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AN ANALYSIS OF THE USE IN PHOTO- 
 PLAYS OF THE 
 
 THIRTY-SIX DRAMATIC 
 SITUATIONS 
 
 AND THEIR SUBDIVISIONS. 
 
 CONTAINING A LIST OF ALL THF, 
 FUNDAMENTAL DRAMATIC MATt- 
 RIAL TO BE FOUND IN HUMA'J^ EX- 
 PERIENCE, INCLUDING THE SYNQPSE.T 
 OF ONE HUNDRED PRODUCED REP- 
 RESENTATIVE PHOTOPLAYS, WITH A 
 DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE SITUA- 
 TIONS USED IN EACH. 
 
 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR 
 COMBINING SITUATIONS, FOR TEST- 
 ING THE STRENGTH AND NOVELTY 
 OF PLOTS, AND FOR BUILDING 
 PLOTS; AND AN INDEX REFERRING 
 TO EACH PRODUCER, AUTHOR, STAR, 
 STORY AND SITUATION MENTIONED 
 IN THE TEXT. 
 
 By FREDERICK PALMER .\nd ERIC HOWARD 
 
 Series Y 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 PALMER PHOTOPLAY CORPORATION 
 
 Departmtnt of Education 
 LOS ANGELES, CAL. 
 
Copyright, 1920 
 
 Pajlmeu Photoplay CoaPoaAXioK 
 
 Los Angelks 
 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 PREFACE 7 
 
 The law of the thirty-six dramatic situations; the classification of situations; 
 the purpose of this work ; plan of study. 
 
 Part One. 
 
 CHAPTER ONE 13 
 
 The purpose of fiction and photoplays; what is a dramatic situation; what is a 
 photoplay situation ; the combination of situations ; the backbone of drama. 
 
 CHAPTER TWO 17 
 
 The relation of Theme to the thirty-six situations ; examples of dramatic 
 themes; Characterization and its relation to the thirty-six situations. 
 
 CHAPTER THREE 20 
 
 Plot interest and situations; the plot outline for combining situations; outline 
 of "The Golden Chance" ; plot logic and a way to test it. 
 
 CHAPTER FOUR 25 
 
 The emotional curve; the rule of three and situations; visualization; analysis, 
 elimination and revision; the element of conflict in situations; the dramatic 
 triad in situations; how situations suggest themes and characters; how to use 
 situations in plot building. 
 
 CHAPTER FIVE 26 
 
 Novelty; what it is; how to achieve it; how to test it. 
 
 CHAPTER SIX 31 
 
 A word of warning; dramatic and undramatic; the test of situations; a sum- 
 mary of the law of the thirty-six situations. 
 
 Part Two. 
 
 CHAPTER SEVEN 37 
 
 Situations I to VI, inclusive: Supplication; Deliverance; Crime Pur- 
 sued BY Vengeance; Vengeance Taken for Kindred Upon Kindred; 
 Pursuit ; Disaster ; the subdivisions of each situation ; explanatory comment 
 regarding the use of each situation in the photoplay. 
 
 CHAPTER EIGHT 42 
 
 Situations VII to XII, inclusive: Falling Prey to Cruelty or Mis- 
 fortune; Revolt; Daring Enterprise; Abduction; The Enigma; 
 Obtaining. 
 
 CHAPTER NINE 46 
 
 Situations XIII to XVIII, inclusive: Enmity of Kinsmen; Rivalry of 
 Kinsmen; Murderous Adultery; Madness; Fatal Imprudence; In- 
 voluntary Crimes of Love. 
 
 SS'^iM 
 
Page 
 
 CHAPTER TEN +9 
 
 Situations XIX to XXIV, inclusive: Slaying of a Kinsman Unrecog- 
 nized ; Self-Sacrifice for an Ideal ; Self-Sacrifice for Kindred ; All 
 Sacrificed for a Passion; Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones; 
 Rivalry of Superior and Inferior. 
 
 CHAPTER ELEVEN 53 
 
 Situations XXV to XXX, inclusive: Adultery; Crimes of Love; Dis- 
 covery of the Dishonor of a Loved One; Obstacles to Love; An 
 Enemy Loved; Ambition. 
 
 CHAPTER TWELVE 58 
 
 Situations XXXI to XXXVI, inclusive: Struggle Against a God; Mis- 
 taken Jealousy ; Erroneous Judgment ; Remorse ; Recovery of a Lost 
 One ; Loss of Loved Ones ; Summary of situations. 
 
 Part Three. 
 
 CHAPTER THIRTEEN 65 
 
 Examples of Situations in Photoplays; The synopses of one hundred 
 representative produced photoplays with constructive comment and analysis 
 of the use of the thirty-six dramatic situations in each of them. 
 
 Part Four. 
 
 CHAPTER FOURTEEN 151 
 
 The Photoplay of the Future; Probable development of theme and character- 
 ization in the photoplay; the elimination of artificiality; the reflection of life. 
 
 CHAPTER FIFTEEN •••••. *^^ 
 
 The conclusion; further suggestions for the combination of situations; the 
 selection of theme and the creation of characters ; the development of strong, 
 dramatic and novel plots; the nature of novelty. 
 
 INDEX 155 
 
PREFACE 
 
 1. If one were to ask a successful photoplaywright just what element in the 
 finished play he considered of most importance, just what element formed tlie back- 
 bone of the action and provided a basis on which to build, the answer would be, "Sit- 
 uations." The stage dramatist would probably make the same reply, and the author 
 of the kind of fiction in which the plot is the point of interest would concur. In any 
 discussion of the dramatic or narrative forms in which Plot is the important considera- 
 tion, we must start with the factor of Situation. It is true that all plots are combina- 
 tions of situations, and that without situations stories or plays will be quite devoid 
 of plot. 
 
 2. In order to hold the interest of an audience it is necessary to present dramatic 
 plots — records of sustained and suspensive conflicts. In the Palmer Plan Handbook, 
 the three fundamentals of a photoplay have been called Conflict, Suspense and Punch. 
 None of these qualities can be present in any degree without a strong basic situation 
 or situations. In the Handbook a situation has been described as a Predicament, and 
 has been indicated as the starting point of the play. It has been suggested that the 
 author find a strong situation and then work forward and backward in the develop- 
 ment of a well-rounded and dramatic plot. Often, however, despite the excellent 
 examples of situations that have been suggested, the beginning author has found it 
 difficult to discover a strong, or novel, or genuinely dramatic situation, and has failed 
 to develop effective plays because of this basic weakness. 
 
 3. In reading and criticising hundreds of photoplays during the past year, 
 ranging in merit from the ridiculous to the sublime, dealing with a multitude of 
 themes, it has been forcibly made clear to us that the average beginning writer is often 
 hampered by an excess of untrained and misdirected imagination. In too many of 
 the stories we have read there has been a tendency towards imitative writing. Too 
 often the student has dug deep into his memories and has fovmd a plot lurking there. 
 With no standard of critical judgment, with no means of comparing his ideas with 
 those that have been conceived and developed in the past, the student has written a 
 story that was technically well constructed but lacked the fire of originality. This 
 has been due to an excess, rather than dearth, of imagination. But, unfortunately, the 
 imagination has been misdirected and has been allowed to wander. 
 
 4. It is the purpose of this work to supply the author, especially the photo- 
 playwright, with a handbook of reference, which will be stimulating in its suggestive- 
 ness and at the same time a means whereby the novelty and the strength of a plot 
 idea may be judged. By using the classification of fundamental dramatic situations 
 formulated by Gozzi, Schiller, Goethe, De Nerval, and best of all by Georges Polti, 
 to whom the present writers acknowledge their indebtedness, we are at once simplify- 
 ing and widening the possible flights of imagination. And in going further, and into 
 a virgin field, with the data accumulated by Polti, we hope to make more specific 
 and useful the law he formulated. 
 
 5. Let us state the law in question here at the outset, that we may progress 
 to its application and interpretation more readily. There are only thirty-six funda- 
 mental dramatic situations, various facets of which form the basis of all human drama. 
 
 6. Lest this seem dogmatic, it must be remembered that there is nothing arbi- 
 trary or cabalistic in the number thirn^-six. As Polti says, the number might be 
 
 7 
 
smaller or greater, but thirty-six seems to be the most nearly accurate. Various writ- 
 ers on the subject have endeavored to discover a new situation to add to Polti's list, 
 but all of their efforts have been feeble and ill-considered in comparison with his 
 scholarly work. It is not the purpose of the present volume to add anything to the 
 data rediscovered and formulated by M. Polti, but rather to carry that knowledge into 
 a new field — that of the Photoplay — and to give the photoplaywright a comprehensive 
 and accurate knowledge of the nature of each situation that has been used in photo- 
 plays, how it was used, whether it has been used to exhaustion in certain forms, 
 whether it opens a new and interesting line of thought to the writer, etc. In this 
 way the work will lead you into wide vistas of the imagination, many of them un- 
 traveled by the writers of today, and will indicate the pitfalls that are everywhere 
 awaiting the unwary author. 
 
 7. This work must be regarded as a work of reference. It is a stimulus rather 
 than a formula, and at all times the writer must avoid seeking plot material ready- 
 made for his use. Properly assimilated and understood, the work will help you to 
 judge the worth of your own ideas, will suggest ways and methods of development, 
 and will guard you against the danger of imitation and repetition. It can not, nor 
 any other book, think for you. 
 
 8. It is true that all plots are combinations of situations, and that this work 
 will deal with the fundamental situations in a comprehensive way and will indicate 
 possible and worth-while combinations. But the student must not come to it hoping 
 to find plots ready to use, like a prepared breakfast food. The real work is left to 
 the creative author, and only in the degree that you possess creative ability and dra- 
 matic imagination — the imagination, that is, that leads you to create dramatic char- 
 acters and to place them in interesting conflicts with one another — can this work 
 serve you. 
 
 9. Not long ago a young writer who has succeeded in certain kinds of writing, 
 chiefly poetry and essays, gravely said that he was through with fiction and photo- 
 plays, that he had no imagination. We were eq\ially certain, however, that what he 
 really lacked was sufficient knowledge of literature and the screen to know when he 
 had found a really good idea. From his work we knew that he was imaginative and 
 really creative. He was unfortunate enough, however, to write several stories dealing 
 with themes and plots that were either taboo or hopelessly hackneyed. Even the most 
 experienced writers make such errors, occasionally, and it is not a sign of weak imag- 
 mation that one has imitated the masters of the past without recognizing the process 
 as imitative. Some years ago, a writer suddenly awakened in the dead of night and 
 feverishly sought a pencil to write down a title that had come to him in a dream. 
 The title was, "The Light that Failed," and a day or so later he discovered that 
 Kipling had beaten him to it by a few years. 
 
 10. Every editor knows how many times a year the old and exhausted idea of 
 "a brother and sister, ignorant of their relationship, in love with each other," is 
 submitted in one guise or another. The idea is dramatic, and when one first con- 
 ceives it one feels that this is the story that will startle the world. A week or two 
 later some callous editor disillusions one by saying that the idea was threadbare when 
 Sophocles was a babe in arms. It is the chief function of this work to guide the 
 writer against the use of such ideas — of which there are many — and to indicate the 
 opportunities that await the really skillful and creative author. 
 
 PLAN OF STUDY. 
 
 1. In the following chapters, the factors other than Situation involved in writ- 
 ing photoplays are dealt with. This is an important part of the work, and should be 
 carefully read before proceeding further. In these chapters you will be cautioned 
 against the artificial manufacture of plots as mechanical combinations of situations. 
 Theme and Characterization will be discussed, and methods of evolving plots will be 
 touched on. In addition, a comprehensive explanation of Situations will be made. 
 
It is therefore important that you read with understanding every word in the intro- 
 ductory chapters before proceeding. 
 
 2. In the subsequent chapters related and associated groups of Situations will 
 be taken up individually, with reference to the forms and phases in which they have 
 been used in photoplays. Examples will be cited of situations in photoplays recently 
 produced, and suggestive comments upon the effectiveness or lack of effectiveness in 
 their use will be made. In studying the situations and the examples of their use it 
 will be well for the student to read slowly and carefully, for by the very nature of 
 the work, a great deal of information is condensed into a brief space, though it is 
 conveyed simply and directly. 
 
 3. The student should aim to familiarize himself in a general way with the 
 contents, and then, after writing an original story, should determine just which sit- 
 uations he has used. By referring to the comments upon those situations, the writer 
 will readily recognize whether his story is hackneyed or novel, effective or ineffective. 
 
 4. Read slowly, intelligently, analytically, and you will find that your imag- 
 ination will grasp the essentials of the problem of situation after one reading. There- 
 after, continue your study and test everything you write in accordance with the plan 
 suggested above. 
 
 Note: This work is not intended as a complete or comprehensive study of photo- 
 play urritinff, but simply of the fundamental thirty-six dramatic situations and their 
 use in the photoplay. Readers interested in the technique of photoplay writing art 
 referred to the Palmer Plan Handbook, of which this work is a supplement. 
 
PART ONE 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 1. Throughout all human experience, and especially throag-houV, all- iiuiinaii 
 drama, one meets constantly with the same fundamental situations, arising Jrom the 
 same fundamental emotional conflicts. In one sense a situation may be considered 
 as the crisis or the apex of an emotional conflict. It has been discovered that there 
 are, fundamentally, thirty-six human emotions, and the law of the thirty-six situa- 
 tions is an interesting corollary of this discovery. 
 
 2. The life of humanity in ancient Greece or in modern America, in exotic 
 China or industrialized France, in the frozen reaches of the North or under tropic 
 skies, is essentially the same. As far into the future as human imagination may travel, 
 the emotional conflicts of human nature will be the same. For the slowest changing 
 element in the universe is the nature of man. Human nature is the same the world 
 over, and it is this fact that makes for the kinship and the fellowship of humanity. 
 In the history of ancient Egypt and Babylon, in the epics of Homer, in the tragedies 
 of Shakespeare, as well as in the work of contemporary writers, we find the same 
 passions, the same loves, the same jealousies. Colored by environment and tradition, 
 at bottom the story of Cinderella is the same as the story of a play now making a 
 success on Broadway. It is this fundamental correlation of emotional experience that 
 links us with the past, and makes real to us the emotions of mankind of centuries ago. 
 The most poignant drama of history is that of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, 
 and yet we shall find, as we come to consider the stories of today, that the same 
 concept of Self-sacrifice for an Ideal has been used inspiringly by the writer whose 
 work we enjoy in our favorite theatre. 
 
 3. All fiction, including the photoplay, is a combination of certain selected sit- 
 uations, as we shall see clearly when we come to examine and analyze the examples 
 of photoplays in the following pages. From those examples we shall learn what sit- 
 uations have been used most frequently, and why, and what situations have been 
 ignored. Such an analysis of the use of situations in the photoplay will suggest new 
 combinations and new uses, and at the same time will offer a warning against the 
 repetition of certain combinations that have been repeated in the same guise until 
 they no longer entertain the spectator. 
 
 4. We read fiction and we go to the theatre, first of all, to be entertained. 
 When we read a work on philosophy or science, it is for the specific purpose of acquir- 
 ing knowledge in the most direct and simplest way. But fiction, created by Fancy, 
 is the relaxation of the race. Because it is based upon the fundamental emotional 
 conflicts of the race, and because it deals with human beings struggling against odds, 
 it is inspiring to each of us in our daily lives. It is the privilege of the fictionist to 
 entertain us, and incidentally to inspire us. And the photoplaywright, with an aud- 
 ience of countless millions, has the opportunity for inspiring the race to new hopes, 
 new dreams, and a finer kind of life. First of all, the photoplaywright should learn 
 to respect his wide audience, and to give them the best work of which he is capable. 
 In order to appeal to so great an audience, one must base one's appeal upon the uni- 
 versal language of humanity — the emotions. And in writing for the screen one's 
 knowledge of the innermost emotions of humanity, of the variations and subdivisions 
 of the thirty-six basic situations, is more essential than in any other kind of writing. 
 
 5. A thorough acquaintance with the thirty-six dramatic situations upon which 
 all drama is based is requisite to the photoplaywright' s success. 
 
 13 
 
WHAT IS A DRAMATIC SITUATION f 
 
 6. As explained above, a situation may be considered as the crisis or apex of 
 an emotional conflict. In every conflict, there is the gradual development out of 
 repose, the ascent to a crisis, and the fall to repose again. All human relationships 
 describe such an emotional curve. A Situation occurs, in the course of dramatic action, 
 VJhen the characters are so brought together that their contrasts and conflicts are clear 
 avd dram'iiii, that the central character is placed in a dilemma in which he must 
 make a choice, or in a predicament in which a change will be suffered, or is con- 
 
 ■ fronttd with an obstacle to be overcome. The manner in which the characters are 
 brought together in such a crisis must be logical, natural and seemingly inevitable, if 
 the situation is to produce the desired effect upon the spectator — that is, to arouse 
 his curiosity as to the outcome, and to hold him in a state of suspense. 
 
 7. Elsewhere, a photoplay situation has been defined as a Predicament (in the 
 Palmer Plan Handbook), and we shall come to see the truth of this definition when 
 we turn to our definite examples. 
 
 8. In our examinations of the various phases of the thirty-six situations, we 
 shall see that in some cases the crisis is clearly indicated by a simple statement, but 
 that more often the crisis is implied in the statement of the principle of conflict. In 
 both cases the reader will find suggestions for new variations of old ideas that will 
 lead him to a more original line of thought. 
 
 WHAT IS A PHOTOPLAY SITUATION ? 
 
 9. In the photoplay, the appeal is made directly to the mind and the heart of 
 the spectator, by means of a clear pictorial presentation of a conflict. It is impor- 
 tant, therefore, in considering photoplay situations, that we bear in mind the neces- 
 sity for presenting action that is pictorially interesting and conflicts that are clear and 
 striking in pictures. The success of the photoplay, as a form of popular entertain- 
 ment, depends upon the directness and clarity of its appeal. When we take up the 
 situations in order, we shall consider not only their dramatic, but also their screen, 
 value. Since the emotional experiences of which they are manifestations antedate the 
 written word, it will be clear that many of the situations are more effective in a silent 
 medium such as the screen than in written fiction. 
 
 10. A photoplay situation may therefore be defined as the crisis of an emotional 
 conflict that can be clearly presented on the screen by means of pictures; in simpler 
 terms, a Predicament which we understand when we see the actors on the screen. To 
 take a clear example, the unexpected, but logical, entrance of a husband at the moment 
 his wife is entertaining her lover. The sight of the three persons in their proper places 
 on the screen is sufficient to make us understand the situation — and we are at once on 
 the alert to learn what the husband will do, what the wife will do, and what the 
 lover will do. 
 
 11. In considering a situation as a possible one for use in the photoplay, one 
 should test it in this way. Will it be clear in pictured action? Will every member 
 of the audience be moved by it? Or does it depend upon words, or is it vague and 
 ill-defined ? In one of Constance Talmadge's pictures, "A Virtuous Vamp," there was 
 a very brief but delightful situation which serves as a clear example of what a photo- 
 play situation should be. In that story, the heroine had lost several jobs with a large 
 insurance company because her smile and her eyes worked havoc on the men. At 
 length the young president of the company, who thought himself a woman-hater, made 
 her his stenographer. One of his friends warned him about her, but he was sure of 
 himself. A little later a notorious dancer wanted to have her shoulders insured, and 
 the president asked the girl if she knew whether the "shimmy" was a dangerous dance. 
 The girl demonstrated. Just then the president's friend entered. Not a word was 
 necessary to explain the feelings of the characters, for it was all very clear in pictured 
 action. It is interesting to note that the audience appreciated such a situation a great 
 
 14 
 
deal more than any of the clever titles or mere incidents that occurred. A situation, 
 whether comedic or dramatic, causes a very definite and enjoyable nervous reaction in 
 the spectator. 
 
 THE COMBINATION OF SITUATIONS. 
 
 12. Neither of the brief situations we have mentioned can be considered as more 
 than an episode when it appears alone, uncombined with others of equal or greater 
 dramatic strength. Many beginning writers do very good work in the early part of 
 a story, in presenting one or two slight predicaments that are of real interest, but 
 fail to develop from these premises a really strong and well-rounded photoplay plot. 
 The finished plot structure requires the combination of a number of dramatic and 
 interesting situations; all plots are formed from such combinations. 
 
 13. As we go further into the subject, it will be seen that some of the situations 
 are very well suited to the inception of a plot, but that they lack the strength that i« 
 required in a climax. If a writer starts a play effectively, but then allows it to become 
 dull and lifeless and undramatic (as many beginners do) it indicates that he has been 
 unable to combine situations. The most practical use of a work of reference of this 
 kind becomes apparent in such a case. Having begun a story on a plane of dramatic 
 interest, let us say that the writer is unable to find a situation which will logically 
 follow the first, that he is "stumped" for further plot developments. By referring to 
 the classified situations he will find all of the possible developments from that beginning, 
 and will be able to make an intelligent and dramatic choice. 
 
 THE BACKBONE OF DRAMA. 
 
 14. Situations may be called the backbone of drama, for without them any fiction 
 is spineless and invertebrate. This is especially true of the photoplay, for as we have 
 explained before, the situation provides the most direct and poignant way to make an 
 appeal to the spectator. 
 
 15. Masters of epigram like Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde can write amusing 
 satirical plays, but most of their work fails to produce a genuinely dramatic effect. 
 One leaves the theatre after such a play marvelling at the author's brilliance, but 
 unmoved by any emotion. Only a few writers have succeeded in winning popularity in 
 spite of violating dramatic principles, and even the best work of Shaw and Wilde 
 will be found to conform to the age-old and invariable principles that are expressed 
 in the following pages. 
 
 16. In order to make a real appeal to the emotions of an audience, the writer 
 must place his characters in Situations. And to make such an appeal is the primary 
 aim of the dramatist. 
 
 17. The photoplay is a form of drama. In its technical aspects it bears a 
 closer resemblance to the stage play than to any other form of fiction, but it differs 
 from the stage play in that it is purely objective, and makes its appeal through pictured 
 action. Also, it is free from the limitations of the division into acts and from the fur- 
 ther limitation of preserving one strict and confining locale. The photoplay brings 
 into play every emotion which can be objectively expressed, whether by action or gesture 
 or play of feature. It is action performed by actors for the purpose of conveying emo- 
 tion and making a definite emotional appeal to an audience. 
 
 18. It might be more correct to say that the photoplay is narrative in movement, 
 dramatic in its crises, and integral in its cumulative effect; but it is more closely related 
 to drama than to narrative. 
 
 19. Without situations, fiction and drama will be a mere sequence of irrelevant 
 incidents. In themselves such incidents may be of interest. They may be revelatory 
 of character, or expressive of a significant theme. But unless they are co-ordinated upon 
 a solid, firm foundation they will fall short of producing a dramatic appeal. Every 
 photoplay must have a spinal column of situation. 
 
 IS 
 
20. In a novel we may be amused or entertained by the irrelevant incidents and 
 comments the author chooses to include. We may even enjoy the personality of the 
 author as it is revealed by his comments on his characters, by his opinions on philos- 
 ophy, art, music, or any one of a hundred subjects. But in the drama, there is no 
 room for the intrusion of the definite personality of the author. Nothing irrelevant 
 must be allowed to come between the audience and the characters of the play. In a 
 novel, by reading a chapter or two, we may often learn a great deal of the author's 
 personality. A page of Jack London is as strong, as forceful, as magnetic as the man 
 himself. Countless notes and observations on life color and lend interest to the 
 novel. But in the photodrama, the author's personality is revealed only indirectly — 
 by his choice of theme, by his selection of material, and by his constructive skill. The 
 personality of the author is not before the spectator, for the photodramatist's duty is 
 to create characters and dramatic action that will awaken sympathy or mirth in the 
 spectator. He must tell an interesting story in a dramatic way — that is, in a way that 
 will awaken emotional interest directly and objectively. 
 
 21. Although the importance of situations in a photoplay cannot be over-esti- 
 mated, it must be remembered that they merely form the backbone of the drama. It 
 will not do, as some writers have imagined, simply to combine a few situations, and 
 let the combination stand as a finished work. In addition, the rest of the organism 
 must be supplied — the flesh, bone, blood and sinew that go to make up a complete, 
 living reality. Without the backbone of situation, a drama is very deficient. But 
 without the other important factors, it is no less unreal and artificial. 
 
 16 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 Theme. 
 
 1. Not until we have ivriters zvho are concerned with Theme will we have 
 truly satisfactory photoplays. The theme of a photoplay is the underlying, unifying, 
 basic idea. It is the concept behind the entertainment that unifies the action and 
 makes more impressive the dramatic effect. Without a theme, a photoplay will be a 
 mere aimless story, having little real significance for the spectators. But with a strong, 
 interesting, appealing theme, a story may have a tremendously impressive effect upon 
 the spectator. In our consideration of examples we shall find one photoplay in which 
 the central character goes out into the world to find the true God. The theme of 
 that story — the quest for the true God — has been a fundamental concern of humanity 
 for centuries. It is a significant and vital theme, forming the basis of most written 
 philosophy. But in the photoplay, it was also developed into a splendid story. With- 
 out the co-ordinating, unifying theme, the action of the story would have been meaning- 
 less and unimportant. But the theme unified it, vitalized it, and made it significant. 
 
 2. Every thinking human being has one central idea that forms the nucleus of 
 his working philosophy, and about which his whole life is focused. The religious per- 
 son possesses a definite religious philosophy that expresses his relationship to his fellows. 
 The agnostic and the atheist similarly have their philosophies of life. Each individual 
 is concerned with one Theme more than with any other. A certain American poet, 
 who has written volumes, gives a new version of his fundamental philosophy with every 
 poem, sometimes without being conscious of doing so. The greatest writers of all 
 times have been concerned with Theme, with translating the big idea of their personal 
 philosophies into understandable terms for others. Whether one acquires his philos- 
 ophy of life from wide reading or from a study of human nature, one must possess a 
 certain attitude of mind by which experiences are interpreted. 
 
 3. One of the clearest examples in literary history is perhaps that of Jack Lon- 
 don, especially in his novel, "The Sea Wolf." London was a student of philosophy, 
 and he was especially interested in the philosophical conflict between materialism and 
 idealism, which is, of course, as old as history. The basic idea of that conflict made 
 so deep an impression upon him that he sought to interpret it in human terms, in "The 
 Sea Wolf." The theme he chose unifies and underlies all of the action of the book, 
 and renders it more significant than the story could possibly have been if it were merely 
 a tale of the sea. For in it we are privileged to read of the actual, human conflict 
 between a strong materialist and an idealist who ultimately won out. In its human 
 terms we are more impressed by the drama of individuals than wc could possibly be by 
 dry tomes in which the same subject is discussed. So, too, does the theme of a really 
 great photoplay, such as "The Miracle Man," which is based upon a variation of the 
 same conflict as "The Sea Wolf," underly and unify and make impressive every clement 
 of the plot. It is the big idea which compels the thoughtful attention of the spectator, 
 even after the lesser entertainment value of the plot itself has been forgotten. 
 
 4. Every situation in the following pages may be analyzed as the dramatic expres- 
 sion of a basic theme, and in addition many other themes, inspired by reading or obser- 
 vation, will suggest new combinations of situations. If the theme forms the basis 
 of the writer's work, his use of situations will be logical, natural and inevitable, for 
 they will be selected because they help to express the idea that the author wishes to 
 
 17 
 
convey. With an audience of millions the photoplaywright should pay especial atten- 
 tion to the selection of his themes. They should be chosen because of the universality 
 of their appeal, because of their simplicity and significance, and because the author feels 
 that they will help his audience to understand and to appreciate the inspiring strug- 
 gles of other people. 
 
 5. Critics without d'scernment profess to see no themes, no significance other 
 than the superficial plot action, in light comedy dramas, in some melodramas, and in 
 comedies. But even in these least serious forms of the photoplay, in the best examples, 
 we shall find the underlying thematic significance. Take, for example, the ancient 
 comedy idea of the interfering mother-in-law and of the efforts of the young newly- 
 weds to become free. It may seem, to the superficial observer, that such a comedy is 
 mere farce, but if the subject be treated skillfully, it will have a real significance for 
 those spectators who may be in a like predicament. 
 
 6. The thoughtful writer will always be primarily concerned with the themes 
 of his stories, but he will also recognize that bare themes possess no entertainment 
 value, that they will not hold the interest of the audience. It is therefore necessary 
 to translate the theme you wish to suggest into a clear, dramatic and interesting story, 
 aiming primarily to hold the spectator's interest and to make an emotional appeal. 
 If you have the theme in mind while you are creating your characters, selecting your 
 situations and building your plot, it will take care of itself. But the importance of 
 having a theme, and a really vital one, can not be over-emphasized. 
 
 CHARACTERIZATION. 
 
 7. In Jack London's, "The Sea Wolf," the theme dealt with the conflict between 
 Materialism and Idealism. The two central characters of the story are the direct, 
 human manifestations of the elements of the theme. Wolf Larsen is the incarnation 
 of materialism; Van Weyden is his very opposite and the personification of Idealism. 
 Similarly, in that successful photoplay, "The Miracle Man," the thematic conflict 
 is between a patriarch, whose faith and love are all-embracing, and a crook, who is 
 desirous of purely material success. But in addition to this tense theme of the basic 
 conflict between Idealism and Materialism, treated quite differently in "The Miracle 
 Man" than in "The Sea Wolf," there is a poignant human conflict between two real 
 men. Once you have selected a theme, the elements of conflict in a story will be fairly 
 clear; but in order to interest an audience those conflicting elements must be repre- 
 sented by understandable, human beings, by living, breathing characters. Mere types 
 will not suffice, for the characters of a photoplay must be real to win the sympathy 
 of the spectator, or to arouse any other emotion. The out-and-out villain of the old- 
 time melodrama is no longer interesting, except in burlesque, and the too-noble hero 
 is likewise a person of the unreal past. Not only must the characters of a play express 
 the conflict of the theme, but they must also be real human beings who win the aud- 
 ience by their reality. 
 
 8. Too often in the past writers of the "hack" type have sought to manufacture 
 plots simply by combining situations. Too little thought has been given to the impor- 
 tant matters of theme and characterization. But more and more the producers and 
 the public are demanding vital themes and living, real characterization. 
 
 9. Even the most frequently used situations can be given new life and color by 
 good characterization, and in the creation of character the individual author has room 
 for all the originality and skill he can command. In portraying characters for the 
 screen their every action must be recorded. There is no room for the description of 
 a novel or the dialogue of a stage play. By the first action of a character upon enter- 
 ing a scene, the author should present him in a striking and novel manner to the spec- 
 tator. In selecting material for characterization — names, habits, mannerisms, etc. — 
 the author's knowledge of life and his power of observation will be revealed, as well as 
 his ability to carry a definite line of thought — a Theme into its many ramifications. 
 
 18 
 
10. Since every situation is the crisis of an emotional conflict, the necessity for 
 drawing characters in evenly balanced conflicts will be apparent. Given a certain 
 theme, and having selected certain characters, there will come to mind the most effec- 
 tive situations to carry the conflict still further into definite, clear-cut dramatic action. 
 The absurdity, for example, of drawing a light-hearted, rollicking, romantic central 
 character and then placing him in a situation of Vengeance will be readily granted, 
 for such a character would not feel the deep, concentrated desire for vengeance. Writ- 
 ers often make the error of creating an interesting character and then placing him in 
 a plot so out of harmony with his personality that the total effect is ludicrous. Here, 
 again, lies the value of Theme, for if the theme and characters harmonize, the sit- 
 uations selected to carry out the thematic conflict must of necessity be consistent. 
 
 11. The inconsistencies of characterization are at the root of the faults of most 
 writers. Too often the photoplaywright has drawn a character from life and has then 
 made him perform certain arbitrary actions simply to create a punch, to bring about 
 a smashing climax. But if the situations and the plot are not the logical, natural and 
 seemingly inevitable product of the inter-relation of the characters, they \vill be artificial 
 and unreal. In making every element of a story consistent and harmonious lies the 
 author's opportunity to practice the art which conceals art. The moment the spectator 
 is allowed a single reason to doubt the realit}' of a character's action, the tension of 
 the play is lost and the dramatic effect is gone. 
 
 12. But although the plot should be the natural result of the characters react- 
 ing one upon the other, it is equally ineffective to have the plot a mere natural sequence 
 of incidents. Such incidents may reveal your characters, but if they do not advance 
 the plot a step further towards the crisis, if they do not lead to a big situation, they 
 will be of no dramatic value. Just as some writers have given too much thought to 
 situation, to the detriment of their characters and themes, so have others concentrated 
 entirely upon characters and have failed to tell a dramatic storj'. Since the photoplay 
 is a dramatic medium, it does not offer the same chance for studies in characterization 
 and atmosphere as other forms of fiction. To provoke dramatic interest, there must 
 be a Plot, and plot is dependent upon Situation. 
 
 13. Further, characters selected for photoplays must have a pictorial interest. 
 Commonplace, ordinary persons of everyday life, however human they may be, are not 
 pictorially interesting. And such persons, so long as they are commonplace and ordi- 
 nary, are not likely to be placed in interesting predicaments. Consider the people of 
 your acquaintance, and determine which of them have the qualities that interest others. 
 You may know a man who is continually having adventures, and if you will study 
 him you will find that he possesses a certain quality of mind that makes those adven- 
 tures possible. He may be a romancer, a dreamer, a bit unusual in some way, and 
 his experience will take on the color and romance of his personality. He will see things 
 the average person passes by in blindness. Such a character is interesting, because he 
 brings to those who meet him the experiences they have missed. Photoplay characters 
 should be the kind of people the author likes to meet in real life, for then they will 
 probably be of genuine interest to others. 
 
 14. When we say that an interesting character brings to his experience a quality 
 of mind that is unlike that of other people, we emphasize his individuality. But fur- 
 ther than that, we indicate the reason for his experience. Given a certain individual 
 in a certain environment, and inevitably some kind of action will result. The action 
 of a story should grow naturally from the theme and characterization, but in addition 
 it should be constructed in a dramatic plot. It is in the building of plots that the 
 photoplajrwright requires genuine dramatic skill. 
 
 19 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 Plot. 
 
 1. Plot interest is a blending of the expected with the unexpected. In the 
 brief example cited before, in which we had the three characters — husband, wife, and 
 lover — placed in a predicament, there was splendid opportunit\' for such a blending of 
 the expected and the unexpected. In Lois Weber's production, "For Husbands Only," 
 this situation formed the climax of the play. The audience knew that the husband 
 would reach home while the other man was there, and the suspense was so well devel- 
 oped that no one knew what would happen. The plot, however, consisted of a great 
 deal more than the situations forming its backbone. Every detail of action, down to 
 the least important telephone conversation, was a carefully selected incident that 
 definitely advanced the plot. The same theme underlay all the action, and the char- 
 acters and the plot incidents were selected because they gave a clear and dramatic 
 presentation of that theme. 
 
 2. Plot action is that quality of a photoplay which arouses and sustains the 
 interest of the spectator, constantly exciting his curiosity, filling him with doubt, evok- 
 ing his sympathies, and otherwise keeping his mind upon the problem of the play and 
 upon everything that is done from moment to moment. 
 
 3. The simplest kind of a plot is that in which a character is placed in a predica- 
 ment, kept there as long as suspense can be maintained, and then extricated in a sur- 
 prising but logical way. But in addition to the bare predicament, the photoplaywright 
 must provide interesting and logical reasons for the character getting into the predica- 
 ment, logical causes for his inability to get out, and finally a logical, but unforeseen, 
 escape. In a simple case of this kind, the central situation will often suggest the plot 
 action that logically precedes and follows it, but the plot material must be so carefully 
 selected that it will not be obvious to the spectator. Unless you can hold the audience 
 in suspense until the end of the story, you cannot produce a dramatic effect. 
 
 4. In the following pages we shall deal with concrete examples of Situations that 
 have been so used as to produce suspense, to good or "bad advantage. 
 
 THE PLOT OUTLINE. 
 
 5. After having selected a theme, visualized characters and worked out the gen- 
 eral plot ideas, it is often a good plan to make a rough plot outline. The simplest 
 method is to put down the numbers from one to fifty and to write a definite plot inci- 
 dent opposite each number. In a strong plot the sequence of events is logically from 
 cause to effect, and the climax occurs as the natural and logical product of the preceding 
 action. By incident, in this connection, we mean concrete dramatic happenings of vital 
 importance to the plot as a whole, not merely incidental action of no plot importance. 
 If the incidents are carefully selected in accordance with the theme and characteriza- 
 tion of the story, and are so organized that they approach a definite climax, tliey will 
 usually form a clear and dramatic skeleton of the plot. 
 
 6. To illustrate just how the plot outline should be constructed, and to indicate 
 as well the logical sequence of incidents, let us consider a definite example. "The 
 Golden Chance," produced by the Lasky Company, starring Wallace Reid and Cleo 
 Ridgely, will excellently serve this purpose. 
 
 20 
 
OUTLINE OF "THE GOLDEN CHANCE" 
 By Jeanie MacPheisoh. 
 
 7. (1.) The heroine, unfortunately married to a cruel and drunken husband, 
 secures a position as seamstress in a wealthy home. 
 
 (2.) In the wealthy home the master is trying to persuade the hero, a young 
 Western millionaire, to make an investment. 
 
 (3.) The woman of wealth invites the hero to remain as their guest, promising 
 to give a dinner and to invite the prettiest girl in New York. 
 (4.) The hero laughingly consents to remain. 
 
 (Note that these definite incidents are purely introductory and that they are all 
 on the plane of repose. There is something of Situation VII, "Falling Prey to Cruelty 
 and Misfortune," in the heroine's first predicament, but the plot has not yet begun 
 to ascend towards its dramatic climax. Note also the characters that are established by 
 these four simple incidents: — the unfortunate wife, the drunken husband, and the inter- 
 esting hero, who wishes to meet the prettiest girl in New York. Without much further 
 characterization, we know that something will happen with such a triad, and it is 
 almost sure to be of dramatic interest.) 
 
 (5.) At the last moment, the prettiest girl in New York cannot come to the 
 dinner, and the hostess, afraid to disappoint her guest, urges the heroine to pose as the 
 girl for the evening. 
 
 (There is a slight element of chance in this incident, in the girl's inability to come 
 to the dinner, but it is natural and convincing because of its relative unimportance and 
 because it does not strain our credulity. Also, since it is the beginning of the story, 
 the author is allowed certain liberty in establishing his premises.) 
 
 (6.) The heroine, who was once wealthy, consents to take the girl's place. (In 
 
 this incident we have a partial example of Situation XXX, "Ambition," and it further 
 
 serves to make even more clear our knowledge of the heroine and to establish s\ispense.) 
 
 (7.) The heroine, clad in evening gown and jewels, meets the hero, and their 
 
 interest in one another is established. 
 
 (8.) The heroine, though charmed by her dinner companion, knows that no 
 affection can be allowed to develop between them because of her marriage, and puts 
 him off lightly, only charming him the more by such tactics. 
 
 (Here again the element of suspense is brought in, and the preparation is made 
 for the heroine's later predicament.) 
 
 (9.) At midnight the heroine slips away and goes home. 
 
 (10.) Back in her squalid slum tenement, her husband beats her and takes the 
 money she has earned away from her. 
 
 (This involves another use of Situation VII, already noted, and also brings in 
 Situation VIII, "Revolt," for there is that element in the heroine's comparison between 
 her husband and the man she met the night before.) 
 
 (11.) The hero insists to his hostess that he meet the heroine again, and begs 
 her to invite the "prettiest girl in New York" to another dinner. 
 
 (12.) The wealthy woman tries to evade the hero's insistent demands, but fails. 
 (13.) In desperation she again calls the heroine and begs her to continue the 
 substitution over the week-end, at the end of which time the hero wQl return to the 
 West. 
 
 (Observe the careful, logical motivation of each of these incidents and how one 
 naturally, logically and almost inevitably grows from the preceding. First of all, the 
 author took great pains to lay a strong foundation in his premise, and then every sub- 
 sequent incident occupies its proper place.) 
 
 (14.) The heroine consents to continue the substitution, in order to avoid her 
 husband and to earn the money. 
 
 21 
 
(15.) The heroine tells her husband she is going to work in a laundry, and 
 leaves the same day for the home of her hostess. 
 
 (16.) The hostess hires a new butler, one better qualified to superintend the 
 elaborate preparations for the entertainment of the Western millionaire. 
 
 (17.) The butler, who has underworld associates, observes the diamonds worn 
 by the heroine, and gossips to a friend. 
 
 (18.) The butler's friend knows the drunken husband and tells him of the 
 diamonds worn by the guest at a certain house. 
 
 (Note the thorough and convincing preparation for the meeting between the 
 characters of the dramatic triad. What might have been a bald coincidence is here 
 made plausible and real, by the careful attention to details. Note also the lifelike irony 
 in the fact that the woman of the diamonds is the dnmken husband's own wife. Such 
 preparation postpones the climax as long as possible, and holds the spectators in sus- 
 pense. Yet there is nothing non-essential in the foregoing incidents. Each event 
 brings the action that much closer to the climax.) 
 
 (19.) The hero makes love to the heroine. 
 
 (20.) The heroine really responds, but realizes the impossibility of carrying on 
 the deception, and seeks to evade the hero. 
 
 (Observe how the author is tightening the knots that bind the heroine, how he 
 is making her suffer and conveying that suffering to the spectator, who knows all the 
 circumstances of the case.) 
 
 (21.) The heroine, torn with emotion, runs from the hero and goes to her 
 room. 
 
 (22.) The hero smiles after her and is confident that he can win her. 
 
 (23.) The drunken husband prepares for the burglary of the house where the 
 diamonds are. 
 
 (24.) The husband effects an entrance into the house through a window. 
 
 (25.) The room he enters is that of his wife. 
 
 (But observe that in the production the husband does not immediately discover 
 his wife. Instead the audience is held breathless in the tight grip of suspense, waiting 
 for the next step.) 
 
 (26.) The husband picks up a silk stocking and grins salaciously. 
 
 (27.) He starts towards the bed. 
 
 (28.) He changes his mind and goes to the dressing table. 
 
 (29.) He gathers up the jewels, leisurely, critically. 
 
 (30.) Again he turns to the bed. 
 
 (31.) The wife awakens and stares, frightened, into the face of her leering 
 husband. 
 
 (32.) The husband looks down at her and contemptuously says, "Some 
 Laundry." 
 
 ( Note the maintained suspense in these incidents, and also the natural, quick way 
 in which the author has relieved the tension with a comedic subtitle.) 
 
 (33.) The wife tries to take the jewels away from her husband. 
 
 (34.) They struggle together. 
 
 (35.) Sounds of awakening are heard throughout the house. 
 
 (36.) The burglar-husband senses danger and tries to escape. 
 
 (37.) The hero captures him. 
 
 (38.) The husband announces that he is merely calling upon his wife, pointing 
 to her. 
 
 (39.) The wife sees the hero's look of dismay and tries to lie. 
 
 22 
 
(40.) The husband accuses her, and she tearfully confesses that she is married 
 to him. 
 
 (41.) The hero naturally interprets the relationship as a game to fleece him 
 and scorns his host and hostess as w ell as the heroine. 
 (42.) The husband takes the heroine home. 
 
 (43.) The husband and his crook pal plan to fleece the hero by means of the 
 badger game. 
 
 (44.) They force the heroine to write a letter, telling the hero that she is in 
 terrible danger and asking him to come. 
 
 (45.) She takes advantage of an opportunity provided by the men's drinking 
 to scrawl on the back of the letter, "Don't come!" 
 
 (In incidents 40 and 41 we have a clear example of Situation XXXIII, "Errone- 
 ous Judgment," in the hero's misjudging of the heroine. Subsequently we have a 
 logical sequence carrying the suspense still further, but incident 41 marks the beginning 
 of the denouement, or untying, of the knots.) 
 
 (46.) The words, "Don't Come," on the back of the note convince the hero 
 that the heroine is straight and a victim of cruelty and misfortune. He therefore 
 answers her summons, first telling his Japanese valet to call the police if he does not 
 return within a few minutes. 
 
 (Situation II, "Deliverance;" Situation IX, "Daring Enterprise.") 
 
 (47.) When all of the characters are brought together the police answer the 
 valet's call. 
 
 (48.) In the big fight that follows the drunken, incompetent husband is killed. 
 
 (The death of the husband is logical and plausible in this case, because his drunk- 
 enness and incompetence have been emphasized throughout the story. We feel that he 
 is incapable of even putting up a good fight and that he should be killed, as a perfectly 
 natural result.) 
 
 (49.) The broken, tearful heroine is comforted by the hero, who at last under- 
 stands. 
 
 (50.) The story ends with the happiness of the two. 
 
 8. In each of the fifty incidents something definite happens. There is action, and 
 genuine dramatic action, with each new occurrence. We proceed directly to the goal 
 we set for ourselves, the happiness of the hero and heroine, and every factor in the 
 story is closely related to the central theme — that however great may be one's mis- 
 fortunes, one will ultimately win out by courage, nobility and strength. As an example 
 of unified action, in which every incident converges upon the development of the single 
 plot, this story is especially valuable. It will be observed, as well, that the unities of 
 time and place are also carefully preserved. Many writers, in dealing with a hero 
 who came from the West, would introduce him in his home locale. But the author 
 of "The Golden Chance" knew the value of elimination, and started the story with the 
 incident that really sets the action in movement. 
 
 9. In "The Golden Chance" we find examples of the use of Situations VII, 
 XXX, XXXIII, II and IX, in a combination that is interesting, cumulative and 
 dramatic in the extreme. 
 
 PLOT LOGIC. 
 
 10. In "The Golden Chance" plot logic is clearly indicated, but it is not to be 
 supposed that the photoplaywright can select his fifty odd incidents and write them 
 out without a great deal of consideration. The plot outline is especially useful because 
 one can go over it many times, changing, eliminating, and adding wherever the plot 
 steps are weak, vague, or illogical. Suppose, for example, that incident "5" did not 
 suit the author. He might write it down tentatively, but he would place a mental 
 question mark after it, and later on would endeavor to find a more suitable incident 
 
 23 
 
to accomplish the same dramatic effect. The plot outline is useful because it sim- 
 plifies the process of analysis. 
 
 11. There is one way of testing the logic of plot incidents that deserves men- 
 tion. That is to place the word "because" before each incident and to make each suc- 
 cessive step in the plot definitely the result of what goes before. Thus : 
 
 12. Because the heroine is married to a drunken husband she secures a position 
 as seamstress in a wealthy home. 
 
 13. Because she wishes to free herself from the squalid tenement life, and, there- 
 fore, 
 
 14. Because of her beauty and grace, she is asked to pose as a woman of wealth, 
 
 15. Because the hostess wishes to present the "prettiest girl in New York" to a 
 young Western millionaire, 
 
 16. Because her husband is trying to interest the millionaire in an investment, 
 etc., etc. 
 
 17. In this way, if the word is used correctly and legitimately, every plot inci- 
 dent will occur in a logical sequence of cause and effect. 
 
 24 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 The Emotional Curve. 
 
 1. In every conflict, there is the gradual development out of repose, the ascent 
 to a crisis, and the fall to repose again. All human relationships describe sucli an emo- 
 tional curve, sometimes clear and definite, as in the example we have considered, some- 
 times more vague and less clear in outline. The crises that can be most clearly and 
 objectively presented to an audience are naturally the best from the dramatic stand- 
 point. In a psychological novel or short story, a vague and many-sided conflict of a 
 purely subjective kind — such as a man's inner struggle with his conscience — may be 
 employed. But on the stage, and especially on the screen, clear, sharp, objective con- 
 flicts that ascend to understandable crises are the most effective. 
 
 2. Tlie plot action of "The Golden Chance" may be said to describe a complete 
 emotlonnl curve, starting from the plane of repose at the beginning of the story, rising 
 with ever-increasing tension to the climax, and then falling away again to repose. 
 This theory of the emotional curve may be justly applied to every true art form, and it 
 is of special value in the photoplay because the attention of the spectator is carried for- 
 ward in tiie simplest and most effective way. Our normal stream of consciousness 
 describes the same curve, and consequently we follow such a drama naturally and 
 without effort. 
 
 THE RULE OF THREE. 
 
 3. In "The Golden Chance," there are three big situational moments, accom- 
 panied by a number of lesser ones. When the heroine learns that the hero loves her, 
 when her burglar husband exposes her duplicity, when the hero saves her — these three 
 moments in "The Golden Chance" are more dramatic than any others. A good test 
 of five-reel photoplay material is the rule of three. If a photoplay contains three such 
 dramatic crises, at different stages of the plot action, it is almost sure to contain five 
 reels of screenable action. 
 
 4. In most five-reel photoplays, either drama or comedy drama, there will be 
 found three situations of major importance and a number of lesser ones. This is a 
 general rule and is by no means true in every case, but a large percentage of plnys will 
 illustrate its general importance. Ordinarily the three greatest crises will occur in 
 this order: one rather early in the action, one of greater power near the middle, and 
 the third, or climactic situation, close to the end. The three crises will grow in power 
 to the climax, in an ever-ascending line, with cumulative effect. In between the major 
 crises there will be others of less importance, some merely suggested. In constructing a 
 photoplay of the usual five-reel length, it is well to bear in mind this rule of three, for 
 if a story has three crises of such power, it will usually be strong enough in dramatic 
 interest to hold the attention of the audience. Sometimes, of course, the three situa- 
 tions are variations and developments of only one general situation. In many comedy 
 dramas, for example, the situation that is termed "Mistaken Jealousy" has supplied the 
 whole plot basis, recurring in different forms throughout the play. 
 
 VISUALIZATION, ANALYSIS, ELIMINATION AND REVISION. 
 
 5. While the plot is still in the rough outline form, the author should clearly 
 visualize every detail of the action, analyze it carefully to weigh its pictorial value u 
 
 25 
 
well as its dramatic effect, should eliminate any incident of which he is doubtful, and 
 should then revise the story in its entirety as often as necessary to make it his very 
 best work. Only the writer who really respects his art will ever achieve worth-ivhile 
 success. Let everything you write be an honest piece of work, one that will command 
 a reader's respect, and you will be on the right road to success. Also, you will find 
 a great deal more personal pleasure in doing things well, for there is no greater joy 
 than that of exercising the creative faculties to the best of one's ability. 
 
 THE ELEMENT OF CONFLICT IN SITUATIONS. 
 
 6. In almost every one of the thirty-six situations, it will be observed that there 
 are three necessary elements. In one of the simplest cases, the situation known as "dar- 
 ing enterprise," we find these elements: A bold leader, an object, and an adversary. 
 Between the bold leader and the adversary there goes on a strong conflict for the attain- 
 ment or the possession of the object. These terms are, of course, general rather than 
 specific, but it will be readily seen that the situation could be translated into specific 
 terms. The bold leader might be, for example, a miner endeavoring to stake a claim ; 
 his adversary might use every means to prevent the leader from attaining his object. 
 If the object could be both the mine and the girl the two opponents loved, for whose 
 sake they sought possession of the mine, there would exist the basis of a strong dra- 
 matic plot. 
 
 7. Similarly, in every situation, we shall find an element of conflict. Situations 
 imply conflict, and conflict implies situation. The two terms are almost inter-change- 
 able, except as has been indicated above; the situation is properly the most tense crisis 
 in the conflict, the very crest of the conflict. 
 
 8. This fact again illustrates the point that has been emphasized in the Hand- 
 book — that all drama depends upon conflict, that without a strong element of sus- 
 tained conflict there can be no plot. 
 
 THE DRAMATIC TRIAD IN SITUATIONS. 
 
 9. It will also be observed that in each situation the conflict is three-cornered 
 and that it usually involves three persons or three distinct factions. There is the bold 
 leader and his group of supporters ; the adversary and his tools : and the object of their 
 desire. Thus each situation of great dramatic power can be considered as the expres- 
 sion of a dramatic triad, which is in turn the manifestation of a three-cornered dra- 
 matic conflict. 
 
 HOW SITUATIONS SUGGEST THEMES AND CHARACTERS. 
 
 10. In considering an abstract situation such as that of "daring enterprise," the 
 creative writer who has accumulated a wealth of experience and who has observed 
 many sides of life will be stimulated to placing certain characters he has known in 
 the situation. Suppose, for example, a friend whom you know very well has told you 
 of some thrilling experience he has had, such as an attempt to unearth the buried 
 treasure that is reported to lie in the ruins of the ancient Guatemalan capital, and that 
 his efforts had been in vain because of the superstitious natives who were controlled by 
 the avaricious priests. In such a case, which is chosen because it is a clear expression 
 of the particular conflict we are considering, the leader of the expedition would be 
 the hero, one of the high priests his adversary, and the treasure the object. On such 
 a basis an interesting melodrama might be written, and by skillful repetitions of this 
 situation, in combination with others, a photoplay of the serial type could be developed. 
 The very words of the general statement of a situation will often suggest to your 
 mind people you have known, themes you have pondered, experiences you have had. 
 
 11. The situation of "Daring Enterprise" might suggest a hundred different 
 experiences to as many writers, and in every case the characters created, the themes 
 expressed, and the plots developed would be quite different. If your treatment is more 
 dramatic and more interesting than the next writer's, it will, of course, win greater 
 interest from the editors. 
 
 26 
 
12. In studying the various situations, it is excellent practice in the building 
 of plots to invent as many different stories on the one basis as possible. In this way 
 the student will quickly grasp the possibilities of combination and will acquire a keen 
 sense of the dramatic. 
 
