Talking pictures : how they are made, how to appreciate them (c. 1937)

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The Story Is Selected pect to pay a high price for a current stage hit, for it has already proven its ability to attract and to entertain people. The next question involved, is, "Will it make a good picture?" Some books are "naturals." They have the pictorial quality, the breadth of action, and the variety of character essential to any good motion picture. The Good Earth and Anthony Adverse are examples. People were familiar with these novels. Their stupendous sales guaranteed public interest. For such inspired, extraordinary stories, there are usually no complications, except those of competitive bargaining. With stories not protected by modern copyright, stories in "the public domain" by virtue of exceptionally long life, the problem is different. A registration office in New York makes almost nonexistent among American producers the possibility of several versions being produced at the same time. Suppose three producers simultaneously decide to make a story. They write, or wire, to the registration office and their request is stamped with the day, the hour, and the minute of its arrival. If three requests are received during the same day or the same week, the producer first making the request is given the right to film the story. Every studio, like a good farmer, stores away some portion of his "story crop" for a rainy day. Each studio must do this in order to protect itself from the uncertainty of the market; hence, all stories purchased are not used immediately. The story market fluctuates, for authors are uncertain [ 55 ]