Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1920)

Photoplay Magazine — Advertising Secuon I OURREADERSSAY: = Letters from readers are invited by the editor. They should be not more than three = hundred words in length, and must have attached the writers name and address. llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllli^^ I 21 Editor Photoplay, Dear Sir: LETTERS-to-the-Editor are usually concerned with a player's screen work. May I say a word about an actor's authorship? This is not a professional book review, just a suggestion to some of Mr. Hart's admirers who may not know of his little book, "Pinto Ben and Other Stories." It is the work of both Mr. Hart and his sister Mary. The introduction gives us a brief glimpse of the actor's boyhood, and is followed by a quaint little letter from his famous pinto pony, who has almost as many friends as his master. "Pinto Ben'' is a narrative poem concerning a beloved cow pony, killed while saving his master's life. The poem is written in dialect similar to that used in Hart Production subtitles. Much of Mr. Hart's gentleness and great-heartedness crept into "Pinto Ben," and his love of justice produced "The Savage,'' an Indian story sharply drawn from Mr. Hart's own intimate knowledge of the Indian character. In speaking of the Indian girl's lonely walks, he says: "Indian girls do not fear the opposite sex of their own people. There are no beasts among them. . ." Verily, a thought for the American white man to chew upon. "The Savage" reminds one of "Madam Butterfly," but is more concise, more startlingly vivid, more rich and colorful. Miss Hart's contributioii is a dehghtful dog story, "The Last of His Blood." In the opening paragraphs, Miss Hart has cleverly introduced some interesting information about the English bulldog, the narrative is then taken up by the dog, himself. A bit of a love story and a touch of mystery given to the character of Copper John add interest and charm. Unlike most dog stories, this one does not assume human intelligence on the part of the animal. "Socky" is always a dog and interprets his surroundings from a dog's point of view, even when the author's fancy makes him say of the stars: "the lights in the sky above showin' through, just like the nail holes in my box." Animals may or may not reason, but Miss Hart wisely keeps clear of this controversial ground. Whether you are a Hart fan or not, whether you like animals or not, if you have the average amount of human sympathy in your make up, you will find this little book well worth the reading. Very Sincerely, Norma Cogley, New York City. (From the Goldwyn "Studio Skeleton.") SCENARIO READER'S REPORT CHAPTER I. BOOK Title T HE CREATIVE INSTINCT Author MOSES. From OF GENESIS Type of story: General locale Suitable for Synopsis: Spectacle. The Infinite Reaches of Space Any Good Character Actor — Male God finds Chaos — "waste and void." Darkness upon the face of the deep. Apparently in a spirit of adventure, God sets out to reduce this to order. No motive assigned. God says, "Let there be light." The separation of light from darkness described as first day. God separates waters from waters by firmament called Heaven — second day. For third day, God separates water from dry land; calls the latter Earth and puts it into crops. Fourth day God orders sun, moon and stars. Fifth day God stocks Earth and Seas. Continued into sixth day. God makes image of Himself and calls it Man. COMMENT: Perhaps this story offers chances for spectacle, though it would need to be greatly strengthened. The author's descriptions are amateurish, not clearly visualized. His representative would have to agree to adequate modifications by skilled continuity writers, coupled with capable direction. Aside from its spectacular features, the story is very slender and draggy. Moses' characterizations of God are vague. This part would require much building up to make it convincing. There is no clear designation of motive for any of God's acts. Perhaps the story's greatest deficiency is the lack of any comedy relief. In fact, there is nothing in the book as written to which a script writer or director might turn when the main theme becomes slow; nor is the principal theme really good tragedy. The narrative in reality is merely a series of episodes, jerky and unskillfully strung together. The story lets down badly at the end; its conclusion is decidedly anticlimactic. One point in favor of the story is the opportunity it offers for effective sub-titling. The author has entirely overlooked this possibility. His lines are dull, heavy. He has ignored the chance for improvement by putting God into the heroic mood. Well cast, the part of God might be sustained through a two-reel production, if the episodes were jazzed up and some sort of relief injected into the story. Date read: AUGUST i, 1919. Readers: WILLIAM R. and LOUIS DURYEA LIGHTON. 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