 13. In discussing themes, we have indicated that each situation is the dramatic 
 expression of a general principle, or truth, or theme. The definite situations will in 
 turn suggest many phases of themes to the writer, which will again be determined by 
 his expression, his inclinations, and his tendencies. The great truth to be remembered 
 in approaching a study of the thirty-six situations is that this dramatic material is 
 classified, as the knowledge in an encyclopedia is classified, and that one must bring 
 to it a fresh imagination and a keen sense of life. All of the dramatic knowledge to 
 be found in all the plays written from the time of Euripides to the time of George 
 Broadhurst would not help the creative writer unless he learned to use it as a stimulus 
 to original work. 
 
 HOW TO USE SITUATIONS IN PLOT BUILDING. 
 
 14. Many writers find it simple to start a play on a plane of interest, using 
 perhaps one inceptive situation of real power. Often, however, the imagination lags 
 and refuses to respond to stimulus beyond a certain step in the action. Then it becomes 
 necessary to search for plot material that will naturally and plausibly progress the 
 action to its inevitable climax. 
 
 15. Not long ago a story was submitted to us that began in a very interesting 
 manner, with a group of human and real characters, and a strong inceptive situation 
 that promised an excellent comedy drama. The author had created four leading char- 
 acters: an actress of about thirty-five; her young niece, newly arrived from boarding 
 school ; a charming man of forty ; and his young son. The son thought he was in 
 love with the actress, who considered him a lovable but very young boy, and who was 
 secretly in love with his fatlier. The father, although the friend of the actress, con- 
 sidered himself an old man, past the age of romance. The school-girl arrived to visit 
 her aunt and promptly fell in love with the boy, who considered her a mere child. 
 The actress, to bring the boy and girl together and also to awaken the man she loved, 
 asked the older man to escort her niece to the theatre. The girl, dressed in her aunt's 
 clothing, made a great hit with the older men and the boy became jealous. So far 
 the author had done very good work and had developed an excellent premise for a 
 romantic comedy drama, but beyond that point the play simply would not progress. 
 Its action was only sufficient for two reels, and to be salable, it would have to be at 
 least five reels in length. This state of affairs is very common in the work of young 
 writers, and it is such students who need the guidance of the classified situations. 
 
 16. By a careful study of the situations which might be used in the develop- 
 ment of the story, especially those that have been found of value in comedy drama, the 
 author would have been led into many new lines of thought and guided in the selection 
 of plot material to complete the play. 
 
 17. When the point is reached in a play where the characters do not act of 
 their own accord and spontaneously, and where the plot ceases to move and falls into 
 a conventional groove, the writer should refer to the classified situations and should 
 select those which most naturally advance his plot. This is not always an easy task, 
 to be sure, but with a simple classification such as is presented in the subsequent chap- 
 ters, it becomes a great deal more simple than it otherwise would be. 
 
 18. We have observed that the test of a situation is its logical, natural, and 
 seemingly inevitable relation to the preceding action of a plot. In addition, there is 
 the test of Novelty, which leads us to a consideration of the nature of novelty, how it 
 is' achieved, and how to use situations in a novel way. 
 
 27 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 Novelty. 
 
 1. iJuring the past year or two the producers have been driven, by a shortage of 
 worth-while screen stories, to the production of pictures adapted from stage and book 
 successes. A very small percentage of these adaptations have proved effective and 
 worth-while, after suffering the rigors of translation to the new and totally different 
 medium, but the large majority have been tedious, dull and lifeless. Almost any 
 writer of fiction or of stage drama will admit that in short stories or plays there is 
 plenty of room for covering up and concealing the weaknesses of the story. A most 
 implausible climax can be made convincing in a short story by skillful writing. Sup- 
 pose, for example, that a short story ended with the rescue of a girl by a man, after 
 they had been estranged. The author could very cleverly say that the gods of chance 
 whom all lovers worship directed his footsteps to the very place where his sweetheart's 
 life was in danger and could then briskly pass on to the thrilling account of the rescue. 
 If the very same climax occurred on the screen, the presence of the man at that 
 particular place would be a bald coincidence of a most implausible kind. In writing 
 fiction, cleverness of style, the ability to turn a phrase delicately, or the power to 
 concentrate the reader's attention on the most interesting moments, will make almost 
 any plot lifelike and real for the time being. The same story, translated to the silent 
 medium, is exposed as false, artificial, implausible and unreal. Thus many of the 
 adaptations shown in the theatres have been far from novel and have given the spec- 
 tators the impression of sitting through an oft-told tale. 
 
 2. It is this crying need for new ideas, new characters, new phases of life treated 
 in a new way by new authors, that is now heard in motion picture circles. The writers 
 who hope to succeed as photoplaywrights must more than ever give their thought to 
 novelty of theme and treatment and to plot logic. 
 
 3. The primary aim of fiction, and especially of the drama, is to present real 
 characters in real predicaments in such a way as to make the audience believe in their 
 reality. The short story, the novel, the stage play, all give the author technical tricks 
 of advantage in furthering this illusion. In proportion, the photoplay demands greater 
 logic, more realistic characters and more lifelike situations to be effective. 
 
 4. In order to entertain an audience it is necessary to present a story in a new 
 way. Stories must be novel, original and authentic. Just what novelty consists of 
 has not been made very clear by the writers who have endeavored to give it expression. 
 It may be helpful to point out what it is not, and how it is achieved, in relation to the 
 thirty-six situations. 
 
 5. Many writers have thought, erroneously we believe, that novelty results from 
 a clever trick by which the plot is suddenly shown to be something it apparently is not. 
 The technique of the "trick ending," which was made popular in this country by O. 
 Henry, left its stamp upon the national fiction and upon the photoplay. In rare cases 
 the artificial twist of a plot at the last moment is very effective, but only when the 
 artifice is developed in such a natural way that it appears logical. In Lois Weber's suc- 
 cess, "For Husbands Only," the suspense was maintained until the very end, when 
 one of the characters spoke a surprising and unexpected title. It came as a shock and 
 an agreeable one to the spectator, but a careful consideration shows that it was a per- 
 fectly natural ending for the story, that the idea had been suggested early in the plot 
 
action. In that case the "trick" of the ending was effective because it was founded 
 upon a sound, natural basis. Too often, however, the writer has attempted to make 
 his play novel, to redeem its mediocrity at the last moment, by an artificial and external 
 twist of treatment. This notion of novelty has led to the dream explanation of 
 implausible melodramas, which could not have been concluded by any more natural 
 means, and to many similar tricks of technique. Tricks that spring from mere crafts- 
 manship have a way of quickly exhausting themselves, however, and it was not long 
 until these devices were discarded. Then again rose the cry for something new, some- 
 thing different, and novelty is still the paramount demand of the producers. 
 
 6. We should say, first of all, that novelty is a quality that is inherent in the 
 nature of the plot material, the characterization and the author's treatment. It can 
 not be added as an afterthought to an otherwise completed play, it is not a trick to be 
 acquired. It springs rather from a different viewpoint on the part of the original 
 creative writer, and only in so far as his viewpoint is different will lie be able to 
 produce novel plays. No two people think alike, look alike or act alike under the 
 same conditions; there is a vast difference, not always perceptible, between any two 
 personalities. Recognizing this truth, it is the author's duty to make sure that he is 
 viewing life and the subjects he wishes to write about through his own individual, 
 distinctive eyes. With such an individuality it will be impossible for him to be merely 
 imitative or to express ideas in the way others have expressed them before him. 
 
 7. The best negation of the often-quoted remark, that there is nothing new 
 under the sun, is the fact that this very maxim can be expressed in dozens of new ways. 
 
 8. Although fundamentally novelty depends upon the mind of the creative 
 author, at the same time there are certain obvious errors and pitfalls that can be 
 pointed out. There are some dramatic situations that are so striking when one fi'st 
 considers them that they appear fresh and novel. The idea of a brother and sister 
 falling in love with each other, neither knowing the relationship until the climax, is 
 an example in point. In one form and another, this situation has been used by count- 
 less writers and developed in myriad forms. When one first conceives the idea, the 
 tense dramatic power it has causes one to believe that it is really unusual. But it can 
 be traced in some of the earliest of the Greek tragedies, and it has been used 
 repeatedly by dramatists. It now suffers from senile exhaustion, and even a fresh 
 point of view brought to it would scarcely lead to an authentic development. Such 
 pitfalls that everywhere await the unwary writer may be indicated, and in the sub- 
 sequent pages, in our discussion of each situation and its subdivisions, will be found 
 cautions and comments that show how situations have been employed and how they 
 may be employed successfully in the future. 
 
 9. It is suggested that the student in studying the situations endeavor to co- 
 ordinate each subdivision with some definite experience or observation in his own life. 
 In this way each of the general situations will be translated into specific and familiar 
 terms and the student will be considering each situation from his own viewpoint, feel- 
 ing it through his own personality. If it is possible, a number of phases of each sub- 
 division should be so considered, and the attempt then made to co-ordinate them into 
 definite plots. This study is, of course, in the nature of preliminary preparation, and 
 should be used as a stimulus to more original creative effort. To that degree in which 
 one is able to bring unusual and individual experience to drama will the resulting 
 plays be novel. 
 
 10. We can not say that by combining certain situations one will achieve plot 
 novelty, but we can say that by combining certain individual and unusual experiences 
 that fall under the head of a certain situation with those that fall under another, the 
 result will be an individual and unusual story. 
 
 11. In the same way the dramatic power — the suspense and punch — in given 
 situations may be tested. We suggest certain situations that have been exhausted in 
 certain treatments; they no longer possess suspense and punch, therefore, in those 
 
 29 
 
usages. On the other hand, many situations have not been used dramatically in the 
 photoplay and they afford a great opportunity for the creative writer. Whether in 
 search of novelty or dramatic power, the author should approach the situations with a 
 receptive mind, awaiting suggestions. Then there will be no danger of becoming 
 artificial or mechanical or lifeless, for the other values will always be of greater impor- 
 tance than the technical combination of situations. 
 
 12. After a story is completely plotted and developed, perhaps before the detailed 
 synopsis has been finished, it will be a good plan to analyze it very carefully in rela- 
 tion to its situations. Then by referring to the situation itself and to our comment 
 upon its use in the photoplay, one can judge the novelty, the dramatic power, and the 
 logic of one's own treatment. This process of analysis is, after all, the most important 
 part of creative writing. Very often a great weakness will be found in a story, a very 
 trite situation discovered, but in the very analysis of the plot new ideas and new 
 methods of treating the basic theme will suggest themselves and a new story will result. 
 
 13. It can not be too emphatically stated that photoplays are built step by step, 
 scene by scene. The failure to recognize the architecture of the photoplay results in 
 many plot weaknesses. And in this connection a correlative thought is that the mind 
 of the creative writer should always be kept open, fluid, receptive until a story is in 
 its final form and can not be improved upon. Too often writers are inclined to 
 consider a story finished when it is only begun. By keeping the mind alert and recep- 
 tive, there will be new suggestions everjrwhere that will be of value in the develop- 
 ment of the story. 
 
 SO 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 A Word of Warning. 
 
 1. The trained photoplayuright is occupied much longer in selecting a theme, in 
 gathtring material, in creating characters, and in building plot, than in actual writing. 
 In other words, the creation of photoplays is a task of the imagination rather than of 
 the typewriter. Good drama can not be dashed off like a letter, or even like a news- 
 paper story. It must be built, step by step, brick by brick, scene by scene, until the 
 completed dramatic structure possesses the finish, the solidity, and the beauty of a work 
 of architecture. 
 
 DRAMATIC AND UNDRAMATIC. 
 
 2. The dramatic way of telling a story is that which makes the most direct and 
 poignant appeal to the emotions of the audience. By the very nature of drama^ a dra- 
 matic story is compressed, condensed and concentrated more than any other kind of 
 fiction. Melodrama was once graphically described as "hitting the high spots," and in 
 this sense it bears almost the same relation to drama that drama bears to narrative. 
 Where the narrative takes the leisurely, rambling course, careless of the amount of 
 time spent on the wayside, if the wayside happens to interest the author, drama starts 
 out to reach a definite goal as directly and with as much emphasis on the "high spots" 
 or crises as possible. In creating drama, the author must eliminate everything that is 
 non-essential to the effect he is striving for, but the process of elimination must not be 
 carried so far that the action is made abrupt and spasmodic. 
 
 3. In general the action of a drama should start in a moderate tempo, from a 
 plane of repose, and should ascend with growing speed and power to its climax, after 
 which it should fall away gently and calmly to the plane of repose. 
 
 4. In melodrama the tempo is faster, and often the first big situation comes soon 
 after the action starts, and is quickly followed by more tense and dramatic situations 
 until the action culminates in the climax of the play. Often, in writing melodrama, 
 the author starts out well, with a good inceptive situation, but fails to carry it onward 
 to crises of greater intensity. In a lesser degree, the same is true of drama. The light 
 situation introducing the conflict of characters is striking and dramatic, but the author 
 fails to carry the action forward until it reaches a real climax. By a careful study of 
 the situations listed in the subsequent pages and by a close analysis of one's plot, one 
 will have less difficulty in building a strong and logical sequence of situations in an 
 ever-ascending line to the climax. 
 
 5. We have already observed that drama is objective, and that the personality 
 of the author can not be intruded. This fact again illustrates the necessity of elim- 
 inating non-essential parts of a story. Too great attention can not be given to details, 
 especially in writing for the screen, for every minute action possesses a definite value 
 either of characterization or of plot. 
 
 6. Further, the photoplay should possess greater unity of time, place and action 
 than any other work of fiction. A unified storj' is more likely to be dramatic than a 
 rambling one, and the failure of most novels adapted to the screen lies in their lack 
 of unity. They were not dramatized — that is, unified, intensified, concentrated. They 
 consequently failed to make the direct emotional appeal that is necessary to the exist- 
 ence of drama. 
 
 31 
 
7. On the other hand, many stage plays have also failed when adapted to the 
 screen, not because they were undramatic originally, but because the usual stage play 
 does not contain enough screenable action to occupy five reels of film and the adapta- 
 tions therefore became padded with non-essentials, drawn-out, narrative in manner, 
 and undramatic. The screen needs its own literature — a dramatic literature written 
 for the screen by writers who appreciate and understand their new medium of 
 expression. 
 
 8. Unity of action demands that all the incidents of a photoplay shall converge 
 upon the development of a single plot, a central theme. This kind of unity is more 
 essential than that of time and place, but in well-constructed plays they are usually 
 concomitant with it. Unity of action is a quality of the short-story and the drama, but 
 not necessarily of the novel or the tale. This, then, is another distinction between 
 drama and narrative. While narrative is quite often dramatic and even melodramatic, 
 drama should never be narrative in manner. 
 
 9. Many produced photoplays are criticized by the reviewers because they are 
 slow in getting started, because the first two reels are of no dramatic value, or because 
 the interest lags after the first two reels. A careful study of the trade journals, in 
 which the current reviews are published, indicates that these are the chief weaknesses 
 of otherwise sound photoplays. A careful study of the dramatic situations will show 
 that such weaknesses are due to a lack of knowledge on the part of the authors as to 
 what constitutes drama. A sound knowledge of the thirty-six fundamental situations 
 will safeguard the author against such weaknesses and will make it possible for him 
 to judge the dramatic value of his plays. 
 
 THE TEST OF SITUATIONS. 
 
 10. If a situation is the best possible one that can be found to use in a given 
 story, expressive of your theme and of the relations of your characters, its use is justi- 
 fiable. But always the situation should spring from the theme and the characteriza- 
 tion, at least so far as the finished product is concerned, for only in that way can the 
 spectator be made to believe in the inevitability of your plot action. If, on the other 
 hand, you allow a certain situation to enter into your story without regard to the 
 theme and characterization, the finished play will be artificial, lifeless and mechanical. 
 The test of a photoplay situation is its harmony and suitability to the theme you wish 
 to emphasize and to the characters you have made live. 
 
 11. After having studied the examples of situations that have been used in 
 photoplays, you will also recognize that a second test is that of novelty. If your use of 
 a situation is precisely like that of someone else, it will naturally not make a distinctive 
 appeal to an editor. In this connection, it is well to remember that the novelty of a 
 story often depends upon the new point of view the author takes towards his theme 
 and the freshness and originality of his characterization. 
 
 12. We shall find in the following pages a number of examples of old plots 
 vitalized and made human by the insight into theme and characterization. No matter 
 how often a situation has been used before, if you are positive that your theme is big 
 enough and your characterization unusual enough to carry it to success, do not hesi- 
 tate to employ it, for it is treatment rather than the situation itself that distinguishes 
 your finished product. 
 
 SUMMARY 
 
 13. There are thirty-six fundamental dramatic situations, which form the back- 
 bone of all drama, and a knowledge of which is essential to a photoplaywright's suc- 
 cess. Other factors of importance are the vitality of theme, the strength and reality 
 of characterization, the logic and novelty of plot, and the dramatic effect of the 
 finished play. 
 
 14. Let us now proceed to an investigation of the thirty-six situations and their 
 use in photoplays. 
 
 32 
 
ANOTHER CAUTION. 
 
 15. Once again we would insist that the reader drop any idea of finding herein 
 ready-made plots, or of attempting the artificial and mechanical combinations of situa- 
 tions that might form plots. Such methods will always prove ineflfective and their 
 products will be dull and uninteresting. Seek, instead, in the following pages, sug- 
 gestions of value in your future work, study the pitfalls we point out, and use the list 
 of situations and e.xamples as a reference with which to test the strength or weakness 
 of your own ideas. 
 
 33 
 
PART TWO 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 FIRST SITUATION— SUPPUCATION. 
 
 In the first situation, the technical elements necessary are a Persecutor, a Sup- 
 pliant, and a Power in authority, whose decision is uncertain. Any form of Suppli- 
 cation involving such elements may be considered as a subdivision of the situation. 
 Some of its most interesting sub-divisions are: 
 
 A(l) — Fugitives Imploring the Powerful for Help Against Their 
 Enemies. 
 
 This sub-division of the first situation has been used in many forms in the photo- 
 play, especially as the inceptive situation of a play. It still offers splendid oppor- 
 tunities for development to the photoplaywright who can devise new variations. In 
 the photoplay, its chief use has been in the favorite old romance of the maiden in 
 distress, as the Suppliant; a guardian or parent as the Persecutor, and a brave hero 
 who becomes the Power in authority. It bears a close relation to Situation II, 
 "Deliverance," which is its usual development. 
 
 (2) — Assistance Implored for the Performance of a Pious Duty Which 
 has Been Forbidden. 
 
 Obviously this sub-division was of more value in classic drama than in modern 
 photoplays, for pious duties do not occupy the same position in the daily life of today 
 that they did in former times. However, it offers food for thought, and it has been 
 used partially in one or two Indian photoplays of the past, in which a character 
 appeals to a power in authority for permission to bury his dead. Its treatment must 
 be subtle in the photoplay, lest it produce an undesirable or morbid effect. 
 
 (3) — Appeals for a Refuge in Which to Die. 
 
 Again we have a sub-division requiring subtle treatment lest it appear morbid. 
 Its chief use has been in the case of melodrama, in which a character — usually the 
 villain — seeks a refuge from his pursuers. 
 
 B (1) — Hospitality Besought by the Shipwrecked. 
 
 (2)— Charity Entreated by Those Cast Off by Their Own People, Whom 
 They Have Disgraced. 
 
 (3) — Expiation: The Seeking of Pardon, Healing or Deliverance. 
 
 The first of these three sub-divisions has its value in sea stories, and has been 
 used in a number of such photoplays. The second bears a close relation to Situation 
 XXVII, "The Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One," and has often been em- 
 ployed in combination with it. The third has been used chiefly in stories involving 
 deathbed confessions, in which the villain appeals to those he has persecuted for 
 pardon. Although that use has been sadly overdone, and is now exhausted, the same 
 idea is worthy of new treatment. 
 
 C (I )— Supplication of the Powerful for Those Dear to the Supplicant. 
 
 (2) — Supplication to a Relative in Behalf of Another Relative. 
 
 (3) — Supplication to a Loved One's Lover, in the Loved One's Behalf. 
 
 These three subdivisions have been used effectively in many photoplays, as we 
 shall see when we analyze our examples. There is here a danger of repetition, and 
 
 37 
 
one should exercise especial care to make sure that one's treatment of these forms of 
 Supplication is distinctive and novel. By a careful study of the examples given else- 
 where, one will be able to avoid the timevvorn and familiar usage and to devise novel 
 and interesting variations. 
 
 On the whole, the First Situation has been used sparingly by modern dramatists 
 and photoplaywrights and offers a good opportunity for future use. The essential 
 trinity is capable of infinite variety, and with the original characterization of the 
 Suppliant, Persecutor and Power, new variations of the subdivisions here given will 
 suggest themselves. 
 
 Examples of photoplay value, of each of the dramatic Situations, will be found, 
 arranged alphabetically, with suggestive comment, in subsequent chapters. The 
 reader is advised to grasp thoroughly the information contained in this section of the 
 book before proceeding to the examples, which will then be more valuable. 
 
 SECOND SITUATION— DEUVERANCE. 
 
 This situation is, in a sense, the converse of the first, and the elements are an 
 Unfortunate, a Threatener and a Rescuer. In the modern photoplay it has been used 
 chiefly as the development of Situation X, "Abduction," and its use in that way has 
 been very much overdone. On the other hand, in almost every other form, it has 
 been untouched, and offers alluring possibilities to the creative imagination. This 
 situation is really the basis of chivalry, and when properly developed makes a deep 
 appeal to emotional sympathy. 
 
 A — Appearance of a Rescuer to the Condemned. 
 
 In certain sensational melodramas, in which the hero was about to be executed 
 on circumstantial evidence, this subdivision has formed the basis of the climax. Except 
 in that sensational usage, it has not been developed in an interesting or appealing way. 
 
 (1) — Rescue by Friends, or by Strangers Grateful for Kindness or 
 Hospitality. 
 
 The first of these subdvisions is interesting because it brings into the drama the 
 heroic character of the Child, and the first manifestation of the theme — -"A little 
 child shall lead them" — which is still poignant and appealing when used in a vital 
 and distinctive way. 
 
 The second is capable of varied development, depending upon the characters of 
 the Unfortunate, and the Rescuers. 
 
 Like the first, the second situation of the thirty-six has been ignored in its larger 
 and subtler aspects, and offers many interesting suggestions to the alert and imagina- 
 tive writer. 
 
 In studying this situation, try to conceive as many variations and subdivisions 
 of deliverance as possible, creating distinctive characters and visualizing the action of 
 the scenes in which the situation would be presented on the screen. Follow the same 
 practice throughout your study, and your power of inventiveness and keenness of 
 visualization will be increased tenfold. 
 
 TfflRD SITUATION— CRIME PURSUED BY VENGEANCE. 
 
 In this situation we find the basis of a great many photoplays, for the theme of 
 vengeance has been a vital element in the literature of all ages. In certain forms it 
 may still be used with good effect, usually in combination with Situations XXIX and 
 XXXIII, "An Enemy Loved" and "Erroneous Judgment." In general, however, 
 the theme of vengeance makes less appeal to modern audiences than it obviously did 
 in the past, and it has been used so frequently that especial care is required to make it 
 effective. Particular attention is necessary in characterizing the human elements of 
 the situation, the Avenger and the Criminal, for almost unconsciously one will allow 
 one's imagination to follow the classic paths of imitation. 
 
 38 
 
A ( I ) — The Avenging of a Slain Parent or Ancestor. 
 
 (2) — The Avenging of a Slain Child or Desceudant. 
 
 (3) — Vengeance for a Child Dishonored. 
 
 (4) — The Avenging of a Slain Wife or Husband. 
 
 (5) — Vengeance for the Dishonor, or Attempted Dishonoring of a Wife. 
 
 (6) — Vengeance for a Mistress Slain. 
 
 (7) — Vengeance for a Slain or Injured Friend. 
 
 (8) — Vengeance for a Sister Seduced 
 
 In considering the foregoing subdivisions of vengeance, try to recall all of the 
 stage plays, short stories and photoplays you have seen or read in which this element 
 occurs. All of these phases of vengeance have been used repeatedly by photoplay- 
 wrights and fictionists, many times effectively and often in mere commonplace imita- 
 tion. Vengeance is by no means an exhausted situation, and when it is a manifestation 
 of Compensation and Recoil, it often produces a most impressive dramatic effect. 
 On the other hand, careful analysis and skillful ciiaracterization arc necessary to make 
 real and vital what has been done so often before. 
 
 Still other subdivisions, rather less melodramatic in tone, are: 
 
 B (1 ) — Vengeance for Intentional Injury or Plundering. .; 
 
 (2) — Vengeance for Having Been Despoiled During Absence. 
 
 (3) — Revenge for an Attempted Slaying. 
 
 (4) — Revenge for a False Accusation. 
 
 (5) — Vengeance for Violation. 
 
 (6) — Vengeance for Having Been Robbed of One's Omti. 
 
 (7) — Revenge Upon a Whole Sex for a Deception by One. 
 
 C — Professional Pursuit of Criminals. 
 
 The last-named subdivision is closely related to Situation V, "Pursuit," in one 
 of its subdivisions. 
 
 It is well to observe that B (7), in its modern variations, often forms the basis 
 of comedy dramas. Various photoplays, comedies and comedy dramas, have incor- 
 porated this element, especially when either the hero was a woman-hater or the 
 heroine a man-hater because of some disappointment in love. 
 
 The other phases of Vengeance have been chiefly used in Western photoplays, 
 in those of Alaska or other frontiers, and in photoplays dealing with foreigners — 
 Italians, Japanese, Russians, Mexicans, etc., in all which cases the relative primitive- 
 ness of the characters lends a note of reality to the theme. 
 
 D— Pardon. 
 
 If any subdivision of a situation deserves mention by itself, on the score of not 
 being co\'ered by the general grouping, it is that of Pardon. Polti, in his cynical way, 
 chooses to believe that Pardon is simply a reflective form of Vengeance, in which 
 the pardoner heaps ashes upon him who craves pardon. But to realize its full and 
 significant value in modern drama, one need only remember the spirit of Christianity 
 and the glowing words of Shakespeare, "Pardon is the word to all!" The words 
 of Jesus, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," possess a definite 
 dramatic quality, especially as they follow his "Self-Sacrifice for an Ideal." 
 
 FOURTH SITUATION— VENGEANCE TAKEN FOR KEVDRED 
 UPON KINDRED. 
 
 This situation is really a combination of the preceding, "Crime Pursued by 
 Vengeance," with Situation XXVII, "Discovery of the Dishonor of Kir Ired," and 
 it possesses as many variations as there are ties of relationship between avenger and 
 criminal. The number of possible variations may be obtained by multiplying those 
 of Situation III by those of XXVII. 
 
 39 
 
In addition, many varying circumstances may determine the action of the Avenger. 
 It may be a simple desire on his own part ; the dying wish of the victim ; an imprudent 
 promise to the victim ; the duty of avenging a crime, even though the criminal is a 
 relative, as in the case of an official forced to prosecute a relative; ignorance of the 
 kinship between the avenger and the criminal (which is related to Situation XIX, 
 "Slaying of a Kinsman Unrecognized"), the avenger striking without having recog- 
 nized the criminal ; the discovery that the supposedly guilty kinsman is really innocent. 
 Whatever circumstances give rise to the situation it will be seen from these brief 
 suggestions that it can be used in a multitude of ways, many of them untouched by the 
 photoplaywright of today. 
 
 A (1) — A Father's Death Avenged Upon a Mother. 
 
 (2) — A Mother Avenged Upon a Father. 
 
 B — A Brother's Death Avenged Upon a Son. 
 
 C — A Father's Death Avenged Upon a Husband. 
 
 D — A Husband's Death Avenged Upon a Father. 
 
 These subdivisions are each in a different class, but by carrying the relationships of 
 the Avenger and Criminal into every possible degree, new variations will be apparent. 
 
 Like the preceding situation, this one should be used with a great deal of care and 
 in combination with those which will relieve the horror of its effect. As the examples 
 will indicate, this has sometimes been well done, but it is a difficult task. The situ- 
 ation should therefore only be used when the nature of your theme and character- 
 ization demands its use, and when nothing else will suffice. If it is inevitable in your 
 photoplay, by all means use it, but first of all make sure that it is really inevitable and 
 not the product of idle fancy or chance. 
 
 FIFTH SITUATION— PURSUIT. 
 
 This situation may be considered as a passive form of Situations III and IV, 
 but in this case our interest is chiefly held by the Fugitive, rather than by the Pur- 
 suers. Whatever our hero may have been or may be, we are for the time being held 
 by the stimulating interest of the chase. In dramas using this situation, the central 
 character is placed in a sympathetic predicament whatever his previous actions may 
 have been, for there is a deep, human urge to take the side of the man who is running 
 away from danger. The purely physical excitement of the chase is sufficient to win 
 our complete emotional sympathy, at least for the duration of the dramatic action. 
 
 For this reason Situation V possesses a direct and simple dramatic value, which 
 probably accounts for its frequent use in melodramatic thrillers and in slapstick 
 comedies. The public that appreciates this type of photoplay requires such a direct 
 appeal. The climax of most farcical comedies is the chase, which has been used so 
 frequently and in so many forms that it sometimes seems as though it will never again 
 be effective. In photoplays of the "crook" type, in which the somehow heroic criminal 
 flees from the punishment that threatens him; in plays in which the innocent prisoner 
 escapes from jail and flees his pursuers who would re-incarcerate him ; in slapstick and 
 burlesque in which the blundering clown flees from those who are upset (often literally 
 upset) by his actions; our interest is held in this simple, direct way. 
 
 Because of its direct and simple value this situation has been frequently em- 
 ployed, and therefore the writer must exercise a great deal of care in his development 
 of it. But to the discerning photopla>'wright, who can combine it in new ways with 
 other situations and who can give the elemental characters new variations, there is 
 still a great deal of dramatic opportunity in Situation V. 
 
 A — Fugitives from Justice Pursued for Brigandage, Political Ofifensea, 
 Etc. 
 
 This, with the subdivision of Situation III — "Professional Pursuit of Criminals" 
 — forms the basis of many detective, crook, mystery and serial photoplays. A careful 
 study of such types of photoplays will indicate the variety of ways in which it has been 
 used and the many variations still possible. 
 
 40 
 
B — Pursued For a Fault of Love. 
 
 This subdivision has its obvious dramatic value, but its use in the photoplay has 
 been largely confined to comedies. A large percentage of screen comedies have in one 
 way or another involved this element. 
 
 C — A Hero Struggling Against a Power. 
 
 D — A Villain Pursued by a Relentless Avenger. (In which the sympathy 
 is at least partially with the villain, though we despise him for his weakness, because of 
 the cold, inhuman relentlessness of the pursuer.) 
 
 SIXTH SITUATION— DISASTER. 
 
 This situation forms the basis of many Bible stories, of a great deal of classical 
 literature — especially the Greek epics and dramas, and of most of the pages of history. 
 Its dramatic significance is especially valuable because in its use the powerful are 
 overthrown and the weak exalted. Whether the spectator be powerful or weak, the 
 situation will have a tremendous psychological effect, for it brings home the frailty of 
 human life and causes one to ponder the mysteries of the ways of unseen Powers. 
 
 A (1)— Defeat Suffered. 
 
 (2) — A Fatherland Destroyed. 
 
 (3)— The FaU of Humanity. 
 
 (4) — A Natural Catastrophe. 
 
 These subdivisions have been employed in such spectacular historic photoplays as 
 "INTOLERANCE," "THE BIRTH OF A NATION," and "CABIRIA," and 
 their photoplay value is almost entirely confined to productions of this class. 
 
 B — A Monarch Overthrown. 
 
 This, too, is historically significant, and its use in photoplays is largely confined 
 to the stories of mythical kingdoms. South or Central American Republics, etc. The 
 word "monarch" is used in its broadest sense, and the overthrow of any supremely 
 powerful individual or even class, may be considered as a part of the subdivision. 
 
 C ( 1 ) — Ingratitude Suffered. 
 
 (2) — The Suffering of Unjust Punishment or Enmity. 
 
 (3) — An Outrage Suffered. 
 
 The dramatic value of these subdivisions will be readily apparent, for there is 
 perhaps no more poignant suffering than those indicated here. To create characters 
 with whom the spectator will suffer and to use situations that call forth such sympathy 
 is to succeed in a large measure in the writing of photoplays. 
 
 D (1) — Abandonment by a Lover or a Husband. 
 
 (2) — Children Lost by Their Parents. 
 
 These two subdivisions have been well nigh exhausted in the photoplay, as well 
 as in stage drama, and although they are sometimes of logical value in a drama, they 
 should be used with care and thought. They cannot be relied upon to make a deep 
 appeal and should always be subordinated to more vital and interesting situations. 
 
 In general the Sixth Situation offers a wide opportunity for the photoplaywright 
 and many of the dramas of the future will incorporate tliis element. The situation is 
 the expression of a deep and human theme, one that never fails to hold the public's 
 interest if it is treated skillfully. On the other hand, many writers have signally failed 
 in handling this situation because of the temptation to rely upon chance in its develop- 
 ment. The subdivision A (4), for example, which has been listed by at least one 
 writer as a separate situation under the title "Miracle," is a pure act of Providence 
 and has little dramatic value. In the Greek drama it was used with exceeding power 
 because a sense of the inevitability of the Olympian interference into human affairs was 
 easy to create. Modern audiences are not so naive in their theologies, and dramas 
 involving such chance occurrences are nearly always artificial and ineffective. 
 
 41 
 
CHAPTER VIII - 
 
 SEVENTH SITUATION— FAIXING PREY TO CRUELTY OR 
 
 MISFORTUNE. 
 
 This situation, like the preceding, appeals to the sympathies of an audience, for in 
 this case the central character is placed in a seemingly hopeless Predicament. For this 
 reason it is also excellent dramatic material, but considerable care must be exercised 
 in selecting forms of cruelty and misfortune that will convince an audience of their 
 reality. Exaggeration in this case will reduce the best-intended play to burlesque, 
 and on the other hand the cruelty or misfortune must be serious enough to be of real 
 emotional interest. 
 
 A — The Innocent Made the Victim of Ambitious Intrigue. 
 
 B — The Innocent Despoiled by Those Who Should Protect. 
 
 Both of these subdivisions recall the variations of the Cinderella theme, in which 
 the heroine is a prey to the cruelty of a parent or guardian. So many variations of 
 this theme have been developed that its popularity would seem to have waned, but since 
 it again makes a clear and direct appeal to our sympathies, if it is treated with skill 
 and some degree of noveltj', it will be of genuine dramatic interest. 
 
 C (1) — The Powerful Dispossessed and Wretched. 
 
 (2) — ^A Favorite or an Intimate Finds Himself Forgotten. 
 
 D— The Unfortunate Robbed of Their Only Hope. 
 
 Innumerable other subdivisions remain. Much of the history of the world is that 
 of persecution and suffering, and in the degree that we can awaken the sympathy of an 
 audience by a presentation of such suffering it is of dramatic value. Scores of photo- 
 plays have been built upon some phase of this situation, but its scope is so great that it 
 remains virtually untouched, offering a virgin field in which the creative fancy may 
 gather material for its dreams. 
 
 EIGHTH SITUATION — REVOLT, 
 
 The Eighth Situation, in its more obvious and melodramatic phases, has been 
 employed very frequently as the basis of melodramatic photoplays, usually of the serial 
 type. But in the subtler and more interesting subdivisions it has been almost com- 
 pletely ignored. Perhaps this situation offers a better opportunity than any other, 
 for it embraces the spirit of the times. When the revolter and the oppressor are 
 clearly and humanly drawn, it makes a deep appeal. 
 
 A (1) — A Conspiracy Chiefly of One Individual. 
 (2) — A Conspiracy of Several. 
 
 The element of conspiracy is naturally a part of Revolt, but it is the obvious and 
 melodramatic phase of the Situation. These subdivisions have been frequently used in 
 mystery plays, in "crook" plays, and in various kinds of propaganda productions. 
 Their value lies in the mystery and intrigue with which they may be developed, and the 
 possibilities of creating and maintaining suspense. In thrilling and sensational melo- 
 drama they obviously have an important place, but in the more important types of 
 drama they are of little value. 
 
 42 
 
B (1) — Revolt of One Individual, Who Influences and Involves Others. 
 (2)— A Revolt of Many. 
 
 The first of these two pure subdivisions of Revolt is of especial interest, and it 
 has served effectively in a number of very modern stage plays, such as Shaw's "Fanny's 
 First Play" and Stanley Houghton's "Hindle Wakes." Much of the best fiction 
 of today, especially that which is realistic, is concerned with Revolt, either of one indi- 
 vidual or of many. In the photoplay, the subject has been treated chiefly in capital 
 and labor plays, which seldom possess a vital emotional appeal, and in plays dealing 
 with similar social, rather than human, problems. Except in a few cases, which will 
 be mentioned in the Examples, the subject of Revolt has not been dealt with in a 
 really human way. For the screen, naturally, the revolt of one individual who influ- 
 ences others is of more value than that of many, for it leads to a greater concentration 
 and dramatic tension. 
 
 The use of this situation in Comedy should be mentioned, for it is often provoca- 
 tive of a great deal of laughter. In addition to straight comedy, the attempt has been 
 made, occasionally, to develop the situation in a satirical way. But satire is so entirely 
 dependent upon words that it seems to be unsuited for the screen. A touch of satire in 
 the subtitles is very often effective, but in general there must be some weightier emo- 
 tional interest in photoplays. It is well to remember that although an actor may speak 
 satirically, it is quite impossible for him to act satirically. 
 
 NINTH SITUATION— DARING ENTERPRISE. 
 
 The necessary elements of this situation are a Bold Leader, an Object and an 
 Adversary. It will thus be seen that the Conflict which forms the basis of all the 
 situations, is here clearly defined. The three factors of a dramatic triad are set forth, 
 and the scene is laid for a tense and interesting drama. Situation IX has scarcely 
 been touched by the modern drama, and it is especially suitable for the screen. The 
 nature of the enterprise, the kinds of scenery required, the unusual romance of the 
 theme, all make the situation of photoplay value. Like the situation of Revolt, it has 
 been rarely used except as the basis of commonplace and ordinary melodrama. The 
 infinite variations of the theme — depending upon the characters, the object sought, 
 the many kinds of difficulties that could interfere with the Lender's success — have 
 received little attention from the dramatist. Modern fiction, on the other hand, has 
 some notable examples of this situation. 
 
 A — Preparation for War. 
 
 B(l)— War, 
 
 (2) — A Combat. 
 
 C (1) — Carrying Off a Desired Person or Object. 
 
 (2) — Recapture of a Desired Object. 
 
 These obvious subdivisions have been frequently employed, and they require 
 careful treatment. At this time, the war element is especially exhausted and unpopular. 
 
 D (1) — Adventurous Expeditions. 
 
 (2) — Adventure Undertaken for tbe Purpose of Obtaining a Loved 
 Woman, 
 
 (3) — Adventure Undertaken for the Purpose of Saving a Loved One's 
 Honor. 
 
 Nearly all fairy tales, a great deal of romance, and especially the so-called 
 "adventure" stories of today, are examples of the use of these subdivisions. They 
 are capable of infinite and varied development, and they ofTer the observing and 
 creative writer excellent suggestions for photoplays. 
 
 Situation IX is especially effective in combination with VIII, VI, XIII, but 
 in almost every case it forms a sound basic situation. It must not be felt, however, 
 that the situation should be used to excess merely because many of its phases have been 
 
 41 
 
neglected. But if the author brings to it a wide experience, a love of romance, and 
 an ability to characterize charming and human adventures, he will probably achieve 
 success in the development of Situation IX. 
 
 TENTH SITUATION— ABDUCTION. 
 
 The necessary elements of this situation are the Abductor, the Abducted and the 
 Guardian. 
 
 In the Tenth Situation we come upon one of the most exhausted dramatic predica- 
 ments. Perhaps no other situation of the entire thirty-six has been used so frequently 
 as this one. It is a clear case of rivalry; and, to a degree, Situation XXIV, "Jealousy," 
 appears. 
 
 A — Abduction of an Unwilling Woman. 
 
 B — Abduction of a Consenting Woman. 
 
 C (1) — Recapture of the Woman Without the Slaying of the Abductor. 
 
 (2) — The Same Case, With the Slaying of the Abductor. 
 
 D (1) — Rescue of a Captive Friend. 
 
 (2)— Of a Child. 
 
 (3) — Of a Sold in Captivity to Error. 
 
 The situation of abduction has been used chiefly in melodramas and in serials. 
 It has not been exhausted as a dramatic situation but it requires an especially careful 
 development. Every phase of this situation has been repeatedly used with the 
 exception of D (3). This subdivision ofTers an excellent opportunity for the photo- 
 playwright to develop stories based upon vital, human and appealing themes. Infinite 
 variations of D (3), "A Soul in Captivity to Error," are possible, and many of them 
 may be used effectively on the screen. One of the examples we shall consider, "The 
 Miracle Man," is an especially effective use of this subdivision. Other examples will 
 show how hackneyed some of the more obvious subdivisions of the Tenth Situation are 
 and will offer caution to the photoplaywright in their use. 
 
 B — The abduction of a consenting woman deserves especial mention because of 
 its value in comedy drama. The character of the consenting woman and the reasons for 
 her consent, as well as the character of the abductor, in some cases perhaps an unwilling 
 agent, will determine the value of its use. A very excellent comedy drama of the 
 lighter kind might be written, for example, on the premise of a girl's desire to be 
 abducted by her romantic hero. Although the situation has been used several times 
 in this form. It is relatively fresh, and with proper characterization and comedic treat- 
 ment it should prove very effective. 
 
 Unless some novelty of treatment of Situation X can be devised, the photoplay- 
 wright should eschew Its use. But to the alert imagination it is still interesting. 
 
 ELEVENTH SITUATION— THE ENIGMA. 
 
 The necessary elements of this situation are the Interrogator, the Seeker and 
 Problem. 
 
 Except in "crook" plays and in other mystery stories. Situation XI has not been 
 used to any great extent In motion pictures. It is of theatrical value because it is one 
 of the best situations for creating and sustaining suspense. 
 
 A — Search for a Person Who Must Be Foxmd on Pain of Death. 
 
 B ( 1 )— A Riddle to Be Solved on Pain of Death. 
 
 (2) — The Same Case, in Which the Riddle Is Proposed by the Coveted 
 Woman. 
 
 C ( 1 ) — Temptations Offered With the Object of Discovering His Name. 
 
 (2) — Temptations Offered With the Object of Ascertaining the Sex. 
 
 (3) — Tests for the Purpose of Ascertaining the Mental Condition. 
 
 +4 
 
This situation is of importance as a means of developing suspense, but it should 
 not be relied on to furnish vitality or emotional appeal to a play. 
 
 These subdivisions were of more value in classic drama than in the photoplay of 
 today, for they are all somewhat morbid and disagreeable; but they are suggestive 
 of many variations of the same kind of enigmas, and in some of the examples we 
 shall consider, we will find that the modern use of the enigma has been very effective. 
 
 A photoplay has sometimes been divided into three definite parts, corresponding to 
 Aristotle's rule that a drama should possess a beginning, a middle and an end. The 
 photoplay may be said to have a premise, in which a question is asked ; a development, 
 in which certain clues to the answer are supplied, though the enigmatic nature of 
 the question remains unchanged ; and a conclusion, in which the true answer is supplied. 
 Photoplays which follow the word as well as the spirit of this rule will usually fall 
 into one or another phase of Situation XI. 
 
 The rule is worth remembering as a test of logical plot development. 
 
 TWELFTH SITUATION— OBTAINING. 
 
 A — Efforts to Obtain an Object by Ruse or Force. 
 B — Endeavor by Means of Persuasive Eloquence. 
 C — Eloquence With an Arbitrator. 
 
 It will be seen from these subdivisions that Situation XII bears a direct 
 relation to Situations I and II, "Supplication" and "Deliverance." It might, indeed, 
 be listed as a subdivision of either of these Situations but its use in the classical drama, 
 particularly where the spoken word is of impressive dramatic value, requires its listing 
 as a separate and distinct Situation. It has obvious melodramatic value,_ especially in 
 Subdivision A, and in its more subtle phases, it is a milder, gentler Situation than 
 I or II. However, the photoplaywright should not depend for vital dramatic effect 
 upon Situation XII. 
 
 45 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 THIRTEENTH SITUATION — ENIMITY OF KINSRIEN. 
 
 The necessary elements are a Malevolent Kinsman, a Hated or Reciprocally 
 Hating Kinsman. 
 
 Situation XHI is an excellent example of dramatic contrast. It might be stated, 
 "hatred of one who should be loved" and is therefore the converse of Situation XXIX 
 
 "Love of one who should be hated." The more closely are drawn the bonds of 
 
 enmity, the more effective and dramatic will be the outbursts of hate. Also, this Situ- 
 ation possesses a great deal of dramatic tension. It is rather difficult to use it plausibly, 
 for elements of discord powerful enough to break the strongest human ties are indeed 
 ver>- rare. 
 
 A — Hatred of Brothers. 
 
 (1) — One Brother Hated by Several. 
 
 (2) — Reciprocal Hatred. 
 
 (3) — Hatred Between Relatives for Reasons of Self-interest. 
 
 B — Hatred of Father and Son. 
 
 ( 1 )_Of the Son for the Father. 
 
 (2)— Mutual Hatred. 
 
 (3) — Hatred of Daughter for Father. 
 
 The enmity between father and daughter when the parent had desired a boy, 
 or the reverse, is the most frequent use of this situation. The enmity of a mother-in- 
 law and her son or daughter-in-law is, of course, the foundation of many burlesques 
 and farcical comedies. Both of these manifestations may be mentioned as rather 
 time-worn, and the writer should use the ideas suggested with great hesitance and care. 
 
 C — Hatred of Grandfather for Grandson. 
 
 D — Hatred of Father-in-law for Son-in-law. 
 
 E — Hatred of Mother-in-law for Daughter-in-law. 
 
 F — Infanticide. 
 
 The subdivisions here listed will indicate the many degrees of relationship that 
 may be used to express Situation XHI. In a certain sense XHI is a variant of Situ- 
 ation Vni, "Revolt," for very often in the modern drama, the enmitj' of kinsmen is 
 caused by the revolt of the young against the traditional conventions of the old. Such 
 revolt does not always give rise to definite enmity, but often it approaches that. 
 
 The Xnith Situation has its obvious climactic value in the photoplay and it has 
 often been used effectively. The chief danger lies in its tendency towards exaggerated, 
 unconvincing melodrama. The writer must make sure that his characterization, his 
 theme, and every incident of his plot are plausible and convincing and that they lead 
 inevitably to the use of Situation XIH. Only when it is used with seeming inevita- 
 bility will it convince and really grip an audience. 
 
 FOURTEENTH SITUATION— RIVALRY OF KINSMEN. 
 
 The necessary elements are the Preferred Kinsman, the Rejected Kinsman and the 
 Object. Situation XIV has been used very frequently, both in fiction and in the photo- 
 
 4< 
 
play. The most obvious forms in which it is frequently submitted to the studios is 
 that of the good and bad brother in love with the same girl, the nobility of the one 
 contrasted with the villainy of the other. Sometimes, the relationship is that of 
 cousins, less often that of father and son or mother and daughter. There will always 
 be a strength and vitality in Situation XIV, but as in the preceding case, there is a real 
 danger of exaggeration and implausibility. 
 
 A ( 1 ) — Malicious Rivalry of a Brother. 
 
 (2) — Malicious Rivalry of Two Brothers. 
 
 (3) — Rivalry of Two Brothers, with Adultery on the Part of One. 
 
 (4) — Rivalry of Sisters. 
 
 B (1) — Rivalry of Father and Son for an Unmarried Woman. 
 
 (2) — Rivalry of Father and Son for a Married Woman. 
 
 (3) — Case Similar to the Two Foregoing, but in Which the Object Is 
 Already the Wife of the Father. 
 
 (4) — Rivalry of Mother and Daughter. 
 
 C — Rivalry of Cousins. 
 
 D — Rivalry of Friends. 
 
 Situation XIV offers excellent opportunity to the really creative and original 
 author. The examples cited later on will indicate the most frequent and therefore the 
 least effective uses of this Situation, but to the writer with a clear understanding of 
 human relationship, there are innumerable phases of rivalry of kinsman that have not 
 been exploited by the modern author. The danger lies in the tendency to treat the 
 Situation in a sensational and unconvincing way. It possesses a great deal of crude 
 dramatic strength, but that part of it has been emphasized almost to the exclusion of 
 its more subtle and more interesting phases. 
 
 When the subtler phases of the situation are used skillfully, with appealing char- 
 acterization, as, for example, in "The Blinding Trail," it makes a very deep and 
 poignant appeal. In that story, the rivalry between the two girls of quite opposite 
 temperament and character, cousins, was combined with the sacrifice of the one for the 
 other. It resulted in a deep, human drama that moved the audience, in a thrilling, 
 though natural and restrained way. 
 
 FIFTEENTH SITUATION— MURDEROUS ADULTERY. 
 
 The necessary elements are Two Adulterers, a Betrayed Husband or Wife. 
 A (1 ) — The Slaying of a Husband by or for a Paramour. 
 (2)— Tlie Slaying of a Trusting Lover. 
 B — Slaying of a Wife for a Paramour and in Self-interest. 
 
 There is little room for this Situation in the photoplay, for whatever strength it 
 may possess and however real it may be, it is not suitable for presentation to such a 
 large audience as that of the photoplay. In classic drama it has been used with a great 
 deal of effectiveness and in some cases poetic beauty, but in the photoplay it^^has 
 nearly always been combined with Situation XXXIII, "Erroneous Judgment," in 
 which case the murderous adultery does not develop but is averted. 
 
 SIXTEENTH SITUATION— MADNESS. 
 
 Madness in almost any form is of little value in the photoplay for again it is an 
 unsuitable subject for photoplay production. There is a fascination about the subject 
 which leads many writers to deal with it. Often it is used in a comedic way, but it has 
 been found by experience that comedy based upon such a theme is ineffective. The 
 gruesomeness of madness or the actions of madness are too revolting to possess genuine 
 entertainment value. The subdivisions that have been used in classic drama are: 
 
 A (1) — Kinsmen Slain in Madness. 
 
 (2) — A Lover Slain in Madness. 
 
 47 
 
(3) — Slaying or Injuring of a Person Not Hated. 
 
 B — Disgrace Brought Upon One's Self Through Madness. 
 
 C — Loss of Loved Ones Brought About by Madness. 
 
 D — Madness Brought On by Fear of Hereditary Insanity. 
 
 Situation XVI bears a direct relationship to the XVIIth, "Fatal Imprudence," 
 and to the XXI Ind, "All Sacrificed for a Passion," but in both of these cases the mad- 
 ness is temporary, and therefore less revolting than in the phases we have just 
 considered. 
 
 SEVENTEENTH SITUATION— FATAL IMPRUDENCE. 
 
 The necessary elements are the Imprudent, the Victim or the Object Lost. 
 
 A (1) — Imprudence the Cause of One's Own Misfortune. 
 
 (2) — Imprudence the Cause of One's Own Dishonor. 
 
 B (1) — Curiosity the Cause of One's Own Misfortune. 
 
 (2) — Loss of Possession of a Loved One, Through Curiosity.' 
 
 C (1) — Curiosity the Cause of Death or Misfortune to Others. 
 
 (2) — Imprudence the Cause of a Relative's Death. 
 
 (3) — Imprudence the Cause of a Lover's Death. 
 
 (4) — Credulity the Cause of Kinsmen's Deaths. 
 
 Although the dramatic interest of this situation will be apparent from a listing of 
 the subdivisions, its comcdic value should be especially emphasized. Very often impru- 
 dence or curiosity has been used with a great deal of effect in one or two-reel comedies. 
 The use of recoil in this connection is obviously effective. In comedy drama also the 
 subdivisions A (1), B (1) and (2) may be developed skillfully and they are by no 
 means hackneyed. In the purely dramatic phases, the situation is again somewhat 
 unsuited to the screen because of its morbidity and unpleasantness. 
 
 EIGHTEENTH SITUATION— INVOLUNTARY CRIMES OF LOVE. 
 
 This situation is one of the most fantastic and implausible of the thirty-six. It is 
 purely dependent upon chance, and its dramatic value is therefore minimized, but it 
 evidently possesses a deep fascination for the average beginnmg writer. In one phase 
 or another, the idea is submitted time after time. It has been used to exhaustion in the 
 classical drama and in photoplays, but the chief objections are its dependence upon 
 chance and the unpleasantness of its appeal. 
 
 A(l) — Discovery That One Has Married One's Mother. 
 
 (2) — Discovery That One Has Had a Sister as Mistress. 
 
 B (1) — Discovery That One Has Married One's Sister. 
 
 (2) — The Same Case, in Which the Crime Has Been Villainously 
 Planned by a Third Person. 
 
 (3) — Being Upon the Point of Taking a Sister, Unknowingly, as 
 Mistress. 
 
 C — Being Upon the Point of Violating, Unknowingly, a Daughter. 
 
 D (1) — Being Upon the Point of Committing an Adultery Unknow- 
 ingly. 
 
 (2) — Adultery Committed Unknowingly. 
 
 The most frequent subdivision is that of B (1), which is submitted regularly to 
 the motion picture studios until the editors feel there is no originality left in the 
 world. But any and all of the subdivisions of this Situation should be studiously 
 avoided, for they are dramatically valueless. The fundamental implausibility of such 
 relationships and the depressing nature of any theme involving the Situation renders 
 it unsuitable for photoplay use. The photoplayvvright who really respects his medium 
 and who wishes to inspire as well as to entertain his audience will avoid Situations 
 of this type. 
 
