Motion Picture Magazine, May 1914 (1914)

MOTION PICTURE MAGAZINE 181 Rejected Photoplays—An Unexplained Failure to Writers The Photoplay Clearing House Acts as Advisor, Friend and Agent in Setting You on the Right Road to Successful Scenario Writing Established for over one year, with a record of hundreds of sales, 6,500 manuscripts re- viewed, criticized and placed upon the market, the Photoplay Clearing House has become the one authoritative and reliable agent for the handling of authors' product in the Moving Picture industry. We have received over 2,500 testimonial letters; we are under the supervision of the Motion Picture Magazine ; our business is in intimate personal touch with all of the leading photoplay manufacturers, and our staff of editors, who personally pass upon all materia], consists of the following well-known photoplaywrights: Edwin M. La Roche, Henry Albert Phillips, L. Case Russell, William Lord Wright, Courtney Ryley Cooper, Dorothy Donnell, Cecilia B. Petersen, Anna B. See and others. In order to qualify for our reading staff of editors, it is necessary that an editor be a successful scenario writer, a fair and able critic, and a good judge of market conditions and values. ■ The Photoplay Clearing House was established to aid and counsel authors and to sell their wares. We believe we have given more definite help to the discouraged, have furnished more practical criticism, and have sold more photoplays at a higher price than all other similai institutions combined. We tell you: How to Go About It, Where to Market Your Product, How to Revise and Cure Its Weak Points, The Kind of Photoplays Wanted, and a hundred other details of making and selling a finished scenario. RECENT TESTIMONIALS FROM PATRONS AND STUDIOS. Gentlemen: Have been selling splendidly and am beginning to have orders, dealing directly with directors and prominent play- ers. Twenty reels sold and three uncertain but aUU going. Is that a good record, since June was my first "appear- once" ? I have mentioned the "Clearing House" to several em- bryo scenario writers, giving it a personal recommendation and adding that my brother Phil, of Majestic, had bought from it. Best wishes to you, and I am glad to see your fine magazine is so well thought of. Yours very truly. ELIZABETH LONERGAN. 130 Lefferts Place, Brooklyn. X. Y. Photoplay Clearing House: Your Photoplay. "The Wager," pleased me immensely. I will have to make some slight revision to suit Uie double role of mother and daughter to my own Interpretation, and, perhaps, will change the title. It delighted me that you could supply such an original and peculiar three-reel script on such short notice as the 'phone gives. Believe me sincerely, GENE GAUNTIER, Gene Gauntier Players. Gentlemen: I am In receipt of your check for $270.00 for my four last photoplays. You are certainly a live wire as an agent. WILLIAM McLEOD RAINE. 4433 W. 29th St., Denver, Colo. Gentlemen: The Crystal Company has purchased my scenario entitled "Complications Galore" for $10.00, and the Edison Com- pany has bought "Shattered Hopes Repaired" for $50.00. Please send me the bill for your services In these transac- tions. Trusting we may do further business together, I am, 5S4 East 107th St.. New York City. CHAS. E. RISSE. Photoplay Cltaring House: Gentlemen: Enclosed please find our checks to cover the following, scripts: „ ■ "Sentimental Samuel" $50.00 "Steve O'Grady's Chance" 25.00 "The Rocky Road to Lovo" 25.00 "How Florctta Made Good" 25.00 "The Web" 50.00 "The Smiths Entertain" ■ 25.00 $200.00 THE VITAGRAPH COMPANY OP AMERICA, J. Stuart Blackton, Vice-President and Secretary. Dear Sirs: , ^i. I take pleasure In enclosing money order for $3.70 in payment for your services in placing my script, "His Sob Story," No. 2988, with the Thomas A. Edison, Inc., for Yours truly, REYNOLDS KNIGHT. the sum of $35.00. Parsons, Kans. Dear Sirs: I have renamed "A Young Girl's Adventure in Alaska, listed as No. 4634. "Alaskans," and have revised it u* you suggested. Am enclosing it herewith for relisting. Am enclosing another script, "Mother-Love." Am very well satisfied with your criucism of No. 4634 and hope I have profited by it. Your criUcism sheet Is a correspond- ence course in photoplay writing in Itself. Hoping to re- ceive your criticism of "Mother-Love" as soon as possible. 1238 Palo Alto St., Pittsburgh, Pa. H. J. MELVHiLE. Dear Mr. La Roche: .... .. ,. . , I am holding for further consideration the photoplays entitled "The Debt Repaid" and "The Saving Story," which are the ones that are available of the last you sent. "The Shame of Man" has got the punch uiat we want in most of our stories, and that is the kind of a story we want—something with a big punch, or with tho element of "run to the rescue" in them. __.-TS u , r V, tr 2KVm Mutual Film Corporation, RTJSSELL E. SMITH. Scenario Department. And so on thru a long list of pleased patrons and studios, which we will announce as space permits. THE PLAN OF THE PHOTOPLAY CLEARING HOUSE. We are Intimately connected with the Motion Picture business and In close touch with the manufacturers. We are advised of all their advance releases, their requirements and the kind of scripts they want. As suitable ones come to us, in salable shape, they are Immediately sent to the proper studio. No stale, Imperfect or copied plots are submitted. All photoplaywrights are invited to send their Plays to this company, advising as to what manufacturers they have been previously submitted, If any. Every Play will be treated thus: It will be read by competent readers, numbered, classified and filed. If It Is, In our opinion, In perfect condition, we shall at once proceed to market it, and, when we are paid for it, we will pay the writer 90% of the amount we receive, less postage expended. If the Scenario is not in marketable shape, we will so advise the author, stating our objections, offering to return it at once, or to revise, typewrite and try to market It. IF THE MANUSCRIPT IS HOPELESS, WE SHALL SO STATE, and In some cases advise a course of Instruction, naming various books, experts and schools to select from. , Fee for reading, criticism and filing, $1.00 (multiple reels, $1.00 per reel), but to readers of the MOTION PICTURE MAGAZINE It will be only 50c, provided the annexed Coupon accompanies each script; for multiple reels, 50c. per reel. For typewriting, a charge of $1.00 for / each Play will be made, provided It does not run over 10 pages. 10c. a page for extra pages. The fee for revising will vary according to work required, and will be arranged In advance. No Scenarios will be placed by us unless they are properly typewritten. Pay- ment In advance Is expected In all cases. Return postage . should be Included, and foreign contributors should allow ..••' Photoniav risarinn unuu for U. S. exchange. Enclose P. O. order, stamps, checks, / ntnV?,? <,*%,? t t' op money with manuscripts. 1c. stamps accepted. ..••' 17S Dumeld St., B'klyn, N. Y. This Coupon is c;ood for 50 cents. When accompanied with 50 cents more it / will entitle holder to list one single-reel scena- rio with the Photoplay Clearing House. When answering advertisements kindly mention MOTION PICTURE MAGAZINE.