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The Land of Liberties
It's A Wise Brain Child That Knows Its Own Author
By HELEN LOUISE WALKER
ONE of the things which continues to astonish me I in this most astonishing of all industries is what f happens to a popular novel or play when it is transferred to the screen. A producer will pay a fabulous sum for a book that has been a best-seller or a play that has had a long run on Broadway — on the assumption that its previous popularity will draw people into picture theaters because they have already heard of it. He pays, in other words, for previous publicity.
Then, the first thing he does, upon acquiring the rights to the thing, is to disguise it by changing the title! This, I gather, is on the theory that the person who wrote it in the first place did not know about titles. At least, he did not know how to devise a title with box-office appeal. Well, it is a difficult thing to comprehend, after all — this boxoffice appeal. Erskine's "Sincerity" becomes, upon the screen, "The Lady Surrenders." And "Liliom" becomes "A Devil with Women." You see the general trend. ...
Sometimes, of course, changes of title are necessary because the work has been forbidden by the Hays office. It doesn't matter, you understand, if they make the picture. They just mustn't call it by its right name. In other words, a risque story, by any other name, isn't nearly so demoralizing for the
kiddies. A change of title makes everything all righ A Rose Under Another Name
AIN," you recall, was forbidden — and
then
wa
At top, a real old Western scene between Howard Estabrook, writer (left) and Loiiis Sarecky, associate producer, aiming to make "Cimarron." Above, Director Wesley Ruggles watches every move Estabrook makes
made, under the name of "Sadie Thompson.'^ Which cleaned it all up nicely.
After they get the title readjusted, they settle down t<i a process that is called "adapting" the story — that putting it into form that can be screened.
This is quite a chore and usually involves writing ar entirely new story. Sometimes, a whole flock of people write stories to fit the new title. Not that that mattersj The picture will probably have six or eight different titles before it is released.
But you see, after they buy thi thing, it occurs to them to lool around, in a startled fashion, tfl see whom they have on the loi who can play in it. If they finf that they do not have any people who exactly fit the rdles, then they must change the story to fit the actors they have on hand. You will admit the efficiency of this method, I am sure.
Take "Cimarron," Edna Ferber's novel, which R. K. O. is now making into a picture. Sabra, Yancey Cravat's wife, is really the chief character of the book. The romantic, mercurial Yancey flashes in and out of the story as it suits {Continued on page g6)
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