 48 
 
CHAPTER X 
 NINETEENTH SITUATION— SLAYING OF A KINSMAN UNRECOGNIZED. 
 
 Like the preceding Situation, this one is fundamentally implausible for it depends 
 upon the accident of one's failure to recognize a kinsman. 
 
 A (1) — Being Upon the Point of Slaying a Daughter Unknowingly by 
 Command of a Divinity or an Oracle. 
 
 (2)— Through Political Necessity. 
 
 (3) — Through a Rivalry in Love. 
 
 (4) — Through Hatred of the Lover of the Unrecognized Daughter. 
 
 B (1) — Being Upon the Point of Killing a Son Unknowingly. 
 
 (2) — A Son Slain Without Being Recognized. 
 
 C — Being Upon the Point of Slaying a Brother Unknowingly. 
 
 D — Slaying of a Mother Unrecognized. 
 
 E — A Father Slain Unrecognized. 
 
 F — Failure to Rescue an Unrecognized Son. 
 
 The foregoing subdivisions are listed chiefly because they will indicate to the 
 photoplaywright various human relationships which should be avoided in writing for 
 the screen. It is worth while noting that Shakespeare, who had the most thorough 
 understanding of human nature and of dramatic values of any man who has ever 
 written, never made use of Situation XIX. He recognized it as an altogether acci- 
 dental situation and one which had no bearing upon his studies of the will. Because 
 it is accidental, it does not provide the writer with a genuine opportunity for creating 
 characters. 
 
 In this connection one should remember the dramatic formula: Nature creates 
 Character, and Character manifests itself in Action. If the writer allows his Char- 
 acters to manifest themselves in accidents rather than in logical, natural action, the 
 whole power of drama as a concentrated and impressive picture of life will be lost. 
 
 TWENTIETH SITUATION— SELF-SACRIFICE FOR AN IDEAL. 
 
 The self-sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross has been called the most inspiring moment 
 in all human history. Certainly no situation is as noble as this one. Whatever the 
 ideal may be, whether political, religious, personal or philosophical, the sacrifice of the 
 central character of all interests, passions, even of life itself— a complete renunciation 
 of the things commonly considered of value and the apotheosis of the ideal — constitutes 
 one of the most inspiring human acts. It is capable of many variations and it is as 
 fresh today as it was two thousand years ago, for nothing is S3 rare and nothing is so 
 inspiring as such a sacrifice. 
 
 A ( 1 )— Sacrifice of Life for the Sake of One's Word. 
 
 (2)— Life Sacrificed for the Success of One's People or for the Happi- 
 ness of One's People. 
 
 (3)— Life Sacrificed in Filial Piety. 
 
 (4)— Life Sacrificed for the Sake of One's Faith or for the Sake of 
 
 49 
 
B (1) — Both Love and Life Sacrificed for One's Faith. 
 
 (2) — Both Love and Life Sacrificed to a Cause. 
 
 (3) — Love Sacrificed to Interests of State. 
 
 C — Sacrifice of Well-being to Duty. 
 
 D — The Ideal of Honor Sacrificed to the Ideal of Faith. 
 
 Despite the nobility and the dramatic value of Situation XX it must not be 
 supposed that any simple use of the theme of "self-sacrifice for an ideal" will constitute 
 effective photoplay material. As in every other case, the theme must be authentic, 
 vital and humanly appealing and the characters must be drawn in effective contrast. 
 Because of its inherent fineness, this situation should be used only when the other ele- 
 ments of a story justify its use and make it necessary. The writer should avoid 
 selecting material simply because it has been considered effective or of value. Let your 
 ideas spring from a knowledge and love of life and use this work merely as a critical 
 guide and reference. 
 
 TWENTY-FIRST SITUATION— SELF-SACRIFICE FOR KINDRED. 
 
 A (1 ) — Life Sacrificed for Tlial of a Relative or a Loved One. 
 
 (2) — Life Sacrificed for the Happiness of a Relative or a Loved One. 
 
 B (1) — Ambition Sacrificed for the Happiness of a Parent. 
 
 (2) — Ambition Sacrificed for the Life of a Parent. 
 
 C (1) — Love Sacrificed for the Sake of a Parent's Life. 
 
 (2)— For the Happiness of One's Child or for the Happiness of a Loved 
 One. 
 
 D (1) — The Life and Honor Sacrificed for the Life of a Parent or 
 Loved One or the Same Sacrifice Made for the Honor of a Loved One. 
 
 (2) — Modesty Sacrificed for the Life of a Relative or a Loved One. 
 
 The twenty-first Situation possesses a warm human quality that even the pre- 
 ceding one lacks, but self-sacrifice for a relative or for a loved one has formed the 
 basis of a great many fiction stories and photoplays. The theme, unless treated with 
 distinction and novelty, is very trite. But there are many ways in which the basic idea 
 of this situation may be used with effect. The subdivisions listed above indicate the 
 tension possible in the use of this situation and if it is treated as an authentic develop- 
 ment of the relationship of real, living characters, it will make powerful photoplay 
 material. But the photoplaywright should be especially careful to analyze his charac- 
 terization, his theme and his plot elements in order to determine whether or not they 
 possess a freshness of viewpoint that will hold the interest of the spectator. 
 
 TWENTY-SECOND SITUATION— ALL SACRIFICED FOR A PASSION. 
 
 A ( 1 ) — Religious Vows of Chastity Broken for a Passion. 
 
 (2) — A Vow of Purity Broken. 
 
 (3) — A Future Ruined by a Passion. 
 
 (4) — Power Ruined by Passion. 
 
 (5) — Ruin of Mind, Health and Life. 
 
 B — Temptations, Destroying the Sense of Duty. 
 
 C (1 ) — Destruction of Honor, Fortune and Life by Erotic Vice. 
 
 (2) — The Same Efifecl Produced by Any Other Vice. 
 
 The chief use of this situation in photoplays has been in stories which traced the 
 downfall of man or woman, caused by drunkenness, gambling, the use of drugs, etc., 
 but the tendency of the producers and the public is to avoid subjects of this type. 
 There is little demand for studies in physical or moral degeneration. Unless this 
 Situation is used merely as the premise of a photoplay and the action developed along 
 
 50 
 
an entirely different line after the idea of sacrifice for passion is planted, the situation 
 will have little dramatic value. In this connection especial mention should be made of 
 the degeneration of noble heroes, caused by women of the "vampire" type. To label 
 a certain character a "vampire" is merely to indicate a type. Stories involving such 
 characters and such conflicts are usually unreal and implausible. This Situation has 
 been used effectively by Shakespeare, Sardou, Oscar Wilde and Biblical authors, but 
 from the screen standpoint, it is of little straight dramatic value. 
 
 The subdivisions listed above may suggest only the melodramatic or morbid 
 phases of the Situation, but there have been a number of comedies and comedy dramas 
 developed from the same theme. Consider subdivision C (2), for example. In a 
 comedy this idea might be developed in this way: A young husband with a "passion" 
 for poker deceives his wife, who becomes jealous (XXXII), etc., etc. Similar mild 
 and amusing "passions" might lead to the loss of loved ones, thus offering a good 
 opportunity for the writer who can appreciate the irony of such a use of recoil. 
 
 TWENTYTHIRD SITUATION— NECESSITY OF SACRIFICING 
 
 LOVED ONES. 
 
 A (1) — Necessity for Sacrificing a Daughter in the Public Interest. 
 
 (2) — Duty of Sacrificing Her in Fulfillment of a Vow to God. 
 
 (3) — Duty of Sacrificing Benefactors or Loved Ones to One's Faith. 
 
 B ( 1 ) — Duty of Sacrificing One's Child, Unknown to Others, Under the 
 Pressure of Necessity. 
 
 (2) — Duty of Sacrificing Under the Same Circumstances, One's Father, 
 One's Husband, One's Son-in-law, One's Brother-in-law or Another Relative. 
 
 (3) — Duty of Contending With a Friend. 
 
 This Situation has seldom been used in any of the phases here listed in photoplays. 
 It is closely related to Situation XXI, "Self-Sacrifice for Kindred," and also to Situa- 
 tion XIII, "Hatred of Kindred," but its chief use has been in classic drama. There 
 are relatively few cases in modern life in which a character has fulfilled the duty or 
 the urgent necessity of sacrificing loved ones. The ethic of today is more highly 
 developed than that of Greece or Rome, and there is no longer an emotionally inter- 
 esting sense of duty so intense. On the other hand, there have been occasional 
 fiction stories and photoplays in which Situation XXIII has been used in a mild form. 
 When we take up the examples, we shall find in certain political stories in which, for 
 instance, an authority, such as a judge, is compelled by sense of duty to sacrifice a loved 
 one — and in other dramas of the same type, a partial use of Situation XXIII. 
 
 Situations XX, XXI, XXII and XXIII are closely related and they are based 
 upon the same general theme of self-sacrifice. They have genuine dramatic value, espe- 
 cially the first two of the four, and if used with a sense of characterization values and 
 skillful plot intelligence, they will form the basis of many successful photoplays. An 
 ever-present danger lies in the tendency to sentimentalize over this theme, especially 
 in dealing with the often-used idea of a mother's sacrifice for her child and similar cases. 
 
 There is a very fine line between warm, human sentiment, an appeal to the deepest 
 feelings of an audience, and mawkish, tiresome, exaggerated sentimentality. This is 
 largely a matter of characterization, but the writer must beware of the pitfalls of 
 sentimentality inherent in such situations. 
 
 TWENTY-FOURTH SITUATION— RIVALRY OF SUPERIOR AND 
 
 INFERIOR. 
 
 In a sense, this Situation is a logical development of the VII Ith, "Revolt," and is 
 often so used in the photoplay. It is of almost equal effectiveness in comedy or serious 
 drama, for there is a compelling appeal to our sympathies in any situation in which 
 so clean and vital a struggle is apparent. This situation lends itself to many combi- 
 
 51 
 
nations. We have already referred to its use with the Vlllth, but it is similarly of 
 dramatic interest in combination with I, "Supplication"; II, "Deliverance"; III, 
 "Crime Pursued by Vengeance"; VII, "Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune," all 
 of the situations dealing with Sacrifice, XXXIII, "Erroneous Judgment," etc. It 
 therefore serves as an excellent basic situation, and if properly combined and developed 
 it will be of great value to the writer. In this situation we have again a very fine 
 example of the use of dramatic contrast. The necessary elements are the Superior 
 Rival, the Inferior Rival and the Object, and the conflict is expressed in the situation 
 itself. 
 
 A — Masculine Rivalries. (1) — Of a Mortal and an Immortal. 
 
 (2) — Of a Magician and an Ordinary Man. 
 
 (3) — Of Conqueror and Conquered. Of a Master and a Banished Man. 
 
 (4) — Of Suzerain King and Vassal Kings. 
 
 (5)_Of a King and a Noble. 
 
 (6) — Of a Powerful Person and an Upstart. 
 
 (7)_Of Rich and Poor. 
 
 (8) — Of an Honored Man and a Suspected One. 
 
 (9) — Rivalry of Two Who Are Almost Equal. 
 
 (10) — Rivalry of Equals, One of Whom Has in the Past Been Guilty 
 of Adultery. 
 
 ( 1 1 )_Of a Man Who Is Loved and One Wlio Has Not the Right to Love. 
 
 (12) — Of the Two Successive Husbands of a Divorcee. 
 
 B — Feminine Rivalries. ( 1 ) — Of a Sorceress and an Ordinary Woman. 
 
 (2) — Of Victor and Prisoner. 
 
 (3) — Of Queen and Subject. 
 
 (4) — Of a Queen and a Slave. 
 
 (5) — Of a Lady and a Servant. 
 ""(6) — Of a Lady and a Woman of Humbler Position, and of a Lady 
 and Two Women of Humbler Class. 
 
 (7) — Rivalry of Two Who Are Almost Equals, Complicated by the 
 Abandonment of One. 
 
 (8) — Rivalry Between a Memory or an Ideal — (That of a Superior 
 Woman) and a Vassal of Her Own. 
 
 52 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 TWENTY-FIFTH SITUATION— ADULTERY. 
 
 This situation, like XV, "Murderous Adultery," must be dealt with very care- 
 fully in writing for the screen, because of its salacious and sensational element. It has 
 been used skillfully in photoplays and has made a genuine dramatic appeal, but unless 
 it is used in combination with Situations XXXII or XXXIII or XXXIV, it does 
 not possess real strength. 
 
 In such cases it is not "Adultery" properly, but it possesses the strength and inter- 
 est of the basic conflict of "Adultery" without the disagreeable and unpleasant 
 developments. 
 
 A — A Mistress Betrayed: (1) — For a Younger Woman. 
 
 (2) — For a Young Wife. 
 
 (3) — For a Girl. 
 
 B — A Wife Betrayed : ( 1 ) — For a Slave, Who Does Not Love in Return. 
 
 (2) — For Debauchery. 
 
 (3) — For a Married Woman. 
 
 (4) — With the Intention of Bigamy. 
 
 (5) — For a Young Girl, Who Does Not Love in Return. 
 
 (6) — A Wife En\'ied by a Young Girl Who Is in Love With Her 
 
 Husband. 
 
 (7 
 
 (8 
 tress Who Is Congenial. 
 
 -By a Courtesan. 
 
 -Rivalry Between a Lawful Wife Wlio Is Antipathetic and a Mis- 
 
 (9) — Between a Generous Wife and an Impassioned Girl. 
 
 C (1) — An Antagonistic Husband Sacrificed for a Congenial Lover. 
 
 (2) — A Husband, Believed to Be Lost, Forgotten for a Rival. 
 
 (3) — A Commonplace Husband Sacrificed for a Sympathetic Lover. 
 
 (4) — A Good Husband Betrayed for an Inferior Rival. 
 
 (5) — For a Grotesque Rival. 
 
 (6) — For an Odious Rival. 
 
 (7) — For a Commonplace Rival, But a Perverse Wife. 
 
 (8) — For a Rival Less Handsome, But Useful. 
 
 D (1) — Vengeance of a Deceived Husband. 
 
 (2) — Jealousy Sacrificed for the Sake of a Cause. 
 
 E — A Husband Persecuted by a Rejected Rival. 
 
 The writer should avoid this and similar subjects entirely unless he is positive 
 that his theme and his characterization are of sufficient dramatic value to justify such a 
 sensational clement. The subdivisions are listed here as a reference of what to avoid 
 rather than as suggestions for development. 
 
 Despite the fact that this situation is sensational and suggestive, its subdivisions 
 are of genuine dramatic interest, as a close examination will show, and if one can 
 
 53 
 
suggest the conflicts implied without revealing the action in a crude and depressing 
 manner, they arc useful. This has been done in a number of successful photoplays, by 
 suggestion and implication, notably in a minor episode of "For Husbands Only." 
 Most often, however, as in the successful "Don't Change Your Husband," the essential 
 conflict of this situation was made agreeable by the divorce, marriage, divorce and 
 remarriage of the principals. In such a use the situation is definitely a phase of the 
 preceding, "Rivalry Between a Superior and Inferior," but it possesses the added 
 "Love" interest. Largely because of its tense element of conflict this situation should 
 be carefully studied by the student, for it is of exceptional value in its subtler and more 
 delicate subdivisions. 
 
 TWENTY-SIXTH SITUATION — CRIMES OF LOVE. 
 
 This situation is of even less dramatic value than XVIII, "Involuntary Crimes 
 of Love." In that case, the lack of drama was due to the accidental nature of relation- 
 ship. In this case, we deal with erotic, depressing, diseased and psycopathic manifesta- 
 tions. It is not worth while listing all the subdivisions that have been used in classical 
 drama, but it is necessary to mention a few, such as: 
 
 A Mother in Love With Her Son; 
 
 A Daughter in Love With Her Father; 
 
 A Woman Enamored of Her Stepson; or a Womtm and Her Stepson 
 Enamored ; 
 
 A Woman Being the Mistress at the Same Time of a Father and Son, 
 Both of Whom Accept the Situation; 
 
 A Man Being the Lover of a Sister-in-law; 
 
 Brother and Sister in Love With Each Other. 
 
 The only two nuances of this situation that are allowable in the photoplay are: 
 A woman enamoured of her stepson, or a woman and her stepson enamoured of each 
 other; and a man enamoured of his sister-in-law, or stepmother. If these phases are 
 used in combination with other situations that relieve the depressing effect, they have 
 their place in dramas of a certain class. 
 
 The other crimes of love should be obviously acknowledged as unsuitable for the 
 wide audience of the screen, but the frequent submission of the theme— "a brother and 
 sister in love with each other" — requires a word of caution. Even though it is com- 
 bined with Situation XXXIII, "Erroneous Judgment," and the relationship thus 
 proved non-existent, it is terribly hackneyed and too depressing for photoplay treat- 
 ment. It lacks what all good photoplays must have — "entertainment value." 
 
 Situation XXVI should therefore be avoided almost entirely, except in the two 
 phases mentioned above, and they should be used with a great deal of hesitant 
 reluctance. 
 
 TWENTY-SEVENTH SITUATION— DISCOVERY OF THE 
 DISHONOR OF A LOVED ONE. 
 
 This situation is related to the XXIIIrd, "Sacrifice of Loved Ones." There is 
 a. great deal of dramatic tension in any discovery of the dishonor of a loved one, espe- 
 cially if the loved one has been held in high esteem before. The subdivisions listed 
 below are mostly sensational and melodramatic, for that is the tendency of the dra- 
 matists of the past, but there is plenty of room for new and interesting developments 
 of the XXVIIth Situation, especially in A (1), A (2), D (1) and D (5). In its 
 more subtle forms, Situation XXVII possesses a dramatic value unequaled by any 
 except the four dealing with self-sacrifice, but again there is the danger of sensational, 
 exaggerated, implausible development. The author should test his plot and his char- 
 acterizations thoroughly before he finally decides upon the use of Situation XXVII. 
 
 54 
 
Lest it seem that too great stress has been laid upon the purely dramatic and 
 melodramatic phases of some of the situations we have considered, it is well to remem- 
 ber that almost every situation may also be treated in a comedic way. The situation 
 is the bare plot basis ; characterization, development, treatment make the finished play 
 definitely drama, melodrama, comedy drama or comedy. In this case, for example, 
 subdivisions B (1), B (5) and B (7) are susceptible of comedic treatment. 
 
 A(l) — Discovery of a Mother's Shame. 
 
 (2) — Discovery of a Father's Shame. 
 
 (3) — Discovery of a Daughter's Dishonor. 
 
 B (1) — Discovery of a Dishonor in the Family of One's Fiancee. 
 
 (2) — Discovery That One's Wife Has Been Violated Before Marriage 
 —Since the Marriage. 
 
 (3) — Discovery that She Has Previously Committed a Fault. 
 
 (4) — Discovery that One's Wife Has Formerly Been a Wanton. 
 
 (5) — Discovery of Dishonor on the Part of a Lover. 
 
 (6) — Discovery that One's Mistress, Formerly a Wanton, Has Returned 
 to Her Old Life. 
 
 (7) — Discovery That One's Lover Is a Scoundrel, or That One's Mistress 
 Is a Woman of Bad Character, The Same Discovery Concerning a So- 
 called King. 
 
 (8) — The Same Discovery Concerning One's Wife. 
 
 C — Discovery Tliat One's Son Is an Assassin. 
 
 D (1) — Duty of Punishing a Son Who Is a Traitor to Country — A 
 Brother Who Is a Traitor to His Party. 
 
 (2) — Duty of Punishing a Son Condemned Under a Law Which the 
 Father Has Made. 
 
 (3) — Duty of Punishing a Son Believed to Be Guilty. 
 (4) — Duty of Sacrificing, to Fulfill a Vow of Tyrannicide, a Father 
 Until Tlien Unknown. 
 
 (5) — Duty of Punishing One's Mother to Avenge One's Father. 
 
 TWENTY-EIGHTH SITUATION— OBSTACLES TO LOVE. 
 
 A (1) — Marriage Prevented by Inequality of Rank. 
 
 (2) — Inequality of Fortune an Impediment to Marriage. 
 
 B — Marriage Prevented by Enemies and Contingent Obstacles. 
 
 C (1) — Marriage Forbidden on Account of the Young Woman's Pre- 
 vious Betrothal to Another. 
 
 (2) — Tlie Same Case, Complicated by an Imaginary Marriage of the 
 Beloved Object. 
 
 D ( 1 ) — A Free Union Impeded by the Opposition of Relatives. 
 
 (2) — Family Affection Disturbed by the Parents-in-law. 
 
 E — By the Incompatibility of Temper of the Lovers. 
 
 Although this situation in some of the preceding subdivisions has been used 
 repeatedly as the basis of melodrama, its chief photoplay value lies in comedy drama 
 and straight comedy. A (1), (2), C (1), (2), D (2) are excellent bases for comedy 
 and comedy drama. Indeed, it may be estimated that about fifty per cent of the comedy 
 dramas that have been produced have been combinations of Situations XXVIII and 
 XXXIII. The obvious obstacles have been exhausted by too frequent use, but there 
 are so many variations that can be devised to separate or estrange lovers that the situ- 
 ation is still virtually untouched by the dramatist. A keen study and observation of 
 
 55 
 
life will offer many suggestions of ways to use this situation. In fact, obstacles to love 
 are of most frequent occurrence in the stormy life of youth and any real understanding 
 of life will be suggestive of new variations on this theme. 
 
 TWENTY-NINTH SITUATION— AN ENEMY LOVED. 
 
 This situation bears a close relation to V, "Pursuit," and to III, "Crime Pursued 
 by Vengeance," but it possesses the additional strength of the love element. It has 
 formed the basis of innumerable Western melodramas and has been used in virtually all 
 of the "feud" stories, of various locales. The love, for e.xample, of the daughter of a 
 moonshiner for a revenue officer, or the love of a cattle rancher's daughter for an 
 enemy sheep owner are two familiar cases of its use. Because of its particular screen 
 value, it has been exhausted in many forms, and if the photoplaywright finds it a neces- 
 sary part of a play, he should make sure first of all that the theme and characters are 
 worthy of careful development. 
 
 In its comedic form the situation is virtually the same as subdivision B of the 
 XXVIIIth. From that standpoint, also, the situation has been cheapened by too fre- 
 quent use and the writer should be very careful in developing it. 
 
 A — Tlie Loved One Hated by Kinsmen of the Lover. 
 
 (1) — The Lover Pursued by the Brotliers of His Beloved. 
 
 (2) — The Lover Hated by the Family of His Beloved. 
 
 (3) — The Lover Is the Son of a Man Hated by the Kinsmen of His 
 Beloved. 
 
 (4) — The Beloved Is an Enemy of the Party of the Woman Wlio 
 Loves Him. 
 
 B (1) — The Lover Is the Slayer of the Father of His Beloved. 
 
 (2) — The Beloved Is the Slayer of the Father of Her Lover. 
 
 (3) — The Beloved Is the Slayer of the Brother of Her Lover. 
 
 (4) — The Beloved Is the Slayer of the Husband of the Woman Who 
 Loves Him, but Who Has Previously Sworn to Avenge That Husband. 
 
 (5) — The Same Case, Except That a Lover, Instead of a Husband, Has 
 Been Slain. 
 
 (6) — Tlie Beloved Is the Slayer of a Kinsman of the Woman Who 
 Loves Him. 
 
 (7) — The Beloved Is the Daughter of the Slayer of Her Lover's Father. 
 
 THIRTIETH SITUATION— AMBITION. 
 
 The necessary elements of this situation are an ambitious person, a thing coveted, 
 and an ad\'ersary. The passion of ambition is one of the most intellectual and deeply 
 appealing of human emotions. Its forms are myriad, depending upon the character of 
 the ambitious person and the infinite variations of the thing desired. Strangely enough, 
 this situation, which is suggestive of plots dealing with the basic emotional conflicts of 
 humanity, has been practically ignored by dramatists of today. It consequently offers 
 a large and suggestive field to the photoplaywright who understands and can interpret 
 the multifarious expressions of ambition. 
 
 A — Ambition Watched and Guarded Against by a Kinsman or a Patriot 
 Friend. 
 
 (1) — By a Brother. 
 
 (2) — By a Relative or a Person Under Obligation. 
 
 (3) — By Partisans. 
 
 B — Rebellious Ambition. 
 
 "Rebellious Ambition" is closely related to VIII, "Revolt," but it is e\en stronger 
 than that, for it is more soundly motivated. 
 
 56 
 
A valuable exercise for the reader will be to conceive as many forms of Ambition 
 as possible, and then to trace their logical combination with other situations. This 
 practice is of value in every case, but in Situation XXX it will be especially stimulat- 
 ing. The only way to develop plot ability is to create plots. With this situation as a 
 beginning, outline, in accordance with the method suggested before, at least ten plots. 
 Then analyze each one in turn, testing its strength and value. In this way one will 
 acquire a keen critical power and an imaginative alertness. 
 
 C (1) — Ambition and Covetousness Heaping Crime Upon Crime. 
 (2) — Parricidal Ambition, or Ambitious Desire to Slay a Parent for 
 Self -Aggrandizement. 
 
 57 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 THIRTY-FIRST SITUATION— STRUGGLE AGAINST A GOD. 
 
 A (1) — Struggle Against a Deity. 
 
 (2) — Strife With the Believers in a God. 
 
 B (1) — Controversy With a Deity. 
 
 (2) — Punishment for Contempt of a God. 
 
 (3) — Punishment for Pride Before a God. 
 
 (4) — Presumptuous Rivalry With a God. 
 
 (5) — Imprudent Rivalry With a Deity. 
 
 This situation deals with the supreme strife, and forms the basis of the greatest 
 dramas of all time. Except in A (2) it has rarely been used in the photoplay, for its 
 popular appeal is obviously not great. It requires a breadth of treatment and a philo- 
 sophical insight which arc indeed rare, and although it may occasionally be employed 
 in one of its minor phases, as, for example, in a story dealing with the bitter struggle 
 of an atheist to deny God, only to find in the end that God is omnipotent, its general 
 value is rather limited. Lois Weber's production, "When a Girl Loves," made use of 
 that phase of the situation in the beginning of the story, but it quickly merged into a 
 more human and appealing struggle. 
 
 Since this situation is representative of the strife supreme, every other that presents 
 a clear case of conflict may in a sense be considered a phase of it. In a great spec- 
 tacular production with Situation XXXI as the basis, it is conceivable that ten or 
 more other situations might be used in combination with it to excellent dramatic advan- 
 tage. Judging its value according to the usual productions, however, its possibilities 
 are limited. 
 
 THIRTYSECOND SITUATION— MISTAKEN JEALOUSY. 
 
 The necessary elements of this situation are the jealous one, the object of whose 
 possession he is jealous, the supposed accomplice, the cause or the author of the mistake. 
 
 Perhaps no other situation, except X, "Abduction," has been used so repeatedly 
 in the photoplay as this one. It is therefore necessary to analyze one's use of it very 
 carefully in order to determine its effectiveness. 
 
 A (1) — The Mistake Originates in the Suspicious Mind of the Jealous 
 One. 
 
 (2) — Mistaken Jealousy Aroused by a Fatal Chance. 
 
 "Mistaken Jealousy" is of equal value in drama and comedy, and for that very 
 reason the writer must be careful to make his story definitely the one thing or the other. 
 If, for example, one uses it in a dramatic way, but allows one or more episodes to take 
 a satirical or comedic turn, the entire effort will be an ineffective burlesque. Again, 
 therefore, the characterization and the treatment are all-important. In general, how- 
 ever, it is far safer to use the situation in comedy and comedy drama than in any other 
 way. 
 
 The usual melodramatic way of bringing this situation to a logical conclusion — 
 by a murder, a suicide, or a divorce or separation involving enmity— is very hackneyed 
 
 58 
 
and unsatisfactory in the photoplay, because it is the easiest and least dramatic way of 
 devising a climax. 
 
 The dramatic appeal of this situation will require its presence in many of the 
 photoplays of the future, but in its use there must be novelty and distinction of treat- 
 ment or it will be mere imitation of the dramatists of the past. 
 
 A (3) — Mistaken Jealousy of a Love Which Is Purely Platonic. 
 
 (4) — Baseless Jealousy Aroused by Malicious Rumors. 
 
 B ( 1 ) — Jealousy Suggested by a Traitor Who Is Moved by Hatred. 
 
 (2) — The Same Case, in Which the Traitor is Moved by Self-interest. 
 
 B (3) — Tlie Same Case, in Which the Traitor Is Moved by Jealousy 
 and Self-Interest. 
 
 C (1) — Reciprocal Jealousy Suggested to Husbaud und Wife by Rival. 
 
 (2) — Jealousy Suggested to the Husband by a Dismissed Suitor. 
 
 (3) — Jealousy Suggested to the Husband by a Woman Who Is in Love 
 With Him. 
 
 (4) — Jealousy Suggested to the Wife by a Scorned Rival. 
 
 (5) — Jealousy Suggested to a Happy Lover by the Deceived Husband. 
 
 THIRTY-THIRD SITUATION— ERRONEOUS JUDGMENT. 
 
 Situation XXXIII should be considered as a very valuable secondary situation, 
 one by which the horror or depression of some of the others may be relieved. Any kind 
 of mistaken or erroneous judgment may be understood as embraced by this general 
 grouping. In its more specific cases, its chief use has been in dramas involving the 
 now timeworn idea of circumstantial evidence, false accusation against the hero, or 
 against the heroine, which in most cases has been brought to a happy ending by the 
 confession — usually dying confession — of the villain. Because this situation places the 
 entire burden of responsibility upon the much-abused villain, it is likely to be unreal. 
 The general idea of false suspicion falling upon one innocent, because of the activity 
 of a "villain," has been almost exhausted as photoplay material, and its future use must 
 be logical, plausible and convincing. Especial attention must be paid to the character- 
 ization of the villain, for upon him the situation rests. 
 
 A ( 1 ) — False Suspicion — of a Mistress. 
 
 (2) — False Suspicions Aroused by a Misunderstood Attitude of a Loved 
 One. 
 
 (3) — By Indifference. 
 
 B (1) — False Suspicions Dran-n Upon One's Self to Save a Friend. 
 
 (2) — They Fall Upon the Innocent. Upon the Innocent Husband of 
 the Guilty One. 
 
 (3)_The Same Case as (2), but in Which the Innocent Had a Guilty 
 Intention; in Which Case the Innocent Believes Himself Guilty. 
 
 (4)— A Witness to the Crime, in the Interest of a Loved One, Lets 
 Accusation Fall Upon the Innocent. 
 
 C (])— The Accusation Is Allowed to Fall Upon an Enemy. 
 
 (2) — The Error Is Provoked by an Enemy. 
 
 (3)— The Mistake Is Directed Against the Victim by Her Brother. 
 
 D (1)— False Suspicion Thrown by the Real Culprit Upon One of His 
 Enemies. 
 
 (2)— Thrown by the Real Culprit Upon the Second Victim Against 
 Whom He Has Plotted from the Beginning. 
 
 (3) — False Suspicion Thrown Upon a Rival. 
 
 59 
 
(4) — Thrown Upon One Innocent, Because He Has Refused to be an 
 Accomplice. 
 
 (5) — Thrown by a Deserted Mistress Upon a Lover Who Left Her Be- 
 cause He Would Not Deceive Her Husband. 
 
 (6) — Struggle to Rehabilitate One's Self and to Avenge a Judicial Error 
 Purposely Caused. 
 
 THIRTY-FOURTH SITUATION— REMORSE. 
 
 Situation XXXIV possesses something of the appeal of "Pardon" and "Self- 
 Sacrifice for an Ideal or for Kindred," with which it is often combined. From the 
 photoplay standpoint it is of secondarj' value, but it cannot be relied upon to supply 
 vitality or a tense emotional conflict. The struggle is really within the remorseful 
 person, and it is therefore a less objective conflict than most we have considered. 
 
 A (1) — Remorse for an Unknown Crime. 
 
 (2)— Remorse for a Parricide. 
 
 (3)— Remorse for an Assassination. For a Judicial Murder. 
 
 (4) — Remorse for a Murder of Husband or Wife. 
 
 B (1 ) — Remorse for a Fault of Love. 
 
 (2) — Remorse for an Adultery. 
 
 A ( 1 ) and B ( 1 ) are of particular interest, but the other subdivisions involve a 
 preceding kind of action that lacks entertainment value. They should therefore only 
 be used when the action that leads to the remorse can be suggested rather than shown 
 objectively. 
 
 There is an intense interest in the characterization of a remorseful person, but 
 since it is so purely subjective it can usually be treated more effectively in the short 
 story or the novel than in a dramatic work. The writer should therefore carefully 
 consider the screen value of the characterization before incorporating this situation 
 into a photoplay. If it lacks screen value, consider it from the viewpoint of other forms 
 of fiction, and try to utilize it in the most effective way. 
 
 THIRTY-FIFTH SITUATION— RECOVERY OF A LOST ONE. 
 
 This is the situation editors meet so frequently in stories of stolen children 
 reunited with their parents after many years. It is the basis of many Gypsy tales, 
 stories of the Orient in which the child is reared as an Oriental, stories of revengeful 
 incarceration, and similar tales of intrigue. Its invariable ending comes when the 
 mother and the child break out simultaneously with a glad cry: "My mother!" "My 
 child!" Its dramatic value has been exhausted by verj' frequent use, and it is usually 
 so dependent upon coincidence that it fails to produce a genuine dramatic effect. In 
 the majority of the stories submitted involving this factor the authors seem to feel that 
 the mere reunion between parents and children is sufficient to sway an audience. 
 Unless, however, there are very unusual circumstances in the lives of both parents and 
 children, its effect is mere mawkish sentimentality. If, however, the situation is used 
 in a relatively minor episode of a plot as a natural part of an otherwise strong story, 
 there is no vital objection to it. Only when it forms the climax — for which it is mani- 
 festly unsuited — does it become hopeless. 
 
 THIRTY-SIXTH SITUATION— LOSS OF LOVED ONES. 
 
 A ( 1 ) — Witnessing the Slaying of Kinsmen, While Powerless to Pre- 
 vent It. 
 
 (2) — Helping to Bring Misfortune Upon One's People Tlirough Pro- 
 fessional Secrecy. 
 
 B — Divining the Death of a Loved One. 
 
 C — Learning of the Death of a Kinsman or Ally, 
 
 60 
 
D — Relapse Into Primitive Baseness, Through Despair on Learning of 
 the Death of a Loved One, 
 
 In its photoplay uses Situation XXXVl is usually related to the Vllth, "Falling 
 Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune," as the result of the loss of a loved one who is at 
 the same time a protector. In this form it is therefore of value as an inceptive situa- 
 tion, but it does not form a vital basis for a photoplay. It forms an excellent transition 
 situation, carrying the action from one tense moment to another, and is therefore fre- 
 quently useful. Used in improper combinations, or in cases where the loss of a loved 
 one and its concomitant grief are exaggerated or drawn out, the situation is ineffective 
 and without value. 
 
 SUMMARY OF SITUATIONS. 
 
 The reader should aim to familiarize himself with the contents of the foregoing 
 pages in order to be capable of critical analysis, not only of his own work but also of 
 produced photoplays and published stories. A thorough acquaintance with the situa- 
 tions will enable the photoplaywright to study and analyze fiction and photoplays in a 
 systematic and helpful way. 
 
 In the process of creation analysis invariably precedes construction. The more 
 sound and comprehensive one's analytical powers, the more fecund and novel will be 
 one's work. The only writers who are "inspired" are those who have a sound ana- 
 lytical background, who have thoroughly saturated themselves in literature and in life. 
 It is therefore necessary that the beginning writer acquire some standard of critical 
 judgment with which to estimate the value and the strength of current productions 
 and of his own work. It is impossible for one to have too thorough knowledge of the 
 fundamental thirty-six situations, for such knowledge will supply the writer with 
 critical standards and with an analytical method. Study the preceding pages carefully, 
 diligently, and endeavor to carry the knowledge thus gained into the theatre with you. 
 
 More important than the study of Situations, however, is the study of life. Only 
 from an acquaintance with the life of which one desires to write will one find the 
 inspiration and the stimulus for creative effort. Develop an observing attitude, study- 
 ing the people you meet and know, inventing plots about them, placing them in likely 
 and dramatic conflicts, and seeking in every way to interpret the life you are living. 
 Even while you are in the midst of adventures try to preserve the attitude of the spec- 
 tator. Learn to look at events objectively. Then when you come to interpret them 
 you will place them objectively before the spectator. 
 
 Use the foregoing lists of situations as a reference by which to test everj-thing you 
 write. In addition to the examples that we shall now consider, strive to find new 
 examples for each of the situations and its subdivisions. Whenever you view a photo- 
 play or read a short story endeavor to test it in accordance with the suggestions already 
 given. Do not merely be content with placing it in a certain category, but go further 
 and analyze its theme, its characterization, the logic of its plot, its dramatic and pic- 
 torial effectiveness. Take your profession seriously and sincerely, and endeavor to be 
 as well qualified for the work you are undertaking as a lawyer or a physician or an 
 artist is qualified for his profession. 
 
 To the studious, thoughtful person possessing genuine creative ability and the 
 desire to write, the photoplay offers a fascinating and highly remunerative opportunity. 
 But it does not supply a short-cut to quick and easy success for the lazy, the incompe- 
 tent, or the unimaginative. 
 
 Study, Think, Create! 
 
 61 
 
PART THREE 
 
EXAMPLES OF SITUATIONS IN PHOTOPLAYS. 
 
 The brief synopses of recently produced photoplays in the following pages are 
 arranged alphabetically, according to the initial word of the title. The limitations of 
 space do not permit the publication of elaborate or detailed synopses, but in most cases 
 the brief synopses will illustrate with sufficient clarity the use of the situations in 
 question. 
 
 The photoplays selected as examples constitute an average and fairly representative 
 group. They are chosen for the purpose of illustrating errors, as well as merits, in 
 construction and the use of situations. The reader should therefore not compare his 
 own work favorably with some of the stories here discussed and expect a ready sale 
 if he feels that his work is as good as that produced. The editors and the producers 
 know good stories when they read them, but the dearth of worth-while material some- 
 times necessitates inferior productions. 
 
 Remember also that the motion picture is a new industry and that it is making \ast 
 strides in advance. Do not allow yourself to be easily satisfied with your own work, 
 simply because you like it or your friends like it. If it is good screen mat°rial, it will 
 sell. We say this positively, for the Photoplay Sales Department of the Palmer Photo- 
 play Corporation has found all of the editors and producers eager to read stories that 
 were really worth-while. If your work does not sell, there is S( mething wrong with it, 
 and you must therefore renew your analysis and endeavor to strengthen the weak- 
 nesses. Do not put all of your eggs in one basket. When you have created a story 
 that is as fine as you can possibly write, set to work to write a better one. 
 
 Once you are satisfied with a photoplay, submit it for sale, but do not sit bai^k aad 
 wait complacently for the check. The creation of stories is your work, and if yOU 
 will keep on working with sincerity, analysis and persistence even in the tace ot d's- 
 heartening rejections, the chances are you will win out. Do not give up until vou 
 have definitely proved that you are a success or a failure, for any amount of hard 
 work will be amply repaid when you begin to sell your stories. 
 
 In considering the examples analyze the combinations of situations and try to place 
 yourself in the position of the author. Endeavor to feel as he felt when he started to 
 write the story. Test its purpose, its theme, the possible inspiration of a character he 
 happened to know, and try to determine just what prompted a certain author to write 
 a certain story. Then endeavor to apply the same critical process to all of the photo- 
 plays you view. You will find that the cultivation of such a method will sharfn 
 your wits and make your daily experiences more interesting. 
 
 Let us now proceed to a consideration of the examples. 
 
 "ALL OF A SUDDEN PEGGY." 
 (Paramount-Artcraft Production; starring Marguerite Clark; adapted by Edith 
 Kennedy from the play by Ernest Denny; directed by Walter Edwards.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Peggy and her mother, the ividow of a noted scientist, visit Anthony. Peggy 
 discovers a secret love betiveen Anthony and her mother, so heain\ to Ux things for 
 them. She learns that her mother won't marry as long as she, Peggy, has no one to 
 look out for her, so Peggy pretends to elope. She visits Jimmy, a friend of the family, 
 but the supposed elopement has already leaked out through the newspapers. Jimmy 
 
 65 
 
wishes to many her in order to protect her, but Peggy refuses. At last true love 
 asserts itself and the two are married, thus Peggy becomes the bride of her step- 
 father's son. 
 
 The chief asset of this very light romantic play is its charm. The star role is 
 especially suited to the grace and talent of Marguerite Clark, and its uncomplicated 
 plot furnishes mild entertainment. Pegg>', the heroine who does things "all of a 
 sudden," is a pleasing ingenue character, and the plot springs almost entirely from 
 the characterization. In this connection it is well to remark that of all the ingenue 
 romances submitted by beginning writers, practically ninety per cent, have heroines 
 named either Peggy or Betty. Both of these names have been somewhat overdone and 
 they no longer possess the diminutive connotation they once had. A little more orig- 
 inality in naming the characters of a play will often lead to a better impression upon 
 the reader. 
 
 The story involves Situations XXVIII ("Obstacles to Love"), XXI ("Self- 
 Sacrifice for Kindred"), I and II ("Supplication" and "Deliverance") and XXXIII 
 ("Erroneous Judgment"), but none of these situations is developed to its full power. 
 
 In the past this type of play, with the action centered about a heroine like Peggy, 
 has been very popular. A number of stars have specialized in ingenue roles, but the 
 usual situations have been used so frequently that there is no longer so great a demand 
 for such stories. The photoplay of today must possess more than a simple, sweet 
 character and a mild plot ; there must be originality in both character and plot and the 
 story must possess genuine dramatic structure. 
 
 "ATONEMENT." 
 
 (Produced by Humphrey Pictures, Inc.; scenario by Geo. Edwardes Hall; 
 directed by William Humphrey.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 To the keen disappointment of Vincent Carlton, Laura Hamilton marries his 
 rival, Theodore Proctor. A year or so elapses and happiness reigns in the Proctor 
 home, which has been blessed with a child. Proctor goes to a cabaret to meet his 
 brother. The brother tells him that he needs some thousands of dollars for a few days 
 and that if he is unable to borroiv from someone else Proctor will have to use his poiver 
 as president of a bank to negotiate the loan. Since the stocks Proctor's brother has 
 invested in are not considered legal security for a bank loan, the president is greatly 
 perturbed. While the brother goes out to see the other prospective lender Theodore 
 waits in the dance hall. Next Proctor is ousted from his position with the bank, for 
 the loan he made is outside of sound banking practice. His luife spurns him and when 
 he departs she regrets her hasty words and seeks him, but it is too late. In order that 
 Laura may be free to marry Vincent Carlton, Proctor devises a ruse whereby he is con- 
 sidered dead, and years after this occurrence he returns to find Laura married to 
 Carlton. His identity is revealed and then Laura is brought up on a charge of bigamy 
 and the only ivay for Proctor to save her from disgrace is to kill himself, and he is 
 about to do it; when he wakes up and finds it is all a dream and that he ivill not have 
 to lend his brother the money. 
 
 This photoplay is announced by its producers as an adaptation of Tolstoi's "The 
 Living Corpse," but it has suffered greatly in being transferred to the screeen. Such 
 experience with adaptations of good novels has convinced most of the far-sighted pro- 
 ducers of the folly of trying to duplicate a real work of literature on the screen. Only 
 in those cases where the original is suited to the screen can the translation be accom- 
 plished effectively. "The Living Corpse" is not screen material in any sense, and 
 because of its unsuitability to the screen it was found necessary to give it the con- 
 venient but illogical "dream ending." In the screen version, lacking the Russian 
 novelist's depth of penetration into character, the plot becomes artificial and mechanical 
 in the extreme; and it deals with situations and incidents of a most unreal and sen- 
 sational kind. 
 
 65 
 
The long time lapse destroys the unity of the action and leads to no climax of 
 any importance, since it is merely a repetition of the Enoch Arden motif of a sup- 
 posedly dead husband returning to confront his wife with a charge of bigamy. Legally, 
 of course, there is no reason for the charge against her, and so the very premise of the 
 story becomes false. 
 
 Situation II ("Deliverance"), VII ("Falling Prey to Cruelty and Misfortune"), 
 XXXIII ("Erroneous Judgment"), and a slight element of XXXII ("Mistaken 
 Jealousy"), form the plot structure. 
 
 It will be observed that none of the characters is completely sympathetic and that 
 the conflict between tlie members of the dramatic triad is not sustained on a single 
 plane of interest. Instead, it shifts from one idea to another in such a way that it is 
 difficult to follow the story and no definite dramatic objective is in sight. Because 
 of this fundamental lack of tension, sustained conflict and a clearly defined objective, 
 the author found it necessary to resort to the dream device of ending his story. In 
 doing so he really shirks responsibility, for the dream ending is no ending. 
 
 "THE AVALANCHE." 
 
 ( Artcraft Production ; starring Elsie Ferguson ; based on the story by Gertrude 
 Atherton; scenario by Ouida Bergere; directed by George Fitzmaurice.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Helene has inherited a taste for gambling and her mother is determined that 
 the daughter shall be raised in different environments. IVhen the child becomes a 
 young lady and escapes from the convent the mother sends her from Europe to New 
 York City to become the ward of a respected friend. The young girl marries, but 
 becomes lonesome vjhen her husband is away on a long trip and visits a gambling house 
 where she loses all her savings and pawns her jeivels. 
 
 Her mother had married again and came to New York City. Her husband was 
 the proprietor of this same gambling house and the mother is horrified to discover 
 that the young woman pleading so dramatically to her husband for more time on her 
 I, O. U.'s is her own daughter. 
 
 It is at this point that many of the very heavy dramatic moments occur. There 
 are two tragedies and some intensely thrilling action. 
 
 When Helene discovers that the wife of the gambler is her mother and that she 
 has made the supreme sacrifice to save her daughter she seeks her own husband, who 
 has returned, and confesses her great loss at gambling, also telling him of the inherited 
 trait zvhich she knoius has now disappeared entirely, washed by the blood of her mother 
 and cleansed by her own bitter experience. 
 
 The first and most obvious comment to be made on this production is the fact that 
 it was a dual role, providing Miss Ferguson with opportunities for acting emotional 
 roles. The star played both mother and daughter in the picture, and the meeting 
 between them in the gambling den was genuine drama. The lack of rigorous unity 
 will be observed, also, but it should be noted that the really dramatic part of the story 
 was almost consecutive in time and took place in a narrow area. The preliminary 
 action was scattered and diffuse, but it was allowable because it led to a striking climax. 
 The story would have been more dramatic, however, if it had been more unified. 
 
 In the heroine's passion for gambling, we find a definite example of Situation 
 XXII ("All Sacrificed for a Passion"). In this case the inceptive situation is rather 
 implausible, for we are told that the heroine has inherited her taste for gambling. 
 Gambling is not a hereditable vice, and in the original story Mrs. Atherton probably 
 motivated this element by sounder psychology'. But the necessity of translating ideas 
 into definite, objective action required such a change in the photoplay. The theme 
 has been used before, in similar gambling stories, and it is rather hackneyed. Only 
 exceptional characterization and a strikingly novel plot will make such a story salable 
 soon again. 
 
 67 
 
The XXVIIth Situation ("Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One") plays a 
 minor part in the story, when the mother finds her daughter in a predicament she had 
 long tried to shield her from. 
 
 But by far the most important, and indeed the climactic situation, is the XXIst 
 ("Self-Sacrifice for Kindred"), for the mother gives her life to save her child. 
 
 The element of "Pardon" enters into the story when the heroine pleads to be for- 
 given by her husband, and that of "Supplication" is apparent in her pleas to her 
 mother's husband. 
 
 The tragic note in the story, the fact that the two most important situations are 
 used in trite ways, the dual role, and its lack of unity, all combine to make it a bad 
 example for the photoplayvvright to imitate, but one from which he can learn a great 
 deal. On the other hand, it was an excellent vehicle for Miss Ferguson, and its pro- 
 duction was technically a thing of great beauty. 
 
 "BEFORE THE WHITE MAN CAME." 
 
 (Produced by Northwestern Film Corporation; story by William E. Wing; 
 directed by John E. Maple.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 The Wolf, chief of an opposing hand of Indians, seeks the hand of Kaweena. 
 He is repulsed and demands that six of the bravest warriors shall battle with six of his 
 braves for the hand of the girl. Big Elk, also in love with the girl, takes up the chal- 
 lenge. Big Elk is victorious. In revenge The Wolf declares war. Big Elk at the 
 head of the ivarriors goes to battle. While they are gone The Wolf enters the village 
 of Big Elk, scatters the old men and women and steals Kaweena. Big Elk takes up 
 the chase. Kaweena escapes from The Wolf, who is later killed by Big Elk. Kaweena 
 falls into the hands of the opposing tribe, and being considered crazy, she is held to 
 be in touch with the great spirits. She is accused of poisoning the spring and is about 
 to be burned to death when Big Elk goes to her rescue. 
 
 This story is in some respects a unique production, for not only is it an Indian 
 story, but all the members of the cast are full-blooded Indians. The picture was 
 directed with the aid of interpreters and is of value educationally because of its accu- 
 racy of detail. The story naturally is of secondary importance in such a case, and here 
 we have a simple, direct and dramatic love story presented with no unnecessary com- 
 plications and with characterization in keeping with the actors. 
 
 The story is based upon Situations XXIV ("Rivalry of Superior and Inferior"), 
 III ("Crime Pursued by Vengeance"), IX ("Daring Enterprise"), X ("Abduction"), 
 and II ("Deliverance"). The very wealth of situations leads to swift and interesting 
 plot complications and provides a strong, though by no means novel, plot. 
 
 The story is, of course, a special case and there is virtually no demand for photo- 
 plays that deal with Indian characters or Indian life. Years ago that subject was 
 used very frequently, but it has been overdone and it no longer makes a wide popular 
 appeal except as a novelty. 
 
 "BEHIND THE DOOR." 
 
 (Thomas H. Ince production; starring Hobart Bosworth; written by Gouverneur 
 Morris; scenario by Luther Reed; directed by Irvin Willat.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Oscar Krug, veteran seaman, established as taxidermist in a small totvn, secretly 
 weds Alice Morse. He joins the U. S. Navy and is placed in command of a ship in the 
 merchant marine. Alice, in the guise of a Red Cross nurse, boards her husband's vessel. 
 It is torpedoed, sinks, Krug and his wife drift away in a boat. They are sighted by a 
 German submarine, whose commander, Brandt, seizes the woman and leaves Krug to 
 
 68 
 
the mercy of the waves. He is picked up by an American craft and given command of 
 another ship. He disables a German U-boat and captures Brandt, who does not recog- 
 nize him. Brandt boastin/jly describes Alice's awful fate. Kritg reveals himulf and 
 behind the locked door of his cabin tortures Brandt to death. 
 
 Whatever one may think of the theme of revenge and hate on which this story 
 is founded, one cannot deny the dramatic power and effectiveness of the play. Whether 
 it entertains or not, it certainly achieves the effect all drama strives for — to reach the 
 heart and the mind of the spectator. There have been few stage or screen plays so 
 well constructed dramatically that they have made a more convincing impression upon 
 the beholder. Oscar Krug is a character with only one idea — Vengeance! He is never 
 out of character, and every incident in the plot adds cumulatively to the clima.x, in 
 which he literally skins his betrayer alive. The very wonderful suggestion, by means 
 of shadows, of this climax in the actual production is an artistic accomplishment of rare 
 excellence. The story is simple, direct and unified. There are no side issues or sub- 
 plots, and every step of the plot leads closer to the thrilling and horrible climax. It 
 is to be noted that the producer was too subtle to allow the climax to be simply terrify- 
 ing; he does not show the tortured, lifeless man, but he suggests very clearly just what 
 has happened. The action is restrained and slow in movement, but every gesture of 
 the star means something and leads ever closer to the tremendous scene "behind the 
 door." Disregarding the theme for the present, the play may be considered as a very 
 unusual example of a powerful, but simple, story organized in a most dramatic way. 
 Simply from the standpoint of technique it is a masterpiece of drama. 
 
 It should be observed, however, that the theme of vengeance is very carefully 
 developed and that the central character is made wholly sympathetic throughout the 
 story. We see him first as a kind of outcast among the people of a small town, the 
 one thing in his life his love for Alice Morse. He is attacked viciously in the town 
 and he is compelled to fight ; in the early sequences we see him as a very strong, very 
 admirable, and, to the girl, very gentle hero. The romance is carefully developed, 
 and then — on the very eve of the fulfillment of the marriage, when it seems that 
 happiness lies in store for them — his wife is stolen from him by a brute and driven to an 
 awful fate. Then we are prepared for the idea of a terrible vengeance, for the char- 
 acter has our complete sympathy and we almost rise in our seats to help him seek out 
 the brute. It will be seen that in no other way than by the careful development of 
 romance and sympathy could the situation be used in all its terrifying grimness. And 
 after the climax, from which we recoil in horror, the central character, broken in grief, 
 again wins our sympathy, when he says, hopelessly, "But that doesn't bring her back — 
 that doesn't bring her back!" 
 
 The situation is simply "Crime Pursued by Vengeance" (III), but it is perhaps 
 the most dramatic use of that situation the screen has seen. In general it is a situation 
 to be avoided, to be used only in a very unusual and different manner, but if you feel 
 that vou must employ the situation, endeavor to use it with the same economy and the 
 same brilliant characterization as the author of "Behind the Door." 
 
