Screen Guilds Magazine (July 1934)

THE SCREEN WRITERS’ MAGAZINE UNIVERSAL by BARRY TRIVERS T WAS that pause in the day’s occu¬ pation known as “The Author’s Hour.’’ In the office of Leonard Spigelgass (1 ) a dim light bathed the various blue- bound scripts with an eerie, dust- powdered glow. Suddenly from between the crisp covers of a script there appeared the purple-shirted shade of THE GREAT ZEIGFELD (2), giving an excellent IMITATION OF LIFE (3). He knew he was only building CASTLES IN THE AIR (4)', but THE HUMAN SIDE (5) of him was grate¬ ful. He had GREAT EXPECTATIONS (6), and deep in his heart he knew that they were going to be realized. Suddenly he remembered having promised that, WEATHER PERMIT¬ TING (7), he would try and patch up the quarrel between the lovely PRIN¬ CESS O’HARA (8) and her boy with THE GIFT OF GAB (9). He wasn’t a bad boy, he was just playing hookey from THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL (10), and, aided bv THE MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD (1 1), he was trying to solve THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD (12). He saw the first drops of a light drizzle beginning to fall (13). He saw the Princess waiting, and the boy come up, and he saw the birth of a ROMANCE IN THE RAIN (14). His arm around her, the boy led her to his open Ford (15), followed by a dull, booming rumble which might have been thunder and might have been THE RETURN OF FRANKENSTEIN (16). Ah Youth,” he said, ‘‘Ah Love, poor and humble, yet living THE NIGHT LIFE OF THE CODS! (17)” Another sigh escaped him and he vanished into thin air. The faint breeze, having found shel¬ ter, decided to be lost again, as breezes will. The chintzes stirred no more. MEDIUM CLOSE—ALICE AND CATERPILLAR Is that all? No. He puffs away without speaking for a moment, then speaks. So you think you’ve changed, do you? ALICE (more politely) I’m afraid I have, Sir. I don’t remember things—and I don’t keep the same size for ten minutes at a time! CATERPILLAR Can’t remember WHAT things? ALICE Well, I’ve tried to say “How doth the little busy bee”—but it all came different! CATERPILLAR Hmm. Repeat “You are old, Father William”'— Alice folds her hands, and begins to sing—or recite— It was that pause in the clay’s occu¬ pation known as “The Author’s Hour.” The scripts were quiet. (1) Scenario Editor (2) William Anthony McGuire (3) William Hurlbut (4) John Meehan, Jr. and Phil Cahn (5) Nat Ferber (6) Gladys Unger (7) Clarence Marks (8) Robert Rothafel (9) Paul Gerard Smith (10) Eugene-Ralph Berton and Karen De Wolf (11) Jean Bart (12) Leopold Atlas and Bradley King (13) Unusual California Weather (14) Barry Trivers (15) Henry S. Perren (16) John Balderston (17) Barry Trivers Authorized republic 5164 4606 WEST ADAMS 5 Blocks West of Crenshaw LOS ANGELES HOLLYWOOD - Cradle of Reform _ by WILLIAM H. McKECC L/ randed a cradle of iniquity,Holly¬ wood has become a cradle of reform! Regarded chiefly only as ridiculous nonsense, screen stories have proved more redoubtable to malefactors than the third degree! The screen writer has been a benefactor to his country and his fellow men. He has shown in picture form and action the hideous stains that darken the national spirit. Racketeers have had to let lucrative coups slip out of their grasps. Gang¬ sters have had to slink into obscure shadows to watch their erstwhile power fade before their eyes. Crooked officials have seen the writing on the wall. Prison walls have been pulled down before the public gaze. Inmates have been seen in all their degradation and soul torture. Chain gangs have had to stand a public cleaning too, and are being abolished. And all because of the movies! It is only too plain that the stories of Hollywood have led the wave of propa¬ ganda for reform that has been flowing over the country for the last few years. An individual might be stirred into action by a great book. But the masses don’t read to any great extent. Movies are the most popular form of entertainment. And a human story, well acted, fires the emotional mind of the public easier than any other medium. In the old times the people had to depend only on writers like Charles Dickens, Hattie Stowe and Charles Kingsley. Today America needs the screen more than any other medium to reveal to the masses the necessity of various changes. Crime has had a strong hold on the nation for the past fifteen years. Even public offices have been taken over by the public enemy. The pictures of the last several years are now to reap the good they did. The average citizen has been roused as he has never before been roused—to the imminent danger, physical and moral, he is in if crime of all description is not thrown out of public life. In entering the New Age, as Amer¬ ica is soon to do, the screen writers who have written human stories for the public good can well be proud of having aided in the great cause. [ 14 ]