Moving Picture News (Jan-Jun 1912)

lO THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS SIDE LIGHTS ON THE CINEMATOGRAPH By Leonard Donaldson The Picture Playwright A DEVELOPMENT of modern journalism which has sprung into life with the advent of the picture play, and one which offers unique facilities to the literary aspirant, is scenario writing. In the last few issues of the News we have read much upon this subject from the clever pen of Mr. William Lord Wright. He has shown us the potentialities and the charms of this new art. He has explained the minor workings of picture pla}' authorship ; he has shown us what to do, and what to look out for if we are desirous of becoming a successful picture playwright. Chancing the risk of being dubbed a plagiarist, I venture to set fortli — only, of course, within the limits of my knowledge of this subject, one or two points of interest which may be accepted as a welcome supplement to the writings of my able fellow contributor. Placing myself in the ranks of the picture playwright, or perhaps I should have said of the aspirinc; picture playwright, I admit that my attention has been drawn to this class of work essentially by its siniplicit_y ; of course, there I should explain that I know nought of the principles of the motion picture art. These wordless dramas — what pleasure must they afford their originators ! There is no need to spend a lot of my time deciding upon the best opening paragraph, or to pass sleepless nights wondering whether the remark made by Miss Vere de V ere in the sixth chapter was in accord with my sketch of her character given in the introduction. So much, 1 think, can be left to the discretion of a circumspect "art director," or a discriminating actor. Who, then, would not be a picture playwright? No, dear aspirant. Your road appears to be a smooth one, but there are many pitfalls on the way ; many turnings that may, and certainly will, if you do not pick your route, lead you to the terminus of Disappointment ! That there is a need for good suitable plots, we cannot (after studying the work of Mr. William Lord Wright) dispute. There are thousands of stories to be told — typical stories of American life, in its little known phases, that would be of intense interest to we Britishers. It is not a succession of scenes that is w^anted, but a plot that will give life and interest to a beautiful, and perhaps historical, setting. Historical stories are undoubted!}' best when written round some episode with only two or three actors. The cinematograph is developing two new arts. One for the actors, who have to put the essentials of a three hours' dialogue into, perhaps, eighteen minutes of action, and one for the scenario writers, who must discover new rules and principles for developing the plot and revealing character without the aid of words. A rule of the greatest import to the picture-wright is that he should bear in mind the great interest there is in suspense. Bear in mind also that the story will have far greater force if you don't reveal the "denouement" halfway through the film. The aspirant should further understand the working of the projector. One may wonder whether the Shakespeare of the film world is to be found serving his probation to the craft in some New York theater ! Stirring scenes lose their power unless they tell a story ; and unless there is a strong thread connecting them. The human interest must predominate, and the story must move. If the scenario-writer has more limitations and restrictions than the "legitimate" (I like not the term) playwright, he finds consolation in the fact that, while perhaps he is compelled to condense his action, he has also a much wider scope in the setting of his story. The theatrical stage manager has to arrange his stage very carefully ; he is cramped for room and perhaps limited to a few 'scenes, and many things that he would like to show can, for technical reasons, never be produced upon any stage. However, with regard to the silent stage I might aptly quote the words of the immortal playwright of Avon : "All the world's a stage and men and women simply players." HANGING THEMSELVES By a Backwoods Observer The statement has been made that in a single week in the present theatrical season, over seventy traveling companies were forced to disband on account of poor business. Nearly all the managers lay the blame on the moving picture theaters, but there is another reason which had much to do with this state of affairs. Too many companies started on the road with nothing but the reputation of the original company and fine lithos to recommend them; so-called stars were raised almost in a night from "supe" parts, and managers who could see no farther than the ends of their noses disregarded a fundamental law of business — that full value must be given for the money received — and forced the public to pay exorbitant prices for inferior productions. In view of all this there should be no surprise felt at the preference shown by the average person for the moving picture as a form of entertainment. The moving picture theaters furnish the public with an evening's entertainment at a price which, enables a man to take his entire family with him without spending any more than he would ordinaril}' pay for his own admission to a regular theater. The film manufacturer should beware of over-production, the cause which is mainly responsible for the present slump in theatricals. There is need for this warning, as any close observer will testify. In the place in which I live there are two picture theaters. Both use licensed service of four reels to a change, three changes per week, and take their service from the same exchange, thus avoiding repeaters. Since the licensed manufacturers have been issuing thirty-six reels per week there has been a marked falling off in the general quality of the pictures shown in these two houses. This tendency has not been confined to any one company, but has been noticed in films made by all the manufacturers. Occasionally a film is shown which might properly be called a masterpiece, but their ei?ect is greatly minimized by the large number of senseless, poorly constructed and inaccurate films shown. To the observer it looks as though attention was lavished upon a few productions, while others were rushed through in order to fill up the weekly progi-am. I have even seen film after film which was marred by inconsistencies in plot, by acting which could be done better by many an amateur, and by a lack of careful attention to details which were immediately noted by observant ones in the audience. In one film which I saw recentlj' a couple eloped on a hand-car. _ They were chased by the girl's father, a railroad engineer, in a locomotive, and yet, with no train behind him to impede his progress, he was unable to catch up with the elopers. In fact, according to the film, they gained on him. To further add to the inconsistency, the engine was blocked by a small landslide, and the angry father pursued the elopers on foot, getting closer to them by that method than when in the engine. Is there any wonder that the majority of the audience laughed, and that a railroad man sitting next to me gave a snort of disgust and felt the theater? In another film by a different companj^, an officer of the Confederate Army assists in the defense of a Southern home against a band of guerillas. A detachment of Union soldiers appears on the scene and rescues them. The Confederate officer was arrested and found to have information about the Union forces concealed about him. In spite of the fact that he was wearing the uniform of his own army, the film produced had him tried by a courtmartial, and sentenced to be executed as a spy. No officer or private, bearing dispatches of any kind, can be executed as a spj', if, when captured, he is wearing the uniform of his own army, although of course he can be arrested and held as a prisoner of war. In a film produced by a company which fornierlv had