Camera (April 1920-April 1921)

CAMERA ! The Digest of the Motion Picture Industry Page Thirteen Continuity Writing COMEDY By Wycliffe A, Hill Author of "Ten Million Photoplay Plots" INSTALLMENT TWO The Synopsis 1 suggest that all of my veatU'is avIio intend to follow this series, preserve this issue of Camera ! for future reference. It will be found helpful to refer to the synopsis from time to time as the development of the continuity is studied. As stated last week, I have selected one of my own comedies, which is a combination of straight comedy, "Hokum," and a touch of slapstick. I have submitted this story to but one company, and they did not take it for the reason that it is not the class of stuff that they are producing. Hence it is "For Sale." I am not especially proud of it. I could have used others which have been produced, but I believe that for our particular purpose here this one is the best. I might explain that producers of "Hokum" and "slapstick" comedy usually select some particulai atmosphere or locale and then write a story around it. For example: A blacksmith shop, grocery store, restaurant, hotel, dentist's office, doctor's office, plumbing shop, bakery, fiauitarium, beach, prize ring, etc. Recall the comedies of Larry Semon, Charlie Chaplin. Harold Lloyd, Gale Henry and others, and you will observe that this is a fact. In this story we are going to write a comedy around a doctor's office. As before stated, there is not much plot to the average comedy of this type, hence the synopsis will be comparatively sliort. We will work in a number of "gags," however. The student nuiy think of more. The director, if he is a good one, will surely invent some additional ones, as he goes along. Here is tlie story: "Old Doc Slicem is the only medico in the town of Skunkville. He might be said to be the only friend of the undertaker there also. As the story opens up he is intently studying a book on germology. The Doc is a nut on the germ theory. He has just discovered a terrible new germ by the name of cooeoobuggocooty, which is described as liaving a head like an elephant, a body like an armadillo, and a tail like a kite. An additional feature of the germ is that it has a propeller like an aeroplane. "Slicem has a j)retty niece who has .ju.st returned from medical college. A patient comes in and is examined by the doctoi'. Ilis ca.se is immeiliately pronounced as appendicitis. It is necessary for him to be taken to the city by the Doc, for an oi)eration. ^Mazie, the pretty niece is commissioned to take care of the Doc's practice while he is away. The local paper, in chronicling the departure of the doctor and his patient for the hospital, observes that "Mr. Potts will leave a wife and five children." A few days after the Doc leaves, and Mazie is busily engaged in following his instructions, a young doctor arrives in the town and puts out his shingle. He sports a very professional Van Dyke beard. There is one chronic case that has been a meal ticket for Slicem for a long time. He has left definite instructions for ilazie to call every Friday to administer a bread pill and "aqua jiura," and to take his temperature and the weekly payment. But the new doctor beats her to it, and gives the patient, whose name is Youce, a new bottle of medicine to take, Mazie calls on Youce and finds him hojiping and skipping about the room like a crazy man. She tries to stop him, but he simply hands her the bottle and skips on. Slie reads the directions. It says, "Take one teaspoonful two nights running and then skip one." Youce finally collapses on the bed and ^lazie goes over. She sits down beside him, and, placing a thermometer in his mouth, takes his wrist in her hand. His temperature immediately reaches trhe boiling point. His homely wife comes on and scowls at .Mazie. Youce i'a])i(lly grows worse under Mazie 's care — that was the only way to keep her coming. The young doctor, whose name is Hall, decides to prosecute his rival for malpractice. He has never seen her and decides to go to her office incog for the purpose of getting some more evidence. So, he goes to Mazie 's office and poses as a patient. ]\Iazie is wise and gives him a dose of stuff' that is as bitter as gall. "Take this every five minutes running, and then skip five." she tells him. Hall i)resenlly crumples uj) and falls on the Hoor. 'S\;\/.\v sees this and is frightened almost to death. She thinks she has jwisoned him. She wrings her hands in terror as lu; watches her out of the corner of his eye. A messenger brings a telegram. Slicem ill, be home at two-thirty a. m. (Continued on Page 17) Dorothy Hagan Playing Lady Burke Cavendish with Mary Pickford m Suds Running at Grauman's Rialto ;j|iiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiii]iiiii!iiiiiiiMiiiii!tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininniHHiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ I CRANDALL'S FILM 1751 Allessandro, Bronx Studio, Edendale. Phone 54109 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIMIIIIIIimilllllllllr. PARKER PHOTO SERVICE "STILL" LABORATORY Copying — Enlarging Reproductions in Any Quantity 1211/2 SOUTH BROADWAY LA PARISIENNE Theatrical WHITENING CREAM A whitening cream unequalled for Stage Cream and Evening Use. Used by all professionals. Colors — White, Resh, brunette and juvenile. At your dealers or direct from us. By mail prepaid — professional size $1.00. Satisfaction assured. The Parisian Co. Western Branch, 711 West Third Phone 16130 Los Angeles