is living on Broadway. There is just one Broadway, and Willord knows it is not in Chicago. The point is that Bill not only knows how to tell you how to do it, but if he has to he can jump in as overflow man and do it himself. We know some alleged teachers who can't. Yes. Capt. Leslie T. Peacocke is not a comedy writer, but a recent letter to Newark Town Talk, in which he passionately urges Herman E. L, Byer to support Bill Wright in his fight against the schools, is supremely funny, in view of the tact that he is a "consulting editor" of the A. W. Thomas school, into which the aforesaid William Lord Wright recently blew a hole as big as a house. Those Inquiries. It is not 'VERY often that inquirers apologize, but a high-school Professor of English recently added, "I daresay that you have answered these questions many times in your department, but please be lenient. 1 am a new reader of your paper." It is precisely that there are new readers being constantly added that we are willing to repeat the old answers over and over again, and it is partly on this account that replies are sent by mail. We are always a little more than glad to reply to any question intelligently asked. It is only the boob questions, such as "I have written a story ; where can I sell it?" that coaxes our pet goat oft the lot. If you really want to know, and show you'll do something with it when you do know, you are even welcome to ask how many scenes there are to the reel. Laugh Stuff. Lately a man who was projecting a school and who Lad a magazine job sent out letters, ostensibly asking what the market was, but In reality looking tor letters that could be reproduced in his school advertisement. Phil Lang was one of the editors queried. His reply was to the effect that they were buying stuff, but that the take schools dumped so much rot Into the office that the Kalem company saw little In the mail worth while. Then he went on to tell a few more things about the schools. The letter was not reproduced in the booklet. And the joke of it Is that Mr. Lang had no idea that a school was being projected. He just told what he thought. Perhaps. A form letter of the Story Revision Company, of Smethport, Pa., opens with this paragraph : As the eminent writer, Mr. W. W. Sargent, aptly stated In a recent issue of Moving Picture World, "The film critic Is springing up all over the country." Mr. Sargent further states that most critics "give false encouragement to the incompetent to 'string them along' as long as possible." Of course, he acknowledges that there are a few exceptions to this rule. The Story Revision Company is one exception. We had not previously heard of this company, but noting a. statement that they can revise and make salable an author's idea, we would add we do not believe that this is one of the exceptions. The demand is for good ideas. We do not believe that revision, no matter how elaborate nor by whom made, will help in the least degree. We will go further and express our belief that no company can market a story to better advantage than the author himself and that with one possible exception, where a magazine backs up the efforts of the agents, the agent cannot sell at all, since most companies will not knowingly deal with agents. A statement that "hundreds of worthy manuscripts are refused every year, simply because of some defect in technique" is iqually untrue. It is idea and not technique that sells. Technique is useful merely as a means of properly presenting this idea, ani. the good idea will show in spite of faulty technique. It is said that a certain type of person is born at the rate of one a minute. Traps to catch them seem to originate at a rate of one every thirty seconds. Suiting Studios. Dash wants between sixty-five and a hundred scenes to a reel. Blank wants not more than forty. What are you going to do about it? If you are certain that you can write exactly to suit Dash, write reels in sixty-five scenes or over. If you are positive that you can sell nine-tenths of your stuff to Blank, do not go over forty. If you are not certain, write your stuff in as many scenes as may be called for ; not using an excessive number. If Blank likes the idea they will cut out a few scenes. It Dash wants it they will find it easy to make two close-ups and three straights of a single scene, and that's the way they get their high numbers. Don't get so feverish about exact needs. Write really good stuff and the number of scenes will take care of Itself. Typewriters. Lately we said that five-dollar typewriters did not help the sale of a story, and that fven the thlrty-five-dollar sort was apt to be regarded with suspicion. And right away a lady looks knowing and reminds us that about a year ago we said the $35 machine would do. That's