 "BONDS OF HONOR." 
 
 (Produced by Haworth ; starring Sessue Hayakawa; story and scenario by Clara 
 Whipple; directed by William Worthington.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 In Japan Count Sakurai lives ivith his twin sons, Yamashiro and Sadao. The 
 two young men are extremely unlike in temperament, Yamashiro being sober and 
 industrious and helping his father in the preparation of important fortification plans, 
 while Sadao spends his time in riotous living. Paul Berkowitz frequents the gambling 
 dens of Tokio and meets Sadao. He learns who he is and immediately contrives to 
 urge him on in his gambling. Sadao becomes in debt to Berkowitz and when he is 
 unable to pay his notes, Berkowitz demands that he secure copies of the fortification 
 
 69 
 
plans. The fact that Berkowitz is an agent of the German government influences 
 Sadao not in the least. Fear of exposure prompts him to go through with the nefarious 
 scheme, but after he has copied the plans and is replacing them his father and brother 
 apprehend him. 
 
 Honorable Japanese that they arc, they expect him to commit hara-kari, but he 
 flees the house, joins Berkowitz and his female companion, Olga, and departs for 
 Vladivostok. Here they attempt to get more information from him, but are unsuc- 
 cessful. Yamashiro vows to find his brother and bring him to his senses. It is Toku- 
 Ko who first hears from him. She is loved by both brothers, but has always preferred 
 Sadao. She goes to him, and finding him in a drunken condition, sends for Yamashiro. 
 He journeys to Vladivostok, changes places with his brother, apprehends and captures 
 the spies as they are about to kill him, and prevents any more secrets from leaking out. 
 Sadao's sense of honor at last asserts itself and he takes his life in the prescribed Jap- 
 anese fashion while Toku-Ko learns to love Yamashiro. 
 
 This story is another example of the dual role, and in this case the star represents 
 twin brothers. The element of chance in the basic conception of all dual role stories 
 lessens the dramatic value of this one, but if the premise is granted the story progresses 
 with logic and dramatic tension. 
 
 The basic situation is the XlVth ("Rivalry of Kinsmen"), which develops into 
 XIII ("Enmity of Kinsmen"), touches XXVII ("Discovery of the Dishonor of a 
 Loved One"), and in the climax becomes a definite case of Situation IX ("Daring 
 Enterprise"). 
 
 The %var background of the story was timely and interesting when it was pro- 
 duced, but is, of course, no longer desirable. The nobility of one brother and the 
 despicable weakness of the other alTords an excellent opportunity for dramatic contrast, 
 but it is by no means a novel or an especially subtle theme. Here again the story is 
 especially suitable to photoplay production because it gives the star an opportunity for 
 varied and difficult acting, which is the chief reason for the use of the dual role. In 
 other words, it is an easier task to supply the necessary dramatic elements in a dual 
 role story than in any other type. For that very reason, however, the subject matter 
 has been exhausted and is no longer in demand. 
 
 Obsen'e the excellent use of dramatic recoil and the partial use of the element 
 of pursuit in the latter part of the story. Granting the premise, the climax is logical 
 and natural, and in a careful production would occur with seeming inevitability. 
 While a sounder premise is desirable, the next best thing is logical development of the 
 material used. 
 
 It is well to note that in the use of Situation IX ("Daring Enterprise"), a much 
 more striking and climactic effect is gained than through the use of any other. Many 
 writers, for example, would have ended the story with XXI ("Self-Sacrifice for 
 Kindred"), with IV ("Vengeance Taken for Kindred Upon Kindred"), or with 
 XXXIII ("Erroneous Judgment"), but the effect would have been much less dramatic 
 and effective than it now is. Try to reconstruct the story, using the situations sug- 
 gested here, endeavoring to analyze the author's probable reason for selecting 
 Situation IX. 
 
 "BUCHANAN'S WIFE." 
 
 Produced by Fox ; starring Virginia Pearson ; from the novel by Justus Miles 
 Forman; directed by Charles Brabin.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Beatrix hat been forced into a marriage with Herbert Buchanan by her father 
 when in reality she loved Harry Faring all the while. The marriage occurred during 
 Faring's stay in Europe, and on his return home he ivrites Beatrix a note expressing his 
 surprise and sorrow at her choice. Buchanan sees the note and, with some fiendish 
 
 70 
 
purpose in view, sends him an invitation to attend a reception at their home. He 
 watches Beatrix and Faring closely on the night of the affair and sees plainly that they 
 are in love. Influenced by wine, he openly insults Beatrix at the dinner table and 
 orders Faring from the house. 
 
 Disgraced and friendless, Buchanan plans suicide. He is interrupted by the ap- 
 pearance of a tramp, Kansas. IVith this man he decides to disappear. The last seen 
 of him is when Kansas strikes him a terrific blow on the head. He falls over a cliff. 
 Beatrix learns that her husband will not be considered dead by law until five years 
 have passed, inasmuch as his body has not been found. She and Faring remain apart 
 for a time, but then, unable to stay away from him longer, Beatrix identifies an 
 unknown body as that of Buchanan's. Soon after they are married. 
 
 Then Kansas appears leading a white-haired, stooped, babyish man — Buchanan. 
 Kansas plans to blackmail Beatrix, but instead she tells all to Faring. He goes in 
 search of the tivo and hears Kansas's story— as to how he rescued Buchanan after the 
 fight and found him demented. In a climax of great dramatic power, Buchanan dies, 
 just after counselling Kansas to leave Beatrix and Faring unmolested. And soon after 
 this there is nothing to stand between the two who love each other. 
 
 The average beginning photoplaywright, in writing this story, would be apt to 
 restore Buchanan's lost memory by some kind of miraculous mental shock. The story 
 is of especial value as an example because it involves loss of memory, or amnesia, which 
 in itself is a very time-worn plot idea, and one that should generally be avoided. But 
 in this case the idea is used in a logical and dramatic manner, for Buchanan loses his 
 memory as the result of a fight, and does not again regain it. To cause a character to 
 suffer a loss, or a lapse, of memory, merely to get him out of the way, and then to 
 restore his memory when he is again necessary to the dramatic action is a device that 
 is frci'iuently employed by inexpert writers. The subject has, therefore, lost its fresli- 
 ness, and in this case its chief appeal lies in the pathetic characterization of Buchanan. 
 
 Buchanan's experience comes under Situation VI ("Disaster"), while Beatri,x's 
 marriage to him when she loves another is definitely a subdivision of XXI ("Self- 
 Sacrifice for Kindred"). The supposed death of Buchanan is a case of XXXIII 
 ("Erroneous Judgment"). All of these specific plot elements are quite lacking in 
 novelty, but the construction of the story is so plausible and so dramatic and the char- 
 acterization is so good that it makes a deep and rather novel impression. Here again 
 is an illustration of the importance of characterization and dramatic construction. 
 
 This is one example of a popular novel that was sufficiently dramatic to be suitable 
 for photoplay development. 
 
 "BURNT WINGS." 
 
 (Universal Production; story by Bayard Veiller; scenario by Hal Hoadley; 
 directed by Christy Cabanne.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Joan, a pretty country girl, elopes ivith Ned, a struggling artist. In Paris, when 
 her husband is starving. Joan sells herself to a man in order to obtain money for her 
 husband's recovery. Later when Ned is a success he begins to neglect his wife. Helen, 
 the daughter of a wealthy art collector, falls in love with Ned, and does her best to 
 win him from his wife. Helen's father happens to be the man who "bought" Joan in 
 Paris, and when he learns that his daughter's happiness depends upon Ned's divorce 
 he threatens to expose Joan. Ned finally comes to his senses and realizes all that his 
 wife has suffered through him. He overhears Helen and her father attempting to bribe 
 Joan and he overhears the tremendous sacrifice his wife made for him. Fie begs his 
 wife's forgiveness and returns to her. 
 
 This story is used as an example because it tells the very conventional story of 
 the struggling artist, the sacrificing wife, and the change of heart which comes to the 
 
 71 
 
man of success. The same theme, treated in essentially the same way, has been used 
 many times before in fiction and on the screen, and it is now thoroughly time-worn. 
 Only very exceptional characterization and a most unusual development of the plot 
 could make it effective again. 
 
 The very premise of the story is unsound because of the lack of sympathy in the 
 three characters. The wife who makes a sacrifice of this kind cannot win our sym- 
 pathy in a real degree because of her weakness, the artist is unsympathetic throughout, 
 and the other woman — although more human and understandable than the central 
 characters — cannot be considered as a person of charm. In the characterization, there- 
 fore, lies the inherent weakness that is clearly revealed in the plot structure. 
 
 The first situation of the play is XXI ("Self-Sacrific for a Loved One"), but in 
 this case there is little nobility in the sacrifice because of the nature of the sacrifice. 
 The condition that might present itself in which the only possible way for a woman to 
 save her husband is to sell herself to another man is almost inconceivable, and one feels 
 that if the girl had been clever or strong or intelligent she could have found a less 
 unpleasant way out. For dramatic purposes it would have been much better to have 
 driven her to theft, for in that way the author would have avoided the tawdry and 
 sensational theme he has here blundered upon. 
 
 The entrance of the man who had "bought" Joan as the father of the other woman 
 Is so accidental that it becomes simply a melodramatic trick. It is as though the 
 author, tiring of the creative process, had said to himself: "It's a small world after all 
 — why not bring them all together again?" It is difficult to believe that the same 
 man wrote this play and "Within the Law," for in the latter he displayed great 
 technical facility. But even the best craftsmen make such errors occasionally; every- 
 thing one writes cannot be a masterpiece. 
 
 The frequency with which this plot is submitted to the studios makes it a very 
 good example of what to avoid. 
 
 "THE CALL OF THE SOUL" 
 
 (Produced by Fox; starring Gladys Brockwell; story by Julia Burnham ; scenario 
 by Denison Clift; directed by Edward J. LeSaint.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Barbara Deming, a nurse, and Dr. Clayton, visit an island on a picnic and are 
 marooned there. The roivboat is carried aiuay by the tide. Clayton builds a fire in a 
 cave, but until Barbara falls and meets with a slight injury she will not enter. As 
 Clayton is reviving her he is struck by her beauty and appeal and passionately kisses 
 her. When morning comes he has a thousand pardons to offer for tvhat he has done, 
 but the very sight of him is repugnant to her. Later they are rescued and soon after- 
 ivards Clayton leaves to join the Arctic expedition of Neil McClintock. IVhile he 
 is away Barbara becomes a mother. She puts the child in charge of a woman she 
 trusts. She loves the boy dearly. 
 
 McClintock breaks down on the trip and returns, leaving Clayton in charge. 
 Barbara is assigned as his nurse and he falls in love ivith her. She loves him but thinks 
 him too hard. But iti time she learns that he is not so rough as his exterior icould 
 indicate and she marries him. Later Clayton returns and is invited to the McClintock 
 home to rest up. One night Barbara is asked to the bedside of her child. He is sick 
 with a fever, Clayton attends him and says there is little hope. But when Barbara tells 
 the boy that she is his mother he brightens up and regains his health. Clayton, still 
 stricken with remorse and knoiving that McClintock st/spects something, tells him the 
 whole story, exonerating Barbara of all blame and adding that she has never loved any 
 man but her husband. And McClintock takes his wife and son back to his home. 
 
 This rather improbable and artificial story involves Situation XVII ("Fatal 
 Imprudence"), some of the sensational quality of XV ("Murderous Adultery"), 
 
 72 
 
XXVII ("Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One"), and XXXIV ("Remorse"). 
 Despite this wealth of dramatic material, the stoiy is founded upon an unsuitable and 
 largely accidental theme, it lacks a deep realistic appeal to the emotional sympathy of 
 the axerage spectator, and it is mechanical and artificial. It would be difficult for any 
 writer to treat the plot elements of such a story in a really distinctive and novel way. 
 The unsatisfactory ending is especially worthy of comment, for the average spectator 
 might not believe that McClintock would readily accept Barbara's love and her son 
 after Clayton's disclosure. 
 
 The basic weakness lies in the twisted relationship of Barbara becoming the mother 
 of one man's son and loving another. This relationship is fortuitious and rather 
 unsound. The story would have been a great deal more appealing, though perhaps 
 no more novel, if in the end Barbara and Clayton had been brought together. 
 
 It is very unwise to attempt stories of this type, for the salacious theme and the 
 lack of true appeal in such a group of characters will usually render such stories 
 unsalable. 
 
 The rather long time lapse is not really a break in the unity of action, for the 
 drama really stops with Clayton's trip on the expedition and definitely begins again with 
 McClintock's return. The fact that these two men should be so intimately associated 
 and should thus be involved in the life of Barbara is also a definite coincidence, which 
 destroys the effect of inevitability a photoplay should produce. 
 
 It is interesting to note that one of the reviewers for a trade journal said of this 
 picture: "A 'wronged girl' story, with few moments that appeal." Such a comment 
 is sufficient indication of the lack of dramatic value in the play. 
 
 Merely for practice, it would be a good plan to try to invent a totally different 
 plot incorporating the same situational elements. Try to draw three plausible char- 
 acters, and to develop a logical and strong story involving these same factors. Even 
 though it happens to be a strong story it would be unwise to submit it, for the theme is 
 essentially hackneyed. 
 
 "THE CAREER OF KATHERINE BUSH." 
 
 (Produced by Paramount-Artcraft ; starring Catherine Calvert; from the novel 
 by Elinor Glyn ; scenario by Kathryn Stuart; directed by R. William Neil.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Katherine Bush is not satisfied with life and considers her oivn hard-working Eng- 
 lish family as dull and unrefined. She aspires to the heights in society and argues to 
 herself that she does not care what means she may adopt to ivin her desires. 
 
 And she meets a well-known young nobleman in London who took advantage of 
 her high social ambitions, but after a few days she was disillusioned and knew that she 
 had sinned without advancing one iota towards the higher strata of society. 
 
 The beautiful young girl then secured a position as social secretary to Lady Gar- 
 ribardine, and is then surrounded by the environments which she craved. But there 
 was a certain young duke tuhom she very much admired. And as affairs developed it 
 seeiris that the same young duke learned to love her and finally proposes marriage. He 
 was a member of the British House of Lords and all her early ambitions seemed about 
 to be realized. 
 
 Then came the great problem. She found that she actually loved him. But she 
 finally tvon the great victory by confessing to him her early and only sin. And he 
 scorns her and goes away. But he returns to forgive, and both happiness and affluence 
 are the rewards of Katherine Bush. 
 
 This photoplay incorporates a fairly realistic group of situations, though the 
 ending of the story does not, perhaps, sustain the realism of the opening episodes. In 
 the first place we have the revolt of Katherine against the conditions of her life, Situ- 
 
 73 
 
ation Vni ("Revolt"), and subdivision B of Situation XXX ("Rebellious Ambi- 
 tion") ; then Situation XVII ("Fatal Imprudence"), appears with XXXIII ("Erro- 
 neous Judgment"), in her affair with the young nobleman; then something of Situation 
 XXIX ("An Enemy Loved"), in her affair with the Duke, which merges with another 
 form of XXXIII. Finally, XXVII ("Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One"), 
 and the element of Pardon close the storj'. An essentially simple story of ambition 
 leading on into danger, the discovery that the ambition is of less value than a thing 
 hitherto ignored, and the happiness that comes of confession and the establishment of 
 ■ new values. The story possesses human interest, and the central character is wholly 
 sympathetic even in her first illicit affair. It touches at this point on the risque, but 
 the purity of the real love interest makes that element allowable as a contrast. 
 
 The story is perhaps better suited to the narrative form than to the drama, for 
 it really depends upon the central characterization and upon the brilliance of' the 
 background— in this case, fashionable London. But the simplicity and the straight- 
 forwardness of the action, in spite of its lack of a profound theme and a tensely 
 dramatic plot, make it a pleasing photoplay. 
 
 In studying this example it is well to observe that in narrative an author often 
 touches lightly upon a number of situations, but that many of them are relatively 
 undeveloped. If, on the other hand, the same story had been originally written as a 
 photoplay, at least three of the situations mentioned above would have been developed 
 in as tense and dramatic a way as possible. 
 
 "CAROLYN OF THE CORNERS." 
 
 (Produced by Anderson-Brunton; released by Pathe ; starring Bessie Love; story 
 by Ruth Belmore Endicott ; scenario by Frank S. Beresford ; directed by Robert 
 Thornby. ) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Carolyn May Cameron, after her parents have been reported lost at sea, is sent 
 to live ivith her uncle, Joe Stagg, the storekeeper of a little village in Maine. Stagg 
 is a bachelor, having quarreled years before with the woman he loved, Amanda Par- 
 hw. "Aunt Rose" is his housekeeper. Stagg doesn't understand the liule girl who 
 enters his life along with her big dog. Prince, but in time, guided by Aunt Rose, he 
 learns to love her and to find companionship in her. Carolyn enjoys the days in the 
 little village and attends the little school with the other children. And it is mainly 
 through her efforts that the ancient quarrel between Stagg and Amanda is smoothed 
 over, at least in some small measure. 
 
 When spring comes Amanda takes Carolyn into an old lumber camp, there to 
 visit one of her friends who is bedridden ivith rheumatism. While they are there, 
 a forest fire breaks out and Carolyn and the women are trapped in the flames. They 
 take refuge in the spring and wait until Stagg arrives to the rescue. This element 
 ef danger proves the last straw which breaks down the reserve between Amanda and 
 Stagg and past quarrels are forgotten. Aunt Rose suggests that the newly-married 
 couple will not be wanting company any more, so Carolyn takes her last money and 
 buys a ticket to New York, returning to the still vacant Harlem fiat of her parents. 
 
 Amanda and Stagg follow, of course — having postponed their honeymoon to 
 Niagara Falls. The next morning they find her crying her eyes out for her father 
 and mother. And then, ivonder of ivonders, her parents enter. They had been saved 
 from the sinking vessel and had taken refuge on a distant island and had only now 
 reached civilization again. So Carolyn is once more happy. 
 
 This story serves very well to illustrate two situations which we have already 
 considered as rather difficult, XXXV and XXXVI, ("The Recovery and the Loss 
 of Loved Ones"). In Carolyn's loss of her parents, we have a very good example 
 of the use of that situation as the beginning of a story. She then "falls prey to 
 
cruelty and misfortune" in a mild and somewhat amusing way. Situation XXVIII, 
 ("Obstacles to Love"), is used in the relations between Stagg and Amanda. The 
 danger that threatens Amanda and Carolyn in the fire is dependent upon an accident, 
 and is very timeworn. But it gives rise to an effective dramatic situation in Stagg's 
 rescue of them, which involves IX, ("Daring Enterprise"), and II, ("Deliverance"). 
 Finally, Situation XXXV, brings the story to a pleasing and surprising, though some- 
 what implausible, conclusion. The fact that ships w-ere being torpedoed at the time 
 the picture was produced partially justifies the use of this ending, and in its human 
 appeal it has the effect of sending the audience home satisfied. 
 
 Aside from the slight dependence upon accidents, this story is human and dramatic, 
 and the characterizations are in excellent contrast. It might therefore be considered 
 as an eighty per cent, photoplay. The characterization happened to ' be convincing 
 enough to carry the weak links in the plot chain, and the skill of production helped 
 to make the fortuitous happenings plausible. The author, however, might have made 
 it a much stronger story by careful analysis and more thorough revision. 
 
 "COMMON CLAY." 
 
 (Produced by Astra; starring Fannie Ward; from the stage play by Cleves Kink- 
 head; scenario by Ouida Bergere; directed by George Fitzmaurice.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Contrasting her surroundings of sordidness and poverty with the constant spec- 
 tacle of affluence she sees all around her, Ellen Neal, a department store ivorker, 
 becomes dissatisfied. Jennie Peters, once a co-worker in the store and now a cabaret 
 singer, induces her to visit a cabaret ivith other of her friends. Arthur Coakley, 
 a young waster, attacks her, but before harm is done, the police raid the place. Sub- 
 sequently, Ellen decides to quit the gay life and secures a position as maid in the 
 Fullerton household. Coakley is ivell received in this family, but his advances toward 
 Ellen are regularly repulsed. 
 
 Before long, Ellen finds herself very much in love luith young Hugh Fullerton, 
 and before he departs for ivar she gives herself to him. His haughty mother inter- 
 cepts all his letters to her, and after a time Ellen is obliged to leave her position t» 
 care for her child. Mrs. Neal eventually persuades her to go to the Fullertons and 
 demand her rights. Fullerton will not believe her story, so she hires an attorney. 
 Judge Filson, an old friend of the Fullertons, takes their case. During the pre- 
 liminary and private hearing, it develops that Mrs. Neal is not Ellen's mother; that 
 she had brought her up after her own mother had committed suicide over a case 
 similar to Ellen's. fVhen Mrs. Neal mentions the woman's name. Judge Filson real- 
 izes that he is the man; Ellen's father. 
 
 He takes charge of the girl, and by the time that Hugh returns, has made her 
 his daughter in the manner as well as in the name. Hugh is disconsolate over the 
 absence of the girl and vows to find her, despite his parents' protests. And when at 
 last Judge Filson arranges a meeting between his daughter and Hugh, happiness comes 
 for both of the young people. 
 
 This story starts with Situation XXIX, ("Ambition"), and the heroine, as in 
 another example we have considered, then "falls prey to cruelty and misfortune," 
 (Situation VII), and is "delivered" by the hero (II). The situations giving real 
 strength and vitality to the story are, however, XXVIII, ("Obstacles to Love"), XXI, 
 (Self-sacrifice for Kindred"), and XXXV, ("Recovery of a Loved One"). To a 
 degree Situation XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"), is also used, in the Fullertons' 
 distrust of Ellen. 
 
 The idea of lovers being estranged by parental opposition, with one of the parents 
 intercepting the letters, is, of course, very hackneyed, and it is allowable m this case 
 only because it is relatively unimportant and because the wartime condition and the 
 characters make it plausible. 
 
 75 
 
The distinction and novelty of this story, as well as its dramatic strength, lies 
 in the effective use of Situation XXI, in two definite and consecutive incidents. At 
 the moment of highest tension, Judge Filson suddenly realizes that Ellen is his daugh- 
 ter, and that she is willing to make a supreme sacrifice, as her mother did before her, 
 for the sake of the man she loves. This is a very effective, though rather accidental, 
 bit of drama. It is made plausible early in the story by the subtle suggestion of some 
 kind of an attraction between Ellen and Judge Filson. The theme of the story 
 involves rather a delicate subject, in the relations between Hugh and Ellen, but since 
 both of the characters are noble and appealing, and since they are deeply in love, 
 the average spectator is neither shocked nor appalled by their illicit affair. Love and 
 sympathy have a way of justifying almost everything, but there is no reason for 
 dealing with themes of this kind merely because of their supposed appeal to certain 
 audiences. 
 
 "THE CRAVING." 
 
 (Produced by Universal; starring Francis Ford; story and scenario by Francis 
 Ford; directed by Francis Ford and Jack Ford.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Carroll Wayles, a scientist, has developed a formula for a powerful explosive. 
 He is particularly careful of it, as it gives promise of proving of value to his gov- 
 ernment. There arrives in America Ala Kasarib, a scientist from East India, anxious 
 to get possession of the formula for his own selfish ends. With him is Beulah, an 
 English girl, whose father, a British army officer, left her in charge of Ala Kasarib 
 when he died. Ala Kasarib makes a point of cultivating Wayles' acquaintance and 
 finds this an easy task indeed, luhen he discovers the American's affection for his ward. 
 
 One day Ala Kasarib invites Wayles to take a drink, but is refused. Wayles 
 then tells the East Indian that he once was a victim of alcohol and only by the 
 utmost force of will did he raise himself from the gutter, where it had laid him. In 
 a series of graphic descriptions he makes this point clear to his auditor. 
 
 Unable to secure possession of the formula, Ala Kasarib determines to conquer 
 Wayles through a battle of wills. In his laboratory he sets to iiork on him, and a 
 terrific struggle ensues betiveen the minds of the two men — a struggle as fierce as 
 any physical combat could possibly be. Wayles is defeated and before he has the 
 opportunity to regain himself, Ala Kasarib has made off with the precious formula. 
 Wayles then loses all control of himself, takes to drinking and finally, as a means 
 of regeneration, reaches the battlefields of Europe. Afterwards when he regains his 
 old self and realizes what has happened, he goes to Ala Kasarib and a fight takes 
 place. The East Indian is killed by the explosion of the material prepared from the 
 formula. His self-respect restored, Wayles then feels free to ask Beulah to become 
 his wife. 
 
 This story is an interesting example of Situations XII ("Obtaining"), XXII 
 ("All Sacrificed for a Passion"), and III, ("Crime Pursued by Vengeance"). It 
 involves a number of plot elements that are distinctly timeworn, especially the desire 
 of one character to secure the formula and his theft of it, and the purely extraneous 
 regeneration of the leading character on the battlefields of Europe, which destroys 
 the unity of the story and takes it into a sphere of conflict utterly foreign to the con- 
 flict of wills on which it is based. In the use of recoil at the end of the story, when 
 the East Indian is killed by the very explosive the formula of which he tried to steal, 
 there is a rather melodramatic and implausible element. If the story could have been 
 maintained on the genuinely dramatic plane of the conflict of wills between the two 
 men, it would indeed have been a very strong and convincing story. 
 
 It will be observed, however, that the uninteresting and undramatic technicalities 
 of the story are kept in the background and that the human drama is emphasized. 
 Many writers have undertaken similar themes, and have made the error of allowing 
 
 76 
 
technical and scientific backgrounds to become a vital part of the story. The audience 
 wants first of all to be entertained, and you must deal with the common language of 
 the emotions. Technical backgrounds are rarely of pictorial interest, and they detract 
 from the human interest of stories. 
 
 "CROOK OF DREAMS." 
 
 (Produced by World; starring Louise Hufi; story by Forest Halsey; scenario by 
 George D. Proctor; directed by Oscar Apfel.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Constance's life with the low family on the East Side, liith whom she lives, is 
 far from happy. Sam, her brother, is a crook, her mother is a receiver of stolen goods, 
 while Pete, an old man who lives with them, though he has a kindly feeling toward 
 Constance, is also of the crook gentry. One day the police raid the place and while 
 Constance and Sam escape, the others are captured and cast in jail. Sam, acting on 
 a suggestion previously dropped by Pete, tries to pass Constance off as Constance 
 kFaldron, a long missing daughter of a wealthy widow, whose mental state is grotving 
 serious because of this loss. Mrs. IValdron's companion sees through the deception 
 immediately, but takes Constance home with her, nevertheless, as the mother is near 
 insanity. 
 
 Constance acts like a tonic on Airs. Waldron's nerves and before long she is 
 living happily again. Charles Hadivin, a young laivyer, falls in love with Constance, 
 and she tvith him. Hoivevcr, in time, Mrs. Waldron's companion, Laura Campbell, 
 grows jealous of the riches shoivered on Constance and tells her that she has really 
 stolen them all from the real heir. And so Constance lives in a continual state of 
 fear. In time, Pete and the old woman are released from the jail. Sam brings the 
 woman to Constance, intending to blackmail her, but instead, Mrs. IValdron recog- 
 nizes the ii'oman as her nurse-maid of years ago, the one ivho stole her baby. This is 
 the last bit of evidence that proves Constance is the real Constance Waldron, and so 
 all ends happily for the "little Crook." 
 
 In "Crook of Dreams" the star is provided with a very appealing role, for she 
 is shown in the very beginning of the story in Situation VII, ("Falling Prey to Cruelty 
 and Misfortune"). The story is another example of Situations XXXV and XXXVI, 
 and the XXXVIth is in this case a close approach to Situation XVI ("Madness"). 
 Situation XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"), plays an important part in the story, 
 as in most comedy dramas, and to a degree we have the element of rivalry between 
 a superior and an inferior, in the relations between Constance and Laura. While all 
 of the separate plot elements are in themselves timeworn, the author had devised a 
 story full of suspense and human interest. The fact that it is treated as a comedy 
 drama makes many otherwise implausible and trite elements allowable. If, for exam- 
 ple, the reunion between Mrs. Waldron and Constance had been simply the simul- 
 taneous cry of recognition: "My mother!" "My Child!", it would have been com- 
 monplace drama. The comedic contrasts of character, together with the poignance 
 of Constance's afEection for her unknown mother, constitute entertainment of a iiigh 
 order. In this case, as usually with comedy drama, the treatment and the characteriza- 
 tion is more important than the situational basis of the play. There is, of course, 
 an element of chance in the fact that the old woman had been Mrs. Waldron's nurse- 
 maid, but this is plausibly motivated by the arrest of the old woman and the ignor- 
 ance of Sam concerning the real identity of the heroine. 
 
 The story is a good example of old material used in an effective manner, and 
 should be studied as such. It will be worth while for the photoplaywright to prac- 
 tice the construction of a story dealing with similar situations, working it out in an 
 entirely different but equally effective way. 
 
 77 
 
"THE CUP OF FURY." 
 
 (Eminent Authors-Goldwyn Production; story by Rupert Hughes; directed by T. 
 Hayes Hunter.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Mamise is a true American, although she has become the protegee of Sir Joseph 
 Webling, a German spy in England, and through him is involved in a spy plot, though 
 herself innocent. She is alloiced to go free after making a promise to Scotland Yard. 
 She returns to this country shortly after the entry of America into the war. Under 
 the conditions society seems irksome to her and she applies to Davidge, an ardent 
 suitor, for a place in his ship-building yards. He attempts to induce her to accept an 
 office position, but Alamise has her heart set on being an essential part of war work. 
 She dons overalls and a jumper and joins the riveting gang. While engaged in the 
 yards she learns valuable information regarding the plans of the Hun. JVith Davidge's 
 help she defeats the plot. The picture fades on the pair's confession of love. 
 
 This story opens in an interesting way with a form of Situation XXXHI, 
 ("Erroneous Judgment"), combined with VII, ("FaUing Prey to Cruelty and Mis- 
 fortune"). The heroine is introduced as a sympathetic character, placed in a very 
 serious predicament. As the plot develops, however, it rapidly loses interest and 
 becomes artificial, being largely dependent upon coincidence and convenient accidents. 
 In the end it descends almost to the level of the serial, involving Situation III, sub- 
 division C, ("Professional Pursuit of Criminals"). The climax is a thrilling and 
 melodramatic accident, having little to do with the theme or the characterization, 
 and used simply for the sake of its physical thrill. During the excitement engendered 
 by the war, the patriotic appeal of the story was sufficient to make it interesting, but 
 upon analysis it is seen to be weak, artificial and unreal. 
 
 We are commenting here upon the photoplay rather than upon Mr. Hughes' 
 novel. He is a skilled writer and in the novel he developed the action and the char- 
 acters so carefully that they were convincing, at least for the time being. But as we 
 have said before, the screen play requires a greater degree of logic and authenticity and 
 lifelikeness than the stage play or the novel. It is more difficult to create the illusion 
 of reality in the photographic medium than in the others, and therefore greater care 
 must be exercised in the selection of plot material and in its development. The tech- 
 nical tricks of the novelist will be of little value before the truthful camera, and there- 
 fore a screen play must be founded upon a sound basis of characterization and theme. 
 
 "THE CYCLONE." 
 
 (Fox Production; starring Tom Mix; story by Col. Tod Hunter Marigold; 
 scenario by J. Anthony Roach; directed by Clifl Smith.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Sergeant Tim Ryerson, of the Northwest Mounted Police, is commissioned to 
 round tip a gang of smugglers. The man who was sent out before him met his death. 
 Tim makes his headquarters at the Sturgis ranch and has happy moments with Sylvia 
 Sturgis to whom he is engaged. He becomes suspicious of the ranch foreman, Baird, 
 and catches him smuggling Chinamen in ivith the cattle. Baird escapes and, fleeing 
 to the Sturgis ranch, attacks Sturgis and Sylvia. Tim arrives on the scene, but Baird 
 leaves him for dead and runs away with Sylvia. When he regains consciousness, Tim 
 locates Baird at a certain Chinaman's headquarters. He jumps his horse through a 
 skylight and rounds up Baird and the other smugglers as well as rescuing Sylvia. 
 Baird receives his just deserts, and Sylvia and Tim are left to their love-making. 
 
 The value of this production as an entertaining photoplay does not depend upon 
 the plot of the story, which is basically trite, but upon the unusual treatment and 
 especially the development of thrilling stunts of horsemanship for the star to perform. 
 
 78 
 
It is a simple and convenient plot on which to build Tom Mix's unusual tricks. The 
 basic situation, as in many Western and Northwestern melodramas, is "Abduction," 
 (X), with which is combined, as in practically all stories of the Northwest Mounted 
 Police, "Crime Pursued by Vengeance," (III), in the professional pursuit of crim- 
 inals. It is of value as an example of a timeworn and hackneyed plot which was 
 made thrilling snd entertaining by the invention of a number of unusual feats of 
 heroism. One forgets the simplicity and triteness of the plot in marvelling at the 
 star's agility. 
 
 But most beginning writers, in selecting the exhausted locale of the Northwest 
 and in writing of the Mounted Police, tell just as simple and hackneyed stories and 
 fail to develop the incidental action in a new and effective way. Even the oldest of 
 plots, providing they possess dramatic strength and sympathetic appeal, can be made 
 entertaining by clever treatment. But if there is no novelty in the treatment, the 
 triteness stands out unrelieved. 
 
 There is relatively less demand for melodramatic "thrillers" of this kind than 
 there was a few years ago, and the tendency of the producers is in the direction of 
 more human and realistic plays. But if an author has the experience and the material 
 for a play of this type, he should make every effort to distinguish it in swift and 
 unusual action, and in sympathetic characterization, even though the basic situations 
 are in themselves trite. 
 
 "THE DANGER ZONE." 
 
 (Produced by Fox; starring Madlaine Traverse; story by Marshall Bruce Ben- 
 nington; scenario by Denison Clift and Adrian Johnson; directed by Frank Beal.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Lola Dtiprc, a great opera singer, weds Senator Fitzmaurice without revealing 
 her past life, in ivhich Philip Whitney, a good-for-nothing, figured prominently. Whit- 
 ney dejnands money from her or threatens exposure, and for a time Lola accedes to his 
 demands. Whitney makes love to Fitzmaurice's daughter, Marie, but is luarned 
 off by Lola. Despite her he continues his advances toiiard the girl and wins her 
 affection. They plan to elope. On the night of a reception, they are aiuaiting 
 Marie's appearance. Lola goes to her room in search of her, and while she is there, 
 Whitney comes in and attacks her. A furious struggle ensues, in which the man 
 is killed. 
 
 Lola leaves the room and returns to the reception. Marie finds Whitney's body 
 on the floor and is horror-struck. And it so happens that a guest discovers her 
 bending over the body with a dagger in her hand. Lola, houever, frees her from all 
 suspicion by telling the truth about the murder. She is brought to trial, and, though 
 she confesses to the murder before the jury, it acquits her on the plea that "a teaman's 
 honor is her life." She returns to her home and she and Fitzmaurice begin a new 
 life azvay from the shadow of Whitney. 
 
 This story is a frankly sensational melodrama, and one calculated to make an 
 appeal to a certain kind of audience. It is basically unreal in its exaggerated -situa- 
 tions and in its dependence upon coincidence. And it deals with a theme that should 
 be carefully avoided, in writing for the general motion picture producers. 
 
 The three situations of importance in the story are the XXIst, ("Self-sacrifice 
 for Kindred") ; the XXVIIth, ("The Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One") ; 
 and the XXXIIIrd, ("Erroneous Judgment"). The last named situation is used in 
 a very fortuitous and hackneyed manner, in the incident wherein the girl is found 
 bending over the body of Whitney with the dagger in her hand, just after her step- 
 mother had killed him. This same incident has been used so very often that what- 
 ever suspense-value it once possessed has been thoroughly dissipated. 
 
 79 
 
The court-room climax involves the situations of "Supplication" and "Deliver- 
 ance," also used in a trite and no longer effective way. So many photoplays have 
 been produced with court-room climaxes, in which the hero or heroine is exonerated 
 at the last moment, that there is no longer any novelty or dramatic value in the idea. 
 It is well, therefore, to avoid such sensational and melodramatic plots and to con- 
 centrate one's attention upon sounder and more appealing ideas. 
 
 "A DAY'S PLEASURE." 
 
 (First National Comedy in Two Reels ; produced, written and directed by Charlie 
 Chaplin; starring Charlie Chaplin.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 This Chaplin comedy begins icith that hero starting off in a flivver ivith his screen 
 family, consisting of friend wife and two boys, ivith the intention of spending a happy 
 day at the seaside. At the outset the venerable Ford balks badly when cranked, and 
 does a rickety dance before starting off on its journey, a dance which outshimmies 
 the original shimmy in point of frantic vibration. 
 
 Once aboard the boat the comedian and the rest of the passengers suffer from 
 seasickness, ivhich does not prevent him from becoming involved in combat with a 
 big husky, whom he defeats by methods entirely his oivn. A negro jazz band is in 
 evidence, the members of which ivilt under the seesaw motion, the trombone player 
 inflicting tortures upon Charlie until he chucks the offending instrument overboard. 
 When the flivver reaches port, the family travels bumpily along until a street corner 
 is approached, where the upsetting of a caldron of tar causes confusion. The traffic 
 cops are mired in the tar, the flivver breaks loose and the Chaplins ride off triumphantly. 
 
 We have included this slapstick comedy in order to indicate one form of the 
 photoplay for which there is no longer much demand. The producers of this type of 
 play — Chaplin, Arbuckle, Sennett, Fox Sunshine, etc. — either write their own material 
 or engage "gag" experts to concoct "stories." Most slapstick comedies are mere 
 sequences of incidents, many of them impossible, and all of them extremely improbable. 
 The situation, in the correct sense of that word, seldom appears in such comedies, 
 and where situations are not needed the author is not needed. 
 
 Many beginning photoplaywrights, having viewed comedies of this type, feel that 
 there should be a market for them. In the Palmer Plan Handbook, the difference 
 between slapstick comedy of incident and situation comedy has been clearly set forth, 
 and the writer who is endeavoring to sell to the comedy market should follow the sug- 
 gestions given and devote his time and thought to situation comedies. 
 
 In a story of this kind almost any amusing incident might be included, for there 
 is no plot pattern and no definite dramatic objective to be attained. All that is 
 required is sufficient fun for two reels, and the more ludicrous it can be, the better 
 will be the comedy. It requires a very special kind of imagination and a thorough 
 knowledge of comedy to be able to invent "gags" consistently, and the average writer 
 who attempts slapstick without a thorough knowledge of the camera simply repeats 
 what has been exhausted in the past. 
 
 We would advise all beginning photoplaywrights to eschew this type of story, 
 both because there is no market and because of the great difficulty of developing 
 genuine technical skiU without practise in the use of situations. 
 
 "DEADLINE AT ELEVEN." 
 
 ( Vitagraph production ; starring Corinne Griffith ; written by Ruth Byers ; scenario 
 by Lucien Hubbard; directed by George Favvcett.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Helen Stevens obtains a job as reporter on a New York morning paper. She is 
 befriended by Jack Rati son, "star" neius-gatherer, who is brilliant but dissipated. Helen 
 
 80 
 
exercises good influence upon him and they become engaged. One night Jack gets 
 intoxicated, his mind is a blank as to what occurred, but in the morning he is accused 
 of murder, his pocket knife being found beside the body of a dead ivoman. Helen 
 tries to solve the mystery before the paper goes to press. She finds the guilty man 
 about to sail for Porto Rico, and by a clever stratagem, brings the real facts to light 
 and saves her lover. 
 
 In the past there have been many stories of newspaper life produced as photo- 
 plays, and "Deadline at Eleven" serves as a good example of the usual type. It con- 
 tains the familiar romance between the star reporter and the heroine, the false accusa- 
 tion of murder against the hero, the girl's successful efforts to save him, etc. Its 
 appeal is romantic and melodramatic, but in the actual production a good deal of 
 suspense v.'as developed as the result of the rather artificial mystery and the use of 
 Situation XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"). 
 
 _ In addition. Situation II, ("Deliverance"), XII, ("Obtaining"), and III, ("Pro- 
 fessional Pursuit of Criminals"), are employed in the plot, which is distinguished not 
 by its novelty, but rather by the direct and simple appeal it makes to our emotional 
 sympathy. The acting, the direction, and the skill of the continuity are of more 
 importance in a story of this kind than the original photoplay. 
 
 It is likely that many more stories of newspaper life will be produced in the 
 future, for there is romance and adventure in the "game." But it is also likely that 
 the producers will require more novel and distinctive plots in the future. Unless the 
 student is thoroughly familiar with newspaper life and can give it a new and dis- 
 tinctive treatment, it would be well to select a more interesting and unusual subject. 
 
 "DESTINY." 
 
 (Produced by Universal; starring Dorothy Phillips; story by Charles Neville 
 Buck; scenario by Elliot J. Clawson; directed by Rollin Sturgeon.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 This story is based upon a powerful theme which is presented as a psychological 
 study of a man's character. A farm youth dreams of ambition. Unlike his brother, 
 who is a iveakling, he dreams of lording it in the financial world, of becoming one 
 of its biggest figures. 
 
 The pages of the book of might-have-been are turned ten years forward; the 
 youth is seen as a man ivith his dreams fulfilled. Indeed, Hamilton Burton, the boy, 
 has become Hamilton Burton, a man of might. He becomes a Napoleon of finance, 
 but loses his soul. He breaks up the romance of his sister with Jefferson Edwards, 
 his bitterest rival in the business ivorld, and brings down tragedy upon his house. 
 His father and mother die and he meets a tragic death at the hands of the man he 
 has ruined. The chapter of the fairy-book is turned back, however, and it is all 
 a dream. The boy-conqueror has listened to the wise counsel of his sister, a girl of 
 remarkable intuition. He is happy to serve mankind, not to conquer it. Ambition 
 is a false god. 
 
 This story might be considered as an epic of Ambition (Situation XXX), but 
 with that situation many others are combined. Situation XXVIII, ("Obstacles to 
 Love"), appears in the hero's interference in the love of his sister. Situation III, 
 ("Crime Pursued by Vengeance"), follows in his death at the hands of the man he 
 has betrayed. In the death of his father and mother, Situation XXXVI is used. And 
 finally, a superb use of subdivision D (3) of Situation X, ("Rescue of a Soul in 
 Captivity to Error"), brings the story to a satisfactory' conclusion. 
 
 "Destiny" is an example of the dream play, which was a very popular type of 
 entertainment a few years ago. Because it is a rather artificial means of creating sus- 
 pense, it has fallen into disuse and is under a rather strict taboo. But when a story 
 with so thoroughly interesting a theme as this one requires the dream element to 
 develop a dramatic plot, its use is certainly justifiable. 
 
 gl 
 
Just as in a previous example, we noted that the tecijnical elements of the story 
 were kept in the background, so in this case it is well to observe that the financial 
 success of the hero is of less importance and interest than the exposition of the human 
 theme, the loss and rescue of a soul in error. The public is not much interested in 
 the income or financial status of your characters ; what it really wants to know is how 
 your characters act when placed in human situations requiring strength and nobilty 
 and courage. 
 
 "THE DEVIL'S RIDDLE." 
 
 (Fox Production; starring Gladys Brockwcll; story by Edwina Levin; scenario 
 by Ruth Ann Baldwin; directed by Frank Bcal.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Esther lives ivith a drunken step-father in a fumble-down shack, but holds out 
 roseate hopes for the future. Jim Barnes is rescued by her in a terrific blizzard, and 
 left alone in the cabin the tivo fall in love. There is barely food enough for two 
 and when Jim finds that Esther is starving herself for him, he leaves. He falls uncon- 
 scious in the village and is ill for some time. Esther thinks he has forgotten her and 
 joins a theatrical troupe. Two years later she again meets Jim, but a jealous mem- 
 ber of the troupe impresses Jim with the fact that Esther has been unduly friendly 
 with the manager. Jim leaves and becomes engaged to another girl. Esther poses for 
 a famous artist and accepts his proposal of marriage, though her heart is breaking for 
 Jim. Before it is too late, Jim comes to confess his love and admit his mi'iihe In 
 distrusting her. 
 
 This story was characterized as interesting by a reviewer in a trade journal because 
 it contains not one happy moment. The star is compelled to go through the rive 
 reels of the action portraying pathetic and tragic incidents. Its effect upon the audience 
 is probably the \ery same as upon the characters. 
 
 The opening episode of the story is a very effective dramatic inception, for it 
 shows the heroine in an interesting phase of Situation XXI, ("Self-sacrifice for a 
 Loved One"). Up to the two-year time lapse the story possesses sound and human 
 characterization and holds out a promise of genuine drama to come. But in the very 
 beginning the author has failed to establish a sound basic conflict, and consequently, 
 at the end of the first reel, she has found it necessary to skip two years and to start 
 the story all over again under totally different conditions and with completely uns\m- 
 pathctic and mechanical characterization. Unless there is a strong conflict in the very 
 basis of a photoplay it will not lend itself to successful development; in this case we 
 can observe the results of such a fundamental weakness. There are, in effect, two 
 stories in this photoplay, and either of them might have been made interesting if the 
 author had understood photoplay technique. As the result of the artificial combina- 
 tion, there is neither human interest nor poignant drama in the play. 
 
 After the excellent use of Situation XXI, three others enter the plot, — VII, 
 ("Falling Prey to Cruelty and Misfortune"), XXXII, ("Mistaken Jealousy"), and 
 XXXIV, ("Remorse"). 
 
 There is a great tendency among beginners to make the same error the author 
 of this play has made, and therefore the story should be studied carefully as an exam- 
 ple of the wrong use of situations and the improper combination of plot elements 
 that have no integral relation to one another. 
 
 "THE DIVORCEE." 
 
 (Produced by Metro; starring Ethel Barrymore; from the play by W. Somerset 
 Maugham ; scenario by June Mathis and Katherine Kavanaugh ; directed by Herbert 
 Blache.) 
 
 82 
 
Synopsis. 
 
 Lady Frederick Berolles, the former Betsy O'Hara, married Lord Bcrolles to 
 help her impoverished family. Lord Berolles turns out to be a brute and on one 
 occasion publicly insults her when Sir Paradine Fuldes, Lady Frederick's one-time 
 suitor, is seen in company ivith her. That same niyht, Lady Frederick receives word 
 from her sister, Kitty Beresford, that she has been obliged to visit the rooms of Robert 
 Montgomery, possessor of secrets of Kitty's indiscreet past that she does not wish to 
 reach her husband, Horace Beresford. Lady Frederick goes to the rescue, and as 
 luck would have it, Beresford also calls. There is a tell-tale scarf lying on a chair 
 that he recognizes as his wife's. But Lady Frederick appears and claims it as hers. 
 Thus does she sacrifice her own reputation for her sister's. A divorce soon follows. 
 
 A number of years later Lady Frederick is at Monte Carlo in rather reduced 
 circumstances, but still making the best of it. The young Lord Mereston is seen 
 much with her, and finally his mother sends for her brother, none other than Sir 
 Paradine, to settle matters. So, to Alonte Carlo comes Lady Frederick's old suitor, 
 to learn the truth of the situation. He soon discovers that Lady Frederick does not 
 love the young lord, and he also discovers that he himself is again in love with her. 
 Lady Mereston insults Lady Frederick and she is about to produce letters to show 
 what sort of a fellow her "sainted" husband ivas ichen Lord Mereston declares his 
 high regard and admiration for his late father. Again Lady Frederick sacrifices her- 
 self and soon after disillusions Lord Alereston by permitting him to watch her "make- 
 up." Lord Mereston straightway realizes the difference in ages and though his infat- 
 uation for Lady Frederick takes flight, his admiration for her increases. But Lady 
 Frederick becomes his aunt, for Sir Paradene finds he can't live alone any longer. 
 
 Taken from a stage play by one of the most brilliant of modern English drama- 
 tists, this photoplay is an excellent example of dramatic technique. The rather long 
 lapse of time does not really destroy the unity of the action, for it is the simplest and 
 easiest way of passing over a dull period in the story. In this case the lack of a strict 
 unity of time is the result of a worth-while elimination of non-essential details. It 
 is well to observe also that each of the two distinct parts of the play is in itself unified. 
 
 The basic situation of the story is, of course, XXI ("Self-Sacrifice for Kindred"), 
 which manifests itself in Betsy's marriage to Lord Berolles to save her family, in her 
 protection of her sister (which involves Situation XXXIII), and later in her sacri- 
 fice of her own pride for the sake of the brother and the mother of the man she 
 loves. Situation XXV, ("Adultery"), combined with Situation XXXIII, ("Erron- 
 eous Judgment"), appears in Berolles' attitude toward his wife. There is also some- 
 thing of XXVII, ("Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One"), in this episode. 
 Situation XXVIII, ("Obstacles to Love"), occupies an important place in the story, 
 first in Lady Frederick's marriage to Berolles, which keeps her from Sir Paradine 
 and later in the climax when she reveals her age to Lord Mereston. The combina- 
 tion of these elements form the backbone of a very dramatic comedy drama of the 
 higher type. There is enough poignance and dramatic tension to awaken emotional 
 sympathy, and yet there is an excellent vein of ironic comedy running through the story. 
 
 The idea of a woman disillusioning a young man in love with her as Lady 
 Frederick does in this case, or of a man using similar means to save a young girl enarn- 
 oured of him from folly, has been used a number of times both on the stage and in 
 photoplays. It is a very effective form of self-sacrifice, and in new guises it may be 
 used again with good effect. But it should spring naturally from the characters of 
 a story, and the writer should not attempt to super-impose the dramatic trick upon 
 unsuitable characters, or in a plot that does not require it. 
 
 Similarly, the idea of a girl marrying for money at the behest of her family is a. 
 familiar one, and its use must be very skillful to be effective. In its usual form, it 
 fails to win the spectator's sympathy for the heroine. It is perhaps better suited to 
 comedy drama than to more tense and emotional treatment. 
 
 83 
 
"DOUBLE SPEED." 
 
 ( Paramount-Artcraft Production; starring Wallace Reid ; story by J. Stewart 
 Woodhouse; scenario by Clara Kennedy; directed by Sam Wood.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 "Speed" Carr is making an auto trip from New York to Los Angeles, where he 
 is to meet his millionaire uncle, John Ogden. He carries a letter of introduction from 
 his uncle to Donald McPherson, President Continental Bank of Los Angeles. On 
 the road he is robbed by tramps of all his possessions and arrives in Los Angeles 
 dressed as a hobo. He is thrown out of the bank, pawns his watch and secures a job 
 as chauffeur to Sallie McPherson, the president's daughter. Ogden wires McPherson 
 that he is coming. The latter, not being able to produce the expected "Speed" and 
 fearing lest his financial plans may fail, induces the real "Speed" to impersonate him- 
 self. Ogden is pleased to note that Sallie and his nephew are in love, the father is 
 indignant, but helpless. Finally, when Ogden tells "Speed" to sign some papers, 
 McPherson confesses the deception and denounces "Speed" for daring to make love 
 to his daughter. But Sallie tells him they were married that morning. "Speed" 
 identifies himself and all ends well. 
 
 This story is a very good example of a comedy drama with a slightly melo- 
 dramatic basis. It is apparent almost from a reading of the brief synopsis that the 
 story was written as a photoplay, for the complications and situations and all of the 
 action are admirably suited to the needs of the screen. The romantic, dashing char- 
 acter, the sudden change in his fortunes, the misunderstandings with which he is met, 
 the unusual predicament that leads to his impersonation of himself (excellent use of 
 recoil), the swift romance, the suspensive climax, etc. — all of these qualities in the 
 play provide pleasing and interesting screen material, with chances for picturesque 
 production and good character contrasts. It is unusual to have so great a degree 
 of suspense in comedy, but in this case the author has devised a plot that combines the 
 expected with the unexpected in a very unusual way. 
 
 The story again opens with a comedic use of Situation VII ("Falling Prey to 
 Cruelty and Misfortune"), and then involves various forms of XXVIII, ("Obstacles 
 to Love"), and XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"). The use of recoil in the form 
 of Situation XXXIII is especially notable, for it again gives the climax exceptional 
 comedic power. 
 
 This story may be considered as a good example of the ever-popular type of 
 play in which such stars as Wallace Reid, WiUiam Desmond, William Russell, Tom 
 Moore, Owen Moore, Warren Kerrigan and many others appear. Stories of this 
 kind are almost always salable, providing they are properly constructed and well- 
 characterized, for it is impossible for any audience to be bored by a gay, romantic, 
 suspensive plot that embraces the elements of this example. 
 
 "A FAVOR TO A FRIEND." 
 
 (Produced by Metro; starring Emmy Wehlen ; story and scenario by Luther 
 Reed ; directed by John Ince.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 Briefly the story tells of an heiress' rebellion against her guardian, Mark Arnold. 
 Unless she signs certain papers he and his cohorts are sure to face a long prison term. 
 But she rebels and the consequence is she is locked in her room, but manages to escape. 
 Mary has a friend, Gloria Morning, H'ho is the star of an unsuccessful musical show. 
 And so she plans to look her up. The press agent of the play conceives the idea of 
 having the star come up missing so as to attract the attention of the public. He out- 
 lines his plan to Robert Garrison, who consents to steal Gloria and keep her a 
 prisoner in his mountain cabin. But the young kidnapper mistakes Mary for the 
 
 84 
 
actress. IVhen she realizes the scheme she is immensely grateful since it takes her away 
 frnm her guardian. And Alary carries out the deception admirably. 
 
