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STORY SHORTAGE CRISIS 27
the supply of suitable stories for screen purposes is drying up, but a short analysis of current films will show this to be the truth. Any honest film man will tell you that it becomes increasingly difficult to find fresh subjects — suitable, that is, for well-known film stars and of sufficient universal interest to be commercial speculations.
There was a scarcity of good stories when silent films were at the peak of their success and a crisis was imminent. Even then there was a noticeable similarity between all film stories. Fortunately for the producers and scenario-editors, however, the talking film arrived and instantly unloosed the flood-gates of the theatre. With the coming of speech, a wild stampede — like the opening of Cimarron — was made by the producers of both Continents to secure the film rights of well-known plays which, with their ready-made dialogue and in some cases successful stage runs, made sure-fire propositions for immediate production activity.
But the supply was only limited. The theatre itself is short of fresh material. And as the acquisition of stage plays continued, the available stock inevitably became exhausted, until now hardly any play with pretensions to the name remains unread or unpurchased for film purposes. Much the same state of affairs applies to novels. Practically any best-seller is immediately bought and sometimes the fortunate — at least we may think he is fortunate — author is placed under contract by which all the rights of his future books are secured. Scenario-departments in England and America are kept busy reading every novel upon which they can lay their hands, but few of these