Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1912)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 119 The business has progressed but little beyond the point where the editor used to buy a script and write his own scenario from the synopsis, but the day for technique is coming and the man who exploits the fullest development of his idea in sound technique is going to get the large checks and credit on the screen. Don't be greedy, but do good work and then ask commensurate pay and you'll help not only yourself but the business in general. Keep Away from Criminals. I Here is a line from a typical letter: "The enclosed has just been returned by the — ■ Company. Personally I think it is as good as any that I have had accepted." The enclosure was the story of a holdup, showing the planning of the crime, the actual holdup and the "getaway." It was a story of action rot badly planned (though it required that the hero be a practical horseshoer), but it was wholly and entirely about the crime and what followed, and the criminal had a more important part than the nominal hero. The writer is but one of several hundred who turn almost instinctively to crimes and criminals as offering the most favorable material for exciting subjects. Perhaps the first story concerned a crime but contained an idea so good that some editor was willing to spend half a day getting it into such shape as would be passed by the censors and so the novice has some precedent for writing stories of crimes until repeated rejections bring final discouragement. The handling of a story of a crime is one of the most delicate bits of craftsmanship and should be left to the trained technician, but since this advice is little likely to be heeded, perhaps a few suggestions as to censorship will not be amiss. It is not alone the National Board of Censorship that objects to scenes of crime. There are cities where a rigid police censorship absolutely prohibits the portrayal of any criminal action, whether passed by the National Board or not, and to these the editor must also defer, unless he would have the product of his company shunned by the exchanges in the territory under these police jurisdictions. The National Board may pass the hint of a murder if it is well done and essential to a story not directly founded on the murder, but these police boards are more literal. If it is a scene of crime it comes out of the film so long as the film is being shown within the city limits. It may be replaced when the film goes out of town but must again be cut if it is again shown in the city. As each cut means the loss of two "frames," or pictures, and possibly more, according to the skill of the splicer, this means a gradual cutting down of the film. In the city entire scenes are eliminated without any explanation whatever and the "strong" picture closely approaches comedy. It is for this reason that the average editor fights shy of the inexpert recital of criminal actions when he can get material of equal interest that is either better handled from a technical viewpoint or which is not dependent upon crime. Now and then some situation will tempt him to revamp a story, but this seldom happens and it is a far better plan to frame stories that do not concern crimes, or which merely hint at some criminal deed without detailing every action so that the blubbering small boy in some juvenile court may sob out that he was tempted to commit a robbery because the pictures showed him how to go about it. He's a gifted little Har, but it makes an effective plea and the motion pictures are produced for other purposes than to provide incorrigible small boys with a readymade defense; so keep away from the criminal side and you'll be less apt to get your story back. What the Bison Wants. We give below the sulistance of a letter from Richard V. Spencer, Editor of Scenarios for the Bison company. It is well to remember in connection with this letter, that the Moving Picture World recently reported the deal whereby the Bison Company engaged the entire forces of the Miller Brothers' 101 Ranch Wild West show and added this large organization to the company already in the field. As it is probable that the show will take to the road in April or May, the scenarios should be sent Mr. Spencer as quickly as possible, being addressed to the Editor in care of the Bison Company, 1719 Allesandro Street, Los Angeles. California. This is in the Edendale section and this last should be added in the left hand corner of the envelope for the guidance of the postal authorities. Mr. Spencer writes: "From January ist, onward, the Bison Company intend putting on some very big spectacular stories; some of them we would like to have go two reels, provided we can get suitable stories. These scenarios should be on Western subjects of a spectacular nature— the biggest and hardest kind of stories to write and still keep within the bounds of plausibility and originality. "I would like to have you announce, through your columns, the fact that we are now paying the highest prices in the market and that in addition we are making arrangements to give the authors credit on the screen for their work. We now have the largest stock company in the world — 350 people, so you will see that nothing is too big for lis. "I would like to get in touch with some of the more successful writers in the business." INQUIRIES F. F. B. — Miss Mabel Normaml wus the Betty In the Vitagraph's "Betty Becomes a Maid." C. O. — Addreea the Vitagrnph Company. 116 Nassau Street, for the price of the postcards in sets. The conipjiny advises u.s that these are for sale. We believe it is the Feature and Edo -atiu'ijil Film Co, that is to make releases in Cleveland. We have no* a<lvicp as to Miss Gladys Field's present wliereabouts. \ J. H. — It was Miss Ruth Hartman who played the Mexican Girl in "An American Insurrecto." in the Kalem production. Our inquiries into the personalities of the players does not extend to questions of descent, so we'll have to pass that up. J. B. — The father in "Willie's Conscience,'* Is Jack Hopkins. Leo Louis was tlie Itoy. B. C. D. — It is not necessary to write a letter to go with a script and there is no accepted form. If you want to write, merely state that you hope that they will find the script available to their use. The editor has small time for reading letters and It is better to merely send the snript. He will know, without being told, that it is nlTeretl for sale. 11 you do write, send the letter in the same envelope with the script, and not under another cover. D. P. F. — Jack Hopkins and William Louis were the two men who came to town in Luhin's "A Gay Time in New York." Miss Mae Hotely was the mother of one of them. LITTLE MARY ADMIRER. — Write the Curtis Publishing Co., 138 Lafayette Boulevard. Detroit. Mich., for the information you seek. Address simply New York City for the other, but what's the use? DORA. — Fur the second and last time, Chauncey Olcott is not making pictures. You are thinking of Sydney Olcott. with the Kalem Company. He is now on his way to Palestine, with the rest of the O'Kalems, and Palestine doesn't seem to be the right destination for any bunch with a name like that. BEVERLEY. — A photoplay in sixty-seven scenes is either a two-reel subject or a flivver. We incline to the latter opinion. Go over it agaiii and see if you can't get the real action into twenty. B. J. E. — The report that Miss Lillian Walker has left the Vitagraph is off the same piece of cloth as the tale of Mr. Costello's death. Both are still busy with the Vitagraph. V. M. — The Technique of the Photoplay will come from the pres-s early Id January. A. L. J. — We cannot quote standard prices for film rental, but usually the price is based on the age of the newest reel, unless two new reels are run in daily service. You can get service all the way from $5 to $50 a day. Write the General I-'ilm Co., Fifth Avenue Building, New York, for Licensed service, or the Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Co. for the fndependent product. The latter address is 111 East 14th Street. "JETHROM." — The Biograph Company does not announce the names of its players and we know no good reason why It should — or shouldn't. C. L. W. — Miss Lawrence has left the Lubin Company, and before she went she announced that slie was going to make a tour in her automobile and then run over to see if Europe has been moved. That's the best we can do to locate her, and we have no idea where a letter will reach her, T. G. P. — We do not know where you can obtain the Beulah Binford pictures, and wouldn't tell if we did know. E. E. P. — Miss Marion Leonard was not in a collision with a railway train last summer or any other time that we know of. Read the Gem advertisements. T. P. B. — Some companies are more liberal than others in their payments for scenarios, but the Licensed companies do not pay more than the Independents. It's a matter of company, not combination. V. M. A. — Miss Elsie Glynn and Jack Hopkins had the leads in Lubin's "A Nearsighted Chaperone." This picture, you may be interested in knowing, was made complete within twenty hours, S. K. — Henry Walthall has never been a Vitagraph player the we know of, hut he has played with both Biograph and Pathe. He is now with the Reliance Comi>any, and has been for some time. 0. H. B. — If you will point out the Edison film in which Miss Alice Joyce had (he lead, we would all like to see it. She is a Kalem player and not a memher of the Edison Company, present or past, F. B. Y. — Miss Gertrude Robinson is the Reliance leading woman to whom you seem to have reference. The European players are not known by name here and questions as to C, G. P. C. and Gaumont must remain unanswered. J. E. S. — Restate yonr question so that It may be understood. A. R. W. — Miss Gwendolyn Pates had the lead in Pathe's "A Puritan Courtship." Sydney Ayers was Slick in "Slick's Courtship.'* G. M". Anderson is the director of the Essanay Company he heads, and we believe that he writes most of his own plays. G. M. T. — We have no record of an American company working in South Africa. Many of the Selig plays have their scenes laid in that country, but most of these were made in Florida, and the rest near Chicago. No Selig player was ever eaten up by lions. Miss Kathlyn Williams was badly scratched by a leopard during the making of "I..ost In the Jungle," but it was an accident, and the leopard apologized, P. H. B. — Charles Clary was the hypnotic detective in Selig's "The Inner Mind." MAUDE. — The Tlianhouser studio is in New Rochelle. N. Y., but not all of tlie pictures are made there, as they sometimes send out a field company. T. R. G. — King Baggot was the villain in Imp's "Through the Air," because an aviator was the hero. It was a sure enoagh airship: one of the features of an annisement park across the Hudson from New York last summer. BIG CHIEF. — If your question is pro[x>unded sincerely, it is evident that you do not watch the pictures as closely as you say yon do. Tlie Pathe. Vitagrapli. Thanhouser, Bison, Selig and other companies, have fulI-blood and half-blood Indians on their payrolls. This in part accounts for the greater fidelity of the Indian pictures. AMY. — There is practically no cliance to get a position with a photoplay stock company unless you can show experience in pictures or on the dramatic stage. W. H. K. — Your question is too long to be answered here, but will be taken up fully in the scenario page later, perhaps next week, D. S. C. — Jack Standing Is not working for any photoplay company, so far as we know. ADMIRER. — The Thanhouser Kid has no other name for picture purposes. Slie is just The Tlianhouser Kid, CURIOUS. — The Vitagraph's Costello children are the little daughters of Maurice Costello, Adele de Garde and Kenneth Casey are not also Costello children, nor are they brother and sister. *S, S. M. — If you submit a photoplay script under an old title, the story will not be thrown out. The story itself is the guide, not the title. F. B. H. — You seem to have lost your bet. When a camera Is run slowly the picture on the screen will show rapid action Instead of retarded movement. You see sixteen pictures each second on the screen and machines are, or should be, turned to give this speed. If the camera takes but twelve pictures of the scene being played, you will get one second of action In but threefourths of a second. Quick turning, on the other hand, makes for slower motion. A. W. L. — No chance whatever. R. V. H. — Miss Florence Lawrence and Arthur Johnson had the leads In "A Rural Conqueror." (Lubin). S. F. J. — The Motion Picture Story Magazine does not offer a market for Rcenarlo-s. It is interested in these only after the production has been made hy some company and arrangement is made with the company; not with the iinthor. A, C. S. — We've missed this question the last couple of weeks. No company admits strangers to the studio; not because they are afraid to let the public see how pictures are made, but because visitors are in the way. It's more or less irritating to have a stranger walk across the field of the camera right in the middle of a 200-foot scene, and many players, who have faced audiences of one or two thousand, will grow self-conscious In the studio under a single pair of strange eyes.