 Of course, everything develops romantically for her, and the guardians are given 
 their just deserts in the end. By running away she saved her fortune and the show 
 and found a wonderful husband. 
 
 In marked contrast with "The Divorcee," which is an ironical comedy drama 
 of society, this story is a light and rather farcical comedy drama with a vein of melo- 
 drama underlying it. It is clever, satirical and swift enough in action to hold the 
 interest throughout. 
 
 The inceptive situation is, of course, VIII, ("Revolt"), which is followed 
 quickly by "Erroneous Judgment", (XXXIII), and then by "Abduction", in this case 
 the abduction of a consenting woman, (X-B). The use of "Erroneous Judgment", 
 (XXXIII), involves the rather hackneyed and somewhat "convenient" idea of mis- 
 taken identity, but in this case it is partially allowable because of the farcical nature 
 of the plot. Also, it is not implausible that such a mistake should be made, for in 
 a careful production such as this story received, the situation is prepared and motivated 
 by incidents which made it appear natural. 
 
 As in most light comedy dramas the success of this photoplay depends more upon 
 the incidental humorous treatment and the subtitles than upon the situational basis. 
 A very light plot can be made to serve if it is developed in a sufficiently clever man- 
 ner, but there is always a danger of not having enough material for five reels of film. 
 
 It is well to observe the satirical use of the Situation X, ("Abduction"), which 
 in this case is cleverly combined with Revolt and Erroneous Judgment. 
 
 A photoplay of this type is produced and played in the farce tempo, and it is 
 really a more difficult form to write than straight drama, for every amusing detail of 
 action must be visualized and created by the author. 
 
 "FIGHTING DESTINY." 
 
 (Produced by Vitagraph; starring Harry Morey ; story by Stanley Shaw; directed 
 by Paul Scardon.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 A young political reformer is Larry Cavendish, engaged to Caryl Rundlege, 
 daughter of a former governor. 
 
 While attending a bachelor dinner given in his honor, the night before the wed- 
 ding, Larry is handed a note by the zvaiter, with instructions not to open it until he 
 reaches home. 
 
 It was from his fiancee, and she had vanished. Larry's frenzied search for Caryl 
 is replete with thrills and leads him through many adventures in the underworld. He 
 is refused aid by the police and all his political friends, and even his prospective^ 
 father-in-laii', the former governor, tries to prevail upon Larry to give up the search. 
 
 But undaunted, he continues the hunt alone, braving the dangers that spring up. 
 He feels that there is some strong political and mysterious influence working against 
 him. 
 
 After a fight with Levarro, a beggar padrone who furnishes blackmail informa- 
 tion to an unscrupulous political boss, Larry sees his sweetheart shot dead by one of 
 the stray bullets. 
 
 Heartbroken, he carries the body through the underworld until he is brought to 
 bay in a notorious opium den. The Police Commissioner, finally aroused, selects that 
 particular moment for a raid on the den, led by no other than Caryl herself. 
 
 The dead girl was her twin sister, and Caryl had been lured away on the eve 
 of her wedding by a note from Levarro, which stated that she had a tw'in sister and 
 that she ivas dying. 
 
Her father, the former governor, had appealed to her to keep the matter of her 
 having a livin sister in the underworld a secret to avoid disgrace for all of them. 
 Larry and Caryl are thus reunited and the corrupt political ring is smashed. 
 
 This story is a frank melodrama and can only be judged from that point of view. 
 As such it is a thrilling and sensational photoplay, providing a strong and heroic role 
 for the star and offering many excellent opportunities for thrilling action. Situa- 
 tions X, ("Abduction"), IX, ("Daring Enterprise"), XI, ("The Enigma"), XII, 
 ("Obtaining"), XXVII, ("Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One"), and 
 XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"), all play a vital part in this photoplay. To a 
 lesser degree both XXXV and XXXVI appear. 
 
 "Erroneous Judgment" in this case involves a rather thrilling mystery element, 
 which is eventually solved in a hackneyed way, by the explanation that the girl Larry 
 saw shot was the twin sister of his sweetheart. This same explanation has been used 
 times without number in much the same way, and it usually destroys the illusion that 
 the preceding action has created. In writing melodramas of this kind, with a definite 
 mystery element in them, it is a good plan to have a sounder explanation clearly 
 thought out before the mystery is "planted." 
 
 The political element in this story affords a striking under^vorld locale, but in 
 general stories dealing with such superficialities as municipal politics, graft, etc., should 
 be avoided. Except in melodrama, in which the thrills will make up for any lack of 
 strict logic, one should strive for logical and fundamental and realistic treatment of 
 plot material. And the editors have no real objection to plot logic in melodrama. 
 
 "FLAMES OF THE FLESH." 
 
 (Fox Production; starring Gladys Brockwell ; story by Forrest Halsey; scenario 
 by Dorothy Yost; directed by Edward LeSaint.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Candace is found in a Portuguese port about to commit suicide. She is suffering 
 from an outrage, and is bereft of her honor and most of her clothing. She is per- 
 suaded by Craig Boardman that she can accomplsh a more fitting revenge. He takes 
 her to Paris and introduces her to Mme. Binnat, who perfects her in all the iviles 
 and graces. She blossoms into a cruel, beautiful creature who maddens the men. 
 Charles Eastcoat, an American, falls in love with her. His brother arrives to intervene 
 and falls in love with her also. Thinking to save his brother, he spends the iveek-end 
 with the girl, but ends by confessing his love. The father arrives upon the scene to 
 reason with his elder son. In a thrilling scene it develops that the father is the man 
 who caused the girl's downfall. Rather than bring disgrace upon the elder brother, 
 whom she loves, Candace drinks poison and dies in his arms. 
 
 The trade reviews, in considering this story, called it a "lurid melodrama," and 
 it is indeed all of that. The situations are of the exaggerated, thrilling but accidental 
 kind that are seldom met with outside of a theatre. For a small section of the public 
 there is entertainment in such plays, but the producers and the public are awakening to 
 a desire for better stories founded upon situations that really occur in life and so have 
 a greater significance for the average spectator. The lurid melodrama is almost a thing 
 of the past, and the plays that have made the greatest successes in the recent past are 
 those which deal in a human way with vital and significant situations in the lives of 
 real people, which present the struggles ot human characters in a human way. 
 
 In this case the story starts with a sensational form of Situation VII ("Falling 
 Prey to Cruelty and Misfortune"), then progresses to Situation III ("Crime Pursued 
 by Vengeance," subdivision B-7 — "Revenge Upon a Whole Sex for a Deception by 
 One"), then to Situation XXIV ("Rivalry of Superior and Inferior") with which is 
 combined Situation XXVII ("Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One"), and on to 
 the climax in which the heroine sacrifices herself — Situation XXI ("Self-sacrifice for 
 
 86 
 
Kindrcii"). All of these situations are developed to their full dramatic povscr and as 
 a result the story is heavily burdened with drama. It is almost too complicated and too 
 dramatic to produce a unified, integral dramatic effect. In considering other pla.vs, we 
 have seen that often the best results are obtained from relatively simple plots, in which 
 one theme is developed in a simple and direct manner. In this story it is very difficult 
 to find a unifying theme and it is probable that the author wrote the story simply to 
 thrill the audience. 
 
 The climax, especially, is so implausible that the authentic thrill is lost. The 
 fact that the heroine should meet and win the love of two sons of the man who had 
 wronged her is a very far-fetched coincidence, justified only on the theory that the 
 world is a small place after all. 
 
 Since there is some demand for plays of tliis kind, such stories will always be 
 written. But they should be developed in a more logical and less sensational way, 
 upon situations that have a more poignant appeal. The story is worthy of study 
 because of the manner in which the author has combined tense and thrilling situations. 
 Structurally it is a good piece of craftsmnnsliip, despite the absence of theme, the false 
 and unreal characterization, and the lurid melodrama of the plot. 
 
 'TOOTLIGHTS AND SHADOWS." 
 
 (Selznick Production; starring Olive Thomas; story by Bradley King; scenario 
 by R. Cecil Smith; directed by John W. Noble.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Gloria Daiun is the latest Broadway favorite, a bright, scintillating star of "The 
 Midnight Revue," and "as straight as a string." Peter Shaiv, a wealthy man-about- 
 town, proposes marriage. Dazzled by the prospects of wealth and luxury, she accepts, 
 though she does not love him. 
 
 The same night a strange 7iian enters her apartment with his own key. She dis- 
 covers he is irrational and is horrified when he falls unconscious. He passes through 
 a long period of delirium, remaining in Gloria's apartment by order of the doctor. 
 During his convalescence he makes love to her. She feels herself strangely attracted 
 to him. 
 
 Later she learns he is Jerry O'Farrcll, millionaire sportsman, who contracted fever 
 while tiger hunting in Africa. JVith a happy heart she goes to inform him of his 
 identity. But during an unguarded moment he had slipped away. 
 
 Arriving home she finds Shaw, who has learned of the man who stayed there for 
 two weeks. Shaw no longer wants her for his wife, and miih,s an insulting proposal. 
 O'Farrell enters and a fierce struggle ensues. Shaw, severely thrashed, beats an in- 
 glorious retreat, and O'Farrell gently takes Gloria in his arms. 
 
 This story gives an excellent example of a dramatic beginning of a photoplay. 
 In the introductory scenes we see Gloria about to marn,' a man she does not lovr ; we 
 know she is unhappy and we hope that something will occur that will prevent the 
 marriage. As she is lying restlessly in bed a strange man enters her apartment, with 
 his own key! Gloria does not know him, the audience does not know him, and sus- 
 pense is maintained almost throughout the play by this clever note of mystery, which 
 in the end is resolved by a very logical explanation. The man had lived in that apart- 
 ment a year before and in his fever he simply returned to it. 
 
 The rest of the story follows a more conventional plot pattern, but it would be 
 difficult to find a better example of a gripping, suspensive, romantic beginning than in 
 "Footlights and Shadows." The situations that occur are VII, II, and XXXIII. 
 
 It would have been possible to have developed a much stronger and more sus- 
 tained plot on the basis of this beginning, but since the play was adapted from a 
 short story originally written for magazine publication it did not possess sufficient 
 dramatic strength for a five-reel photoplay. In a short story one good situation is 
 
 87 
 
sufficient for the entire plot, but as we have seen a five-reel photoplay requires at 
 least three of considerable dramatic strength. 
 
 This story illustrates in a very excellent way the use of a slight element of mys- 
 ter>'. The mystery is by no means the most important element in the plot and its 
 solution is perfectly natural. It does not become implausible, but it supplies an addi- 
 tional element of suspense that could not be achieved from a single conflict between 
 the two men for the love of the girl. A slight mystery element of this kind is often 
 very effective, especially if it is used as the inception of the play. 
 
 "THE FORGED BRIDE." 
 
 (Universal production; starring Mary MacLaren; story by J. G. Hawks; sce- 
 nario by Hal Hoadley; directed by Douglas Gerrard.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 Forger BUI Reynolds collects money on a bad check and goes home to his daughter, 
 Peggy, with the intention of turning over a new leaf and keeping straight. But from 
 the window he sees a squad of detectives approaching, realizes that the game is up, 
 induces Peggy to leave the house, is arrested and taken to jail. He is later sentenced 
 by Judge Farrell to the penitentiary. The prison where he is confined is close to a 
 beach resort where Peggy works. She becomes a favorite with the college boys, one 
 of iihom, Dick Fan Courtland, jnarries her. Dick's guardian is Judge Farrell, his 
 mother a ivealthy society matron. Farrell is recognized by the girl, but the judge keeps 
 her secret. Clara Ramarez, jealous, tries to undermine Peggy's standing. Peggy 
 ivrites to Bill that the Judge thinks she resembles his own daughter, u-ho was kid- 
 napped when a baby. Old Bill forges a letter which makes it appear that Peggy is 
 really the Judge's daughter, and the Judge, though fully aware of the trick Bill has 
 played, accepts Peggy as his daughter and Dick's wife. 
 
 This story is a very good example of a familiar plot treated in a new way. Up 
 to the last reel the story follows a timeworn pattern and one is led to expect the con- 
 ventional ending, in which the Judge recognizes Peggy as his long-lost daughter and so 
 establishes her social position. In the hands of a less adroit craftsman than Mr. Hawks 
 this play would have been an ordinarj' and hackneyed melodrama, but in the climax 
 there is a new and dramatic treatment of the old material. It is well to observe that 
 the novelty of the plot, the new twist gi\'en the situations, is the result of careful 
 characterization rather than of any mechanical device. Given the characters of Bill, 
 Peggy and the Judge, developed as distinctive individuals, some degree of novelty 
 must enter into the play. Bill's forgery to establish his daughter, the Judge's accept- 
 ance of Peggy even though he knows of the trick — these two distinctive plot elements 
 are purely the result of characterization. All three of these characters are sympa- 
 thetic, even the old criminal, for as far as we learn from the story he commits crime 
 only in order to help his daughter. Many beginning writers would have introduced 
 Bill as a hardened criminal and would then have endeavored to develop sympathy for 
 him. In that case, however, his character would detract from the central drama with 
 which we are properly concerned. The storj' is a very good example of starting the 
 drama at the right point. It is not necessary for the audience to know any more 
 about Bill than the story discloses; his past life is irrelevant. 
 
 Also, the action of the play starts on a plane of dramatic interest. Bill is shown 
 trying to escape from the police. This is an exciting use of Situation V ("Pursuit"), 
 in which our sympathy is with the one pursued, both because of his love for his 
 daughter and because of the natural instinct to take sides with the one who suffers. 
 
 In addition, Situations VII, XXXV, XXXVI, XXVIII and XXXIII enter 
 into the play, providing sufficient dramatic strength for five interesting reels of action. 
 
 This story may be studied by the beginner as a good example of familiar melo- 
 dramatic material made interesting and novel by human characterization and clever 
 technical treatment. 
 
 SS 
 
"THE GAME IS UP." 
 
 (Produced by Universal; starring Ruth Clifford; story by Gladys E. Johnson; 
 scenario by Catherine Carr; directed by Elsie Jane Wilson.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 // all started when Constance thought Peter Neyland a chauffeur, and his auto- 
 mobile for public hire. Peter entered into the game enthusiastically for Connie ivas 
 pretty and he didn't let on at all that he had a million in the bank. Connie luanted 
 the car to put through a bluff on her friend, Winnie, from the home town. Connie, 
 with artistic ambitions, had come to the city to sell her paintings, but found that the 
 art market didn't sit up and take notice in the manner she expected. However, her let- 
 ters sent back home had told of her success, for Connie was quite proud, and before 
 Winnie the bluff had to be put through. 
 
 So Peter posed as a chauffeur and gladly loaned his car and his services. How- 
 ever, toward the end of the day they met Mrs. Ilyland, also from the home toivn, ivho 
 persuaded Winnie to stay on a feiv days — at Connie's house. Connie not having any 
 house, it was a rather difficult proposition for her to face, but Peter came to the rescue 
 again with his bachelor apartments. McQtiade, his valet, was dispatched for Connie's 
 clothes and hurried excursion on Peter's part put pipes and tobacco and other tell-tale 
 things to cover. 
 
 Then Airs. Hyland demanded to meet celebrities and McQuade was again pressed 
 into service as a polo player. Ted Latham, Peter's friend, joined in the game and fell 
 in love with Winnie. What was more likely to happen than a dual ivedding? Noth- 
 ing; and truth to tell, that's u'hat did happen after Connie's game teas up. 
 
 This simple, wholesome, thoroughly amusing comedy drama, is based upon Situa- 
 tion XXX ("Ambition"), with a slight use of Situation VII ("Falling Prey to 
 Cruelty and Misfortune"), and something also of XXIV ("P.ivalry between Superior 
 and Inferior"), and a great deal of XXXlII ("Erroneous Judgment"). The strong 
 point of the story is not its realism, but it does possess an entertainment value strong 
 enough to please most audiences. It is in the same class with a previous example, "A 
 Favor to a Friend," and compares favorably with that story as a light farcical comedy 
 drama. As in that case, the value of the story depends upon the characterization and 
 the cleverness of the comedic treatment. 
 
 The idea of a young man of wealth posing as the chauffeur either of a wealthy 
 girl with whom he is in love or of a girl in a lower social stratum is a familiar one, 
 but in this case it is made fresh and amusing by skillful incidental treatment. This 
 type of story is more difficult than it seems, for really novel comedy ideas are very 
 rare. But to the photoplaywright with a comedic turn of mind, stories of this kind 
 will probably be more interesting than the more serious examples we shall consider. 
 
 "THE GAY LORD QUEX." 
 (Goldwyn production; story by Arthur Wing Pinero; directed by Harry Beau- 
 mont; starring Tom Moore.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Lord Quex is a typical product of the idle rich, and a notorious philanderer. His 
 distress is acute when he falls in love with a charming girl, Muriel Eden, but finds 
 that his prominent past is a bar to a happy wedding. However, upon promising to 
 reform, the girl consents to wed him. Muriel has a friend in Sophie Fullgarney and 
 Sophie disapproves of the gay Lord Quex. She attempts to prove that Quex is un- 
 worthy of Muriel by informing her of a compromising situation in which she finds 
 Quex with the sentimental Duchess of Strood. But Sophie's own reputation is com- 
 promised by a clever trick on the part of the nobleman and she is only saved in the 
 eyes of her sweetheart by Quex. Muriel noiv is suspicious of Quex and thinks seriously 
 of wedding another, but Sophie comes to the rescue and all ends happily for Quex. 
 
 S9 
 
This comedy dramn of the romantic kind is a van' good example of the social 
 comedy of manners, and the characterization of the gay young lord who has flirted 
 so much and so often that his reputation is ruined, is a thing of delight. The plot 
 really springs from the characterization, for when the gay Lord Quex comes in con- 
 tact with the girl he learns to love one knows that the other women of his innocent 
 but flirtatious past will provide a strong and amusing element of conflict. Quex is 
 the sort of a man who tells every pretty woman he meets that she has wonderful eyes, 
 and so charmingly that they all fall in love with him. In this case the friend of 
 the heroine considers him too wicked to marry the girl of his choice and tries to report 
 a compromising predicament of the lord's. By a clever trick he places her in the very 
 same predicament. This is a very fine example of the use of comedic recoil, and it 
 shows how skillfully the situation of "Erroneous Judgment" (XXXIII) can be used 
 as a basis of comedy and comedy drama. That situation, combined with a slighter 
 element of "Mistaken Jealousy" (XXXII), forms the basis of the plot. 
 
 The story is also noteworthy for another comedic device, which is very effective 
 in portraying character. The hero repeatedly says, to various women, "Did anyone 
 ever tell you that you have wonderful eyes?" and each time this key-line is repeated it 
 wins a hearty response from the audience. The use of the key-hne in this way is 
 very effective, in both comedy and drama, but care must be exercised not to use it too 
 often. In a melodrama recently read the heroine was abducted by a brute who later 
 was regenerated through her love. When he found her on the trail he said, "What I 
 find on the trail I take!" Later the girl saved his life in a snowstorm on the same 
 trail and as she held him in her arms she said, in an entirely different tone, "What I 
 find on the trail I take!" The correct use of such spoken titles binds all of the action 
 together in an inseparable unit and leads to a single dramatic impression. In the 
 melodrama just mentioned the title was first used in the greatest crisis of the action, 
 and the second time it brought the play to happy ending. 
 
 "The Gay Lord Quex" also indicates a dramatic advantage some stage plays 
 possess. This photoplay was adapted from one of the best of Pinero's stage successes, 
 and Pinero is a very skillful dramatist. The climax of the story, especially, occurs in 
 a very restricted area, having been confined in the stage play to one set. The result 
 is a greater unity and forcefulness than would otherwise have been achieved. The 
 photoplaywright will do well to study the work of Pinero and other dramatists for 
 the stage — most of which can be found in the libraries — in order to master this prin- 
 ciple of a close-knit and tense climax, restrained to a minimum of space. 
 
 "THE GIRL ALASKA." 
 (Produced by World; starring Lottie Kruse; author and direction not credited.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 This is a story of Alaska — a story of the trackless wastes of the North and the 
 survival of the fittest. The merciless reaches of snow hold nature in a tight grip 
 when the girl sets foot in Skagway, the gateway of Alaska. She has been an orphan 
 since her father went North in search of gold. Reading in the neivspapers about the 
 opportunities offered to ambitious young men in Alaska, she determines to disguise 
 herself as a boy and folloiv his adventurous path. And discovered as a sioivaway on 
 the north-bound ship she gives her name as Alaska and is obliged to scrub decks. 
 When she suffers several indignities a fellow passenger, a youth about her own age, 
 comes to her rescue, and instantly wins her friendship. 
 
 They decide to go as pals and he pays her voyage. So Skagway is reached. A 
 "sourdough" offers to guide them to a rich gold country out of gratitude for grub- 
 staking him, but after a tedious journey the pals manage to reach the cabin of an old 
 gold seeker, who offers them hospitality. Pay dirt is struck but the old man suc- 
 cumbs to illness, though not before the girl learns that he is her own father. 
 
 90 
 
Then one day the young man decides to return East and bring bark a bride. He 
 meets with an accident and is rescued by his pal who nurses him back to health. And 
 eventually he discovers that she is a girl and the best little pal in the world and so 
 they marry. 
 
 This photoplay is of especial interest to the photoplaywright because it involves 
 one of the most timeworn of dramatic tricks — the heroine disguised as a boy, and 
 the hero's failure to learn her sex until the very end of the story. The same use of 
 disguise has been employed a great many times in the photoplay, but it is never 
 wholly plausible or realistic. In comedies of the slapstick variety the disguise of men 
 as girls, or the reverse, is frequently used, but even in that form the trick is rather 
 inefifective and artificial. There is a romantic interest in such an element, but unless 
 a story receives a very skillful direction and casting it will fail to convince a sophisti- 
 cated audience. 
 
 Situation XXX ("Ambition"), first appears in the girl's desire to follow the 
 lure of gold, and it is quickly followed by Situation IX, ("Daring Enterprise"), which 
 is used with decided effectiveness. Situation XXXV ("Recovery of Loved Ones") 
 and Situation XXVIII ("Obstacles to Love"), both appear in minor episodes. 
 
 Although it would seem that the story in this case is a minor factor, it is only 
 fair to state that this photoplay has the distinction of being the first to be produced 
 in Alaska, with the wealth of scenery that Alaska provides. It is therefore a very 
 commendable experiment, and the relative simplicity of the plot does not lessen its value. 
 
 For the photoplay^vright, however, it is a good example of at least one dramatic 
 trick that should be avoided or dealt with in a very careful and convincing manner. 
 
 "THE GIRL IN NUMBER 29." 
 
 (Universal Production; all-star cast with Frank Mayo; story by Elizabeth Jor- 
 dan; scenario by Philip J. Hurn; directed by Jack Ford.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Laurie Devon writes a successful play and then cannot be induced to work any 
 more. His friends deplore the rut into which he has fallen. One day Laurie, look- 
 ing from his bedroom windoiv, sees a beautiful girl in the apartment across the ivay 
 holding a revolver to her head. He rushes to her apartment and, breaking in, prevents 
 her from taking her life. He begs that he might become her protector when he sees 
 that she is in constant fear of some horrible influence. Laurie discovers that a man 
 named Shaw is bothering the girl whom he knows as Miss Mayo. He follows Shaw 
 to an out-of-the-way place and is dumped into a cellar, but escapes. Later he learns 
 that Miss Mayo has been abducted. He follows her to a country house and after 
 battling ivith a gang of thugs rescues her. But in leaving he is led to believe that 
 he has killed Shaiv. Back home he confesses to his sister and friends that he is a 
 murderer and learns that the whole affair luas a frame-up to provide him with the 
 excitement ivhich would stimulate him to work. Miss Mayo is an actress who agrees 
 to take the leading role in his forthcoming play. She also agrees to become his wife. 
 
 This story is a mystery story of the artificial and mechanical tjpe, solved in the 
 end by a device almost as trite and unreasonable as the "dream ending." To learn 
 that all of the action we have been watching is framed up for the sake of arousing 
 the hero to further efforts as a dramatist is just as implausible as to learn that it is all 
 a dream. In fiction, the skillful author could maintain suspense and carry the reader's 
 breathless interest from one chapter to the next. But on the screen, which more than 
 any other dramatic medium requires stories that produce the illusion of reality, the 
 implausible basis and the trick ending are technical devices that the true dramatic 
 craftsman scorns to use. It is a simple thing to write a mystery ston,' of this kind, but 
 a very difficult one to bring it to a logical and realistic conclusion. Few such plays are 
 successful for this reason. 
 
 91 
 
The plot involves Situation II, ("Deliverance"), X, ("Abduction"), III, 
 ("Crime Pursued by Vengeance"), and XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"). The 
 only novelty in the plot is the sudden surprise in the end of the story, but it is so 
 palpably an artificial trick that it loses most of its dramatic value. 
 
 The great difficulty involved in writing a really plausible mystery story makes it 
 unwise for the beginner to attempt this form. The plot material should be thoroughly 
 tested and analyzed, and if it is found to be better suited to the short story it should 
 be developed in that way. It is always wise, however, to select more novel basic situa- 
 tions than the author of this novel employed, even in writing a mystery' story. The 
 very triteness of the artificial plot adds to the implausibility of the ending. 
 
 It should be observed, however, that there is a very interesting and romantic 
 inception in this play. The hero's sight of the girl about to shoot herself, his rescue 
 of her, and his protection constitute an excellent beginning for a romantic, adven- 
 turous story, but the charm of this part has been lost by the efFort to maintain the 
 mystery throughout five reels. 
 
 "THE GRAY HORIZON." 
 
 (Produced by Robertson-Cole; starring Sessue Hayakawa; story and scenario by 
 Clififord Howard; directed by William Worthington.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 This presents an absorbing story of a Japanese artist whose sense of honor comes 
 above everything else. He receives a visit from his sister, tuho informs him that she 
 is in search of her American husband ivho has so cruelly deserted her. This man 
 lives in the irnmediate neighborhood and is happily married to a ivoman of his own 
 race. Fate lures him to the Jap's cabin, where opportunity is presented to him to make 
 amends. In a struggle he accidentally kills the woman and escapes. But the in- 
 furiated Jap pursues him and finishes his earthly career. 
 
 Then into his life comes the widow of the scoundrel. She is ignorant of her 
 husband's death and the Jap has no knowledge of her relationship. The shadoivs 
 which have crept out of his life return to torment him, for when she employs him to 
 paint a portrait of her husband the aivful truth dau'ns on him. He goes through with 
 his hated task out of love and respect for the beautiful white woman. But when the 
 canvas is finished the likeness arouses his anger to the highest pitch, and luith one 
 stroke he slashes the painting. How the shadow mounts in his life, how he confesses 
 to the crime but spares the ividozv the evidence ivhich ivould free him because she had 
 thought her husband noble, marks a climax ivhich is intensity itself. 
 
 This very thrilling and dramatic story is based upon the use and repetition of 
 three basic situations; III, ("Crime Pursued by Vengeance") ; XXXIII, ("Erroneous 
 Judgment"), and XXI, ("Self-sacrifice for Kindred and for a Loved One"). The 
 basic idea of a man avenging the wrong done his sister by a man of another race is, 
 of course, not new, but the novelty and the dramatic intensity of the story comes 
 from the love that develops between the Japanese and the white woman, which involves 
 something of Situation XXIX, ("An Enemy Loved"). 
 
 This story may be considered as a good example of the use of the theme of 
 vengeance, which in this case is wisely tempered with self-sacrifice and nobility. It 
 supplies a very powerful role for the star in question, whose personality and race are 
 well suited to portrayals of avenging heroes. 
 
 This story was obviously written for Hayakawa, which is in general an unwise 
 practice. But if the photoplaywright feels sure that he has a story specifically suited 
 to the personality of a certain star, it should be given its chance to achieve production. 
 
 "THE GREAT AIR ROBBERY." 
 
 (Universal production; story by Jacques Jaccard and George Hively; directed 
 by Jacques Jaccard; starring Lieut. O. L. Lncklear.) 
 
 92 
 
Synopsis. 
 
 Wallie Mason, aviator, and Larry Cassidy, air pilot, in U. S. Mail Service, go on 
 furlough. A gang of aerial bandits are operating as the "Death Squadron," led by 
 Chester Van Arland. The latter plans to seize a shipment of gold going by mid- 
 night plane to the l-Fashington Mint. Van Arland obtains possession by crooked 
 means of a croix de guerre, won by Wallie in France and given by him to Beryl 
 Caruthers. Van Arland mails this cross to himself at a New York address and tells 
 the jealous Wallie he can get it back by betraying the route of the plane on which 
 it is shipped, which also carries the gold. IVallie consents, recovers the cross and 
 the gold is stolen. There follows a series of wild aerial adventures in which Larry 
 and H'allie take part. The bandits are captured. Wallie is killed and Larry wins 
 Beryl 
 
 This story is worthy of note because it is the first of the aerial thrillers and has 
 proved very successful on account of its unique place amonj; photoplays. The story 
 in itself is very simple, and of the serial type, depending basically upon the convenient 
 melodramatic situations of "Pursuit," (V), and "Daring Enterprise," (IX). The 
 actual production was distinguished by many unusual aerial thrills and the story is 
 of secondary importance. 
 
 Many beginning writers, especially those with a love of adventure and romance, 
 make use of similar thrilling stunts in their stories to produce dramatic effect. But in a 
 story such stunts can only be described in a narrative manner; they depend not upon 
 the skill of the dramatist but upon the agility of the actors. Therefore there is little 
 dramatic value in them so far as the author's work is concerned, and producers are 
 not likely to be impressed with them in stories unless they occur as the very natural 
 and logical result of genuine dramatic conflicts. It is far better, generally speaking, 
 for the writer to deal with the fundamental human emotional conflicts than with 
 mechanical thrills of this kind. 
 
 "THE GREAT ROMANCE." 
 
 (Produced by Screen Classics; starring Harold Lockwood; story and scenario by 
 Finis Fox; directed by Henry Otto.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Rupert Danza, a student at Columbia University, is one day approached by a 
 gentleman of title, calling upon him to return to his native kingdom of Rugaria and 
 settle its political destinies. The idea doesn't appeal to Rupert in the least, for he is 
 a staunch believer in the principles of freedom and democracy as embodied in the 
 United States. Hoivever, when he learns that the only girl, Althca Hamvay, has 
 been kidnapped by her mother and father to marry a title — the title being Prince 
 Boris — he sits up and takes notice and, to make the story short, arrives in Rugaria 
 on the very next steamer. 
 
 Arrived there, he learns that his mission is to lead a band of revolutionists against 
 King Rudolph, a monarch who, like many others of his time, has proven a rank failure 
 in operating a government. This makes it all particularly interesting when Rupert 
 considers that Althea is being pushed off on the king's son by her very vain parents. 
 However, Althea's heart is with Rupert altogether and when Rupert gets in touch 
 with her — osculating touch, to be correct — she again vows that she will never marry 
 Prince Boris and that she is Rupert's and only his. Rupert is far from being displeased. 
 
 Then things happen. An anarchist takes a shot at the king and brings him to 
 his bed as a result. A countess makes the confession that Rupert is the real heir to 
 the throne, having been kidnapped when a child, by the revolutionists, and sent to 
 America to absorb democracy. So King Rudolph dies and Rupert — quite naturally — 
 renounces the throne, although he does permit the people to elect him President, while 
 he elects Althea as his wife. 
 
 93 
 
This photoplay is an example of a familiar type of romance — it is a mythical 
 kingdom story, and bears a close resemblance to numerous others of the same kind 
 and to some stories of South or Central American republics that have been produced. 
 There is a great deal of romantic interest, though not much reflection of reality, in 
 such themes and they have therefore been rather popular. The successful novels of 
 Anthony Hope, George Barr McCutcheon and Harold MacGrath may be cited as 
 examples of the same idea used in fiction. Unless the photoplaywright can bring to 
 the subject a fresh and distinctive treatment, it is one that should be avoided. 
 
 The story involves Situation X, ("Abduction"); V, ("Pursuit"); IX, ("Dar- 
 ing Enterprise"); XXVHI, ("Obstacles to Love"), and VHI, ("Revolt"). 
 
 The revelation at the end of the story, that Rupert is the real heir having been 
 kidnapped in early childhood, is especially a timeworn plot element, and one that fre- 
 quently appears in the work of amateurs. In this case, the frankly romantic nature 
 of the story makes it partially allovvrable. 
 
 "THE GROUCH." 
 
 (Produced by World; starring Montague Love; story by Forrest Halsey; sce- 
 nario by Clara Beranger; directed by Oscar Apfel.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Donald Graham is an ex-convict and is shunned by all men. After being discharged 
 from a surveyor's troupe busy lining out an almost impenetrable southern sicamp, he 
 takes a position as caretaker of a house near by. To this place comes one Fleurette, 
 a member of the band of Okfces, pirates' descendants ivho still steal, ravage and 
 plunder. Fleurette has flown her wedding feast because the man she was to marry 
 proved himself a coward when struck down by the chief. Graham, bitter toivard 
 all women because of his wife's faithlessness, greets Fleurette coldly. He insists that 
 she dress as a boy and take the name of Bill. One night the Okfees attempt to take 
 Fleurette aivay and Graham fights for her. Afterwards the two strike out along 
 the road together. 
 
 In one town Graham learns that he has inherited a fortune. By this time he 
 has grown to really love Fleurette, and with her as his wife he returns to the city. 
 There he plans a revenge. Corinne, once his wife, has married again. Through the 
 market Graham attacks this man. Branch, and succeeds in accomplishing his ruin. 
 Then Corinne, fickle and selfish as of yore, again offers herself to Graham. He pre- 
 tends to accept her proposal and meets her at a roadhouse. Here, however, he tells her 
 that it is all his revenge. He is about to strangle Corrine when, in desperation, she 
 tells him that he will find Fleurette with her husband. 
 
 This is true, Fleurette has gone to Branch in order to give Graham grounds for 
 divorce. But, wild and impassioned, she had, at the last moment, set fire to the 
 house, intending to die and take Branch with her. Graham arrives just in time to 
 save her. Branch, too, is saved, and his greatest punishment is to remain alive ivith 
 the mercenary Corinne. 
 
 The motivating situation of this story is the Ilird, ("Crime Pursued by Ven- 
 geance"), vifhile with it are combined XXXII, ("Mistaken Jealousy") ; VII, ("Falling 
 Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune"), and to a degree VI, ("Disaster"). 
 
 The discovery on the part of Graham that he has fallen heir to a fortune is a 
 rather accidental happening, and it has all the appearance of artificiality. And the 
 sudden desire to exact vengeance for a wrong of some time past does not quite ring 
 true. In fact, the entire latter half of the story might have been developed along much 
 stronger and more dramatic lines. The story is of especial interest to the photoplay- 
 wright because it deals with the stock exchange. A great many photoplays have simi- 
 larly dealt with this material, and it is one that many writers incorporate into their 
 stories. But it is subject to a fundamental objection. It does not make a poignant 
 emotional appeal to the average spectator, and it deals with a locale that lacks pic- 
 turesque and dramatic interest. 
 
 94 
 
If, in this case, the author had developed a strong story up^jn tlu' premise sug- 
 gested by the opening episodes, he would probably have achieved much finer results. 
 For the opening episodes are colorful, romantic, unusual and of genuine dramatic value. 
 
 In this story, too, we meet the woman of the "vampire" type in the person of 
 Corinne. Doubtless there are such women in real life, but when they are portrayed 
 in colors too black merely for dramatic effect they are unreal and unappealing. They 
 are merely typical, and they seldom possess the individuality of lifelike characters. 
 The villain, male or female, is naturally the most diflicult character to portray, and 
 while it is necessary to have a sharp dramatic contrast between your characters it is 
 not necessary to make one of them thoroughly and unbelievably wicked. Characters 
 should be lifelike rather than anything else, first of all, and then they should really 
 fit into a story. 
 
 From this story, then, the author may learn to avoid such artificial and super- 
 ficial locales as the stock market and such typical and unreal characters as Corinne. 
 
 "HAPPY THOUGH MARRIED." 
 
 (Produced by Paramount; Thomas H. Ince supervision; starring Enid Bennett; 
 story by Lois and Arthur Zellner; scenario by C. Gardner Sullivan; directed by Fred 
 Niblo.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Stanley and Jim Alontjoy leave for South America to develop mining property 
 there and Stanley, before going, takes fond leave of his sweetheart, Alillicent Lee. In 
 South America all does not go ivell luith the tiuo brothers' financial project until a 
 wily old Spaniard makes them a large offer for the mine. They are about to accept 
 when Diana Ramon, the Spaniard's niece, warns them not to. Further research in the 
 mine discloses a rich vein of ore which they have previously overlooked. They are 
 overjoyed and Jim is particularly grateful to Diana. 
 
 Stanley leaves at once for the states and immediately marries Millicent. On 
 their wedding day Bob Davies, an old friend, presents them with a book entitled, 
 "How to be Happy, Though Married," a volume filled with cynical advice for young 
 couples. Millicent finds certain passages underscored and believes that her husband 
 is the guilty party. She begins to follow out the advice literally and gets in trouble. 
 The trouble is in no wise lessened when she discovers a picture of Diana in Stanley's 
 trunk. The book hints at a dark and mysterious past. Millicent isn't comfortable. 
 
 Stanley hears from Jim and Diana, to the effect that they have been married and 
 to meet them at the station as they are returning. In the crowd Jim is separated 
 from his brother and wife. Stanley takes Diana home, leaves her and goes out in 
 search of Jim. Naturally, luhen Millicent arrives home she recognizes the Spanish 
 beauty. Diana can't speak English and there is the very devil to pay until finally 
 the brothers arrive home and straighten matters out for the happiness of all concerned. 
 
 This story is an excellent example of a simple but delightfully efTective^ comedy 
 drama. It is based primarily upon Situation IX, ("Daring Enterprise"), Situation 
 XXIX, ("An Enemy Loved"), and upon many variations of XXXII, ("Mistaken 
 Jealousy"). The unity of the dramatic action is not materially affected by the fact 
 that the characters go to South America, for ver>' effective dramatic action takes place 
 there and is continued logically upon the return of Jim and Diana to the United 
 States. There is no disconcerting break in the unity of action, and Diana must be 
 a foreigner in order to prepare the way for the subsequent climax. 
 
 As in most comedies and comedy drama, the plot depends upon mistaken jealousy 
 used in a light and comedic manner. It is worth while to observe that this same plot 
 idea might have been developed in a one or two-reel comedy, though with muoi less 
 effectual characterization and comedic results. The use of the book and the young 
 wife's supposition that her husband has had a multi-colored past is novel and amusing, 
 and yet it is a sound enough theme to carry conviction with the comedy. 
 
 95 
 
The story may be considered as a splendid example of comedy drama, and the 
 photoplaywright should endeavor to make his own work as good as this example. It 
 should be remembered, however, that the synopsis given above is a mere outline of the 
 plot and that there were many clever and subtle details of humor in the story itself 
 that are not even suggested by so brief a synopsis. In comedy and comedy drama, 
 however slight the fundamental plot may be, the action should be worked out in com- 
 plete detail, with a strong vein of comedy running throughout the story. 
 
 "THE HAWK'S TRAIL." 
 
 (Synopsis and review of first four episodes of the serial produced by Burston. 
 Story by Nan Blair; directed by W. S. Van Dyke.) 
 
 Synopsis — Episodes 1-4. 
 
 Stanton Steele is a noted crim'inologht whose hobby is tracking down crooks. 
 "Iron" Dugan, in order to obtain the fortunes belonging to Jean and Claire Drake, 
 is posing as their uncle. He has abducted Jean and hidden her in an old house, but 
 because his son Bob, who knoivs nothing of his father's evil schemes, is in love with 
 Claire he gives her a comfortable home. Finally realizing that Claire is a menace to 
 his schemes, Dugan attempts to do away with her and sends her to visit a Swami in 
 whose house numerous men are waiting to abduct the girl. Steele, who has been 
 hired by Claire, to unravel a mysterious burglary, learns of the plot and hastening to 
 the Swami's home, impersonates him and routs Dugan's hired crooks. Dugan ne.xt 
 decoys Claire to a Chinese criminal's gambling house and orders her to be killed. 
 Again, by impersonating a Chinese merchant, Steele is able to rescue Claire who is 
 totally unaware that her uncle is treacherous. Jean sends a message to Claire for 
 help and Dugan, intercepting it, sends Claire to the deserted house and once again 
 plans to have his men kill her. Steele is again on the alert, however, and manages to 
 save Claire's life after a desperate struggle. 
 
 This synopsis of the inceptive episodes of a serial presents a fair example of the 
 type of play used in this kind of production. It is, of course, frankly melodramatic, 
 built for the purpose of thrilling the spectator by swift action, hairbreadth escapes and 
 tense conflicts. Pictures of this kind have wide popularity with certain audiences, 
 and the writer who possesses technical skill, adroit plot ability, and a vivid melo- 
 dramatic imagination does well when he studies the serial productions. There is 
 always a demand for effective and unusual serials, and very high prices are paid for 
 stories of this kind. 
 
 The situations that appear most prominently in the story are I, ("Supplication") ; 
 II, ("Deliverance"); X, ("Abduction"), and XXX, ("Ambition"), together with 
 a slight use of XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"), in the very beginning. The chief 
 value of the plot as a combination of these situations is as an illustration of the 
 logical development of not wholly convincing premises. If one will grant the existence 
 of such a criminal as Dugan and the existence of so clever a detective as Steele the 
 plot develops with reasonable logic. Occasionally, as in most serials, the long arm 
 of coincidence is stretched, but on the whole the story progresses naturally and with 
 effectiveness towards its conclusion. 
 
 It will be observed that the plot plan of the story is a relatively simple one. The 
 complete serial contains fifteen episodes, each two reels in length. In order to hold 
 the interest of the audience from one episode to another it is necessary to place the hero 
 or heroine or both in a very tense predicament just at the end of the episode and then 
 to cut the picture. You will observe that Dugan is attempting to get rid of Claire. 
 This motive recurs in each episode, giving a kind of unity to the whole production. 
 The end of each episode comes when the heroine is apparently in the power of Dugan. 
 The next episode opens with Steele accomplishing her rescue. 
 
 Some one has said, with some degree of accuracy, that a serial plot is one that is 
 self-propelling. That is, given a certain conflict of strong forces, such as the conflict 
 
 96 
 
between Dugan and Steele, so many phases of that conflict can be presented that tlie 
 play may go on almost indefinitely. The danger lies, of course, in allowing the plot 
 to become repetitious, tedious and slow in movement. Although the finished structure 
 of a serial appears simple, its actual construction is a task requiring genuine technical 
 skill. 
 
 "THE HELL CAT." 
 
 (Produced by Goldwyn; starring Geraldine Farrar; written by Willard Mack; 
 directed by Reginald Barker.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Pancha O'Brien, daughter of a Wyoming sheep raiser, is loved by Sheriff Jack 
 fVebb. There is another one, Jim Dike, a squaw man and a cattle rancher, who 
 would possess her. She rebuffs him repeatedly. 
 
 At night he comes to the O'Brien ranch and shoots down Pancha's father. 
 The girl puts up a terrific fight and proves that she is a veritable hell cat. Dike, 
 however, carries her away to his ranch. 
 
 Dike's squaiu steals into Pancha's room, intent on stabbing her; but when Pancha 
 explains the Indian knows that it is Dike who must be punished. She dashes off to 
 tell the sheriff. In order to win Pancha back to responsiveness. Dike offers to marry 
 her and take her East. The girl consents. 
 
 On the way to Cheyenne Sheriff Jack Webb and his posse spring from behind 
 rocks and cover Jim Dike with their guns. The cattleman sits in the buckboard, 
 stiffly erect. The posse approaches. He topples over, dead, with the dagger Pancha 
 had wrested from the Indian in his heart. 
 
 This melodrama of the West is based upon Situations I and H, ("Supplication") 
 and ("Deliverance"); VI, ("Disaster"); X, ("Abduction"), and in the surprise 
 ending XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"). It is useful as a typical melodrama of 
 the kind that has been produced in large numbers against the background of the West. 
 The feud between the cattlemen and the sheep barons, the squaw man whose squaw 
 plays him false, the typical pursuing villain and the brave and noble sheriff-hero — 
 these plot elements constantly recur in melodrama of this kind. There is distinctive 
 novelty and dramatic tension in the manner in which Pancha kills the villain, but it 
 is rather grewsome and fundamentally dependent upon the accident of opportunity 
 she had to plunge the dagger into his back. It may be classed as an effective dra- 
 matic trick rather than as a logical and plausible use of dramatic material. 
 
 More and more the producers are avoiding melodramas of this type. The de- 
 mand is for thoroughly novel stories of the West as it is, rather than for such sensa- 
 tional tales out of the past. In this case, the implausibility of the story lies in the 
 character of Dike, who is an altogether typical villain. 
 
 The success and value of this picture depended more upon the acting and direc- 
 tion than upon the strength of the story, but it is only just to say that the direction was 
 very fine and the acting exceedingly forceful. 
 
 "HER BRIDAL NIGHT-MARE." 
 (Christie Special Comedy in two reels; story by Ora Carew.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 The hero and heroine are about to be married when a jealous suitor of the girl 
 hires a burglar to make nivay with the bridegroom's wedding clothes. The bride 
 decides to commit suicide when the hero does not arrive and is then almost persuaded 
 to marry the villain. The hero is arrested for being on the street in his B.V.D.'s,but 
 after explanations at the police station he is given a uniform and allowed to go. The 
 burglar learns of the wedding and steals the presents, and there meets the villain 
 who had previously hired him. The hero returns and the villain is exposed and 
 thrown out by the hero, who is then happily married. 
 
 97 
 
The basic conflict of this story between the bridegroom and the jealous suitor 
 might have led to a very amusing situation comedy, but the author and producers 
 chose to make of it a burlesque and farce and relied upon the familiar "chase" of slap- 
 stick to provide most of the laughs. Burlesque and farce are becoming less and less 
 popular, and there is no real demand for stories of this type. The comedy producers 
 are desirous of polite, plausible situation comedies, preferably founded upon an amus- 
 ing situation that might very naturally occur in the life of almost any spectator. 
 
 In this case the opening situation, a combination of XXIV ("Rivalry of Superior 
 and Inferior") and VII ("Falling Prey to Cruelty and Disaster"), provides a very 
 good basis for a situation comedy with a universal appeal. As is often the case, how- 
 ever, the author allowed the plot to lapse into farce. One of the greatest difficulties in 
 writing comedy is the difficulty of preserving the action upon the plane of straight 
 comedy and maintaining it above farce and burlesque. It requires little imaginative 
 skill to write burlesque, but to construct straight comedy one must be a very adroit 
 craftsman. 
 
 "HER ELEPHANT MAN." 
 
 (Fox Production; story by Pearl Doles Bell; scenario by Isabelle Johnson; 
 directed by Scott Dunlap; starring Shirley Mason.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Little Joan Kennedy is left an orphan on the death of her father, a missionary 
 in darkest Africa, and she is delivered into the care of visiting white men by the 
 natives whom her father had taught. Among the white men are Philip Dorset, a rich 
 young Englishman who is hunting big game while trying to forget an unhappy mar- 
 riage at home, and Jerimy, the animal man with a circus, who is in Africa to buy 
 elephants. They bring Joan to the United .States, and when the child grows older 
 she becomes an equestrienne in the circus, to luhich Philip also is attached as the ele- 
 phant man. Believing her husband killed in Africa, Mrs. Dorset remarries. Philip 
 learns of this, but takes no action, as a child had been born to the former Mrs. 
 Dorset. A love affair develops between Joan and "her elephant man," and Philip 
 quits the circus while arranging for a divorce. After more mishaps, Philip is free 
 and returns to the circus, and in the end, following a terrific Kansas storm which 
 wrecks "the big top," Joan and Philip meet to part no more. 
 
 Circus pictures, like the circus, are almost always popular, and in this case the 
 author has not only written a very good photoplay of circus life, but has also created 
 appealing characters, developed an unusual introductory romance, and complicated 
 the plot with just enough unhappiness to give it the proper dramatic weight. The 
 opening of the story, despite the fact that it takes place in Africa, is a very effective 
 one, for the two important characters are introduced in an unusual and picturesque 
 environment that furnishes a very natural prelude for the later circus life. The im- 
 portant characters are introduced, some suggestion of romance and future life estab- 
 lished, and then the story opens under the Big Top, progressing naturally to the end. 
 The sub-plot involving the hero's first wife is in itself timeworn, but it serves well 
 to develop his character and to present an obstacle to his love for Joan. It should be 
 observed that his attitude when he learns of his first wife's marriage is novel because 
 it is combined with his new love. 
 
 The situations that occur in the plot prominently are VII, ("Falling Prey to 
 Cruelty and Misfortune"), a slight form of IX, ("Daring Enterprise"); XXXIII, 
 ("Erroneous Judgment"), and XXVIII, ("Obstacles to Love"). 
 
 There iiave been many circus stories written and produced in the past and most 
 of those written by beginning photoplaywrights follow more or less closely the ex- 
 hausted formula for such stories. But there will always be some demand for really 
 good circus stories and the writer who is familiar with this subject and this locale 
 should endeavor to make his work as distinctive, in characterization and plot, as "Her 
 Elephant Man." 
 
 9t 
 
"HER GREATEST PERFORMANCE." 
 
 (Produced in England for Triangle; starring Ellen Terry; author and direction 
 not credited; a typical star vehicle.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Poitraying a favorite actress who lias retired from the profession and anxious to 
 see her young son elevated to stardom, the old mother visits the theatre and witnesses 
 his great triumph. 
 
 The son is sentenced to ten years in prison for manslaughter. There has been 
 home alone, where she lives with her son's fiancee. The son celebrates with the boys 
 at the club and afterivards becomes involved in cards and drink. During this time 
 the son strikes a man who is afterwards killed by another man who is wealthy. 
 
 The son is sentenced to ten years in prison for manslaughter. There has been 
 an eye-witness to the killing, however. Blackmail silences her for awhile, until on 
 her death bed the old woman confesses to the retired actress that the wealthy man 
 had committed the crime that her son had been convicted for. 
 
 Then the great actress ivas called upon to render "Her Greatest Performance." 
 She made herself up as an exact likeness of the dead woman and demanding in that 
 character more hush money from the ivealthy man she leads him to actually confess 
 the crime in the presence of hidden witnesses. 
 
 And her son is free to join his mother and wed his fiancee. 
 
 The situations upon which this story is based are XXI and XXII, two forms 
 of sacrifice, and upon XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"), embodying the well-u-orn 
 circumstantial evidence. 
 
 The story is particularly useful as an example because it involves the very hack- 
 neyed plot idea of a man being sent to prison for murder because another person had 
 been killed after being struck or threatened by the protagonist. This idea has been 
 used so very often that it is thoroughly timeworn, and it is fundainentally dependent 
 upon chance and should be avoided. The story further involves the idea of a dying 
 confession by a witness of the crime, and an enforced confession by the villain himself. 
 And the use of disguise to obtain the confession is also very hackneyed, although in 
 this case it was somewhat allowable because it suits the talent of the leading actress. 
 But dying confessions, circumstantial evidence and disguised characters are three very 
 timeworn plot devices, and if this story had not been written to provide Miss Terry 
 with a suitable role it would probably never have been produced. The fundamental 
 triteness of the plot makes it all the more valuable as an example, and it should receive 
 the careful attention of the many writers who frequently make use of these same hack- 
 neyed plot ideas. 
 
 "HER INSPIRATION." 
 
 (Produced by Metro; starring May Allison; story and scenario by George D, 
 Baker and Tom Geraghty; directed by Robert Thornby.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Harold Montague, a young playwright, is told by the manager that his latest 
 opus lacks proper atmosphere and as it is a moonshine story, Harold takes himself off 
 to the Kentucky mountains, there to meet the originals of the counterparts of his play. 
 He becomes acquainted ivith such denizens of the mountains as Curt Moots, Big Hank 
 and Loony Lige — and last, but not by any manner of means least, ivith Kate Kendall — 
 a wild mountain crew all of them — just the right people to contribute to Harold that 
 atmosphere he needs to put his play over. 
 
 Of course, the moonshiners regard him suspiciously, particularly Big Hank, who 
 sees him making progress in a romance with Kate and doesn't like it at all. Big Hank 
 tries to interpret every move made by Harold as that of a revenue officer. The 
 
 99 
 
others, however, accept him for what he is. Loony Lige, a half-witted and self- 
 constituted guardian of Kate, nurses a hatred for Big Hank that is augmented into 
 a fury when he sees him trying to kiss the girl. He threatens to go for the revenue 
 officers and give away the secrets of the illicit still. 
 
 Soon after, twelve revenue officers arrive. Harold, not knowing who they are, 
 directs them to the hiding place of the moonshiners. Big Hank sees him and decides 
 that he must hang. He is only prevented by the arrival of Looney Lige at the head 
 of the band of officers. After this, Harold decides that he has atmosphere enough 
 and that he must return to the city, because it would never do to marry an uncouth 
 girl of the mountains, no matter how much he loves her. As he is watching the 
 rehearsal of his play the manager requests that he meet the leading lady — Kate Ken- 
 dall, who strange enough, was also seeking atmosphere. 
 
 This comedy drama is basically a combination of Situations II ("Deliverance") 
 and XXXIII ("Erroneous Judgment"). Its plot is by no means novel, either in theme 
 or treatment, and it lacks the sound foundation of the comedy drama we considered 
 before, "Happy Though Married." It has little relation to reality and the absence 
 of theme is noteworthy, but as an example of the photoplay with the "trick" ending 
 it is useful. 
 
