Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1922)

Photoplay Magazine — Advertising Section 95 Plays and Players (Continued) THE Katherine MacDonald Company has had a lot of free publicity lately. Joseph Tumulty, former secretary to former President Wilson, has written a book called "The White House Looking-Glass." In it he comments on Mr. Wilson's fondness for the films and says, "His favorite screen star is Katherine MacDonald, a stately and statuesque beauty." ONLY a lot of presence of mind and ready courage saved Barbara Bedford from a dangerous and unpleasant experience on a lonely road near the Universal studio about midnight a short time ago. Miss Bedford, who was returning home from work, was driving toward Hollywood, when under a dark grove of trees, a man suddenly sprang on her running board and attacked her. He struck her over the eye and was grabbing her by the throat, while he threatened her with a revolver, when the screen star suddenly stepped on the throttle with all her strength and with both hands gave the thug a violent push. It unloosened his hold and he fell back into the road. Miss Bedford arrived for emergency treatment in Hollywood in hysterics, and with a badly bruised and cut face and eye. MARY MILES MINTER has just started building a gorgeous new home in Laughlin Park, Hollywood, the exclusive hill-top where Cecil de Mille lives. Her contract is up in about a year, and it is doubtful if she will ever get nearly as large a salary after this. But the home will be completed long before that day arrives. It should help Miss Minter to take changed circumstances philosophically. WILLIAM de MILLE celebrated his return from New York by having iiis car painted. Like his famous hat, Bill evidently intends to use that roadster until it wears out. His brother, Cecil, is still touring on the continent. He was scheduled to meet a great many important men during his European sojourn, but he stated quite positively that he was going to rest and that the only man he really wanted to meet was the Pope. THIS little yarn is just too good to keep. A well-known man connected with motion pictures — in what particular line it would not be fair to mention, but whose name is well known to every fan — has a very charming wife who is quite deaf. Recently this husband became friendly with a lady celebrated on stage and screen. And something arising that this lady didn't like, she decided to make trouble for the man by telephoning his wife. So she rang up the wife and in detailed and exaggerated fashion related the story of her friendship with this man, even we were told, going so far as to read her some of husband's friendly little notes. To her amazement, the wife received it all quite calmly, cheerfully and sweetly. She said, "Yes," and "No," and "Indeed," at intervals, and seemed quite pleased to think that so famous a lady had called her up. Not having heard a word, it was all right with her. But the stage star who was on the other end of the line is still trying to figure out why the bomb didn't explode. And no one lacks the sense of humor to tell her. (Continued on page 06) Millions of People Can Write Stories and Photoplays and Dorft Know It/ Wr, lino ought to felt stories inid plays with THIS is the .startling assertion rccent'y made by E. B. Davison, of New York, one of the Ugliest paid writers in the world. Is lis astonishing statement true? Can it be possible there are countless thousands of people yearning to write who really can and simply hurt n't found it cut.' Well, come to think of it, most anybody ran tell a story. Why can't most anybody write a atorj Why is writing supposed to be a rare gift that few possess? Isn't this only another of the M staken Ideas the past has handed down to us? Yesterday nobody dreamed man could fly. Today he dives like a swallow ten thousand feet above the earth and laughs down at the tiny mortal atoms of his fellowmen below! So Yesterday's "impossibility" is a reality today. "The time will come," writes the same authority, "when millions of people will be writers — there will be countless thousands of playwrights, novelists, scen« ario, magazine and newspaper writers — they are coming, coming — a whole new world of them!" And do you know "what these writers-to-be are doing now? Why, they are the men — armies of them — young and old, now doing mere clerical work, in offices, keeping books, selling merchandise, or even driving trucks, running elevators, street cars, waiting on tables, working at barber chairs, following the plow, or teaching schools in the rural districts, and women, young and old, by scores, now pounding typewriters, or standing behind counters, or running spindles in factories, bending over sewing machines, or doing housework. Yes — you may laugh — but these are The Writers of Tomorrow. For writing isn't only for geniuses as most people think. Don't you believe the Creator gave ■you a story-irritina faculty just as He did lite greatest Only maybe you are simply "bluffed" by the thought that you "haven't the gift." Many people are simply afraid to try. Or, if they do try, and their first efforts don't satisfy, they simply give up in despair, and that ends it. They're through. They never try again. Yet, if. by some lucky chance they had first learned the simple rules of writing, and then given the imagination free rein, they might have astonished the world! DUT two things are essential in order to become -I-* a writer. First, to learn the ordinary principles of writing. Second, to learn to