Picture Play Magazine (Sep 1921 - Feb 1922)

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Advertising Section Her first story was bought by D.W.Griffith And she won the first cash prize of $2,500 in the J. Parker Reade contest against a field of 10,000 scenarios Frances White Elijah learned how to transfer her natural story-telling gift to the screen. Will you send for a free test of your ability? When Frances White Elijah was doing war work in her Chicago home, she never imagined she would become a successful photoplaywright. What reason had she to think she would ever write such a letter as this to the Palmer Photoplay Corporation : "I have just received your check in payment for my story 'Wagered Love' which your sales department sold to D. W. Griffith. "It has scarcely been six months since I registered with you and your assistance and encouragement have made my success seem like magic." Think what that means ! Her first story sold to one of the most discriminating producers in the world. And she had only Started to train her story-telling gift six months before ! Stimulated by her brilliant success, this Chicago girl developed herself into a professional screen writer for a great Los Angeles studio. Today she enjoys fame and income ; and the distinction of having written the best of 10,000 scenarios submitted in the J. Parker Reade contest. What does this story mean to you? If it causes you to ask yourself "Could / sell a story to Griffith — or Ince — or any of the producers?," this will prove the most interesting advertisement you ever read. Perhaps you could do that very thing At _ the outset, let us correct one false notion many people have. Literary skill, or the writing style required for novel and magazine authorship, cannot be transferred to the screen. The one and only requisite of photoplay writing is ability to think out and tell a good, dramatic story. Given that ability, any man or woman can he trained to write for the screen. But, you say, how can I know whether I have that ability? To answer that question is the purpose of this advertisement. The Palmer Photoplay Corporation will gladly apply to you a scientific test of story-telling ability. provided you are an adult and in earnest. And we shall do it free. Send for the Van Loan questionnaire The test is a questionnaire prepared for the Palmer Photoplay Corporation by H. H. Van Loan, the celebrated photoplaywright, and Prof. Malcolm MacLean, former teacher of short-story writing at Northwestern University. If you have any story-telling instinct, if you have ever said to yourself when you left a motion picture theatre; I believe I could write as good a screen-story as that," send for this questionnaire and find out. for yourself just how much talent you have. We shall be frank with you ; have no fear. The Palmer Photoplay Corporation exists first of all to sell photoplays. It trains photoplay writers in order that it may have more photoplays to sell. It holds out no false promise to those who can never succeed. With the active aid and encouragement of the leading producers, the Corporation is literally combing the country for new screen writers. Its Department of Education was organized to develop the writers who can produce the stories. The Palmer institution is the industry's accredited agent for getting the stories without which production of motion pictures cannot go on. Producers gladly pay from $500 to $2,000 for acceptable stories. Advisory Council Thomas H. Ince Thos. H. Ince Studios Cecil B. De Mille Director General Famous Players Lasky Corp. Lois Webeb Lois WebeT Productions , Inc. Jesse L. Lasky Vice President Famous Players-Lasky Corp, C. Gardner Sullivan Authorjand Producer Frank E. Woods Chief Su p er vising Director Fa mows Players Lasky Corp. James R. Quirk Editor and Fublisher Photoplay Magazine Allan Dwan Allan Divan Productions EoB Wagner Author and Screen Authority It is the story tellers opportunity The same producer who bought Frances White Elijah's first story has rejected the work of scores of novelists and magazine writers whose names are known wherever the language is spoken. They did not .possess the kind of talent suited for screen expression. Mrs. Elijah, who was absolutely unknown to the motion picture industry, and hundreds of others who are not professional writers, have that gift. The Palmer Photoplay Corporation cannot endow you with such a gift. But we can discover it, if it exists, through our questionnaire. And we can train you to employ it for your lasting enjoyment and profit. We invite you to apply this free test Clip the coupon below, and we will send you the Van Loan questionnaire. You assume no obligation, but you will be asked to be prompt in returning the completed test for examination. If you pass the test, we shall send you interesting material descriptive of the Palmer Course and Service, and admit you to enrollment, should you choose to develop your talent. If you cannot pass this test, we shall frankly advise you to give up the idea of writing for the screen. It will be a waste of their time and ours for children to apply. This questionnaire will take only a Httle of your time. It may mean fame and fortune to you. In any event it will satisfy you as to whether or not you should attempt to enter this fascinating and highly profitable fidd. Just use the coupon below — and do it now before you forget. Sample copy of the Photodramatist. official organ of the Screen Writers' Guild of the Author's League, the national photoplaywriphts mag-azine. will be sent free with the questionnaire. PALMER PHOTOPLAY Corporation, Dept. of Education, Y.12 124 West 4th St., Los Angeles, Cal. Please send rae. without cost or obligation on my part, your questionnaire. I will answer the questions in it and return it to you for analysis. If I pass the test, I am to receive further information about your Course and Service. Also send free Sample Copy of the Photodramatist. Name Address