 The same story, so far as the fundamental plot and the surprise ending are con- 
 cerned, has been produced and written many times before. It is the familiar tale of 
 adventures of misunderstood and misunderstanding characters among moonshiners or 
 other outlaws. It is doubtful whether a story of this tj'pe will again gain much popu- 
 larity, for the surprise is no longer surprising, and the average sophisticated spectator 
 can see through such a plot very quickly. In general, it is very unwise for the author 
 to try to keep a secret from the audience, and this is especially true in five-reel photo- 
 plays. Very, very seldom is the secret kept, and when it is, as in this case, it is apt to 
 be surprising for the moment, but it will lack conviction. Always the dramatist should 
 remember that one of his primary aims is to produce the illusion of reality, and plots 
 should be avoided which do not advance that aim. 
 
 In short photoplays, of one or two reels, or in one-act stage plays or short stories 
 such a technical trick is allowable, for suspense of this kind can be maintained for a 
 brief period of time. But in longer and more serious efforts, they are almost always 
 ineffective and should be used with care and keen analysis. 
 
 "HIP-HIP-HYPNOTISM." 
 (One- reel Gayety Comedy; featuring George Ovey.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 George cannot cat because he has not paid his board hill, so he retires to his room 
 and bloic's his trombone. One of the other boarders throws a book at him, which he 
 then discovers to be a work on hypnotism. He quickly masters its principles and sets 
 to work to hypnotize the landlady into believing he has paid the bill. She, thinking 
 he has lost his mind, gives him food. Everyone thinks he is a fraud, even his siveet- 
 heart, but when a burglar enters the house and has everyone cowed, George subdues 
 him by foul means and then claims that he has him hypnotized. All the other boarders 
 apologize for thinking him a fraud, and his girl tells him that whether or not he's a 
 fraud he has her hypnotized. 
 
 This very short comedy is founded entirely upon variations of Situation XXXIII 
 ("Erroneous Judgment"), and follows a simple and familiar formula. A sympatlietic 
 character claims to be able to do a certain thing; no one believes him; he accomplishes 
 a certain end by a quite different means and thus becomes a hero. This same formula 
 has been employed many times in short comedy and it is usually effective when it is 
 treated in a slightly new way. The use of hypnotism in this case gives it a clever unity 
 and makes plausible the farcical basis. In the same way, however, the formula has 
 
 100 
 
been used with a hero who claimed to be an expert at jiu-jitsu, at poker, at winning 
 women, at baseball, at drinking, at speaking a foreign language, etc. The amusing 
 recoil inherent in such a plot, the sudden victory of the unappreciated character, the 
 humbling of the skeptics combine to give the formula a sound basis, but it should be 
 remembered that only when it is treated in a really distinctive way, with many human 
 and amusing incidents, can it be considered worthy of proilu,ctian. . , ,. . 
 
 'INFATUATION. 
 
 (Produced in France by Eclipse; starring Gaby'Desly*; ivfit'teni'by •jkiariiel 
 L'Herbier; directed by Louis Mercanton.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Flora Nys, a poor flower girl of Paris, faces hard times. Her rent overdue, Li 
 Baron, the landlord, oppresses her and puts before her a shady proposition. Indig- 
 nantly she orders him out of her room. When she takes up her flowers, preparatory 
 to going forth to sell them, she discovers that Le Baron has trampled on them. 
 Tempted by her poverty, she steals a fur in a department store. Le Baron sees her and 
 follows her into the street, where the girl, conscience-stricken, throws it away. Le 
 Baron picks it up and follows her to the home of Paul Bernard, an actor, who every 
 year gives a Christmas party to certain poor children of Paris. Bernard redeems the 
 fur and, attracted by Flora's loveliness, asks her to become his wife. 
 
 In time Flora becomes an expert dancer and leading woman at Bernard's theatre. 
 Gray Stanton, a wealthy rounder, attracts Flora. He endeavors to entice her away 
 from her husband, in which task he is assisted by Le Baron, who harbors revenge. On 
 the night of the opening of a new production. Flora deserts the theatre, influenced by a 
 trumped-up story regarding Stanton's injury. She discovers the lie and returns to 
 Paris to discover that her husband is suffering from an attack of brain fever occasioned 
 by her flight. She devotes her time in efforts to bring back his memory and finally 
 when another Christmas rolls around she dons her old clothes and sits before the open 
 fireplace as she did ivhen Bernard first met her. This has the desired effect. Bernard's 
 memory is restored and he readily forgives the past when he learns the unhappy story 
 of Stanton from his wife's own lips. 
 
 Situation VII ("Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune"), which is a very con- 
 venient inceptive situation for stories of poor girls, opens "Infatuation." "Ambition" 
 (XXX) follows, in Flora's desire to win happiness for herself, and with it is combined, 
 XVII ("Fatal Imprudence"), in her theft of the fur. Le Baron is a very conven- 
 tional villain, of the old familiar type that "still pursues" the heroine, but the inter- 
 esting part of the story begins with Bernard's rescue of the girl, involving Situation II 
 ("Deliverance"). Flora's desertion of Bernard is a case of XXXIII ("Erroneous 
 Judgment"), and its effect on Bernard involves Situations VI and V^II. 
 
 The story is a noteworthy example because of the use of the hackneyed idea we 
 have already mentioned ; the loss and recovery of memory on the part of one of the 
 characters. The same idea has been used in almost exactly the same way many times, 
 and although there is some psychological foundation for the recoveiy of the hero after 
 seeing his wife in the same garb in which he met her the plot is so thoroughly hackneyed 
 that its efTect upon the spectator is doubtful. One knows, as soon as Bernard becomes 
 ill, that eventually he vvill recover in some such way. There is, consequently, very 
 little suspense in the story. 
 
 In the actual production, the characterization of the heroine and hero was so 
 carefvilly developed that the plot was more convincing than it otherwise w'ould have 
 been. But the author should not rely too much upon skillful production; the story in 
 itself should be plausible and convincing regardless of the kind of production it achieves. 
 In general, the technical advance of the motion picture has been far ahead of the stories 
 produced, and the intelligent producers are now seeking stories worthy of skillful and 
 expensive production. 
 
 101 
 
"THE INVISIBLE BOND." 
 
 (Paramount-Artcraft production; starring Irene Castle; story by Sophie Kerr 
 Underwood; scenario and direction by Charles Maigne.) 
 
 „ .. Synopsis. 
 
 Marcia end Harlech- are happily married and live in perfect harmony until a de- 
 signinn yo'i-ifl merman named Leila Templeton makes her appearance in their home. 
 Leila is I. .flirt frow t}ie wora go and she encourages Harleth to pay her marked atten- 
 tion at a dinner given by Alarcia. This is the beginning of a misunderstanding between 
 Marcia and her husband. They both realize their love for each other is great, but 
 stubbornness on the one side and wounded vanity on the other finally brings a separa- 
 tion. Harleth then marries Leila and that fickle lady continues her flirtations ivith 
 other men. One conquest of hers goes further than she anticipates and the man's head 
 becomes turned. He gets her into an automobile and drives it over a cliff. Both are 
 killed and luhen word reaches Harleth that Mrs. Crossey has been killed he thinks it 
 Marcia and is almost distracted. But at her home he finds Marcia and his evident joy 
 at seeing her safe fills Marcia luith happiness, for there is no mistaking that what he 
 leaves unsaid is love — the invisible bond. 
 
 The author of the novel from which this photoplay was adapted evidently had a 
 dual purpose; first — to present a study of modern marriage; second — to entertain even 
 thoughtless readers. Unfortunately both for the novel and the photoplay the two 
 strands of this purpose never became blended into an interesting and integral dramatic 
 whole. Even in the finished play it can be seen that the characters, at first real and 
 human, are very soon made mere puppets in the hands of the author and director and 
 made to perform their artificial and undramatic actions. This is especially noticeable 
 in the accidental and artificial climax, which is used merely for the sake of the physical 
 thrill with no thought of character motivation or of dramatic logic. 
 
 The story is of the sort that depends entirely upon characterization, for only by 
 making the characters of the play very human and real can such a simple plot be given 
 any significance for the average spectator. In Cecil De Mille's "Don't Change Your 
 Husband" a similar group of characters was presented, but that director was skillful 
 enough to keep them human and real in all of the action and to develop a story that 
 was vital and significant in its application to the life of every spectator. The novelist 
 can often give a degree of reality to characters that are quite unreal, merely by skillful 
 writing and dialogue; but when such characters are brought to the screen they are 
 revealed starkly as unreal and lifeless. 
 
 "Obstacles to Love" (XXVIII) in a form we have not observed before; "Errone- 
 ous Judgment" (XXXIII) and "Fatal Imprudence" (XVII) form the basis of the 
 plot, but on obstacles to the love of a husband and wife a very interesting and subtle 
 play might have been developed, with many opportunities for amusing situations. In 
 this case, however, the author preferred to build a t>'pical thrill climax, and so lost the 
 opportunity to write an appealing and significant photoplay. 
 
 The subject matter of the story, dealing as it does with a form of the double 
 triangle, will always possess a certain interest, and will always be the basis of effective 
 drama. But the photoplaywright should guard carefully against the repetition of weak 
 and undeveloped plots and should always strive for stronger and more unusual situa- 
 tions. And in dealing with such plot elements do not forget that the whole vitality of 
 the drama springs from the characterization ; if that is weak the entire play will be 
 unsound. 
 
 "THE JOYOUS LIAR." 
 
 (Robert Brunton production; starring J. Warren Kerrigan; scenario by Jack 
 Cunningham; directed by Ernest C. Warde.) 
 
 102 
 
Synopsis. 
 
 Attempting to subdue a trio of auto crooks, Burke Harlan is himself subdued and 
 upon recovery finds himself accused of being leader of the gang. He is put in jail and 
 about to identify himself as a wealthy resident of Denver when he learns that an 
 amateur criminologist ivishes to take him into his home and reform him. And since 
 the reformer has a pretty daughter, Harlan has no objections to masquerading for a 
 time as the crook. Things go swimmingly until the reformer becomes alarmed over his 
 daughter's deep interest in Harlan, who is introduced to her as a friend of her father's. 
 The attempt to get rid of the "crook" is not exactly a "cinch" because Harlan is having 
 too good a time to quit. He has also a purpose and that is to win Anne IVarren, and 
 he succeeds even in the face of the obstacles put in his path by a jealous detective who 
 attempts to arrest him as a murderer. Harlan and Anne elude the police long enough 
 to be married and in doing it make use even of the police patrol automobile. 
 
 In contrast to some of the corned)' dramas we have considered in which the plot 
 was too mild and too slight for screen purposes, this story by Jack Cunningham serves 
 as a good example of the swift action, melodramatic, farcical romance. Mr. Cunning- 
 ham is a practiced photoplaywright and his skill in telling a straightforward and excit- 
 ing story in terms of the screen is demonstrated in this play. It will be observed that 
 the play opens with swift and thrilling action, following the idea of the storm before 
 the calm. The swift pace is maintained throughout the storj-, with enough calm for the 
 love affair to develop pleasingly. 
 
 The plot depends upon a series of variations of two situations — "Erroneous Judg- 
 ment" (XXXIII) and "Obstacles to Love" (XXVIII), with which is combined a 
 slighter element of "Crime Pursued by Vengeance" (III), subdivision C — "Profes- 
 sional Pursuit of Criminals." With such a basis and with the interesting melodrama 
 of the plot the story forms an entertaining photoplay, and a very good vehicle for the 
 star. 
 
 "JUBILO." 
 
 (Goldwyn production; starring Will Rogers; written by Ben Ames Williams; 
 directed by Clarence G. Badger.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Hobo Jubilo, after witnessing a train holdup, finds employment on Jim Hardy's 
 ranch. After being thrashed by his employer for shirking work, he becomes a valuable 
 man and ivins the liking of Hardy's daughter. Rose. Suspicion attaches to Hardy of 
 complicity in the holdup because of his oivnership of a partially colored white horse, 
 resembling a steed used by one of the robbers. Bert Rooker, who luas sentenced to 
 prison by Hardy when the latter was a Justice of the Peace, manages to throw sus- 
 picion on the ranch-owner. Because of the love Hardy bore Rooker's dead mother he 
 is trying to reform the youth. Rooker is severely beaten by Jubilo when the latter 
 overhears him speak ill of Rose. Rooker visits the ranch, has an altercation with 
 Hardy, pulls a gun on him, but is shot down by the rancher. The sheriff arrives. 
 Jubilo tries to assume the blame for shooting Rooker. But the sheriff announces that 
 one of his prisoners has confessed, implicating the zvounded Rooker, and Hardy is 
 cleared. Jubilo wins Rose and decides to wander no more. 
 
 Although the sheer plot of this story is of the melodramatic and rather conven- 
 tional Western type, with a touch of mystery in its unfolding, the photoplay was on 
 the whole a delightful and amusing comedy drama, with just enough dramatic tension 
 and pathos to make it a well-rounded entertainment. Again the treatment rather than 
 the theme or the plot gives the story unusual life and vitality. The author has dravsn 
 a very human, likeable and interesting character in the hobo Jubilo, and the charm and 
 humanness of the characterization lifts the play far above the ordinary. A less skillful 
 author and director would have made the story a typical Western melodrama, but in 
 
 103 
 
this case the character brings out the heroism of the apparently unheroic. Someone 
 has said that the secret of success in writing is to present an average human character 
 and then to place him in predicam.ents that will compel the sympathy of the spectator. 
 This formula, if such it may be called, is practiced with great skill in "Jubilo." 
 
 Various phases of "Erroneous Judgment" (XXXIII) and "Self-Sacrifice for Kin- 
 dred" (XXI) enter iiito the plot, the first serving as the basis of the mystery, which is 
 skillfully maintained in a secondary way throughout the five reels. 
 
 As an example of human characterization combined with sufficient melodramatic 
 thrills to furnish dramatic entertainment "Jubilo" is of value. More and more the 
 producers are coming to recognize that melodramatic stories must be given unusual 
 characterization or comedic treatment if they are to be plausible and realistic. This 
 play serves to illustrate how a relatively hackneyed Western melodrama can be made 
 human and real by good chracterization. 
 
 "LIFTING SHADOWS." 
 
 (Leonce Ferret production; starring Emmy Wehlen; story by Henri Ardel; 
 directed by Leonce Ferret.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 Vania, a Russian refugee, has come to America and become the wife of a writer 
 who is nothing but the drug-ridden shell of a man. Vania kills him one night when he 
 approaches her in a drunken state. At her trial she is acquitted. Her lawyer, Hugh 
 Mason, falls in love with her and believes her innocent. Vania dare not tell him the 
 truth for fear of losing his love. She is constantly pursued by a group of Reds luho are 
 desirous of obtaining some papers left by her father. She refuses to part tvith the papers 
 to the new Red order, which she knoius has not the ideals with which it started. Hugh 
 hires detectives to watch over her. One night a Bolshevist breaks into the house to 
 threaten Vania. He is shot by the watchman and confesses before he dies that it was 
 he who really fired the shot which killed Vania's husband. Vania is now free to accept 
 Hugh's love. 
 
 The melodramatic nature of this photoplay was well described by one of the 
 reviewers, who said: "It is constructed after the manner of a serial without giving 
 the same amount of excitement." For the original photoplay^vright it is especially of 
 value as an example because it involves the Bolshevik villains, who have recently come 
 into prominence. In purely propaganda pictures such villains serve their purpose, but 
 in dramas purporting to be realistic stories of life they have no place, for they are as 
 unreal as the dyed-in-the-wool villains of the melodrama of fifty years ago. In the 
 recent past many writers have attempted to deal with the conflict between Bolshevism 
 and Americanism in some such way, but there is little drama in the theme. It is far 
 better to select conflicts that deal with individual human emotions than social, indus- 
 trial or international struggles as the basis of photoplay plots, for there is more genuine 
 drama in the conflicts of one's neighborhood than in the whole movement of Bolshevism. 
 
 Situations XXXIII ("Erroneous Judgment"), used in the old and hackneyed way, 
 II ("Deliverance"), and XXVIII ("Obstacles to Love") form the foundation of the 
 play. In the use of all of these situations the play is trite and hackneyed, and it is 
 further encumbered by the idea of false accusation of murder against the heroine, her 
 love for the man who saves her, and the dying confession of the real murderer — all of 
 which have been used in the same way countless times in the past. 
 
 Adequately produced such a story will hold the interest of sensation lovers for a 
 short time, but it cannot be calculated to make a wide popular appeal or to touch the 
 heart of the spectators. It is therefore an example of subject matter to be avoided. 
 
 "THE LION AND THE MOUSE." 
 (Produced by Vitagraph ; adapted from Charles Klein's famous stage play of 
 the same title; starring Alice Joyce; directed by Tom Teriss.) 
 
 104 
 
Synopsis. 
 
 The story opens at a meetiny in New York of directors of a great railway system 
 called to consider a "ruinous" injunction issued by Judge Rossmore. John Burkett 
 Ryder, reputed the richest man in the world, and, correspondingly, poucrful and 
 unscrupulous, presides, and assures his railway colleagues that ii-ithin a year Judge 
 Rossmore luill he off the bench — impeached. And Judge Rossmore is a man of fine 
 attainments, moderate fortune and irreproachable character. 
 
 At the same time, in Paris, Shirley Rossmore, his beautiful daughter, is making 
 a reputation writing stories and happy in the love of Ryder's only son, Jefferson, when 
 newspapers tell of the impeachment of her father and summoning her home. Jeffer- 
 son, ignorant of the genesis of the charges, pledges his father's aid in vindicating his 
 sweetheart's father. Ryder marshaled his minions and his millions. Shirley had only 
 her wits and her love — love of a sweetheart and of a father being crushed to disgrace 
 and death by this Octopus. And Right triumphed over Might, and the Mouse brought 
 the Lion to his knees. 
 
 This famous play is based upon three strong and interesting situations. Situation 
 XXIV, ("Rivalry between Superior and Inferior"), is directly expressive of the central 
 theme, the rivalry between the man of Might and the girl of Right. Situation XXIX, 
 ("An Enemy Loved"), enters the story as soon as the hero's identity is revealed, 
 and XXVIII, ("Obstacles to Love"), quickly follows it. In the actual production, 
 the first sequence of scenes shows the heroine in Paris, and the beginning of a romance 
 is developed between her and the young man. The action then starts in New York, 
 showing the Lion in his den, planning the disgrace and downfall of the honorable 
 judge. The revelation that the lover of the girl is the son of her enemy is thus 
 established early in the story, and since it is the premise of all the subsequent action, 
 there is nothing implausible in it. 
 
 The story is simple in plot, but intensely dramatic. The stage play was a con- 
 tinued success through many seasons, and probably earned more royalties for its author 
 than any other American play. It is based upon a profound and sympathy-compelling 
 theme, and is constructed so dramatically that it holds the spectator's interest through- 
 out the six reels of its action. As an example of a good theme, developed with strik- 
 ing characters and with a strong plot, this story is of practical value. It is impossible 
 to convey the subtlety of the actual conflict of wills in a brief synopsis, but the readers 
 who have seen the picture will recall it as a good example of drama. 
 
 It will be observed that in this case, as in one other we have considered, the 
 political and financial background is not allowed to become a part of the story. The 
 conflict is definitely between Shirley and Ryder, and it is a very human and emotional 
 conflict. Ryder's desire to ruin the Judge politically and financially is merely the 
 premise of the story, but the producer wisely eliminated uninteresting and undramatic 
 details of political and financial intrigue. 
 
 "THE LITIXE SHEPHERD OF KINGDOM COME." 
 
 (Goldwyn production; starring Jack Pickford ; from the novel by John Fox, Jr.; 
 directed by Wallace Worsley.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Chad, a mountain waif, comes to the Valley of Kingdom Come, ivhere he works as 
 sheep-herder for the Turner family and is taught by the village schoolmaster. Later, 
 in Lexington, he meets Major Buford, who recognizes him as a possible relative, and 
 under whose tutelage he becomes a typical southern gentleman. During a sojourn 
 in his former mountain home, he tells Melissa, who is devoted to him, that he is in love 
 with Margaret Dean, daughter of a neighbor of the Buford's. When war breaks out, 
 Chad is appointed lieutenant in the Union army. Major Buford and the Deans are for 
 the southern cause. Although fate thus pits him against his benefactor and the girl 
 he loves, matters are straightened out when peace is declared. Chad wins Margaret, 
 and Melissa returns to the mountains. 
 
 105 
 
In this story, adapted from a long and leisurely novel that presents a biography 
 of the hero, we find many of the familiar plot elements of Southern stories. The 
 mountain waif, in reality of good family, who becomes a gentleman and falls in love, 
 and IS then separated from his sweetheart by the misfortunes of war, is a character 
 that has appeared in many novels and short stories. The lapses of time necessary to 
 the depiction of the central character as boy and man, the lack of thematic unity, and 
 the indirect plot progression combine to render the novel rather weak as a photo- 
 play. It really contains sufficient material for three five-reel productions, which, when 
 used m one picture, becomes difEusive and undramatic. There were moments of gen- 
 uine drama in the play, but, as a whole, it lacked the unity and integrity required to 
 produce a single dramatic impression upon the spectator. 
 
 Situation XXIX, ("An Enemy Loved"), is the dramatic foundation of the play 
 and with it are combined Situations VII, XX, XXVII, and XXXV. Traces of 
 novehstic technique are discernible in the finished photoplay, and in all probability it 
 would have been impossible to have adapted this novel with the same dramatic skill 
 as in the case of "The Right of Way," which we shall consider later. 
 
 There is little demand for stories of the Civil War, both because the material 
 has been used very often in the past and because it requires e.xpensive production. 
 
 It should be observed that there is no definite, clear-cut dramatic triad in this 
 story, which is one of the chief reasons for its lack of dramatic unity. The story 
 starts with Chad, Margaret and Melissa— Chad in love v^ith Margaret, Melissa in 
 love with Chad, and Margaret as yet an unknown quantity. A strong story might 
 have been developed upon the basis of such a triad, but very soon the action in this 
 case swerves to another triad and then to a third. As a result, there is no well-defined 
 dramatic objective and no strongly organized dramatic structure. 
 
 The play is, therefore, a good example of several errors to avoid in writing for 
 the screen. 
 
 "LIVE SPARKS." 
 
 (Brunton production; starring J. Warren Kerrigan; story by Carolyn Sayre; 
 scenario by Jack Cunningham; directed by Ernest Warde.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Live Sparks, a romantic young millionaire, so named because of his wild but 
 harmless adventures, receives a ivire from his Texas representative ivhich causes him 
 to suspect that his oil associates are defrauding him. He goes to Texas, and then 
 finds that Abbott and Craig have, with the assistance of a Mexican tool, caused his 
 land to appear worthless by piping the oil from it to their own gushers. He is assisted 
 in unearthing the trickery by a beautiful girl, luho remains nameless and wha causes 
 "Live" to forget his mercenary fiancee in the city. By playing upon the weakness 
 of the Mexican's sweetheart, "Live" secures evidence of the fraud and prepares for 
 the arrest of the crooks. In a fight that ensues, the father of the unknown girl is 
 killed and his children placed in "Live's" care. Being helpless, the girl — really the 
 daughter of the man who dies — goes to the city with her five brothers and sisters to 
 ask aid from Mr. Sparks, thinking him to be a venerable old man. The romance 
 is brought to a happy ending by the city girl breaking the engagement. 
 
 This story is another effective example of the romantic comedy drama with an 
 undercurrent of melodramatic action. This combination of rapid and thrilling action 
 with humorous and romantic characterization is usually very effective on the screen, 
 for it provides parts of the two most pleasing kinds of entertainment — humor and 
 melodrama. The chief objection to the old-fashioned melodrama of the Drury Lane 
 school is its exaggerated and unreal characterization ; often the plots of such melo- 
 dramas are very interesting. But modern writers have learned to combine melodrama 
 with humor, and have carefully avoided the tendency towards farce and burlesque. 
 The result is pleasing, human entertainment of the type provided by "Live Sparks." 
 
 106 
 
In this case the whole story springs from the central character. It is a very 
 clear example of a character suggesting a plot to the author. Mrs. Sayre probably 
 knows just such a boy as "Live" Sparks, clean, wholesome, reckless and adventurous. 
 First of all then she drew her character, one that almost any young star would desire 
 to portray and almost any audience find interesting. Then she placed him in a definite 
 form of Situation IX, ("Daring Enterprise"), when he goes to investigate the frauds 
 of his Texas representatives. With this situation she has combined "Enigma" and 
 "Obtaining", (XI and XII), giving considerable suspense to the plot. The heroine 
 wins our sympathy by "falling prey to cruelty and misfortune" (VII) at the death of 
 her father, when she is left with the other children to support. Then the hero wins 
 us by his kind offer to care for the dead man's family. Situation II, ("Deliverance"). 
 Situation I, ("Supplication"), enters the story in the girl's effort to ask aid of Mr. 
 Sparks, combined with a humorous element of "Erroneous Judgment", (XXXIII), 
 in her belief that Mr. Sparks is an old man. 
 
 As in most romantic comedy dramas, the characterization and the clever treat- 
 ment of incidents adds a great deal of charm and color to the story. The basic situa- 
 tions form a plot outline of dramatic strength, but in addition, the author has skill- 
 fully supplied the story with lifelike and interesting incidents — all essential parts of 
 the story — and has so given it the warmth and color of real life. 
 
 The story is novel in its characterization and incidents rather than in the funda- 
 mental situations, but it serves as a very good example of this type of play, which is 
 likely to meet with continued favor because of its human and dramatic appeal. 
 
 "THE LOST CITY." 
 
 (Warner Brothers Serial in Fifteen Episodes; story by Frederic Chapin; directed 
 by E. A. Martin.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Stanley Morton, young mlllionairf , and his friend, Mike Donovan, ex-pugilist, 
 go on an aeroplane trip to Africa in search of big game. They reach a village ruled 
 by slave-trader Gagga. The latter's warriors return from a raid with prisoners, among 
 whom is Princess Elyata, whose father is king of the city of Tirzah, inhabited by 
 whites, in the interior. She repulses Gagga's advances. Morton and Donovan are 
 throivn into the lion pit by Gagga. Momba, an elephant who dances to the music 
 of Donovan's mouth organ, rescues them. They in turn rescue Elyata from the pit 
 by means of a rope throivn from their aeroplane. They head for the jungle, are obliged 
 to land for lack of gasoline. Gagga pursues them, they are recaptured and escape 
 again. The pursuit continues hotly, while wild beasts and all the dangers of the 
 jungle threaten them on every hand. 
 
 The story of this serial production is a good example of the "animal stunt" photo- 
 play. Like most serials, it is extremely melodramatic, but in this case the plot is 
 given a thrilling romantic interest by the selection of situations and plot material. 
 The mysterious city of the whites in the heart of the jungle, the conflict between 
 blacks and whites, the princess in distress and the daring young American adven- 
 turers — these fundamental plot elements are of the type that appeal to all lovers of 
 romance, providing they are given some semblance of reality in the production. 
 
 The story is a very simple one, and frankly romantic, but it involves a rather 
 unusual use of Situation IX, ("Daring Enterprise"), and subsequently Situations II, 
 ("Deliverance"), V, ("Pursuit"), and forms of VT, ("Disaster"), enter into the play 
 to give it melodramatic thrills. 
 
 Because of the use of Situation IX, the story is more novel than most serial 
 photoplays, and it serves admirably as a basis for the many thrilling and unusual 
 stunts that were accomplished in the production. The success of such a serial depends, 
 however, more upon the skillful direction and the novelty of the incidents than upon 
 the basis of the plot itself. 
 
 107 
 
"THE LOVE AUCTION." 
 
 (Produced by Fox; starring Virginia Pearson; story by May Edginton; scenario 
 by Raymond Shrock; directed by Edmund Lawrence.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Lea Montrose, guided more by impulse than good judgment, marries Dorian 
 Vandeveer, a very rich member of society, hut after her marriage discovers she has 
 become the wife of a drunkard. In response to her tearful protests, Vandeveer prom- 
 ises to reform, and does make an effort to curb his appetite for drink. But again 
 and again he falls from grace, until Lea has lost all hope for happiness. 
 
 Heart-broken and discouraged, she is easily persuaded by a woman friend to take 
 part in the rites of a new cult which society has taken up. The head of this cult is 
 Dr. Studholm Charters. 
 
 In the midst of Lea's unhappiness, a former suitor. Jack Harley, whom Lea had 
 rejected because of his poverty, returns to New York, having made a great success 
 in the fVest. Lea finds his companionship the one bright spot in her life. 
 
 Later Lea becomes a mother, and the birth of the child inspires Vanderveer to 
 take the drink cure. 
 
 Dr. Charters, suspecting the child is Hartley's, demands that Lea give herself 
 to him as the price of his silence. 
 
 Vandeveer soon learns of Charters' demand on Lea. He resumes drinking, seeki 
 out Charters and kills him. Then, after exonerating Lea of all wrong-doing, Van- 
 deveer completes the chapter by ending his own life. 
 
 This sensational melodrama of domestic strife is a combination of Situation VII, 
 ("Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune"), and Situation XXV, ("Adultery") ; Sit- 
 uation XXVII, ("Obstacles to Love"), and Situation XXXIV, ("Remorse"). It 
 is well to observe that Situation VII in this case fails to compel our sympathy because 
 of the weak and impulsive character of the heroine. Having married a man she did 
 not love, the fruits of such a marriage do not arouse our sympathetic interest. The 
 general tone of the story is needlessly depressing, and it does not illustrate any worth- 
 while theme. The action is therefore meaningless and appeals only to that small sec- 
 tion of the average audience that delights in sensation for its own sake. The tendency 
 of the producers is to avoid such subjct matter, and it is well for the photoplaywright 
 to do likewise. 
 
 The suicide of the drunken husband and the murder of the blackmailing doctor 
 are both incidents that should be avoided in writing for the screen. Tragedy is only 
 justifiable when it is the inevitable and significant fulfillment of a theme that really 
 inspires an audience. The tragedy of the Greek drama and of Shakespeare, for 
 example, possesses a definite katharsis — a purgative, cleansing power in its effect upon 
 an audience. 
 
 Stories involving drunkenness are no longer in demand, and the subject should 
 be avoided. The producers have issued almost unanimous statements to the effect that 
 they will not consider stories of this type. 
 
 "LUCK IN PAWN." 
 
 (Paramount-Artcraft production; starring Marguerite Clark; from the stage play 
 by Marvin Taylor; scenario by Alice Eyton ; directed by Walter Edwards.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Annabel Lee longs to be a painter and as she shoivs some degree of talent, her 
 mother skimps more and ivorks more in order to send the girl away from the farm to 
 the city to study. The venture is discouraging and Annabel reaches the point ivhere 
 she is undecided ivhether to go on, so she goes to consult a famous artist for advice. 
 At his hotel, which is a very fashionable place, Annabel meets a satiated though very 
 
 log 
 
respectable young multi-millionaire. This chap falls in love uith Annabel on sight 
 and insists upon her remaining at the hotel a while. Richard's mother is so over- 
 joyed at seeing her son so cheerful that she joins him and persuades Miss Lee to stay 
 over. But as Annabel has no money, she does not know how to arrange it, so fate 
 takes a hand and she hears a plot regarding a diamond tiara and gets in touch with 
 the paivn broker, who is himself anxious to get into society and he finances the venture, 
 which culminates when Richard, in high determination, sweeps away all obstacles and 
 has his mother agree to his marriage to Annabel and then gets the charming young 
 lady's promise to be his wife. 
 
 Like many stage plays of the light romantic sort this adaptation suffers from a 
 very slight and undramatic plot, which, in the actual production, was only made effec- 
 tive and interesting by very skillful direction and acting. The story could serve well 
 in a stage play, embellished with amusing dialogue and effective theatrical scenes. 
 But it is entirely too slight for a five-reel photoplay. 
 
 The two basic situations are "Ambition (XXX) and "Obstacles to Love" 
 (XXVIII), which are relatively undeveloped in this case. If the author had been 
 skillful enough to develop the plot without the assistance of Fate and without the 
 melodramatic touch he has used to "thicken" the plot, the story would have been 
 a much more suspensive photoplay and one better suited to the excellent direction 
 and acting it received. 
 
 It should be noted, however, that there is an effective use of comedic recoil in 
 the situation of "Obstacles to Love." First the mother of the tired young millionaire 
 desires the heroine to interest him, hoping thereby to interest him in other girls, and 
 then she opposes their marriage. Such a contrast in character leads to a mild and 
 amusing degree of suspense, without which the plot would have been still weaker. 
 
 If a vv'riter has an inceptive situation of this kind he should exercise all possible 
 ingenuity to develop it to its full comedic and dramatic power. The use of the Rule 
 of Three, emphasized elsewhere in these pages, will be most helpful in such a case. 
 
 The plot weakness of adaptations of this kind has led the producers to see the 
 value of original stories, written for the screen by writers with a thorough under- 
 standing of the screen's needs. The photoplaywright should not, therefore, expect 
 to duplicate similar weak plots and expect them to be salable as original photoplays. 
 Instead, every effort should be made to develop the plots to their full dramatic and 
 comedic power. 
 
 "MANDARIN'S GOLD." 
 
 ( Produced by World ; starring Kitty Gordon ; story by Philip Lonergan ; scenario 
 by Lucien Hubbard; directed by Oscar Apfel.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Betty Cardon is a bridge fiend, and, moreover, she is not a good hand at the 
 game. Her losses mount and mount until, finally, her husband, Blair, finds himself 
 unable to keep pace with them. He asks her to stop, but the fever is in Betty, and 
 she can not. She goes in debt to Geoffrey North, a man of Health, tvho admires her 
 as the beautiful woman she is. But even he demands his dues, and when Betty learns 
 what he expects, she suffers a revulsion of feeling. How is she to get out of her 
 predicament? How is she to pay these notes and again be free? 
 
 In the Cardon household there is Cherry Blossom, a little Chinese girl to whom 
 Betty had given refuge when she learned that her father had made arrangements to 
 sell her to Li Hsun, the Mandarin. The Mandarin had often approached Betty, 
 weighing bags of gold in his hand, offering her small fortunes if she will but give 
 up Cherry Blossom, but Betty had akvays remained firm and true to her promise to 
 protect the girl. 
 
 109 
 
Now, as she sits in her chair brooding over her losses, ivith Li Hsun's last note 
 in her hand, she wavers and decides to give up the girl to a horrible fate. The plans 
 are made, all she must do is to give the girl to the Mandarin's messenger. And this 
 she does. She receives in turn the gold with which she pays her debt, and then the 
 full horror of her act dauns on her. She rushes to the Mandarin to save Cherry 
 Blossom and arrives while he is torturing her to give up the man she loves for him. 
 She refuses, so she is killed, and with her her lover. Blair Gordon has gotten oti 
 the trail of his wife and breaks into the Mandarin s den with the police. The police 
 shoot the Mandarin as he attempts to escape and with his dying breath he tells of 
 Betty's deed. Blair denounces her. 
 
 Then Betty aivakes in her chair with the final offer from the Mandarin still 
 in her hand. With a glad cry she realizes it has all been a dream, and zvhen her* 
 husband returns from business she confesses all to him and promises to stop her 
 gambling. 
 
 Another story of the sensational type, in this case relieved by the hackneyed 
 method of revealing the entire action as part of a dream. The heroine first suffers 
 "Disaster", (Situation VI), which also involves Situation XXII, ("All Sacrificed 
 for a Passion"), which in turn is followed by the "Necessity of Sacrificing a Loved 
 One", (Situation XXXIII), and by "Remorse", (Situation XXXIV.). 
 
 The story is noteworthy because it gives a rather unusual version of the familiar 
 tale of a heroine who borrows money from a villain and is then called upon to pay 
 the price. By combining \vith this hackneyed material the colorful and picturesque 
 Chinese counter-plot, the author has succeeded in supplying the star with a brilliant 
 role. Because of the dream element, however, the action is quite implausible, and the 
 average spectator would know almost from the beginning how the story would turn out. 
 
 Many writers, in developing the premise of this story, would have carried out 
 the lady-in-debt theme in a conventional and hackneyed way, ultimately freeing the 
 heroine from the villain by chance. Mr. Lonergan deserves a great deal of credit for 
 the clever introduction of the Chinese counter-plot, but he might have used that ele- 
 ment as the basis of a more logical and compelling story. 
 
 "A MAN'S FIGHT." 
 
 (Produced by United; starring Dustin Farnum; story and scenario by Tom 
 Geraghty; directed by Thomas N. Heflron.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 The story opens in Neiv York City, where the star portrays the role of an idle 
 young man of ivealth, ivho finally rises to the occasion when the big moment comes. 
 A man whom he had previously quarreled with is shot during a scuffle with the hero's 
 sister. Both brother and sister confess to firing the shot that killed, in order to pro- 
 tect the other. 
 
 The outcome is that the brother is sent to prison for a short term, and when 
 released, he is disoivned by his father and goes West to start anew. The sister goes 
 into a convent. The young man's fight for the independent copper interests in Ari- 
 zona brings him into politics, and when about to grasp victory, he is confronted by 
 his past as a convict. 
 
 A very pretty young girl is his stenographer. And she is just as smart as she 
 is pretty. It is this young girl who finally appears in the big town hall and takes 
 such a leading part in the big scene which carries the hero success and clears the name 
 of both himself and his sister. 
 
 And this brings order out of chaos and leaves the hero and heroine to enjoy their 
 well earned happiness. 
 
 This story is a rather conventional and commonplace Western melodrama, based 
 upon familiar and somewhat ineffective plot material. The opening episode, dealing 
 
 110 
 
with the mutual sacrifice of brother and sister, involves Situation XXI and Situation 
 XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"). Situation XXIV, ("Rivalry Between Superior 
 and Inferior"), is used in the conflict between the hero and the copper interests, but 
 it is not nearly so dramatic as most uses of this situation. In this case there is no 
 tense, human conflict of wills. The conflict involves uninteresting political questions 
 of little dramatic value, and mob scenes which are also less dramatic than more 
 restricted action. 
 
 The opening episodes of the story are not directly related to those that follow, 
 and the construction of the story is therefore rather artificial. The imprisonment 
 of the hero, for example, depends upon the very timeworn use of circumstantial evi- 
 dence, and it is mechanically injected into the plot for the sole purpose of recurring 
 at a later point. There is a lack of fine logic and an almost total absence of theme in 
 the story. As a heroic role for the star, it is of value. But its emotional and dramatic 
 appeal is so slight that the story serves as a good example of what not to do. 
 
 Political and financial rivalry is invariably dull on the screen. The imprison- 
 ment of the hero is a conventional means of awakening sympathy, now almost 
 exhausted. The part the sister plays in the story might easily have been eliminated, 
 for it is of no dramatic interest and the convent scenes are not appealing. On the 
 whole, the opening episodes of the story are so conventional that they might have 
 been eliminated without loss and the story could have opened in the West. Then, 
 if the political and financial element had been removed, and the hero placed in a 
 predicament where he would have a real man's fight on his hands, rather than a political 
 contest, it would have been more appealing and effective. 
 
 "MARKED MEN." 
 
 (Universal production; story by Peter B. Kyne; scenario by H. Tipton Steck; 
 directed by Jack Ford; starring Harry Carey.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Harry, Bill and Tom are held in a state penitentiary for a train robbery. Tony, 
 their pal, aids them in escaping. Later Harry is found in Trade Rat, where he has 
 met and become interested in Ruby Merril. When his pals arrive, they plan a last 
 biff robbery on the bank, but a posse is hot on their trail, and after Bill has been 
 killed, the other three find themselves in the desert uithout water. They come upon 
 a wagon and a zvoman who has just given birth to a son. She dies and begs the three 
 men to be the baby's godparents. The baby brings out all the tenderness in these men, 
 and they care for it lovingly and make back for the nearest town ivilh it. Tony 
 and Tom die en route and Harry plunges on with the baby, even willing to be caught 
 and sent back to jail that the baby may live. In a small town he staggers into the 
 dance hall and finds himself face to face with Ruby and the sheriff, ivho has followed 
 her. The sheriff informs Harry he must arrest him, but when he learns that it was 
 his' own sister who died and left the baby, he obtains a pardon from the Governor. 
 Harry and Ruby and the baby take up a peaceful life together. 
 
 The theme of the regeneration of a man has long been a popular one, but seldom 
 has it been used with so great a degree of realism and dramatic power as in this photo- 
 play. The situation (technically a combination of I and II, Supplication and Deliver- 
 ance), which starts the play is a very gripping and dramatic one. In this story, 
 again, the situation itself and the plot develop from the characterization. Given the 
 three "marked men", rough, uncouth and hardened by suffering and crime, bring them 
 before the miracle of miracles— a new-born and motherless babe— and genuine drama 
 is bound to result. The basic situation is in itself an inspiration, offering splendid 
 opportunities for both drama and comedy of a human and appealing kind. It would 
 be difficult to find a better example of a really tense and poignant dramatic situation 
 than this one. 
 
 Ill 
 
"Self-Sacrifice", (XX and XXI), plays an important and dramatic part in the 
 story, which later involves another form of "Deliverance" in the pardon of the hero. 
 
 Basically, this story is a Western melodrama, but the distinguished author has 
 given it such a human and dramatic foundation that the melodrama of the superficial 
 plot is lost in the poignance of the real conflict. The producers, as has been said 
 before, have come to realize that some such human characterization or exceptional 
 comedy relief is necessary to the success of a melodramatic plot. 
 
 Perhaps no better example of a Western story could be found than this, but sit- 
 uations like the inception of this play are indeed very rare and usually spring from 
 real experience and a deep understanding of life and its forces. 
 
 "MARRY ME." 
 
 (One Reel Christie Comedy.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 "Marry Me" is a satire on the leap year proposal and offers Bobby Vernon in 
 the role of the chap who scoffs at the idea of girls proposing. Just to prove that he 
 is wrong, his chums conceive the scheme of having Vera Stedman pop the question. 
 Of course, she is not in earnest at first, but when she sees another woman taking 
 advantage of leap year by proposing to Bobby, she quickly decides that he is ivorth 
 having after all. 
 
 The subject of leap year proposals is one that many writers undertake, especially 
 under the romantic influence of such a year. As a result, the studios have received 
 many stories of this kind and the subject, unless very cleverly developed, is one to 
 be avoided. As long as there are leap years, probably, it will be used, and with some 
 degree of humor. 
 
 The construction of this simple plot is admirable, for it presents a clear and 
 concise situation developed directly and dramatically to its climax. Only two situa- 
 tions are employed — XXXII and XXXIII, ("Mistaken Jealousy" and "Erroneous 
 Judgment"), both of which are used in a human and amusing way. 
 
 As a technical example, quite aside from the subject matter, this story is a good 
 example of the proper construction of short comedies. 
 
 "MARY'S ANKLE." 
 
 (Thomas H. Ince production ; starring Douglas McLean and Doris May ; adapted 
 from the play by May Tully by Luther Reed ; directed by Lloyd Ingraham.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Doc Hampton is out of funds. Uncle George has promised him a large sum if 
 he will marry. His chums persuade him to send out fake wedding announcements. 
 Mary Jane Smith, whom he loves, lives with her aunt, an old sweetheart of Uncle 
 George. The latter invites her and Alary on a voyage to Honolulu. He also requests 
 that the latter look up Doc. She sees the Doc in his office, and after leaving, sprains 
 her ankle, ivhich he fixes. He persuades her to pose as his necessary wife. Uncle 
 engages the bridal suite on the steamer for them. At the dock the Doc's chums lose 
 their nerve and tell the truth. Alary and Doc save the day by announcing that they 
 intend having the captain marry them at sea. 
 
 This story is more nearly a farce comedy of incident than of situation, for its 
 plot is too slight in situational strength for a five-reel photoplay. With the elimina- 
 tion of some incidents and subtitles, the same story could have been presented in two 
 reels. Because of the slight plot, it was necessary to pad the production with many 
 incidents and many titles from the play. The result was a farcical sequence of inci- 
 dents, funny in themselves, but the play as a whole lacked the integral strength screen 
 plays should have. 
 
 112 
 
In small degrees, Situations IX, I, II and XXXIII enter into the story, but 
 none of them is developed to its full power. There have been many short comedies 
 written and produced upon the same plot premises, and in the one or tu'o-rcel length 
 the material is amusing and effective. Produced in five reels, there is a great danger 
 of slow action (which is deadly to farce), the necessity for too many titles, and ineffec- 
 tive crises. If this story had been originally written as a photoplay many more com- 
 plications and situations would have been developed, and the play would have possessed 
 a more dramatic structure. 
 
 It is only fair to say, however, that a skillful scenario, clever acting and direction, 
 made the most of the material. But the same skill in production applied to real photo- 
 play material would have led to still better results. 
 
 Farce is generally so dependent upon titles, so implausible in its basic situations, 
 and so difficult for an actor to convey in a silent medium, that it is unwise to write 
 it for the screen. To a greater degree than any other dramatic medium, the screen 
 requires stories that will convince the audience of their reality. It is possible to con- 
 vince an audience for one or two reels, but it is most difficult to maintain credulity 
 for the hour required to show a five-reel picture. 
 
 "THE MIRACLE MAN." 
 
 (Paramount-Artcraft Special; featuring Thomas Meighan and Betty Compson ; 
 story by Frank L. Packard; stage play by George M. Cohan; continuity and direction 
 by George Loane Tucker.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Three men and a beautiful woman compose a group of crooks, who are operating 
 in New York's Chinatoivn. The chief of the gang reads a short news item in the 
 daily paper, which states that several apparently miraculous cures are being performed 
 by an old hermit in a small village up-state. 
 
 When they learn that the old patriarch is blind and deaf they conceive the idea 
 of capitalizing the credulity of those who seek by faith to be cured by this miracle 
 man. They establish themselves in his household and by imposition and good fortune, 
 augmented by skillful publicity methods, they manage to rapidly acquire a fortune. 
 But in the meantime, the leaven of the old miracle man is having effect on the hearts 
 and souls of the crooks. 
 
 A strong love element develops between the leader of the crooks and the beautiful 
 woman member. One of the gang, knoivn as "The Dope", discards his drugs and 
 wins a little country maid, and the other member of the gang acquires a grey-haired 
 country mother. 
 
 It is to be hoped that every student of the photoplay has seen "The Miracle 
 Man", for it is a splendid example of a vital and interesting theme dramatically 
 developed, with characters in remarkably effective contrast. The story is essentially 
 simple, as great stories are apt to be, and the continuity of the production is a thing 
 of rare excellence. As an example of dramatic technique, it is doubtful if any other 
 motion picture has been so well constructed and so subtly developed. In discussing 
 Situation X, ("Abduction"), we have already considered this photoplay as a mani- 
 festation of the rescue of a soul in captivity to error. In fact, it presents four dis- 
 tinctive characters of major importance and several minor ones who are rescued by 
 the sublime faith of the Miracle Man. It is well to observe that the story deals 
 entirely with the struggle between the forces of good and evil for the possession of 
 the souls of men. Every detail of the action has its direct bearing upon the central 
 theme, and the plot progresses inevitably from the moment the leading crook reads the 
 •clipping in the newspaper that throws him and his comrades into contact \vith the 
 Miracle Man. There are no false notes, no unnecessary or nonessential side issues. 
 The'action is straightforward, direct and objective, and truly dramatic in its emotional 
 effect. 
 
 113 
 
Although the rescue of souls in captivity to error is the basic situation of the 
 plot, Situations XXXII and XXXIII, ("Mistaken Jealousy") and ("Erroneous 
 Judgment"), also enter into it, and there is a very dramatic use of the idea of Pardon. 
 In fact. Pardon plays so large a part in the thematic conclusion of this story that it 
 would be justifiable to place it as a separate Situation. 
 
 The genesis of this story probably lies in the contrasting characters, for almost 
 every detail of action is an inevitable expression of the contrast of character. Let us 
 place ourselves in the position of the author. Suppose we had really known a man 
 like the patriarch of this story, a kindly, far-seeing, gentle, mystical old man who had 
 done so much good that he was considered a miraculous healer. Suppose we wish 
 to illustrate the struggle between the forces of good and evil. The Miracle Man is 
 the personification of the forces of good. On the other hand, we must have those 
 who personify evil. A group of criminals is perhaps the most likely contrast. But 
 they can not merely be criminals; they must also be real and human characters, and 
 for the purposes of illustrating the theme, they must be as evil as possible and yet 
 with the inherent worth that can later develop. The author created four such char- 
 acters: a clever, handsome and likeable leader; his girl; a weakling, who has become 
 an opium fiend ; a wretched fake cripple, who contorts himself to play upon the sym- 
 pathy of the philanthropic. Each of these characters is real and living, and the author 
 introduces them in their natural environment, New York's Chinatown. The opening 
 scenes illustrate their characters and establish the background and the theme of the 
 story. Then the action definitely starts when the leader of the crooks reads a news- 
 paper item referring to the Miracle Man. As soon as the Miracle Man and the 
 opposing group of characters are brought together, there is tense, dramatic action, 
 leading inevitably to the abandonment of their former habits by the crooks and the 
 triumph of good. 
 
 The Chinatown episode of this story might be objectionable if it were used 
 merely for the sake of sensation, but its use is legitimate because it leads to the full 
 expression of a significant and vital theme of inspirational value. In a story with a 
 less appealing theme, the character of the morphine fiend, for example, would be 
 objectionable. In general, the drug habit and similar subjects should be scrupulously 
 avoided, for they possess no entertainment value. 
 
 A careful study of this production will illustrate the comments on theme and char- 
 acterization and dramatic technique that have been made in the introduction. The 
 author who strives to create stories as tense and appealing as "The Miracle Man", 
 even though they are based upon totally different themes, will go far in his profession, 
 for it embodies virtually all of the qualities an effective photoplay should have. 
 
 "MOLLY AND I." 
 
 (Fox production; starring Shirley Mason; story by Frank R. Adams; scenario 
 hy Isabel Johnson; directed by Howard M. Mitchell.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 Shirley Brown becomes interested in an author, Philip Smith, through his writ- 
 ings. She learns that he is blind and penniless and unable to afford a trip to Italy, 
 luhere a well known occulist could cure him. Shirley will come into possession of a 
 legacy on her wedding day, and in order to help her idol, she proposes that he marry 
 her, explaining that she is an old maid and desirous of a husband. Philip marries the 
 girl, and in Italy his sight is restored, while Shirley waits for his return. When he 
 comes back to America, however, he takes up his life in the artists' colony and ignores 
 the fact that he is married. Shirley dresses herself as an Alsatian girl and begs to 
 become Philip's servant, not letting him know her true identity. In time Philip comes 
 to love the girl. Another woman attempts to interfere with the affair and separates 
 the lovers for a ivhile, but Philip only conies to understand hoiv truly he loves Shirley. 
 Then he learns that the little girl is his tvife and the tivo are reunited and made 
 completely happy. 
 
 114 
 
The story material of this photoplay, adapted from a very short novel which was 
 padded by clever dialogue, is only sufficient for two reels. The failure of this pro- 
 duction results from stretching the very slight plot through five reels of cute man- 
 nerisms on the part of the star. The blindness of the hero, Sliirley's care of him, and 
 their marriage, provide a very good basis on which to build a photoplay, and the char- 
 acterization of the original story was well-developed. But the producer and the 
 scenario writer evidently did not perceive the true dramatic value inherent in the 
 characterization. They have adapted material that should have been used, if at all, 
 merely as the basis for a strong and well-rounded photoplay. 
 
 On the whole the plot is better suited to fiction than to the photoplay, for it 
 is very implausible that the hero should be so stupid as not to recognize, even though 
 blind, the charming heroine. The blind are not lacking in other sensibilities, and only 
 in a brisk and clever narrative, which would keep the reader from analyzing the plot 
 basis, could this material be made effective. 
 
 Situation II, "Deliverance," and a ver>' slight use of XXVIII, "Obstacles to 
 Love," form the basis of the play. The analj'sis of the situations is sufficient to 
 indicate the story's lack of dramatic and screen value, and it also shows the absurdity 
 of adapting unsuitable material to the screen. It is of further value to the student as 
 an example of a mild, undramatic, uncomplicated kind of a play that can not be made 
 effective on the screen and should therefore be developed in a totally difierent way. 
 
 "MORE DEADLY THAN THE MALE." 
 
 (Paramount-Artcraft production; written by Joseph Gollomb; scenario by Julia 
 C. Ivers; directed by Robert G. Vignola; starring Ethel Clayton.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Helen O'Hara, actress-manager, meets Richard Carlin just as he is getting ready 
 for a trip to Zululand in search of adventure. Carlin delays his departure, is intro- 
 duced to Helen's husband, Terrence O'Hara, and accepts an invitation to visit her at 
 her mountain camp. Carlin goes, Helen leads him on to embrace her. Terrence 
 appears and challenges Carlin to a duel. It takes place and Terrence is wounded. 
 A dam near the village bursts and Carlin, who has just learned from Helen that she 
 met him during college and loves him, rushes with the girl to the dam, ivhere they 
 succeed in replacing the logs. Carlin kidnaps Helen in his auto and reaches the yacht, 
 which is waiting for him. The police patrol prevents the yacht from sailing. Carlin 
 jumps overboard and is stunned. He recovers to find himself in a bed in Helen's 
 camp. He finds that Terrence is Helen's brother and that she planned the scheme 
 to keep him from going abroad. Carlin decides to remain at home and with Helen. 
 