exercise your faculty of Thinking. By exercising a tiling you develop it. Y'our imagination is something like your right arm. The more you use it the stronger it gets. Tinprinciples of writing are no more complex than the principles of spelling, arithmetic, or any other simple thing that anybody knows. Writers learn to piece together a story as easily as a child sets ui> :< miniature In. use with his toy blocks. It is amazingly easy after the mind grasps the simple "know how ." A little study, a little patience, a little confidence, and the thing that looks hard often turns out to be just as easy as it seemed difficult. Thousands of people imagine they need a fine education in order to write. Nothing is farther from the truth. Many of the greatest writers were the poorest scholars. Peoplerarely learn to write at schools. They may get the principles there, but they really learn to write from the great. wide, open, boundless Book of Humanity ' Yes, seething all around you, every day, every LETTERS LIKE THIS ARE POURING IN ! bstnele thai be c.1 tl.i ,-\- Cba .simple but then — MRS OLIVE MICUAIX .LEBoI. Pa. "I con only say that I am smnged that it is possible to ect forth the principlee of short story and photo play writing in such a clear. n inner?— G O R D O N MATHEWS. Montreal. Can. "I received' your Trying System remarkable seen Mr. Irrina made str.ry and ecrtsu le and .\i I, ll ama in 13 nmnle ALFRED HORTO Falls, N. Y. "Of all the compositions I have r,..,,l on Hi >"b net, I find youri tbe most helpful to aspirins authors " — HAZEL SIM PSON NAYI.OR. LiTiiiMi, EoiTon. Motion PICTURE Maoasike. ■■Willi Him volume before him. the veriest novice si hi be to build stories or photoplays It will find a ready market treati I its kind I I in LM years of ,,.»,. paper sod literary work. — II. PIERCE WELLER. Mas. uavr. Editor, Tun Binoiiamton Phi as. "When I first saw your ad I was workinc in a shop' lor S.'MI 0 week tlwaya having »..rked with my hands. I doubted mv ability to make moncv with mv brain. So it wna with much Bkept-iisin that I -cut for vonr Baa] Method of Writine. When the System arrived. I carelullv studio! il ever line, after »ork W ,1 ' , a month I had completed two plays, one of whleh sold for If.'.OO. the other (or S450. I unhcsital. tally say tliat I owe it all to the Irvins is. stem."— HELEN KINDON, ATUKTIO City. N. J. hour, every minute, in the whirling rortel flotsam an<i jetsam of I.if< — even in your own I at work or play, are endless incidents lor and plays -a wealth of material, a world of things happening. Every one oi these ha History or play in it. Think! If you went to or saw an accident, you could come home and tell the folks all about it. I DCOUSCiouely \ oil Would describe if all very realistically. And il Stood by and wrote down exactly what you you might be amazed to find your storj would sound just as interesting as many youVe r, magazines or seen on the n, Now . \ 011 will naturally say, "Well, if \\ ritii as simple as you Bay it 1-. why can't / learn to w) Who 801/8 you can't.' LISTEN! A won.i FREE book has recenth been written on this very subject — a book that tells all about the Irving System — a Startling New I Method of writing Stories and Photoplays. This an ./■ ing book, called "Tht II 0) Book for Writ cis," show easily stories and plaj Conceived, written, pert' sold. How many who don't dream they can write. denly find it out IIScenario Kings mid the Storj Queens live and work. Hon bright men ami women without any special experience, learn to their own amazement that their simplest Ideas may furnish brilliant plots for Plays nnd .Stories. How one's own Imagination may provide an endless gold mine of ideas bring Happy Success and Handsome Cash Royalties* Ho* m writers get their names Into print. How to tel! if \ 011 .1 /,/•: :. writer. How to develop your "story fancy." weir e rle, word-pictures and unique, thrilling realistic plots. How your Friends ma] be worst judges. How to avoid dlscouragei the pitfalls of Failure. How to Jr.? A! This surprising hook 13 ASSOLUTBL Y / No charge. No obligation. YOUR copy Is waiting for you. Write for it .voir. GET V IT'S VOL' US. Then you can pour your whole soul Into this magic 1 11 chan tment that has come into your life — $to VTiltnt). The lure of it. the love of it. the luxury of it will till your wasted hours and dull moments will. profit and pleasure. You will have this noble, absorb* ing, money-making new profession! And all in your spare time, without interfering with your regular "t> Who says you can't make "easy money" with >i"i brain! Who says you can't turn jour Thoughts into cash! Who says you can't make your di come true! Nobodv knows— BIT THE UO(>K WILL TELL YOU. So why waste any more time wonderinL'. drei waiting? simply fill out the coupon Below— you're not BUYING anything, you're getting it ABSOLUTELY FREE. A book that may prove the Hook of Your Destiny. A Magic Book through which men and women, young and old may learn to turn then hours into cash. Gel your letter in the mail before you sleep tonight. Who knows — it may mean for you the Dawn of a New Tomorrow! Just adtlres3 The Authors' Press, Dept. 28. Auburn, New York. MI39 Helene Chadwick, famous Goldwyn Film Star, says : "Anyjnan or woman who will learn this New Method of THE AUTHORS' PRESS, Dept. 28, AUBURN. N. Y. Send me ARSOT.rTKT.Y FRFF. "Tht Win let Root fur Writers." This does uot obligate me in an] way. City and State. When you write to advertisers pleas mention PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE.