Picture Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1927)

The Stroller A certain used to numerous his' recent to Some day, when I have considerable time to spare, I'm planning to make a serious effort to find out the theory by which movie producers buy their material. Garrett Fort, a scenario writer of standing, wrote a movie which he called "Lorenzo the Magnificent." After all the leading producers had turned it down as film material, he rewrote it in fiction form and sold it to a magazine. Two weeks later he disposed of the film rights at twice what he had asked originally, although there had been no change in the story. And inasmuch as the movie version has been christened "Modern Madness," the_ picture loses any exploitation which the publication of the story might have given it. St. Patrick's Day passed quietly in Hollywood, and there was no uprising, though many had expected one. The seventeen Irishmen remaining in the studios, armed to the teeth, banded together to fight to the last ditch, but they were unmolested. The Moore brothers and Marshall Neilan demanded a holiday, but didn't get it because documentary evidence was produced to show that none of the studios had closed for Yom Kippur. The only signs of active celebration were on the Colleen Moore set, where the Irish were in the majority by an odd coincidence. John McCormick, the star's husband and producer of her pictures, Hallam Cooley, Kathryn_ McGuire, Claude Gillingwater, and Millard W ebb, director, wore green behind locked doors. Hollywood Boulevard, which had been deserted since midnight, took on a livelier air after dark, although the machine-gun squads remained on duty, and martial law was not declared off until the day had safely passed. Carl Laemmle, Jr., twenty years old, has been appointed to supervise the directorial efforts of William Beaudine, director of "Sparrows," "Little Annie Rooney," "Frisco Sally Levy," and many other successful pictures of the last several years, and past president of the Motion Picture Directors' Association. Does that seem humorous to you ? Now that the wave of war pictures is so completely over that not even the comedies are burlesquing them any more, the studios have started on a series of baseball pictures which threatens to become widespread. Wallace Beery starred in "Casey at the Bat," William Haines made "Slide, Kelly, Slide," and Babe Ruth was brought to Hollywood between baseball seasons to play in "Babe Comes Home." Having touched all three of the larger studios, the epidemic "The Private Life of Helen of Troy" will be one of the few costume . farces. scenarist's apartment be the rendezvous of convivial spirits, but marriage is expected change all that. 23 will now rage through Poverty Row, look in on Harry Cohn, Renaud Hoffman, and Jesse J. Goldburg, and finally wind up in the two-reelers. When the Stern Brothers produce a baseball comedy it will be time to find a new idea. It is somewhat distressing to have your associates and coworkers of a few years ago all become suddenly famous and important, while you remain totally obscure and quite nonessential. A few years ago I occupied a twoby-four office at the now-defunct Goldwyn company's studio. Along the same hall, occupying offices and positions of similar unimportance, were a number of persons who have since knocked home runs of some sort or other. There was George Marion, Jr., at present said to be the screen's highest-paid title writer; Edwin Justus Mayer, author of a Broadway stage hit and some movies ; Jim Tully, fiery novelist and magazine contributor ; Joseph Jackson, Al Lewin, Geoffrey Shurlock, Alice D. G. Miller, Lois Hutchinson, now all scenario writers ; now all scenario Tom Reed, who writes wise-cracking titles for Universal ; Curtis Melnitz, now representing United Artists in Berlin ; and Jimmy Gruen, a leading comedy gag man. Of the original occupants of that hall only two of us have retained our unimportance — nothing much was expected of us, anyway. Something new is to be attempted in the movies. John Erskine's novel, "The Private Life of Helen of Troy," is to be filmed. It will be produced on a scale which rates its being called a "spectacle" on the billboards, with lots of big sets, mobs, costumes, and so on ; but its story, despite the massive production, will lean toward farce. With the exception of "A Connecticut Yankee," which Fox made some years ago, this is the only attempt on record to mingle comedy and costumes. Maria Corda, an Hungarian actress recently brought over here so she wouldn't feel lonesome at being miles away from all the other European players in the world, has been chosen to play the famous legendary beauty, thus getting the edge on her Hollywood sisters. Incidentally, she played the same character on the Continental stage in a farcical version of the legend of Helen, Paris, and Menelaus, before Erskine wrote his novel. The movie colony is getting over its childish fear of the law courts at last. Don't hiss me — I'm not thinking of divorces. The scandals which have damaged the industry from time to time have made screen folk afraid to wrestle with the law, no matter what the cause might be. But the superstition is wearing off. In recent weeks I've discovered in thenewspapers that T. Roy Continued on page 106