 This photoplay presents an interesting combination of romantic melodrama and 
 comedy. The idea of a man asserting that he has to travel to the ends of the earth 
 for adventure and a girl's efforts to show him that adventure is everywhere to be 
 found is by no means a new one, but in this story it is given very clever treatment, 
 especially in the surprise climax. Although the plot is light and rather absurd, it 
 possesses so strong a vein of humor and such romantic, swift action that it engrosses 
 the interest of most spectators. As an example of the clever treatment of a melo- 
 dramatic idea, by which the thrill of the melodrama is relieved by pleasing human 
 comedy, it would be difficult to replace "More Deadly Than the Male". This type 
 of play, combining the two most popular kinds of plots, will always be effective, but 
 the student should not be deceived into believing that it is a simple thing to give a 
 melodrama such a comedic twist. It requires very skillful treatment and a genuine 
 sense of humor and comedy values on the part of the original author. 
 
 The situations that form the plot structure are "Daring Enterprise" (IX), 
 "Abduction" (X), and "Mistaken Jealousy" (XXXII). The first of these three is 
 used with especial effect and in an unusual way, but the others arc employed con- 
 veniently. The novelty of the surprise ending and the cleverness of the play depends 
 upon the well-contrasted use of "Daring Enterprise". 
 
 115 
 
In the actual production, as in most successful comedy dramas, there were many 
 clever notes of humor that enlivened the play and held the interest of the spectators. 
 In the climax, for example, in variation from the usual and stereotyped lovers' embrace, 
 the author of this story had the lovers vanish from the scene and then a parrot in the 
 room squawked exultantly: "He kissed her! He kissed her!" Throughout a story 
 of this kind the author must endeavor to create little touches of humor and human 
 action that will make an appeal to the eye of the spectator; but all of these minor 
 details must fit naturally and plausibly into the plot pattern if the play is to be really 
 effective. 
 
 "NO BABIES ALLOWED." 
 (One reel Christie Comedy; featuring Jimmy Harrison and Dorothy DeVore.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 "No Babies Allowed" deals with the youthful couple who are unable to find an 
 apartment house because of the objection to children. They almost give up in despair 
 when they resort to camouflage and gain admittance by employing a tradesman to 
 carry baby up in a basket. The busy, snooping landlord causes the parents to deposit 
 the infant on the dumbivaiter and it is taken to the orphan asylum. After many 
 difficulties and adventures they get the child back, and at the picture's end we see 
 them building their own house. 
 
 This short comedy presents a clever satire on the objections to children of some 
 apartment house owners, combined with an amusing story of the troubles of a young 
 couple. There have been many stories written around the same idea of "No Babies 
 Allowed," but in this case the idea was used skillfully and with many novel incidents 
 that provoked laughter. The loss of the child involves a subdivision of Situation VI 
 ("Disaster"), with which is combined XXXIII ("Erroneous Judgment"). 
 
 The story may be considered as a good example of one-reel comedy, although in 
 its climax it lacks the suspense and tension even a short photoplay should have. A 
 one-reel comedy should progress briskly from one amusing situation to another and 
 should move directly towards the climax, maintaining suspense until the last moment 
 of the play. This ideal is not always attained, by any means, but comedies founded 
 upon clear and interesting conflicts usually lead to such climaxes. 
 
 Perhaps the real weakness of the climax lies in the fact that it offers no genuine 
 solution of the predicament. If the young couple could build their own home, they 
 would not have had to search for an apartment. But what about the spectators who 
 are in the same predicament and still find it necessary to pay rent to a Pharoah-like 
 landlord? A good photoplay, even a short comedy, should present a solution of its 
 basic predicament. 
 
 "NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH." 
 
 (Taylor Holmes production; starring Taylor Holmes; from the novel of the 
 same name by Frederic S. Isham and the stage play by James Montgomery; directed 
 by David Kirkland.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Robert Bennett, a society idler, wagers with his three friends that he can tell 
 the truth and nothing but the truth for one week. His troubles commence at a house 
 party given by Airs. Ralston. The wives of his friends pick him out and question 
 him about their husbands' doings away from home. He is forced to tell the truth 
 with the result that divorce proceedings are started. His friends try to force him 
 to quit. He refuses. They incarcerate him in an insane asylum, but he escapes with 
 the aid of the Baby Vamp, who considers him a gentleman burglar. Things become 
 quite complicated when a real burglar enters the scene. The time limit for the bet 
 being up, Bennett is allowed to square his friends and win Gwendolyn for his bride. 
 
 116 
 
"Nothing But the Truth" was a very readable light novel and the stage farce 
 supplied an amusing vehicle for Willie Collier. In the screen version Taylor Holmes 
 scored an individual triumph as a farceur, but the plot was so very slight and farcical 
 that it could not hold the interest of the audience. There have been many stage 
 farces developed from the same premise of a wager of an amusing kind. In this case 
 the wager is especially well chosen because of its satiric reflection upon the practice 
 of truth telling. Starting with the very same basic idea a skillful photoplaywright, 
 recognizing the need of objective action and a strong plot, might have worked out 
 a really successful comedy. In this case the use of the incarceration of the hero in 
 an insane asylum, the illogical and unnecessary entrance of the burglar at a convenient 
 moment, and the very slim plot, all give the story a frailty that sufiFers when it is 
 shown on the screen. Produced in the two-reel length, the story would be very 
 amusing and entirely adequate, but in five reels the inherent weakness and lack of con- 
 flict makes the play dull and slow in movement. It is impossible to sustain interest 
 in a farce throughout five reels unless the material is so ample that it can be played 
 in a swift and comedic tempo. 
 
 A farce requires more situations in quick succession than any other kind of photo- 
 play. The events must occur breathlessly and unexpectedly, and one situation must 
 alwaj's seem to be crowding out another for a place in the action. The difficulty of 
 finding an inceptive situation strong enough to furnish so many complications is the 
 basic reason for the failure of most farces. In this play, however, there is a very 
 good basis, but the authors have dealt so entirely from the standpoint of the novel 
 and the stage that the story can not undergo the translation to the screen without 
 losing most of its humor. 
 
 Only two situations enter the story in any degree: "Daring Enterprise", (IX), 
 used in a satiric way, and "Erroneous Judgment", (XXXIII). The play, therefore, 
 serves as an example of a very amusing idea used unsuccessfully in the photoplay ; 
 although the wager premise has been sadly overdone in the past it would be worth 
 while to attempt the construction of a farce along these lines and to develop it to its 
 full comedic power, with sufficient situations to carry the action throughout five 
 reels. Only by actual practice in the construction of stories, even if you go no fur- 
 ther than to write a plot outline, can you acquire technical facility in the use of 
 situations. 
 
 "NURSE MARJORIE." 
 
 (Realart production; starring Mary Miles Minter; from the play by Israel 
 Zangwill; scenario by Julia Crawford Ivers; directed by William Desmond Taylor.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Lady Marjorie, the only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Donegal, shocks 
 her parents by entering a sanitarium and becoming a nurse. She enters into hospital 
 work with a tvill. A little lame boy, Dick, is one of her patients and the other 
 is John Danbury, a member of the House of Commons, who has had an operation 
 on his eyes. He falls desperately in love with Marjorie, but she devotes most of 
 her time to Dick. To prove John's love, Marjorie pretends she is the daughter of 
 a fish peddler, and she asks him to call at her home. She then obtains the assistance of 
 Biddy O' Mulligan, who poses as her mother. John is undaunted and persists in asking 
 Marjorie to marry him, in spite of the fact that his people are ready to disoivn him. 
 Finally, Marjorie reveals her real identity to John, who then refuses to marry her 
 and ruin his career. However, when the two families get together, John is made to 
 realize the importance of the alliance and all ends happily. 
 
 This adaptation of Israel Zangwill's stage satire of English caste prejudices con- 
 tains enough romance to be pleasing on the screen, but it is so deficient in the other 
 qualities of a successful photoplay that it can not be considered as suitable photoplay 
 material. As a stage play it proved interesting and amusing through many seasons, 
 
but there is no apparent reason for its adaptation as a photoplay other than the author's 
 name. And Zangwill, for all his writing, is no better known to the average spectator 
 than Julia Crawford Ivers, who wrote the scenario. 
 
 The storj' is so entirely British, and has so little bearing upon the life of the 
 average American, that it can not provide intelligent entertainment except in its 
 romantic sequences. And there is so little real action of dramatic value in the 
 story that it can not be told on the screen without the use of many subtitles and 
 inserts. Danbury's fear of marrying the girl of the nobility because of his career is 
 not an objective conflict that can be made clear in pictured action. 
 
 Situation VIII, ("Revolt"), is used in an interesting way in the beginning as an 
 introduction of the heroine. But it is quicklv dropped and the major portion of the 
 play depends upon XXVIII, ("Obstacles to Love"), combined with XXXIII, ("Er- 
 roneous Judgment"). The lack of dramatic action is therefore apparent from the situa- 
 tions, and as a result the story shows its stage origin and its unsuitability for the 
 screen. The photoplaywright with a similar plot premise should build a more com- 
 plicated and dramatic plot, and one that can be made clear to the spectator by means 
 of screen action. 
 
 "ON WITH THE DANCE." 
 
 (George Fitzmaurice production; released by Paramount; adapted by Ouida 
 Bergere from the play by Michael Morton; directed by George Fitzmaurice.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Sonia Varinoff, a little Russian girl: Peter Derwynt, a southern architect; Lady 
 Joane Tremelyn, an English peeress, and Jimmy Sutherland, a rich, uncultivated west- 
 erner, are thrown together by the eddyings of the melting pot of New York City. 
 It is natural that Derwynt and Lady Joane, with high ideals and cultivated tastes, 
 should be mutually attracted, but Sonia, who after her father's death, becomes Der- 
 wynt's ivard, is a disturbing note in their happiness. She loves Derwynt herself, and 
 finally seizes an opportunity to compromise him before Lady Joane, to save him for 
 herself. Lady Joane breaks off the engagement, and at her mother's earnest behest, 
 marries Sutherland, who has nothing but his money to commend him. Unhappiness 
 results on both sides, and Derwynt and Sutherland seek solace in the company of 
 each other's wives. Denvynt surprises Sonia dancing for Sutherland in her own 
 home, and throivs out the visitor. He later learns that she is dancing, jnasked, in 
 a public place, under the auspices of Sutherland. He kills the latter and is put on 
 trial. When it seems that there is no hope for him, Sonia rushes to the courtroom, 
 a voluntary witness, and to save her husband, blackens her oivn character. Derwynt 
 is acquitted, and Sonia, realizing that his love belongs to Lady Joane goes to drown 
 herself, but is saved by Van Vechten, Derwynt's friend and advisor, who later mar- 
 ries her, while Derwynt marries Lady Joane. 
 
 The idea of bringing four widely different characters together and allowing them 
 to work out their destinies and conflicts forms the basis of this story. With such a 
 basis the plot development depends entirely upon the logic of the characterization. 
 Although from the brief synopsis here quoted, it would appear that the killing of 
 Sutherland is somewhat forced ; in the actual production the characters were very 
 clearly delineated and it seemed perfectly natural. The melodrama of the climax 
 is relieved by the irresponsible, irrepressible characterization of Sonia (played by Mae 
 Murray), and by the idealism of Derwynt and Lady Joane. 
 
 It is worth while to observe that the inceptive situation and the four characters, 
 with slight changes, could have led to a romantic comedy drama. Such a play might 
 have been more logical and less artificial and it is likely that it would have made 
 a still wider appeal to the public. 
 
 lis 
 
"Erroneous Judgment" (XXXlll), used in several different forms, "Fatal 
 Imprudence" (XVII), and "Self-sacrifice for Kindred" (XXI), enter the plot of 
 the story. 
 
 It is rather difficult to make use of four characters of almost equal importance 
 in this way and to reach a dramatic conclusion. Even in this case, the author found 
 it necessary to drop one from the cast and to restrict the major conflict within the 
 dramatic triad. The "double triangle", as the use of two overlapping groups of char- 
 acters is called, may often be employed effectively in comedy drama in which the plot 
 involves "Mistaken Jealousy" (XXXII). 
 
 From the brief s}nopsis not a great deal is learned of the characterization, but it 
 must be remembered that only by quite unusual characterization could a plot of this 
 kind be made effective. The character of Sonia, the rather wild Russian girl, is 
 especially effective in contrast with the more reserved and staid Derwynt and Lady 
 Joane. The value of the play largely depends upon character and character contrasts. 
 
 "THE OTHER HALF." 
 
 (Produced by Brentwood; all-star cast; \Aritten and directed by King V'idor. ) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 The picture portrays a medium-sized town, to u-hich a captain and a corporal 
 return to take up civil life after the late tvar. 
 
 They are great pals, but as the young captain succeeds his father in charge of 
 most of the city's biggest industries, and the young corporal works hard as a machin- 
 ist in one of his factories, their paths lead temporarily apart. 
 
 When the corporal is made foreman and requests certain repairs made at the 
 factory to protect the lines of the workmen, the young captain, now hardened to senti- 
 ment by financial environments, refuses. A falling ivall buries the young corporal in 
 the debris and temporarily blinds him and he apparently seeks justice in vain. 
 
 His hard working but breezy siveetheart sticks by him and becomes acquainted 
 ivith the young financier's girl, uho ivalks in the higher places. This icealthy girl's 
 interest is so aroused that she refuses marriage with the young financier and attaches 
 herself to a neivspaper to help it editorially and financially. An article that she 
 writes opens the eyes of the young financier and he sees the light. And the young 
 corporal's eyes are also literally opened at the same time. 
 
 This story, like "The Miracle Man," deals with a vital and significant theme, 
 and in a degree the same idea of miraculous healing is involved. This photoplay is 
 more "preachy" and therefore somewhat less generally entertaining than the example 
 we have just considered, but the human quality oi its conflict is genuinely dramatic. 
 It is a simple, small-town story, dealing with social readjustments after the war, 
 and it carries a real message to the spectators. Situation VII, ("Revolt"), VI, 
 ("Disaster"), and XXIV, ("Rivalrj' between Superior and Inferior"), form the 
 backbone of the plot. Again the interest lies in the theme and characterization, rather 
 than in plot complexity or tricky technique. The story is simple and direct, but the 
 human appeal is sufficient to hold the interest throughout its action. 
 
 The subject of the conflict between capital and labor is in general unsuited for 
 screen portrayal, but in this case it is made valuable because the conflict manifests 
 itself clearly in the two central characters. The industrial background is properly 
 subjected to the human conflict of wills, which is the proper concern of the dramatist. 
 
 "The Miracle Man" and "The Other Half" illustrate the sentence we have 
 underscored in Part I. Until we have iiriters who are concerned with Theme, lie shall 
 
 not have genuinely satisfactory photoplays. 
 
 1J9 
 
"PAID IN ADVANCE." 
 
 (Produced by Universal; starring Dorothy Phillips; suggested by a story by 
 James Oliver Garwood; written and directed by Allen Holubar. ) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 A beautiful young girl is persuaded to accept a position in Dawson City to act 
 as nurse. Her employer is the unprincipled owner of the notorious dance hall and 
 tells her that all the dance hall girls are called nurses up there. She is frantic. 
 
 Forced to choose between becoming his mistress or throiving her lot with the 
 other dance hall girls, she makes a big decision and offers herself to the highest bidder. 
 Many thrilling fights and intensely dramatic scenes are registered throughout this 
 fast moving production, and this was but one of the big moments. 
 
 The "cur" of the camp wins her in the auction by offering his valuable claim 
 and outbidding all the others. But the "cur" ivas also the cozvard of the camp, 
 and luhen threatened by the proprietor, he cravenly yields possession of the girl. She 
 stings him and ignited the slight spark of manhood in the "cur" when she scornfully 
 taunts him by crying, "Oh, if you were only a man." 
 
 This aiL'akens him, and then things happen in real lively fashion. He cleans 
 out the dance hall in short order in his anger, and after that he manages to redeem 
 himself so that he is worthy of the girl ivho had grown to worship him with a great 
 love. 
 
 There have been many Alaskan melodramas written and produced which have 
 involved many of the same plot elements of this story. Although the plot can not be 
 considered as original or novel, it is a very well-rounded and thrilling melodrama 
 of its kind, with excellent opportunities for tense dramatic acting and for legitimate 
 thrills. In this case it is the treatment — the dramatic structure — of the play, rather 
 than any inherent worth, that makes it effective and interesting. Combined with 
 good direction, picturesque backgrounds, and a good scenario, the well-organized plot 
 furnishes excellent entertainment of its kind. Really worth-while Alaskan melo- 
 drama will perhaps always be popular in some degree, but most writers err in attempt- 
 ing this kind of photoplay by devising weak and simple plots to place against the 
 great background of the Nprth. By the very nature of the scenic background, the 
 plots of such stories should be more complicated and more thrilling than alm.ost any 
 other; it is impossible to conceive a quiet, simple story laid in such a locale, for the 
 mind expects great events in a great country. 
 
 There is a wealth of situational strength and a wealth of incident and character 
 reaction in the story, starting with the situation of "Erroneous Judgment," (XXXIII), 
 by which Joan is suspected of causing the death of MacTeague, then progressing to 
 Situation VII, ("Falling Prey to Cruelty and Misfortune"), when Joan comes under 
 the power of Barker, and proceeding on to the very dramatic use of Situations I 
 and II, ("Supplication" and "Deliverance"), when Joan sells herself to the "cur," 
 who is the highest bidder. There are other lesser situations, but these four form the 
 basic plot structure, and then the story ends, after a reasonable time lapse, with the 
 reunion of Joan and her reformed husband. Possessed of quick and objective action, 
 and developed through an interesting series of situations to a dramatic climax, this 
 story is a very good example of a well-constructed photoplay. If, in addition, it had 
 been given more authentic characterization and a more novel plot, it would have 
 been a very great picture. But so far as plot construction goes, it is one of the best 
 of the many Alaskan photoplays that have been produced. The student should study 
 it especially to observe how skillfully the director has balanced his cast, in such a 
 way that there is a chance for genuine drama at almost any moment of the play. With 
 a cast so well chosen for dramatic contrast, it would be virtually impossible to write 
 a dull story. 
 
 120 
 
"HIS PARISIAN WIFE." 
 
 (Produced by Artcraft; starring Elsie Ferguson; written by Eve UnscU; directed 
 by Emile Chautard.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 In Paris, Martin Wesley, a young American laivyer, meets Fauvette, a reporter 
 on one of the city's newspapers. After a brief courtship, he marries her and then 
 takes her home with him to his people in Boston. Wesley's parents treat his wife 
 coldly. They look upon anything from the French city with a degree of horror, 
 and though Fauvette has beauty, breeding and refinement, they instantly brand her 
 as unfit company for the ancient Neiu England stock that they are. This attitude 
 of his parents towards Fauvette begins to take root in Wesley, finally, and he asks 
 himself, "Alight she not have a past, after allf" He shortly begins to treat her 
 cruelly by sometimes ignoring her and sometimes asserting what he believes to be 
 his rights as a husband. 
 
 On the night that Tony Rye, Wesley's friend, comes for dinner, Fauvette appears 
 in a rather low-cut gown and this causes the cloud-burst. Wesley upbraids her. 
 Afterwards Wesley leaves her to enable her to divorce him. Fauvette goes to New 
 York and soon makes a success of writing. Her books bear the name of "Marie 
 Trieste," as authoress, and she soon becomes ividely known under this name. Wesley, 
 ivho at first turned to drink to forget his wife, reforms and makes a name, winning 
 an important law case. He decides to go to Nezv York and lays a plan. He is well 
 aware that Tony admires — even loves — his wife, and his plan is to win her back for 
 himself and then tell her that she can go to Tony I 
 
 But when he again comes in contact with her, Wesley realizes more than ever 
 that he really loves his wife. And instead of carrying out his ironical revenge, he 
 begs for forgiveness and offers himself to her. So, each realizing their shortcomings, 
 they arrive at a happy understanding at last. 
 
 idea of vengeance also plays a minor part in the story, but it does not develop into 
 dramatic action. 
 
 The story is an excellent example of what may be done with ver\' simple material. 
 In this case the plot inevitably springs from the inter-relation of the characters. Given 
 the French girl, the Puritanic young New Englander with his background of family 
 life, and the drama is well established. Of all the examples we have considered, this 
 story compares best with "The Miracle Man" in the qualit>' of its character contrast. 
 It lacks a great theme, but it deals humanly with a subject of timely interest, and it 
 does possess dramatic appeal. 
 
 There is one element in the story that deserves especial attention— the success 
 of the heroine as an author. In this case her success is plausible because she is mtro- 
 duced to us as a reporter on a French newspaper. The high literary standards of 
 Parisian papers makes her later literary success plausible. But many writers make 
 the error of picturing a little country girl, or a small-town immature hero, with no 
 previous training or experience, making a similar brilliant success. It is then very 
 implausible. It should also be remembered that there is no vital dramatic interest 
 in success itself, and it is only of dramatic value when it is the culmination of a 
 dramatic struggle. 
 
 "THE PEACE OF ROARING RIVER." 
 (Produced by Gold\vyn ; starring Pauline Frederick; story by George E. Van 
 Schaik; directed by Victor L. Schertzinger.) 
 
 121 
 
Synopsis. 
 
 A young working girl in a middle-west city, just after a siege of sickness in a 
 hospital, and out of work. 
 
 Her doctor advises the country air and her landlady finally induces her to reply 
 to a matrimonial advertisement apparently inserted by a lonesome mine-owner of 
 Nevada. Then the scenes change to a Nevada mining toun during the correspond- 
 ence which followed. 
 
 It seems that the young post-mistress fairly hated a young mine-owner there 
 because he spurned her attempts at making him love her. It was this woman who 
 inserted the advertisement in the matrimonial paper, and it ivas this same post-mistress 
 who appropriated every letter and answered it, signing the young miner's name. 
 
 The beautiful young working girl of Omaha finally pawned her mother's jewels 
 to make a journey to Nevada, and one day ivhen the young miner returned to his 
 home he found the young girl there with her trunk. He suspected a blackmail plot 
 and his actions frightened the girl, who shot him. There are many stirring scenes 
 from this point. 
 
 The girl quickly repented of her hasty action in shooting the man, but she had 
 been all unstrung during the previous night's vigil when he was up in the mountains. 
 She quickly secures the doctor, after a wild and hazardous trip, and was overjoyed 
 to find that the wound was not fatal. The men of the toiun, and also the women, 
 stirred up by the post-mistress, determined to run the "hussy" out of the toivn, but here 
 is where the beautiful and much persecuted girl finally comes into her long deferred 
 happiness. 
 
 The first situation in this story is again VII, ("Falling Prey to Cruelty or Mis- 
 fortune"), which we have so often observed as an excellent inception of a photoplay. 
 In this case it serves to win the complete sympathy of the spectator for the heroine. 
 It is followed by IX, ("Daring Enterprise"), XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"), 
 and XXIX, ("An Enemy Loved"). The third member of the triad is actuated by 
 revenge (III), which later manifests itself in combination with XXXII, in the atti- 
 tude of the townsfolk toward the heroine. 
 
 The part of the story which concerns the young post-mistress is rather hackneyed 
 and not quite plausible, for it involves the timeworn trick of intercepted letters and 
 the character of the girl, unless it was very subtly suggested, is rather too cattish to 
 be effective in drama. The matrimonial advertisement is also rather timeworn, for 
 it has formed the basis of many comedy plots. In general, it is safe to say that the 
 plot elements commonly found in comedy have been exhausted in drama. In this 
 case, the very serious and sympathetic predicament of the heroine precludes the pos- 
 sibility of a farcical interpretation of the plot. But such stories require very care- 
 ful production, and unless they are illustrative of a significant theme that is definitely 
 dramatic, the author should avoid them. 
 
 "PICCADILLY JIM." 
 
 (Selznick production; adapted from a story by P. G. Wodehouse; directed by 
 Wesley Ruggles; starring Owen Moore.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 The play is a farce dealing with intrigues of all sorts, but the main thread of 
 interest is spun from the romance involving a young chap named James Crocker, an 
 Englishman, and Ann Chester. Jim is known in London as Piccadilly Jim, and as 
 a neii'spaper reporter there he gains considerable notoriety. Indeed, he makes such 
 a name for himself that his Aunt in America determines to go to London and bring 
 him to America. But Jim beats them at their game and proceeds to America alone. 
 On shipboard he meets the girl. It is love at first sight. Also it is love ivith its 
 usual complications, for Ann Chester hates a man she has never seen. His name is 
 
 122 
 
James Crocker and he wrote a merciless criticism of some poems of hers for a London 
 newspaper. In New York all Jim looks for is an opportunity to be near Ann, so 
 he contracts to do a little kidnapping job for her. Her cousin is eating and groning 
 fatter by the minute, and she determines that the boy must be made to work, so 
 Jim is to kidnap him and send him to a physical culture resort. Since Mrs. Fett is 
 forever worrying that her son tvill be kidnapped, Jim's plot becomes the harder and 
 his attempt fails, thanks to the detective Airs. Fett has engaged. But Jim's suit for 
 Ann's hand succeeds, so there is no cause for lamentation ivhen the final scene arrives. 
 
 This play is a good example of an amusing, though somewhat frail, comedy 
 drama of the farcical type. It is largely a sequence of farcical incidents, well suited to 
 its original form as a magazine serial, but ineffective on the screen, especially in the 
 climax, which occurs in a convenient and conventional way. It is the kind of plot that 
 might easily go on forever and its climax occurs in simple accordance with the whim 
 of the author to end the play and bring the story to a romantic conclusion. 
 
 The slender plot is suspended upon Situation XXVIII, ("Obstacles to Love"), 
 with which is combined a comedic use of the preceding situation, ("Discover)' of the 
 Dishonor of a Loved One"). Later an amusing form of Situation IX, ("Daring 
 Enterprise"), in Jim's attempt to kidnap the heavily guarded fat boy, is employed. 
 The many amusing incidents springing from this situation can easily be imagined, and 
 they, indeed, formed the best part of the screenable action. The romance is secondary 
 to the incidental humor, and the play was effective largely because the incidents were 
 played in a rapid, farcical tempo, which in itself is conducive to comedic effect. 
 
 Farce is seldom effective on the screen when it is sustained for five reels. It is 
 difficult to preserve a rapid tempo for an hour, and the audience usually desires moments 
 at least of weightier drama. On the stage, with the rest between the acts and the 
 advantages of the voice, farce is amusing. But the screen requires stories with more 
 plot and with stronger situations. It is necessary, above all, to convince the photo- 
 play audience in some degree of the reality of the play, and farce is quite as unreal 
 as melodrama of the fantastic serial type. 
 
 On the basis of this same idea it would have been possible to have built a strong 
 and suspensive plot, by combining other situations of a less farcical nature with those 
 used. The romantic central character and the basic situation of "Obstacles to Love" 
 should have supplied the author with an excellent premise. But like many adapta- 
 tions of novels and plays, the plot is exposed in all its frailty before the truthful lens 
 of the camera. It would be excellent practice for the student to build a stronger 
 play from the same premise of characterization and situation, developing the plot along 
 the lines of stronger and more compelling situations to a more suspensive climax. 
 
 "POLLYANNA." 
 
 (United Artists production ; starring Mary Pickford ; adapted by Frances Marion 
 from the novel by Eleanor H. Porter; directed by Paul Powell.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 PoUyanna, whose religion has alivays been "just be glad," goes to her Aunt 
 Polly after the death of her father. The joy of her little soul changed entirely the 
 inhabitants of the town, but it took quite a ivhile before the spirit of gladness made 
 itself felt upon her Aunt. Whatever Follyanna did was wrong. No matter how 
 hard she tried to please she always received a scolding. She endeavored to have her 
 Aunt adopt little Jimmie Bean without success, so PoUyanna sneaked him into the 
 cellar and fed him. Her spirit of gladness softened the heart of old John Pendleton, 
 the rich man of the village, and later through an accident in which PoUyanna becomes 
 paralyzed, the Aunt realizes, too, the value of this child's teachings and becomes sorry 
 for the way she had treated her niece in the past. PoUyanna knew that she only 
 could be cured by Dr. Chilton, a former sweetheart of her Aunt, and after much 
 
 123 
 
persuasion Aunt Polly swalloived her pride and asked Dr. Chilton to come to the 
 house. Pollyanna was cured and little Jimmie Bean was adopted by the Aunt, and 
 the whole village felt the benefit of the child's religion "just be glad." 
 
 The plot of this story is a very slight one, but it is founded upon a theme that 
 appeals to the heart, and its incidents are both amusing and poignant. There are 
 moments of genuine tension, of real drama, in the play, but the significant thing is the 
 fact that every incident and episode bears a direct relation to the theme of the story. 
 Without the theme — the playing of the Glad Game — the play would have been dull 
 and uninteresting, and the theme alone is almost sufficient to guarantee a popular 
 reception of the picture. Although the story bears traces of its novelistic origin, in 
 the narrative manner of its progression, the unity of theme is so closely adhered to 
 by the director and the scenario writer that a single dramatic efiect is gained. The 
 simplicity and the universality of the theme, the pleasing characterization of Polly- 
 anna (in this case the central character is the human expression of the theme), and 
 the interesting element of conflict supplied by those who will not play the Glad Game 
 until Pollyanna convinces them of its worth, combine to make the picture a very 
 great popular success. 
 
 A great deal more credit is due the producers, the director and the star, perhaps, 
 than the original author, for the finished picture shows how carefully the process of 
 elimination was practiced. The scenario writer very skillfully eliminated the non- 
 essentials of the novel and dramatized, so far as was possible, the material of the book. 
 
 Various forms of Situation VII, ("Falling Prey to Cruelty and Misfortune"), 
 a slight use of Situation XIII, ("Enmity of Kinsmen"), and another form of Situa- 
 tion X, ("Abduction"), subdivision D-3 — ("Rescue of a Soul in Captivity to Error") 
 — enter the plot. It is not to be supposed, however, that these situations furnish the 
 greatest strength or charm of the story, for as we have indicated, it depends largely 
 upon theme, characterization and human incident. It is, of course, a very difficult 
 thing to develop so simple a plot, which is another version of the ever-popular Cin- 
 derella legend, in this effective way, and the story indicates the importance of the 
 intelligent use of a unifying theme, of distinctive and human characterization that 
 properly expresses the theme, and of incidents that add charm and humor to the char- 
 acterization and also emphasize the theme. A careful analysis of the production will 
 show that each incident has a direct bearing upon the theme; this is the true test of 
 dramatic unity. Most beginning writers would make use of incidents for their own 
 sake, but would overlook the necessity of developing them in a cumulative, integral 
 dramatic whole. 
 
 "THE PRODIGAL WIFE." 
 
 (Produced by Screcncraft; starring Mary Boland ; adapted from Edith Bernard 
 Delano's novel, "Flaming Ramparts" ; scenario by Eve Unsell ; directed by Frank 
 Reicher. ) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Marion Farnham is the u'ife of a poor but ambitious young doctor who lii^es in 
 a cheap lodging house in the city. Her greatest happiness is in her little four-year-old 
 daughter, Marna. Her husband's constant neglect of her leads to discontent and she 
 finally elopes with another resident of the house who has suddenly struck it rich, on 
 the condition that he secure the child also. Deserted, the young doctor leaves the city 
 and takes little Marna into the country, where, during the long years that follotv, he 
 creates in her an ideal conception of her mother. Marion's lover, not able to find 
 Marna, reports her dead and so both mother and child grew older, each believing the 
 other in another land. 
 
 Mrs. Farnham loses interest in life and sinks lower and lower. She hears of her 
 husband's success in life and resolves to appeal to him. She arrives at his country 
 estate when he is away and sees Marna. From her lips she learns what the girl thinks 
 
 124 
 
of her mother, and though yearning to clasp her to her breast, goes away without speak- 
 ing her heart. Later, however, she secures employment uith Mama, who has married 
 Dallas Harvey, a young writer. She delights in caring for the baby that comes to 
 bless the life of the young couple. 
 
 And it is soon that Mrs. Farnham is granted the opportunity to do her daughter 
 a service. She finds that Mama contemplates eloping with a false friend of her hus- 
 band's, even as she did years before, and by a recitation of her own life she prevents 
 a duplication of the tragedy. Dr. Farnham hears all this and his heart goes out to 
 the woman he now knows to be his wife, but the woman ivill not go back to him. 
 To atone for her sins she goes out in the world that she may seek out and protect 
 other young folk from treading the wrong path. 
 
 This story is one of the very few examples of photoplays in which sensational 
 plot elements have been used in a really dramatic and significant way. The plot opens 
 with Situation XVII, ("Fatal Imprudence"), and XXV, ("Adultery"), both of 
 which are used for the definite purpose of pointing a dramatic moral. Situations 
 XXXVI and XXXIII are involved in Marion's loss of her child and her supposition 
 that Marna is dead. In this connection it is well to observe that the author has won 
 the sympathy of the audience for her heroine even in the face of obstacles by empha- 
 sizing her love for her child. Many writers would have made Marion needlessly 
 heartless and shallow, and the character would then have been dramatically valueless. 
 Situation XXI, ("Self-sacrifice for Kindred") is the dominant note of the climax, 
 and there is genuine dramatic tension in the manner in which the heroine saves Marna 
 from the fate she knew so well. The author and the producer had the courage in 
 this case to avoid a merely happy ending for one that is more logical and more inspir- 
 ing. Marion's plan to go out into the world on a mission of good is infinitely more 
 dramatic than any mere reunion of husband and wife might be, and it is a real, rather 
 than a sentimental, solution of the predicament. 
 
 The time lapse divides the story into two definite parts, each of which is unified 
 and interesting. There is, therefore, no loss of dramatic unity, and the very theme 
 of the story requires such a division. 
 
 Although this production may be considered as a very fine example of a "sex" 
 play, because of the poignant, human theme it expresses, the writer is cautioned against 
 the use of similar material. In general, the producers are not seeking stories of this 
 type. But if such a story must be written, try to make it as good as "The Prodigal 
 V^ife." 
 
 "RED HOT DOLLARS." 
 
 (Thomas H. Ince production; starring Charles Ray; written by Julien Josephson; 
 directed by Jerome Storm.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Ted Burke, a worker in Peter Carton's iron foundry, is hurt while saving his 
 employer from being crushed by a huge timber. Carton has him nursed back to health, 
 adopts him and makes him an executive. Ted is in love with Janet Muir. The let- 
 ter's grandfather and Carton are deadly enemies. Unknown to the grandfather, Ted 
 obtains for Janet a position in Carton's office. Carton, not liking the intimacy be- 
 tween Ted and Janet, discharges the girl and Ted denounces the millionaire and quits. 
 IVhen Janet's grandfather learns what has happened he starts out to thrash Carton. 
 Ted and Janet arrive in time to interfere. Ted berates both old men soundly for their 
 obstinate prejudices against each other and they become reconciled, with happy results 
 for the lovers. 
 
 This story may be considered as a typical Charles Ray vehicle, of no special nov- 
 elty in theme or plot but developed in a human, humorous and pathetic way. The idea 
 of the enmity between the two old men and the consequent obstacle to the love of the 
 
 125 
 
girl and boy, (Situation XXVIII), is of course as old as "Romeo and Juliet," al- 
 though in this case it should be noted that the usual formula is violated, since the boy 
 is not the son of either man. In other respects the story is a simple and by no means 
 novel one. But it should be obsei-ved, to the author's credit, that Mr. Ray is supplied 
 with a very human and pleasing characterization, that the story possesses a great deal 
 of heart interest, a touch of pathos, and an amusing romance. Although it would 
 have been a more dramatic story if other situations had been introduced, the skill with 
 which the author has played upon the single theme and has produced a single dramatic 
 effect with a minimum of material is very commendable. In this storj', truly, the 
 author has eliminated non-essentials and has concentrated upon a single idea. 
 
 The brief synopsis quoted above can only convey the basic plot structure, but 
 those readers who have viewed the production will remember the many clever, amusing 
 and human touches of action that endeared the characters of the play to them. It 
 requires greater technical skill to develop a simple and uncomplicated story of this 
 kind to the five reel length than to write almost any other kind of photoplay. In such 
 a story it is the author's feeling for his characters and his deep understanding of their 
 motives and ambitions and reactions to situations that lead to entertaining plays. Mr. 
 Josephson, who wrote the play, is especially skilled in the creation of simple, human 
 characters — he makes them live and breathe, and his gift for character is of more 
 value, in its ultimate appeal to the spectators, than the power of some writers to de- 
 vise thrilling but unreal situations. In Part I we have emphasized the value of study- 
 ing character and of presenting in photoplays characters with whom you are thoroughly 
 familiar. The best photoplays are those in which the characters are the most human, 
 for if you can make an audience feel that it knows and likes a character, over half of 
 the battle is won. It would be advisable to view productions of this type in order 
 to observe how cleverly the continuity writer has presented his character in definite, 
 dramatic, interesting action. 
 
 "THE RIGHT OF WAY." 
 
 (Screen Classics-Metro production; adapted by June Mathis from the novel by 
 Sir Gilbert Parker; directed by Jack Dillon; starring Bert Lytell. ) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Charles Steele, the cynic, the drunkard, the brightest lawyer in the town of 
 Montreal, by his eloquence saves the life of Jo Portugais from hanging for murder. 
 He marries Kathleen. Five years later he catches his brother-in-law embezzling money 
 held in trust, but promises to save him. That night Steele visits one of his secret 
 haunts where he can drink undisturbed. He is embroiled in a fight, receives a blow on 
 the head, and is picked up by Jo from the river and taken to a little Canadian town, 
 experiencing a loss of memory. A surgeon, visiting the village takes an interest in 
 the case, performs an operation and memory is restored. He learns that he has been 
 considered dead, and his wife has married another, and that the brother has thrown 
 the blame of embezzlement upon his shoulders. Always an unbeliever, the kindness 
 of the villagers causes a reformation to take place in the heart of Steele. During a 
 fete a number of strangers visit the town and in order to safeguard the church money 
 he keeps it in his safe. His brother-in-law, now a derelict, and two companions try 
 to steal the money, but are prevented by Steele, who is shot by the brother whom he 
 had befriended. 
 
 Stripped of its verj' interesting and universal theme — the inner conflict in the 
 soul of a man who doubts God — and of the very subtle and finished character delinea- 
 tion of the star in the role of Charley Steele, this story is a rather commonplace and 
 leisurely plot involving the ancient idea of loss of memory. It deals in an almost 
 biographical way with the hero's life, following him through episode after episode 
 as the novelist is privileged to do. Some of the episodes are genuinely dramatic and 
 they all serve to emphasize the theme. On the whole, despite the hackneyed elements 
 
 126 
 
of the plot, the story can be called a very fine adaptation because, again, of the skillful 
 emphasis of the theme. The theme is the one thing of great dramatic interest in the 
 play, and the chief character, as in other examples we have considered, is the personal, 
 human manifestation of the theme. In this way the story is given a unity and integrity 
 that it could not otherwise have possessed. 
 
 It should be observed that in this story we again find that subdivision of Situa- 
 tion X, ("Abduction"), that deals with the rescue of a soul in captivity to error. 
 It might be said that the purpose of Charley Steele's life experiences is to show him 
 the way out of error — to give his innate idealism the "right of way" to a higher spir- 
 itual plane. His death in this story really signifies, in a most poignant and dramatic 
 way, the beginning of a new life. Readers who have seen the production will remem- 
 ber the imhappy ending of the play much lunger than if it had come to the usual ro- 
 mantic conclusion. Combined with the situation already mentioned are XXI, ("Self- 
 sacrifice for Kindred"), XXXI, ("Struggle Against a God"), and XXXIII, ("Er- 
 roneous Judgment"). 
 
 There is a very real dramatic significance also in the characterization. Steele is 
 a cynic, an unbeliever, a drunkard, and yet we sympathize with him throughout the 
 story. Examine the situations and the reason for this sympathy will be plain. He is 
 a big, strong man, with an innate though concealed nobility, and he is making a strong 
 fight. It would have been impossible to awaken sympathy for the character as he is 
 first introduced if some such situations had not been used. A less skillful dramatist 
 would have drawn a character with whom we could not have sympathized and would 
 thus have destroyed the dramatic power of the story. As an example of unusual and 
 complicated characterization this story will be helpful. 
 
 "THE RIGHT TO HAPPINESS." 
 
 (Produced by Universal; starring Dorothy Phillips; written and directed by 
 Allen Holubar.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 The story opens in Russia ivith a Jtivish massacre. Sonia and Vivian are the 
 twin children of the American, Hardcastle. They are safely hidden and escape harm, 
 though the former is separated from her sister and is adopted by a poor Russian family. 
 Hardcastle returns to America with Vivian ivith the belief that his other child is dead. 
 Twenty years elapse. Vivian is a popular member of society, with no knoivledge of 
 the social problem of the day. Sonia and her lover, Paul, have migrated to America 
 as the emissaries of Lenine. The girl has no idea that she is not a Russian. So she 
 takes up her duties to spread revolution. She is successful for a time until she appre- 
 ciates the spirit of democracy abroad in the land. 
 
 Meantime Hardcastle has not kept abreast of the times. He is obstinate against 
 any solution for the working man. And the drama builds to an inexorable climax 
 when his own daughter, Sonia, leads his workmen against him. A shot is fired. She 
 is mortally wounded. And in her father s house she learns her identity. So Hard- 
 castle's soul is purified. He offers his tvorkmen the right to happiness by giving them 
 decent hours and a living wage. 
 
 There is a great deal of dramatic tension in the climax of this story, when the 
 Russian girl of the Bolsheviki meets her own American father and threatens him with 
 death. The situation fundamentally depends upon chance, and is therefore somewhat 
 artificial, but in a careful production it proved effective. The story is especially note- 
 worthy, from the writer's viewpoint, because it involves this aptircach to Situation 
 XIX, ("Slaying of a Kinsman Unrecognized"). "Self-sacrifice for an Ideal and 
 for Kinsmen," (Situations XX and XXI), are also involved in the Russian sister's 
 character. The theme is somewhat buried beneath the mechanical tricks of the climax, 
 which involves the chance situation and the double exposure of the two sisters, but 
 underlying the action there is a very interesting and timely theme. Its timeliness 
 
 127 
 
is more notable than its dramatic value, however, for like most other social (as dis- 
 tinguished from individual and personal) problems, the theme of Bolshevism is not 
 satisfactory dramatic material. So many productions have recently been made deal- 
 ing in one way or another with this idea that it is hardly wise for the photoplaywright 
 to add to such stories. It is far better to deal with more fundamental human prob- 
 lems and with individuals who are distinctive and real, and not the mere expressions 
 of political theory. 
 
 In this case, again, the time lapse divides the story into two definite parts, a 
 prologue and the story proper. In stories involving life histories of the characters, 
 such a division is necessary. But there is a great deal of difference between dividing 
 a story into dramatic parts, and allowing a story to ramble leisurely, indirectly, and 
 with many time lapses. 
 
 "THE RIVER'S END." 
 
 (Marshall Neilan production; starring Lewis Stone; written by James Oliver 
 Curwood; directed by Marshall Neilan.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Inspector MacDoivell of the Canadian Northivest Mounted Police sends Con- 
 niston to capture John Keith, accused murderer of Judge Kirkstone. True to the tra- 
 ditions of the force Conniston folloivs his man for nearly three years, finally capturing 
 him in the snow wilderness. Conniston, taken ill, is nursed by his prisoner. There 
 is a wonderful resemblance between the two men. Keith tells Conniston how Judge 
 Kirkstone and a gang of crooked politicians were threatening his old father with 
 prison on a false charge, describes how he went to the Judge's house, quarreled with 
 him in his son's presence, knocked him doivn and fled. Later, hearing that the Judge 
 had died, he became a fugitive. Conniston believes him, knoivs that he is dying, and 
 persuades Keith to return to MacDowell as the latter's officer. Conniston dies, Keith 
 takes the narrow chance and reports Keith's death to the inspector. He passes muster, 
 but matters are complicated by the arrival of the real Conniston's sister, Mary, from 
 England. She also takes him for Conniston. Miriam Kirkstone, daughter of the 
 dead Judge, is in the power of a Chinaman named Shan Tung, who has served the 
 Mounted Force as an expert in identifying suspects. Shan Tung sees through Keith's 
 disguise and the latter visits him in his Oriental den in the Chinese quarter. Shan 
 Tung has Miriam's brother, an opium victim, in his power. The brother identifies 
 Keith as his father's murderer. Shan Tung threatens unless Keith induces Miriam 
 to come to him, he will expose him. Keith refuses, is attacked, but kills Shan Tung 
 and fights his luay out. The place catches fire. Miriam's brother is taken out dying 
 and confesses that he slew his father. Keith wins his supposed sister for his wife 
 and MacDowell is united to Miriam. 
 
 This dual role melodrama of the Northwest is dependent upon Situations 
 XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"), IX, ("Daring Enterprise"), VII, ("Falling 
 Prey to Cruelty and Disaster"), II, ("Deliverance"), XXIV, ("Remorse"), and a 
 slight suggestion of XXVI, ("Crimes of Love"), combined with XXXIII. It con- 
 tains a plethora of melodramatic action because of the many situations and the in- 
 volved groups of characters. In the six reel length it is suspensive and swift in move- 
 ment, and it would have been impossible to have produced the story in the usual five 
 reels. 
 
 The plot is quite conventional in every way, dealing with the familiar elements 
 of dual role plays and Northwest melodramas. From the standpoint of structure, 
 however, the play is very well organized, for it contains sympathetic characterization, 
 pathos, strong conflict, maintained suspense and a thrilling climax. The skill with 
 which the various strands of the plot have been woven together is especially note- 
 worthy. As a technical example of a complicated and well-constructed photoplay it 
 is of value, although the author might have produced a much better story if he had 
 started with a genuine, instead of an artificial, theme. 
 
 128 
 
"SHADOWS." 
 
 (Produced by Goldwyn ; starring Gcraldine Farrar ; written by WiUard Mack; 
 directed by Reginald Barker.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Muriel, popular in the social life of her city, marries Judson Barnes, a man 
 prominent in the business world. He is approached by Frank Craftley, a dishonest 
 mining promoter, who urges him to invest in a project in Nevada. Muriel feels that 
 he is attempting to sivindle her husband and advises him against entering the deal. 
 Craftley realizes that it is the woman who is blocking his path and goes to his silent 
 partner, a man ivho has traveled the world over, telling him that he believes he 
 recognizes Muriel. When McGojJ , the partner, produces a photograph of Cora La- 
 mont, an Alaskan dance hall girl, Craftley realizes that Muriel is the same woman. 
 He threatens her with exposure and as a result Aluriel talks to her husband until he 
 has again changed his mind about the mining project. fVith Craftley he sets out 
 west to look things over. 
 
 Now it is that Muriel recalls her past in the Alaskan dance hall where McGoff 
 attempted to make her his plaything. How she played the game safe, always prom- 
 ising, yet giving nothing, and how she made her flight from her sordid existence to 
 the more civilized south, are events which come rapidly to her mind. Yet if all this 
 past comes out — // her husband learns of it, she ivill be lost — moreover, her baby ivill 
 be lost to her. McGoff has signified his intention of coming to see her to claim her, 
 and Muriel, making ready for him, lays out her jewels as if to tempt a burglar. 
 
 When McGoff crushes her in his arms she shouts and warns the household. A 
 policeman, rushing in, shoots and kills the intruder. To him and to the rest of the 
 household it appears as if Muriel had merely surprised a burglar. Taking her baby 
 in her arms, Muriel offers thanks for her safety. 
 
 This story was written by a master of melodrama, but Mr. Mack's skill failed 
 to make real and convincing the two fundamental accidents on which his thrilling 
 plot is founded. In the first place, it is a pure coincidence that a man who had known 
 Cora in her dance-hall days should meet her husband and again come in contact with 
 her. In the clima.x, secondly, it is largely accidental that the villain is killed as a 
 result of her well-laid plan. The plan, like so many others, might easily and nat- 
 urally have gone wrong. Muriel, or Cora, is simply lucky enough to be freed from 
 the villain in this manner. Although such a climax might convince and thrill an 
 audience at the time it is shown, it will not hold up under careful analysis. It also 
 involves the question as to whether the heroine is justified in killing a man merely 
 to save herself from disgrace. The finer and nobler thing would have been to confess 
 to her husband her whole past. 
 
 The plot involves Situation XII, ("Obtaining"), III, ("Crime Pursued by 
 Vengeance"), and a suggestion of XXVII, ("Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved 
 One"), combined with VI, ("Disaster"), and in the end, XXXIII, ("Erroneous 
 Judgment"). 
 
 To the student the story is significant especially because it necessitates an un- 
 dramatic retrospect in the Alaskan episode. In almost every case, a straightforward 
 and direct story will be more dramatic, and the use of such a retrospect is cither a 
 confession of the lack of skill or a trick for manufacturing a certain kind of suspense. 
 In this story it is obviously the latter, and it achieves its melodramatic purpose. But 
 retrospect should almost invariably be avoided, for the stories that require such tricks 
 are not usually suitable for screen production. 
 
 "SHE HIRED A HUSBAND." 
 (Produced by Universal; starring Priscilla Dean; written by Rex Taylor; di- 
 rected by Jack Dillon.) 
 
 129 
 
Synopsis. 
 
 Daphne Troiibridge is a most perverse young person who worries her aunt and 
 unch' from morning until night by constantly going contrary to their wishes. In 
 time they are unable to bear it longer and decide to marry her off to — Tom Dunstnn, 
 a young man ivho lives on the estate next door. They sing his praises to Daphne, and 
 she, perverse as usual, turns him down when he proposes. Tom departs quite broken 
 up about it. The next suitor the Trowbridges select for their niece they speak of in 
 no kind terms, and their plan works for a while, for Daphne accepts his proposal. 
 However, she discovers the trick just before the wedding and refuses to partake. De- 
 termined that they shall see her secure a husband for herself, she goes out in search 
 of one and picks a heavily-bearded stranger she meets at the station. They are mar- 
 ried ivith the understanding that it is to be a "name only" contract. 
 
 At home the "stranger" removes his beard and proves to be Tom, and he, wise 
 felloiu, decides to cure Daphne. She does not recognize him as the man she married, 
 so Tom paints her husband in an array of horrible colors. Tom then disappears to 
 the north woods again to look into his lumber interests, and later returns as the 
 "stranger." This time he kidnaps Daphne and takes her off to the wooded wilds 
 irhere he proceeds to practice the tactics of the caveman upon her. Eventually she 
 becomes a dutiful wife. She is again kidnapped by Tom's enemies, and after a fierce 
 fight he rescues her. An old scar on his shoulder reveals his identity to Daphne, and 
 she is more than happy to discover that her husband and the man she really loved 
 all the luhile are one and the same. 
 
 This comedy drama is useful as an example of the conventional use of Situntions 
 X and XXVIII, ("Abduction") and ("Obstacles to Love"). It also involves a 
 very timevvorn phase of Situation XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"), in the use 
 of disguise. Disguise is seldom plausible in comedy, and its use in comedy drama or 
 straight drama should be carefully avoided. In the final incident of the story^the 
 revelation of Tom's identity to Daphne by means of a scar on his shoulder — we find 
 a close approach to the familiar use of a birthmark as a means of identification. Birth- 
 marks have been used so often in this manner that it is doubtful if any story involving 
 them will ever again achieve production. In the same category is the identification 
 of a character by means of a locket or other article of jewelry. Both of these plot 
 devices have been exhausted. 
 
 The plot of this comedy drama is rather implausible in its verj- foundation, but 
 it provides clean, wholesome amusement. It is here used as an example because of 
 the trick of identification, which appears frequently in the work of amateurs. 
 
 "THE SILENT RIDER." 
 
 (Produced by Triangle; starring Roy Stewart; story by C. M. Clark; directed 
 by Cliff Smith.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Driven desperate by cattle rustlers, Jim Carson, owner of the Ten Mile Ranch, 
 appeals to the Texas Rangers for aid. A reply to him states that a man will arrive 
 in a week to clean out the rustlers. 
 
 Shortly afterwards Carson employs Bob Gordon as a puncher. A strong dislike 
 springs up between Gordon and Dave Merrill, Jim Carson's foreman. Jim's daugh- 
 ter, Jean, and Bob arc mutually pleased with each other. 
 
 A iveek later Gordon discovers Merrill branding a calf and exchanges shots with 
 him, although he does not get an opportunity to see Merrill's face. He finds the 
 latter's hat with the initials "D. M." in it. Gordon returns Merrill's hat to him 
 in the presence of Jean and Carson. Merrill pretends that the hat was stolen from 
 him as a trick by some of the punchers. Shortly afterwards, Merrill, in conjunction 
 with some of the other coivboys on the ranch, attempts to frame up Bob on a charge 
 
 130 
 
of cattle rustling. The tables are turned on him and a gun battle results. Merrill 
 seizes Jean and dashes aiuay trilh her and his outlaw pals to a lonely cabin. There 
 Jean is forced to fight for her honor luiih Merrill until rescued by Gordon and his 
 pals. 
 
 This story is a typical Western melodrama, of the kind that has been produced 
 in large numbers. It depends, fundamentally, upon Situation IX, ("Daring Enter- 
 prise"), and X, ("Abduction"). XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"), also appears, 
 as in most stories with surprise endings. Both in plot material and treatment the 
 story bears a close resemblance to many others of the same type. Its value lies in the 
 swift, thrilling action, which makes a direct and dramatic appeal to most spectators. 
 
