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which almost always dogs the steps of any ghost-illusion. Very few people are interested in an illusion of that kind just as an illusion. They may think it is clever but do not bother to wonder how it is done; they don't even care. Unless it tells some story, or belongs to some story which cannot well be told without it, it very soon ceases to intrigue them.
That is, indeed, at the basis of all entertainment. The conjurer is no good without his patter, and his patter must be interesting in itself. The cleverness of a ventriloquist goes for nothing unless the story his doll tells is both funny and clever. Radio and television are so amazingly wonderful in themselves that if you think of that your very hair stands up on end: but you don't. All you think about is their message, the story they have to tell. So it is with the films. Hundreds of thousands of pounds spent on making them marvellously wonderful go for nothing at all if you are bored with the story. And how bored you sometimes are!
One of the most portentous events in my film-life was the coming to England of Larry Trimble, with John Bunny and Florence Turner, to produce The Pickwick Papers with John Bunny in the name part. He came to me to see whether he could use my studio and I was honoured and very glad to agree that he should. They were three of the most delightful people, all experienced in modern American practice and quite willing to impart their knowledge. They were polite enough to imply that they found reciprocity on my part which made us quits.
Larry and I became excellent friends and had long discussions on the details and ethics of film production. We found that our views coincided to a very remarkable extent considering we came from and belonged to opposite hemispheres. It was he who persuaded me to try my hand at the actual 'direction' of a film, as they call it in America. Alma Taylor had been appearing in several short films made by Fitzhamon and when I supervised them and did much of their camera work I had been attracted by her charm and growing skill. Blanche Macintosh had by then written several short scripts for us and one of these entitled Blind Fate seemed to me like an excellent medium both for Alma's acting and for my first efforts at 'direction.'
The result was very successful and earned for both of us warm commendation. I think the nicest compliment I have ever had was when the shy little girl said to me afterwards: 'My! You are hot, aren't you?'
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