Universal Weekly (1914-1915)

THE UNIVERSAL WEEKLY Tw© HE Universal has two women scenario writers of whom it is justl; proud. Elaine Sterne and Ruth Ann Baldwin. Miss Sterne is engaged in writing one month for Miss Mary Clin a ft the inner circles. On the way to the steamer the fair ambassadress was escorted by Secretary Kann and Manager Brandt, so that no ish reporter could obtain an micensored interview with "Patsy". During a recent interview. Miss story a month for Miss Mary Sterne divulged many interesting Fuller and Miss Baldwin is one of the standbys of the West facts about her early career as a writer. Coast scenario staff. Singularly enough, photoplay writing is "Ever since I can remember", she began. "I have thought of virtually new to both and each seems to stand a little bit in stories. I can remember when I was about seven I told my awe of her own remarkable success. Miss Sterne's first essay at mother a very horrible tale, which I called *A Grasshopper's picture writing won a thousand dollar prize, and the play itself Revenge'. Mother was so impressed with the plot that she G. E. Kann and Joe Brandt Escorting Ruth Ann Baldwin Aboard the Adriatic. is now running at a Broadway feature theatre : Miss Baldwin's motion picture experience has been entirely confined to the Universal. Last Saturday there tripped jauntily into the office of the manager of the Universal, a smiling, blue corduroy clad figure, in a wide brimmed fur hat. and announced, "Well, here I am". She had come in answer to a telegram ordering her to take the next train from Los Angeles, with London as her ultimate objective. She had had a good night's sleep for the first time in four days and was looking forward to doin;; some shopping and spending a few days with her people in Connecticut. Naturally, she looked quite gay. But all her hopes were dashed when she learned that het ticket had been bought on the Adriatic sailing at one o'clock the same day. Think of going to London with n suitcase, a typewriter and a blue corduroy suit ! Among other annoyances which Miss Baldwin had to crowd into the next four hours was an interview. Here is the information gleaned in nine minutes. Miss Baldwin went into the "movies" almost two years ago at the suggestion of Mrs. I. Bernstein. She couldn't act in pictures (she thought this; the interviewer didn't at all) because she broke her nose playing basketball in college. But art critics have maintained that beauty is a very persistent quality and often grows best under difficulties. She had been a newspaper woman and had written many stories, though she admitted under cross examination that none of them had been accepted. So she tried her hand at scenario writing. And since then she has never had any of her stories turned down. Miss Baldwin's mission to Europe is a very secret and very important one, and nothing of its import was divulged outside MISS ELAINE STERNE wrote it for me and after that I'm afraid I troubled her a great deal with writing my stories until I was able to read and write. You .see, I had a wonderfully clever grandmother, who had a most fertile mind. Almost every week a letter would come from the small town in which she lived with a delightful children's story enclosed. I suppose I inherited my inclination to write from dear old granny. I *till have many of her original manuscripts and some day I intend to publish them. "I was graduated from the public schools in New York and then entered Columbia College for a two years' course in play writing, short story writing, English literature, etc. I wrote stories for the St. Nicholas Magazine and several other well known publications. When The Evening Sun announced the contest for the best photo-play, I had no intention of entering for the simple reason that I had never written a photo-play. However, my friends assured me that I could and would be successful, and it was, indeed, a pleasant surprise when I learned that my play, "The Sins of the Mother", had won the $1,000 prize. Since then I have devoted all my time to the writing of scenarios for motion pictures. I have agreed to write one play a month for Mary Fuller and am very happy to say that it is, indeed, a pleasure to weave stories around Miss Fuller's remarkable and charming personality. I visit her and study her in order that I can fit my plot around her. I think 1 have succeeded in accomplishing this object in "My Lady High and Mighty". Miss Fuller entered into the spirit of this play with vim and vigor which, coupled with her innate sweetness and charm, resulted in the most gratifying success. (Continued on Page 28.)