 The use of abduction in this case is so very trite that it affords a good example of 
 how that situation should not be used. At one time no Western melodrama was com- 
 plete without at least one abduction, but the art of photoplay writing has advanced 
 since then and even two-reel Western thrillers must be more novel and distinctive 
 than this story. The West, like Alaska and the Canadian Northwest, has been very 
 thoroughly exploited as a motion picture background, and unless one can bring new 
 experience and new ideas to this type of play it should not be undertaken. 
 
 "SINNERS." 
 
 (Realart production; story by Owen Davis; directed by Kenneth Webb; sce- 
 nario by Eve Unsell ; starring Alice Brady.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Alary Horton, born and raised on Nantucket, goes to New York to earn her 
 living. In the city she meets a iroman from her own village who is known to have 
 "gone wrong." She offers Mary help and as the girl is actually in need she accepts 
 her assistance and takes up her abode in the woman's house while doing some sewing. 
 She meets Hilda's friends and envies them their carefree existence. Bob Alerrick be- 
 comes interested in Mary and understands that she is different. Mary, however, has 
 about decided that she, too, wants the lively things of life when Horace Worth, her 
 one-time siveetheart, arrives to tell her her mother is dying. Seeing the way Mary has 
 been living he condemns her as one of Hilda's sort. Back home with mother, Mary 
 again takes up the simple life, but one Sunday Hilda motors down with a party. 
 Under the sweet influence of Mary's mother the city "rotters'" are compelled to 
 spend an odd day in singing hymns and drinking well water. Horace appears upon 
 the scene to condemn Alary and her friends, but Bob Alerrick admits he desires Alary 
 for his wife. Hilda also decides to remain in the village and do hospital work. The 
 rest of the party goes back to town somewhat chastened. 
 
 This story, in some respects similar to "The Miracle Man," is a study in con- 
 trasts. The contrast between the two groups of characters is less sharp and clear than 
 in the Tucker production, and is therefore somewhat less poignant and dramatic. 
 This is due to the fact that there are two intermediate characters, who link the group 
 of the city with the simple lady of the countr>\ A greater conflict would have re- 
 sulted from the other construction ; but the present play has the advantage of portray- 
 ing a wholly sympathetic character placed in a suspensive predicament between two 
 factions. Again, the story develops from character and the genuine drama springs 
 directly from the conflict of character. 
 
 The interesting sub-division of Situation X, ("Rescue of a Soul in Captivity to 
 Error"), again appears, and with it are combined Situations VII, XXXIII, and 
 XXXIV. Stories based upon vital and significant themes, dealing with human con- 
 flicts and with characters who are real and understandable, are usually simple in 
 plot structure. In this play, for example, and in "The Miracle Man", the greatest 
 degree of suspense is attained by the characterization. The dramatic value— the con- 
 flict, suspense and punch — of the play results directly from character, rather than 
 
 131 
 
from plot manipulation. In addition, of course, sound craftsmanship must be applied 
 to the construction of the story, but so far as the finished photoplay is concerned 
 the action all appears to spring quite naturally from the reactions of the characters. 
 This is the ideal to be striven for, and the writer who concentrates as much upon 
 theme and character as upon plot will come close to it. 
 
 "THE SIX BEST CELLARS." 
 
 (Paramount-Artcraft production; starring Bryant Washburn; story by Hol- 
 worthy Hall and Hugh Kahler; directed by Donald Crisp; scenario by Elmer Harris.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Henry Carpenter and his ivife, Millicent, belong to an exclusive suburban set. 
 Henry is supposed to have a cellar full of drinkables against the drought of prohibition, 
 hut is in reality doicn to his last few bottles. 'Henry and Millicent give a dinner 
 and Henry is overjoyed to find in the cellar of his liquor-hating aunt several cases of 
 rare wines left by a brother, since deceased. At the last minute, however, Henry dis- 
 covers that the bottles are empty. Fearful of facing his guests he produces some 
 "home-brew" and then launches into a terrific speech against "drinking for drinking's 
 sake." His fervor impresses his friends and the Prohibition element in the town offers 
 to elect him to Congress. Then Henry finds a real case of rare xvine in his aunt's 
 cellar. The question is, to be a Congressman or not to bel On the one hand he may 
 have social triumphs, and on the other, possibly a great political career. Henry's 
 efforts to decide result in a merry set of complications — and the end of the picture 
 is left for the audience to decide. 
 
 Since the enactment of the prohibition legislation there have been many stories 
 submitted to the studios dealing in a comedic way with the aftermath of John Barley- 
 corn's demise. Innumerable short comedies have been produced and several five- 
 reel comedy dramas. The subject no longer possesses the timeliness of appeal it did 
 and is not likely to remain popular very long. This story is interesting as a very 
 clever satire upon the problems of the drouth and of methods used to circumvent it. 
 
 The story opens with a comedic use of Situation VII ("Falling Prey to Cruelty 
 and Misfortune"), and then involves XXXIII ("Erroneous Judgment"), XXX, 
 ("Ambition"), and XXII, ("All Sacrificed for a Passion"), as well as XII ("Ob- 
 taining"). 
 
 The use of recoil in the sudden plot twist that presents the clear predicament to 
 Henry is especially clever — to be a Congressman or not to bel The same use of 
 recoil is found in most effective short comedies and it is always efiective when founded 
 upon a natural and humorous conflict. 
 
 The satirical note in the idea that the social status of the hero is determined by 
 his possession of liquor is maintained throughout the play, and it gives the plot a unity 
 of dramatic purpose that it would otherwise have lost. 
 
 Although the subject would seem to be exhausted by too frequent use "The Six 
 Best Cellars" (which is an excellent comedy title, by the way) serves as a very good 
 example of the comedic treatment of a timely subject. 
 
 "SMOULDERING EMBERS." 
 
 (Keenan-Pathe production; starring Frank Keenan; written by Kate Corbaley; 
 scenario by Dorothy Yost; directed by Frank Keenan.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Old John Conroy, a vagabond since his wife left him for dead and ran away 
 with his baby son and another man, has two aims in life — to find his son, and to buy 
 an apple orchard. He enters the tou'n of Poriersburg as a tramp and there he finds 
 his son about to be forced into marriage with a girl he does not love in order to further 
 
 132 
 
his step-father's ambitions. The boy has been spoiled by too much money and l09 
 little thought, and old John resolves to make a man of him for the girl uho loves 
 nim. He wins the boy's love and starts the work of regeneration, at the tame time 
 gaining control of the step-father's factory and acquiring knowledge of his political 
 trickery. In this way he triumphs over the boy's step-father, wins a son, unites the 
 lovers, and provides for their happy future. 
 
 This story is a simple, human character study, well suited to the personality of 
 the star and with a sufficiently dramatic plot to hold the interest as the character un- 
 folds. As an example of advanced characterization, in which Mrs. Corbaley is espe- 
 cially skillful, it is of unusual value, for it shows how subtle and quiet emotional con- 
 flicts can be dramatized for the screen. 
 
 Many writers, in developing the same plot, would have introduced a prologue 
 showing the elopement of the wife with the other man, but in this unified story all 
 that the audience needs to know of the preceding action is conveyed directly in one 
 or two subtitles. 
 
 The situations that occur in the play are II, ("Deliverance"), XXXV, ("Re- 
 covery of a Lost One"), XXIV, ("Rivalry of Superior and Inferior"), and a slight 
 form of XXVII, ("Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One"). 
 
 In this example it is not the dramatic strength of the plot or the novelty of the 
 development that gives the play its charm and value. Rather, it is the human power 
 and poignance of the characterization. Every detail of action in the play springs as 
 a natural result of the character of John Conroy entering Portersburg and finding his 
 son. Given the characters and the fundamental conditions, the plot is the natural 
 result. Consequently it is lifelike, convincing and real, and it has a deep significance 
 for the average spectator because it presents a noble old man — out of Life's scrap bag 
 — moved by a deep affection for his only son. 
 
 Despite the simplicity and restraint of the play, it will be seen that it is truly 
 dramatic. A definite dramatic objective is gained by John Conroy, and when the 
 story ends, his life, his son's life, and the life of the man who won his wife are defi- 
 nitely and dramatically changed. And there can be nothing more dramatic than the 
 presentation of characters in the process of growth. 
 
 "THE SQUAW MAN." 
 
 (Produced by Artcraf t ; all-star cast; from the play by Edwin Milton Royle; 
 scenario by Beulah Marie Dix; directed by Cecil B. DeMille.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Jim Wynnegate loves Diana Kerhill, wife of his cousin, Henry, Earl of Kerhill. 
 Henry embezzles money entrusted to his care by the orphanage and in order to pro- 
 tect Dianas name, Jim shoulders the blame and disappears. He locates in a Wyoming 
 coiv-town, where he engages in ranching. Jim saves Naturich, an Indian girl, from 
 Cash Hawkins and so incurs his enmity. Hawkins later attacks Jim just as Diana. 
 Henry and a party arrive in the town while touring the States. Sir John Applegate, 
 a member of the party, denounces Jim, but Diana finds time to say to him that she 
 believes him innocent. Hawkins makes another attempt on Jim's life, but Naturich 
 kills him. The sheriff would arrest Jim for the crime, but Big Bill proves that he 
 couldn't have been guilty, by circumstantial evidence. 
 
 While hunting stray cattle Jim is thrown from his horse and is found by Natu- 
 rich. She nurses him back to health and the intimacy that this situation brings finally 
 results in a marriage. Thus does Jim become a squaw man. In time, little Hal is 
 born to Naturich and he proves to be the idol of Jim's ranch. But things don t f 
 well with the squaw man. His cattle stray and are stolen and the sheriff is ever 
 attempting to prove that he murdered Hawkins. 
 
 133 
 
Then Henry is mortally uounded ivhile hunting big game and before he dies he 
 tells the truth of the embezzled money. Diana and Sir John visit Jim again and tell 
 him that he must return to England to look after his estates. Henry insists that little 
 Hal go, too, and Naturich, seeing the man she loves and her boy slip from her grasp, 
 takes her life. Jim is deeply sorroived at this, but leaves the West and after a few 
 years marries Diana. 
 
 This story opens with a very effective use of Situation XXI, ("Self-sacrifice for 
 Kindred"), with which is combined XXVIII, ("Obstacles to Love"). The 
 XXVIIIth situation is again repeated in the major theme of the storjs in the marriage 
 between Jim and Naturich. Situation XXXIV, ("Remorse") is also used in the dying 
 confession of the villain. This dying confession and the contrast between the wicked 
 and noble cousins are both very timeworn, and if this had been a recent play rather 
 than an adaptation from a success of a decade ago, would constitute a serious objec- 
 tion to it. In Naturich's sacrifice of her little son we have a very fine and poignant 
 use of Situation XXIII, ("Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones"). 
 
 The story is of value as an example because it deals with one phase of Indian 
 life. Many writers attempt to write Indian stories, and some very good ones are 
 occasionally submitted. But from the selling standpoint it is a bad subject to select, 
 for it has been pretty thoroughly exhausted in the past. In the early days of the in- 
 dustry* the one chief subject of photoplays was that of Indian life. As a result there 
 is no longer any demand for stories of this type, and the writer should avoid the 
 theme if he wishes to sell his work. 
 
 "THE STREAM OF LIFE." 
 
 (Produced by Epic Pictures Corporation; scenario by James K. Shields; directed 
 by Horace G. Plimpton.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 "The Stream of Life" opens with scenes about a country town, where the ideal 
 home life of an American farmer's family is depicted. Brought up in these siinple, 
 homely surroundings, the son of the family, when he attains young manhood, yearns 
 for the larger opportunities of the city and sets out for the metropolis. From a be- 
 ginning of six dollars a week, by honest effort he makes his way to the top of the 
 ladder, and twenty years later we find him holding a partnership in a prosperous 
 firm. His mother visits him and is shocked to learn that he has neglected his religious 
 teachings, has become almost an unbeliever. And when his young daughter dies, 
 Maynard scorns the consolation his mother offers him from the religion he had been 
 brought up to practice. The loss of the child embitters Maynard and his life is an 
 unhappy one until his wife by chance visits a church and from the Christian worship 
 and doctrines gets so much comfort that she leads him back to his church and his 
 God. And when his time arrives to depart this world he bravely, confidently awaits 
 the final summons. 
 
 This story is of special interest because it is one of the first definitely religious 
 productions, made for showing in churches and as a part of religious work. Many 
 photoplaywrights are turning to this type of play, and in the recent past several large 
 companies have been organized for the purpose of making such pictures. The time 
 will probably come when photoplays pointing a strong moral and interpreting in mod- 
 ern settings the teachings of the Bible will be used in religious services. This field of 
 photoplay writing is still so new that it is impossible to say to what_ extent it will 
 develop, but it is safe to prophesy that most of the pictures will be of this general type. 
 
 Many writers who are interested in religious photoplays seem to think that it 
 is only necessary to adapt a Biblical story and to submit a synopsis of its screenable 
 action. But there is no need for the creative writer to construct such synopses. If 
 the religious film organizations desire to picturize the Bible stories they need only to 
 
 134 
 
hire a continuity writer and a director to adapt the story directly from the Bible. 
 It is more likely, however, that these organizations will produce modern stories of 
 real life that emphasize a strong moral. 
 
 "The Stream of Life" is not fundamentally dramatic, and the moral is stressed 
 rather than the dramatic structure or the emotional effect. As the work develops it is 
 probable that greater care will be devoted to the choice of stories and to their dra- 
 matic structure, for even a sermon can be made more effective if it is presented in a 
 way that will make an emotional appeal. In this case Situations XXXI ("Struggle 
 Against a God"), XXXVI, ("Loss of Loved Ones"), and XXXIV, ("Remorse"), 
 underly the plot. 
 
 The story should be carefully considered as an example of the kind of photoplays 
 likely to be produced by the religious film companies now engaged in production. 
 
 "STRONGER THAN DEATH." 
 
 (Metro production; starring Nazimova; from the nova!, "The Hermit Doctor 
 of Guya," by I. A. R. Wylie; scenario by Charles Bryant; directed by Herbert Blache.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Though Sigr'td Fersen loves Major Tristam Boucicault, of the English Army 
 in India, he is not the man she hail in mind ivhen coming to India. Her health is 
 such that she may never dance again without imperiling her life, so the stage is no 
 longer possible as a means of livelihood. Tristam is poor. Fate seems to decide the 
 issue for her ivhen Tristam strikes his brutal father, a Colonel. The act is wit- 
 nessed by James Barclay, a ivealthy half-breed. His silence is purchased by Sigrid's 
 promise to marry him, but in name only. But in a drunken state he speaks, thus 
 breaking ike contract. In revenge he incites the natives to mutiny and a massacre is 
 averted only by Sigrid, tvho, though knowing that to dance might prove fatal, holds 
 the attention by her dancing and delays the rebellion. She recovers from her exhaus- 
 tion under the tender ministrations of Tristam. 
 
 This story is a notable example, so far as its plot is concerned, because it pre- 
 sents the time-worn idea of a dancer whose health is such that she is in danger of 
 death if she dances once again, and also because it involves the equally trite idea of 
 "a marriage in name only" forced upon the heroine on threat of exposure. Both of 
 these plot elements, however, have the quality of giving the central character a great 
 deal of sympathy and of making her noble. Perhaps because they produce this desir- 
 able result they have been very much overdone in the past. The story is of the seven 
 reel length and is rich in situations. 
 
 It opens again with VII, ("Falling Prey to Cruelty and Misfortune"), for the 
 heroine is penniless and in danger of death, then goes on to XXIV ("Rivalry of Su- 
 perior and Inferior") in the conflict between the men for the heroine, then involves 
 XIII, ("Enmity of Kinsmen") in the conflict between father and son, HI ("Venge- 
 ance"), and in the climax, "XXI, ("Self-sacrifice for Kindred or Loved Ones"). 
 Other situations enter into the play in a lesser degree, but these form the basis of the 
 plot structure. The use of VIII, ("Revolt"), however, should be noted. 
 
 The fact that Sigrid recovers from her supposedly fatal dance is not logically in 
 keeping with the rest of the story, for the audience has been led to believe that it 
 will in reality be her last dance and that it will mean her death. In a story of this 
 kind, in which the unhappy ending is the logical one, it should be employed. There 
 can be no question at all but that the public appreciates plot logic even if stories 
 progress to tragic endings. The author should endeavor always to work out his play 
 to its logical and dramatic conclusion. In "Stronger Than Death" there was an op- 
 portunity for a very beautiful though unhappy ending, and in all probability that 
 ending would have made a more dramatic impression upon the spectator than the one 
 used. The additional touch of poignance, and the lurking suggestion that Love does 
 
 135 
 
indeed conquer all things, even Death, would have given the spectator a still finer ap- 
 preciation of Sigrid's nobility. 
 
 Ordinarily stories of exotic locales, such as India, are too expensive to be readily 
 salable. But Nazimova's flame-like personality requires vehicles of unusual color 
 and glamour. In this case the story is colorful, dramatic and it affords the star won- 
 derful acting chances ; its lack of novelty is of course a great weakness and only par- 
 tially balanced by the other factors. 
 
 "SUE OF THE SOUTH." 
 
 (Produced by Bluebird; starring Edith Roberts; story suggested by Maude 
 Reeves White; written by C. J. Wilson, Jr. ; directed by Eugene Moore.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Sue Gordon was an aristocrat. Born to all the purple that Crawford, Tennes- 
 see, ever laid claim to. Still her pet was a piggie and her playmate was Shad Peters 
 — poor white trash. Now, the Peters and the Peytons only spoke through the barrels 
 of their rifles and that from behind ambuscades and cabin walls. For Shad's "Pop" 
 had been killed by a Peyton, and the mountain code would not allow Shad to have 
 any other ambition in life than to be revenged on his father's slayer. So it had been 
 in the mountains for generations. 
 
 Shad would have dearly loved to go to Nashville to get an "eddication" , but he 
 durst not. The rest of the Peters would think him a coivard. Then fate took a 
 hand. Sue went to the city to live with Uncle John Peyton, as hard a man as ever 
 lived. Even his own son was against him in his relations with his men. 
 
 Sue brought her piggie along to toivn and she also brought the first ray of real 
 joy into this frosty household. But when she ivas called to account for her interest 
 in Shad, who was "just one of those Peters, tvith whom no Peyton could have any 
 kind of relations at all," Sue fled to her beloved hills and to Shad's cabin. Only then 
 did John Peyton realize that his one enjoyment in life was slipping aivay from him. 
 So the old man and his son pursued. When they came to the Peters' shack, flames 
 were spitting from a rifle and, upon establishing a truce, the old man found that the 
 undaunted defender was none other than little Sue, while Shad lay, white but de- 
 termined, at her feet with a bullet in his shoulder. It took a lot of oratory to straighten 
 things out in the feud-cursed country, but it all came out right in the end. 
 
 This story is a typical example of the "feud" play, which is one of the most 
 familiar forms of dramatic entertainment. It is based almost entirely upon Situation 
 XXIX, ("An Enemy Loved"), and upon the contrast of character between Sue and 
 her uncle. The story is quite lacking in distinction and novelty, and its entire enter- 
 tainment value depends upon the characterization of Sue. But the veiy theme of 
 the story — the young girl who brings sunshine and gladness to the home of a mean 
 old man — has been developed so very often in much the same way that it is doubtful 
 if any editor will again consider such a story favorably. Like Alaska and the West, 
 the feud districts of the South have been exploited almost to exhaustion and the writer 
 who can bring no new experience to the familiar plot material should not attempt 
 this type of story. 
 
 "THE TEETH OF THE TIGER." 
 
 (Paramount-Artcraft production; story by Maurice LeBlanc; scenario by Roy 
 Somerville; directed by Chet Withey.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 To the world Arsene Lupin, the notorious French crook, is dead. In reality as 
 Paul Sernine he is living in the suburbs of an American city. Henry Forbes, an in- 
 valid, in charge of a Doctor Varncy, and a friend of Paul's, is found murdered. 
 
 136 
 
Marie Forbes, tvife of the dead man, is accused of his murder, as is Gordon Savage, 
 who is a close hut innocent friend of Marie's. A French detective named Jabot ar- 
 rives and recognizes Paul as Lupin. With difficulty Paul escapes the clutches of Jabot 
 and the detectives. Gordon escapes and swears his innocence to Paul, who believes 
 him and offers to help him. A trap is arranged at the lawyer's office to arrest the 
 one who comes to claim a share of the Forbes will. Lupin arrives and is arrested. 
 The real criminal. Doctor Varney, suspecting a trap, has sent Florence Chandler, his 
 ward, to prove that she is Forbes' dead sister's child. She also is arrested but Lupin 
 aids her in escaping. After many exciting incidents Lupin corners Doctor Varney 
 and makes him confess to the murder of Forbes, after Varney has attempted to blow 
 up the Forbes house and everybody in it with an infernal machine. Alarie is released 
 and Doctor Varney's ward and Lupin find that their mutual worries and exciting ex- 
 periences have made them love each other. 
 
 It would be difficult to find a better example of a well-sustained mystery story 
 than this play adapted from the well-known French detective stories. Mystery plays, 
 like serials, require very skillful and adroit construction, for if a certain clue is to« 
 heavily stressed the mystery will be lost. On the other hand, if a slight suggestion 
 of the ultimate explanation of the story is not "planted" rather early in the action the 
 audience will feel that it has been tricked and will be disappointed at the ending. 
 The construction of such plays is always artificial, for the mystery invariably depends 
 upon the ability to withhold a certain bit of evidence from the audience and then to 
 reveal it in a plausible way at just the right time. It is indeed a difficult thing to make 
 the audience believe in the reality of an artificial play, and many times photoplay- 
 wrights have failed to accomplish this purpose. The screen does not afford the same 
 opportunity to the writer of covering up holes and weaknesses in a plot that the short 
 story or novel form does, and many adaptations of mystery tales from these other 
 mediums have been far from mysterious. 
 
 The basic situations of the play are "Erroneous Judgment" (XXXIII), which 
 is cleverly thrust upon the audience as well as upon the characters; "Pursuit" (V); 
 and "Enigma" (XI) ; all of which have been used frequently in much the same way 
 in mystery melodramas. In this example again it is not the novelty of the plot so 
 much as the skill of construction that makes the story effective, plausible, and enter- 
 taining. 
 
 Because of the very great technical difficulties of this kind of play, it is usually 
 unwise for the beginning photoplaywright to undertake such stories. It is far better to 
 acquire technical skill in the simpler forms of drama and then to advance to plays of 
 this more complicated kind. But it is well to make a careful study of mystery stories 
 because the very fact of their frequent failure will illustrate many principles of tech- 
 nique. 
 
 "THE TERRIBLE BANDIT." 
 
 (Two-reel Western photoplay; Universal production; featuring Jack Perrin and 
 Josephine Hill; written by Eric Howard; directed by Reeves Eason.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 In order to get money to pay for her father's medical treatment, Mary Brooks 
 dresses in khaki and holds up a motorist. Perry tVrightman, a fat and nervous broker 
 from the city, on his way to a mountain resort. Her lover. Jack Graham, the sheriff 
 of the county, rides along and observes the hold-up, but cannot see the bandit or the 
 person being robbed. He follows the bandit and soon after finds his girl with the 
 tell-tale mask and a small, unloaded pistol. Meanwhile the motorist goes on to the 
 mountain inn, reports that he has been held up by a six-foot four, two-gun Mexican 
 and gathers a posse, composed of a French chef, a British valet, and a motley crew 
 of guests. They start after the bandit, and reach the house of Mary Brooks. In 
 order to throw them off the trail Jack runs out the back way, but his horse is shot 
 
 137 
 
and he is captured. When he sees the charade?- of the posse he proves that he is the 
 sheriff and dismisses them, telling them that Perry is a bank-robber and that it's a 
 ruse on his part to capture him. Then he leads Perry, fat, nervous, and quaking, into 
 the house and shows him the unloaded pistol, the little girl bandit, and the sick man. 
 Perry, however nervous, is a good sport, and he brushes a tear from his eye, thrusts 
 the roll of bills into the girl's hand, and hurries away. 
 
 There are several companies engaged in the production of two-reel Western 
 melodramas and comedy dramas, and this story will serve as a good example of the 
 type of play required for the two-reel length. It involves Situation IX ("Daring 
 Enterprise"), XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"), and II, ("Deliverance"). Al- 
 though the fundamental plot basis is by no means novel, its later development — especi- 
 ally in the introduction of the comedic posse and the human characterization of the 
 antagonistic character — gives it a fresh note. 
 
 It should also be observed that the action is almost consecutive in point of time 
 and that it depends entirely upon the contrast between the characters. 
 
 Two-reel Western plays, like short comedies, are remunerative as sidelines in 
 photoplay writing, and the writer who knows the West and its customs should make 
 use of some of his material in this way. 
 
 "THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR." 
 
 (Produced by Pathe ; starring Yvonne Delva; from the play by Bayard Veiller; 
 scenario by Leonce Perret; directed by Leonce Perret.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 The story of the murder of two men, one, Stephen Lee, the other, Edward 
 Wales. The former, having been declared bankrupt, conceives the scheme of black- 
 mailing Helen Trent in order to reimburse himself. However, her brother, Willy 
 Crosby, and her friend, Helen O'Neil, decide to intcrvieiu him. While Willy remains 
 outside Helen is engaged in a fierce struggle to regain the incriminating letters. Wor- 
 ried over her absence, the young man enters to find the girl staring at the dead body 
 of Lee, who has a knife thrust in his back. 
 
 The scene shifts to the Crosby home, where Edward Wales has engaged a clair- 
 voyant to solve the mystery of the following day, Friday, the 13th. The lights are 
 switched off and the guests are assembled in a seance, when Wales, who has been 
 sitting in the thirteenth chair, is murdered in identically the same manner as Lee. 
 Inspector Donahue takes charge, but an examination of the guests fails to reveal the 
 weapon. By pre-arrangement with the clairvoyant, she is accused of the murder. 
 This has the result of causing Helen O'Neil, suspected of the crime, to rush to her 
 mother's protection, thus disclosing the relationship between them. 
 
 Another seance is held and the clairvoyant, through trickery, points to the real 
 murderer. And he confesses. He killed Lee for breaking up his home and stealing 
 his fortune, and Wales to prevent him from discovering the truth. 
 
 This story is an excellent example of the use of Situation XI, ("Enigma"), in 
 the photoplay. While the two murders are rather gruesome they are properly sub- 
 ordinated to the sense of mystery that envelops the action. In this case the spectator 
 is not given sufficient time to think of the murders as such, but his attention is con- 
 centrated upon the solution of the mystery. It should be observed that the author does 
 not keep a secret from the audience. Rather he presents all of the evidence in an 
 objective manner and then takes the spectator into his confidence in working out the 
 problem. A mystery story^ so constructed is much more interesting and appealing 
 than any artificial trick ending could possibly be, for the spectator's interest is carried 
 swiftly from the inceptive situation to the very climax. Situation XXXIII, ("Er- 
 roneous Judgment"), is used in the circumstantial evidence connected with the t\vo 
 murders, but it is used in an entirely different way from any we have heretofore ob- 
 
 138 
 
served. In this case the situation is not merely confined to the actors in the play, but 
 it produces a realistic and convincing effect upon the spectator. The author has used 
 the method of construction employed in a great deal of detective fiction, in which the 
 reader is definitely allied with the detective in ferreting the crime. In "Sherlock 
 Holmes," for example, the reader is always another Watson, following carefully 
 every deduction of the master sleuth. Situation III, ("Crime Pursued by Venge- 
 ance"), and especially the subdivision C, ("Professional Pursuit of Criminals"), forms 
 the basis of the plot. 
 
 This type of play is very difficult to write, and the amateur should not attempt 
 it. Even in this case, written by a master dramatist, the ending is not wholly satis- 
 factory in its relation to the mjstcry of the plot. The use of the enforced confession, 
 induced by a mediumistic seance, although logical and plausible, is not especially novel. 
 In the last analysis, it is dependent upon the chance characterization of the confessor, 
 as in most cases. If the real murderer had been as strong a character as his two crimes 
 would imply, it is unlikely that he would be so easily made to confess. In general, 
 both the enforced confession and the use of a mediumistic seance are ineffective plot 
 elements and should be avoided. This story was originally written as a stage play, 
 where the illusion of reality was much more easily created, but on the screen it failed 
 to produce the same mysterious and enigmatic effect. 
 
 "TOBY'S BOW." 
 
 (Goldwyn production; starring Tom Moore; adapted from the stage play by 
 John Taintor Foote; directed by Harry Beaumont.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Tom Blake, whose first novel has proved a big success, is reproached by his 
 friendly publisher for wasting his time in dissipation around New York. He goes 
 to South Carolina to recuperate and boards at the home of Eugenia Fairchild, who 
 lives on an impoverished estate with her old grandmother and an ancient colored 
 butler named Toby. Not wishing to pose as a celebrity, Blake goes under the name of 
 Jim Porter. To avoid offending the old grandmother s pride he agrees with the girl 
 to behave as an invited guest. Bagby, a wealthy neighbor, is a suitor for Eugenia's 
 hand, but she refuses him. Blake learns to love the girl. He finds that she has hopes 
 of a literary career and that her hopes are much greater than her ability. But with 
 the assistance of an old friend of the family, the "Judge," he persuades Eugenia to 
 collaborate ruith him in writing a novel, from the sale of ichich she can secure funds 
 to pay off a six thousand dollar note given to cover indebtedness on the property. 
 Blake really writes the book, although Eugenia believes half the work is hers. His 
 publisher, Paige, accepts the book. Later he discovers that Blake is the real author 
 and comes to the Fairchild home. Blake is compelled to acknoivledge his identity. 
 Eugenia finally forgives the deception and consents to marry him, and Toby bestows 
 upon Blake the bow he reserves for members of the family. 
 
 In this case the adaptation from the stage play falls far short of being dramatic; 
 the story is a simple, human, pleasing comedy drama of the mild kind, with scarcely 
 a situation or a complication to ripple its surface. Its chief value lies in characteriza- 
 tion, and on the stage the gentle, humorous dialogue and the pleasing characterization 
 probably helped the story to success. On the screen the lack of a strong plot is woe- 
 fully apparent. The situation of "Erroneous Judgment" appears in a very mild 
 form and on this slight basis the plot structure is erected. But the action is altogether 
 too mild, too smooth and unruffled to be effective on the screen. The charm of the 
 picture in this case depends, not upon the story, but upon the charm of the star and 
 the skillful direction, which made even slight and commonplace incidents human and 
 interesting. 
 
 The brilliant young author who helps his sweetheart to pay off a mortgage by 
 collaborating with her is a rather timeworn and frail idea on which to base a five- 
 
 139 
 
reel photoplay. Essentially the same plot has been used in much the same way in the 
 past. The story, therefore, furnishes the student with an example of a light kind of 
 comedy drama that is all too prevalent among beginners. The characterization of 
 the story is so good and the comedic incidents so plentiful that it is a pity the author 
 could not have dramatized his material and developed it in a really interesting way. 
 When a photoplaywright has characterization and a basic plot idea of this kind, he 
 should make every effort to find the situations that will lead to a really dramatic 
 climax. 
 
 "TOTON." 
 
 (Produced by Triangle; starring Olive Thomas; written by Catherine Carr, 
 directed by Frank Borzage.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 David Lane, an American, meets Yvonne, a beautiful French girl, in the Latin 
 quarter of Paris. He sees in her the Madonna-like beauty that inspires him to im- 
 plore that she pose for him, and in the days that follow they fall in love and have a 
 happy honeymoon after their hasty marriage. 
 
 When Lane is called to America by the death of his mother, his father took ad- 
 vantage of the opportunity that offered and had his lawyers secure an annulment of 
 the marriage of his son in Paris. 
 
 Yvonne dies shortly after the birth of her child, "Toton," and the little girl 
 baby is entrusted to the care of her friend Pierre, an Apache. In revenge for the 
 sorrow which Pierre believes that the American has brought wittingly to Yvonne, 
 the little motherless girl is brought up as a boy and trained to become the most skilled 
 pickpocket of the Latin quarter. 
 
 In the meantime, Toton's father has grown to middle age. He has never mar- 
 ried again, but has adopted a boy as his son. This boy, Carew, goes to Paris with 
 his father, to pursue their artistic careers, and Toton becomes Carew's guide and 
 studio boy. 
 
 When an attempt to rob their studio of valuable paintings is made by Pierre, 
 he recognizes Lane as the American he believes is responsible for the sorrowful death 
 of Yvonne. In revenge he reveals to Lane the identity of Toton, educated as a thief^ 
 and taught to hate all things American. 
 
 But the European war and the subsequent shelling of Paris brings about situa- 
 tions that convince Pierre of Lane's complete innocence in the injury brought about 
 by his apparent neglect of Yvonne. 
 
 Pierre is injured, but lives to reveal to Toton the identity of her father and to 
 see them happily united. Later, when America enters the war, Toton becomes the 
 happy wife of Carew. 
 
 This story opens with a very effective use of Situation XXVIII, ("Obstacles to 
 Love"), in the annulment of the hero's marriage by his father. The death of the 
 heroine and her appeal to the Apache lover to care for her child involve Situations 
 XXXVI, ("Loss of Loved Ones"), and I, ("Supplication"). These in turn are 
 followed by IV, ("Vengeance Taken for Kindred Upon Kindred"), combined with 
 XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"). 
 
 It will be seen that in this case, again, the story is definitely divided into two 
 unified sections, one constituting a prologue and the other developing the real story. 
 This is the only justifiable violation of the principle of unity, and it is the only 
 dramatic way of telling a story involving a long period of time. Unity of action and 
 unity of theme is preserved throughout the story, even in the face of its scattered action 
 and time lapses. 
 
 It is well to observe, further, that every character, including the Apache "villain," 
 is sympathetic. It therefore produces a greater illusion of reality than a story lacking 
 
 14« 
 
in subtle characterization. One scene in this picture will never be forgotten by those 
 who viewed it: the scene in which the thieving, wicked Apache lovingly held the baby 
 girl in his arms and wept over her. There is, in such a character, a reasonable and 
 human motive for vengeance, and the theme therefore loses the artificiality and melo- 
 drama with which it is too often associated. 
 
 Special attention should be given to the idea of the girl brought up as a boy. 
 Although we have already referred to this element as rather timeworn, in this case 
 it is used effectively because it is verj- plausible that Pierre should so rear the child, 
 and for the further reason that the audience is never led to believe that she is a boy. 
 There is none of the implausible "disguise" element in the story, and in the actual 
 production the loose, free costume of the Parisian Apache lent itself admirably to a 
 successful use of the plot idea. Similarly, the confession of Pierre is well motivated. 
 He has already learned that he was mistaken in his judgment of Lane, and it is 
 perfectly natural for him, dying, to reunite the daughter and her father in order 
 that she may live happily. 
 
 All of which goes to illustrate that treatment is of greater importance than plot 
 material. The author of this story is a skilled dramatist, but the same material, 
 treated less e.xpertly, would have been very implausible and commonplace. 
 
 "TRAILED BY THREE." 
 
 (Arthur F. Beck Serial in Fifteen Episodes; story by Charles T. Dazey; directed 
 by Perry Vekroff.) 
 
 Synopsis of First Two Episodes. 
 
 Jane Creighton is the daughter of a missionary in the South Sea Islands. She 
 offers to help Anoto, chief of a tribe whose people have been imprisoned by one Rankin, 
 who has set himself up as a ruler and shown great cruelty to the natives. Anoto 
 is in possession of priceless pearls and he goes to America with Jane to sell them and 
 buy the freedom of his people. In America the two run into a series of startling 
 adventures and find themselves pursued by Trent and his accomplices. Jane finds 
 a friend in Tom Careue. ivho does all in his poiver to help the girl. Tom goes to 
 a Chinese joint to locate the jewels, which have been stolen. He is dropped into a 
 pit but saved by Anoto. Jane has been taken to the joint by a chap who is posing 
 as Tom's friend, but he reveals himself as a villain in league with Trent. Tom and 
 Anoto hurry to the girl's rescue when they hear her cries, but Tom is about to be 
 stabbed to death by an infuriated Chinaman when the second episode ends. 
 
 A serial production of fifteen episodes (thirty thousand feet of film) naturally 
 involves a rather complicated story. One of the most difficult factors in the construc- 
 tion of such a photoplay is presented by the necessity of getting the story started in 
 the first episode. It is necessary to "plant" the seeds of all the later complications 
 in a swift and interesting episode. The simplest and perhaps the best method is to 
 present a clear and definite conflict, motivated by some strong desire (such as the 
 desire of Trent to secure the pearls in Anoto's possession), and then to carry this 
 conflict into all of its possible ramifications. 
 
 The first two episodes of "Trailed by Three" afford a good example of the quick 
 and thrilling inception 9f the plot. The conflict is presented, the factions outlined, and 
 the central characters then plunged into a surprising and adventurous series of dangers 
 and escapes. There is no special novelty in the plot material of the story, but from 
 the constructive viewpoint it is brisk, interesting and effective. 
 
 The situations that appear in the story are VI, ("Disaster"), II, ("Deliverance"), 
 XII, ("Obtaining"), and X, ("Abduction"), all of which are calculated to be 
 of melodramatic interest. 
 
 The technical skill required in the construction of a serial photoplay makes it 
 unwise for the beginning writer to undertake this form. Although high prices are 
 
 141 
 
paid for serials, the five reel feature play oAEts much better opportunities to the 
 beginner, both in mastering technique and in salability. The serials are here given 
 as examples because many students are interested in this form. 
 
 "TWO WEEKS." 
 
 (First National production; starring Constance Talmadge; adapted from the 
 play "At the Barn" by Anthony Wharton; directed by Sydney A. Franklin.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Lillums Blair, Broadway chorus girl, tolerates the advances of wealthy Reginald 
 Clonbarry because of his theatrical influence. He promises not to speak of love until 
 she has achieved success, induces a promoter to star her and her debut is the season's 
 hit. At a celebration party Clonbarry demands payment and Lillums runs away, 
 boards a passing wagon and winds up at the country home of three bachelors, two 
 elderly, one, Kenneth Maxwell, young but straight-laced. She obtains shelter, and 
 when Clonbarry arrives in pursuit, Kenneth tells him she is an old friend who is going 
 to spend two iveeks with them. Clonbarry goes. Lillums accepts the invitation, much 
 to Maxwell's horror. But she is not to be driven away, and finally her innocent 
 gaiety wins the trio and Maxwell falls in love with her. Still he mistrusts Lillums, 
 until she allows him to overhear Clonbarry proposing to her to accompany him. She 
 then tells Alaxwell some wholesome truths and all ends well. 
 
 In this story we find another clear example of the comedy drama based upon the 
 conflict of contrasted characters. The idea of a girl of the theater being placed in con- 
 flict with the three bachelors, and especially with the straight-laced young bachelor, 
 is an effective premise for the play. As soon as the well contrasted characters are 
 introduced, there is a degree of suspense in the play, and it should be noted that it 
 is suspense of character at the beginning rather than suspense of plot devices. There 
 is no more authentic basis for suspense than this. In "The Miracle Man," as soon 
 as the crook read the press item that told of the miracle-working Patriarch, without 
 any further plot development, we were on the alert and held in tense expectancy to 
 see just what would come of the conflict of these very different individuals. And 
 in this romantic comedy drama much the same expectancy is created by the contrast 
 in character. In real life it is the uncertain and often unexpected twist of character 
 that awakens our interest, rather than an unusual situation. We often hear it said, 
 for example, "I never thought she would do that!" or "How could he possibly have 
 acted so?" We are surprised by the actions of certain characters, and there is sus- 
 pense in our observation of them. If, in creating characters for a photoplay, one 
 draws persons so human that they will do unexpected yet plausible things, one has 
 gone far in the establishment of a dramatic premise. 
 
 This story opens with a comedic form of Situation VII, ("Falling Prey to Cruelty 
 or Misfortune"), with which is combined XXXIII, ("Erroneous Judgment"). Sit- 
 uations I and II, ("Supplication" and "Deliverance"), also enter into the play and 
 "Erroneous Judgment" recurs in several forms. All of these situations are natural, 
 plausible and interesting because they spring with seeming inevitability from the 
 inter-relation and the reactions of the characters one to another. 
 
 The idea of a girl of the stage winning the love of a Puritanic and ultra-respect- 
 able man, who temporarily considers her like all other women of the theatre, has 
 been used many times before, and it is made novel in this story only by the individ- 
 uality of the characters and the cleverness of the incidents. The plot itself is very 
 simple and uncomplicated and only by the skillful use of incident could it be developed 
 to the five-reel length. It might have been possible to have developed a stronger 
 and more amusing play from the same premise, and if the story had originally been 
 written for the screen it would have contained situations of greater strength. But 
 it serves to illustrate the use of character contrast in the lighter forms of the photoplay. 
 
 142 
 
"THE VENTURES OF RUTH" 
 
 (Produced by Ruth Roland Serials, Inc.; serial production in fifteen episodes of 
 two reels each; scenario by Gilson Willets; directed by Harry Haskin.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Fulfilling the promise made her dead father, Ruth Robin sets out in determined 
 fashion to accomplish the task set for her with each one of the thirteen keys, which 
 come to her most mysteriously one at a time. Her father has informed her that her 
 fortune is deeply involved with a peacock fan, which is claimed by a woman who 
 presents herself as the Countess Zitka. Ruth's father ivas gotten fast in the toils 
 of a society of arch criminals known as the "13," and it is part of Ruth's mission to 
 right some of the wrongs her father luas forced to commit. As the "13" do not know 
 she is their former member s daughter, her job is slightly easier, in so far as they have 
 sworn to have revenge on the girl if ever she should get ivithin their reach. In the 
 first three episodes Ruth performs the duties imposed upon her by the notes, which 
 are wrapped about the keys. She recovers the peacock fan, returns a valuable neck- 
 lace to the home from which it was stolen, and frees a girl whom the "13" are holding 
 for a large ransom from her father. In accomplishing her objects, Ruth encounters 
 all the dangers and hazards which go with contact ivith people whose homes are filled 
 with sliding panels and trap doors. ■ 
 
 The plot of this serial is of the extremely fantastic and improbable kind, relying 
 more upon swift and romantic action than upon logic for its effects. There is a mys- 
 tery and fascination about the premise of the plot that will appeal to all lovers of 
 thrilling adventure, and for the duration of the picture at least the effect of plausi- 
 bility can be maintained. Once the premise of the plot is granted, the events that 
 follow are fairly logical and do not depend in any great degree upon chance or coin- 
 cidence. In serials to an even greater extent than in other forms of the photoplay, 
 the author must work back to the starting point from his climaxes in order to estab- 
 lish premises that will logically lead to the thrilling situations. Amateurs who attempt 
 the serial form often fail to establish sound premises and their efforts consequently 
 fall short of conviction. 
 
 In this story the plot is founded upon a form of "Self-sacrifice," (Situations XXI 
 and XXII), in that the heroine makes a promise to her dying father which involves 
 her in many predicaments. The trick of the thirteen keys is an especially good device 
 for serial purposes, for it provides a new starting point for almost every episode. "The 
 Enigma," (XI), and "Crime Pursued by Vengeance," (III), and "Deliverance," 
 (II), also appear in the plot in various episodes. 
 
 The appeal of serials, especially of this fantastic type, rests largely upon the 
 author's ingenuity in devising a swift succession of predicaments. In a serial some- 
 thing must happen, and something exciting, in almost every foot of film. The writing 
 of serials, therefore, requires an alert and quick imagination and the ability to keep 
 one situation continually crowding out another for a place in the plot. 
 
 It will be observed that the serials we have considered follow more or less form- 
 ulated plots, with little deviation from traditional material, for only a few of the 
 situations of the thirty-six can be effectively employed in so swift a sequence. But 
 the time is coming when producers will demand more plot logic and better characteriza- 
 tion in this form of play. 
 
 "WHY CHANGE YOUR WIFE." 
 
 (Cecil B. DeMille special production ; stor>' by William C. DeMille; scenario by 
 Sada Cowan and Olga Printzlau; featuring Thomas Meighan and Gloria Swanson; 
 directed by Cecil B. DeMille.) 
 
 143 
 
Synopsis. 
 
 After ten years of married life, Beth and Robert Gordon are fast driftir.g 
 apart. Beth is too wifely and tries too hard to please her husband with the result 
 that she becomes a bore instead of a helpmate. In a huff the husband keeps an appoint- 
 ment with a young woman client of his. He is caught by Beth and the two are 
 divorced. Robert marries the client widow, but soon discovers that she is becoming 
 worse than his first wife had ever been. Beth, heartbroken, decided to change her 
 method of living and becomes extravagant. Beth and Gordon meet again and they 
 realize their mistake. She nurses him through an attack of a sickness. A divorce is 
 granted from wife number two, and Gordon and Beth begin life again. 
 
 The brief synopsis can not even suggest the subtleties of characterization, dramatic 
 technique and direction in the completed photoplay. The plot is a very simple and 
 uncomplicated one, but it was developed with a great deal of dramatic skill and 
 human interest. The continuity of the play, as those readers who have seen it will 
 remember, was unusually perfect in keeping the various factions of characters before 
 the audience and in preparing the way for dramatic crises. The use of repetition 
 was especially good in dramatic value. For example, the beginning of the breach 
 between Beth and Robert occurred as the result of Beth's interruptions of Robert 
 while he was shaving. The same scenes, virtually, were re-enacted with Sally and 
 Robert. There were at least twenty such repetitions in the play, and each one added 
 to the character development and to the cumulative dramatic effect. This device 
 serves to unify an otherwise disjointed story, in the same way as a key title. 
 
 Although there were a number of coincidences and accidents in the play, the 
 characterization was so thoroughly human that they did not strain the credulity. 
 
 The situations of real dramatic value in the story all sprang from character. 
 Situations XXIV, ("Rivalry Between Superior and Inferior"), VIII, ("Revolt"), 
 which involved all of the characters in a different way, and II, ("Deliverance"), 
 were employed in the play, the first two with noteworthy effect. 
 
 The value of a play of this kind lies almost wholly in the lifelike presentation 
 of character. It is essentially the old, old story of two women in love with one 
 man, a story that is always new if the characters are new. It therefore possesses a 
 universal appeal and a deep human interest, and it creates the illusion of reality in a 
 marked degree. But the dramatic skill and subtlety in the treatment of character 
 development and in the use of incidents is of much greater value, in such a case, 
 than the mere plot structure. 
 
 "WIVES AND OTHER WIVES." 
 
 (Produced by American; starring Mary Miles Minter; written by Stephen 
 Fox; directed by Lloyd Ingraham. ) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Mary Miles Minter plays the part of Robin Challoner, a bride of a few days. 
 Her husband enters as she is burning some love letters and becomes very jealous. 
 She leads him to believe that the letters are from a rival and he leaves her. In the 
 apartment above lives a judge and his wife. They expect a certain Mr. and Mrs. 
 Craig to call and sublease the apartment. Through error, Craig gets off the elevator 
 at the wrong floor, and wanders into the Challoner apartment. He is mistaken by 
 the young bride for a burglar. She shoots, he faints from fright. She thinks she 
 has killed him. She runs out for a doctor. Her husband returns and discovirs 
 Craig, apparently intoxicated, in his wife's room. This further kindles the flame 
 of jealousy, and Challoner decides upon a divorce. IVith a view to restoring the domes- 
 tic equilibrium, the judge invites the young bride and her husband to his country 
 home for a visit. Mrs. Craig is invited, as well as some mutual acquaintances, the 
 Doubledays. Mr. Craig gets slightly intoxicated. When he learns that his zvife 
 has gone to the country, he folloivs. Because of his condition, the butler suggests 
 
 144 
 
that "he sleep it off" before being presented to the company. In his befuddled con- 
 dition, Craig staggers into Mrs. Challoner's room and goes to bed. She enters and 
 believes her husband has made up his mind to come back. She discovers that it is 
 a stranger. She screams. At the same time Mr. Challoner, in the suite across the 
 hall, is confronted by Mrs. Craig. Both appear very embarrassed. Betueen the 
 two couples there now develops a series of situations as they try to find out just 
 where they do belong. The Doubledays plan a fake "robbery" in order to collect 
 insurance on their jeivelry. Their maid overhears their plans. She immediately 
 informs the chauffeur and the two decide to get the jnvclry and skip. The Double- 
 days make known the "robbery." 
 
 The guests are discussing the "robbery," Robin's letters are found. The judge 
 believes the letters to be a clue to the "robbery." He informs the guests that he 
 will place the letters in a table drawer and that by morning he expects to see the 
 jewelry in place of the letters or he will inform the police. Robin, not wishing her 
 letters to be exposed, endeavors to obtain them. Her husband, anxious to find out 
 who ivrote the letters, sets out upon the same mission. The Doubledays find that 
 their jewelry has actually been stolen. Meanwhile, the maid and the chauffeur 
 prepare to get away. Robin accidentally discovers them making their getatvay. She 
 turns the culprits and the jeivelry over to the judge. The maid not only admits 
 the robbery, but tells of the Doubledays' scheme. The judge requests the Doubledays 
 to leave his home immediately. Challoner then finds out it was his oivn letters that 
 caused all the trouble, and "after the heavy storm the sun shines again." 
 
 It would be difficult to find a more clever example of light, farcical comedy 
 drama than "Wives and Other Wives," which is based upon variations of Situa- 
 tions XXXII and XXXIII, ("Mistaken Jealousy" and "Erroneous Judgment"). 
 The infinite variations on old themes can not better be illustrated than by this 
 example. The story deals with the very human and plausible idea of a jealous young 
 husband and a clever wife, who hopes to arouse his interest and attention by main- 
 taining the jealousy. This same idea, in the abstract, has been employed scores of 
 times as the basis of one and two-reel comedies, but in this case it was lengthened to 
 five reels, and the farcical spirit of the story was well preserved throughout. 
 
 The plot frequently depends upon chance occurrences, but the action is restricted 
 to such close quarters — first, within the apartment building and then within the 
 country house — that the overhearings and meetings are much more plausible than 
 they otherwise could have been. It is well for the photoplaywright to observe the 
 amount of material required for a farcical comedy drama of this type. The action 
 of such productions must be swift and progressive, corresponding to the farce tempo 
 of stage plays, and for that reason more plot material of an incidental kind is required 
 than in straight drama or less farcical comedy drama. 
 
 "THE WOLF." 
 
 Produced by Vitagraph ; starring Earle Williams; from the play by Eugene Wal- 
 ter; scenario and direction by James Young.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 ' Jules Beaublien is a French-Canadian trapper, whose sole mission in the story 
 is to mete out vengeance upon the man who wronged his sister. He has been absent 
 two years and on his return tvith the girl's fiancee, Baptiste, he discovers that she is 
 only a memory. Jules wins his friend's consent to be the man who will execute the 
 vengeance, and if he fails, the mission will fall upon the latter. They venture to the^ 
 home of Andrew MacTavish, a Scotch settler, whose daughter, Hilda, is Jules' 
 beloved. 
 
 There it is that fate takes a kindly hand and introduces the American, Mac- 
 Donald. He is the guilty one, but he is wily enough to hide his secret. Houever, 
 in a moment of proud boastfulness, he admits to his companion, Huntley, that he is 
 
 145 
 
responsible for the tragedy. And the news reaches Jules. The trapper is not ready to 
 strike. He must first provide for the safety of Hilda, who has fallen into the clutches 
 of the American. Her father has never forgiven her for her resemblance to her 
 pleasure-loving mother. So Jules must convince the father that she is a dutiful 
 daughter. 
 
 The time arrives for the execution of vengeance. The crafty Frenchman lures 
 the American to the edge of a river, and in a terrific duel, he accomplishes his mis- 
 sion. Thus the shadow gives away to sunshine, for Jules finds happiness with Hilda. 
 
 This photoplay is a good example of a very strong and successful stage play that 
 failed to produce the same effect upon the screen. It is built, as stage plays of three 
 acts may well be, upon one dominant situation — III, ("Crime Pursued by Ven- 
 geance"). The entire story is motivated by Jules' desire for vengeance and upon the 
 slow but sure means he uses to take it. In the stage play, the dialogue was colorful 
 and picturesque, and the tempo of the production was admirably suited to the devel- 
 opment and maintenance of suspense. But on the screen the dramatic backbone was 
 not sufficient for a long picture. In two or three reels, the same theme might have 
 been worked out with excellent effect, but in five or six reels one tense situation is 
 lost in a sequence of draggy and nonessential action. This is true of many stage 
 plays, and again illustrates the necessity for photoplays that are created from the 
 screen standpoint. Situation XIII, ("Enmity of Kinsmen"), is slightly suggested by 
 the father's attitude towards the heroine, but this situation does not develop dra- 
 matically. 
 
 The photoplay^vright should exercise a great deal of care in building his plots, 
 to avoid such a shortage of plot material. In general, this danger is met with in 
 light comedy dramas rather than in melodramas of this type, which sometimes suffer 
 from a plethora of plot. As we have seen in Part I, the most nearly accurate 
 rule that can be laid down is the rule of three. If there are three vital, well- 
 balanced situations in a story, it is almost sure to contain five reels of dramatic action. 
 In considering the examples, however, we find that although there are three critical 
 situations in strong photoplays, there are often many others suggested or used in part. 
 
 "The Wolf" may be considered as one of the best of many pictures dealing with 
 the theme of vengeance in the locale of the Northwest and with a French-Canadian 
 hero. The picturesque quality of such a hero has been the cause of many repetitions 
 of this idea, and it should be avoided by all except those writers who know the coun- 
 try and the characters of it. Do not be led far afield in your quest for plot material ; 
 the man or woman next door is just as interesting, if you view them from an inter- 
 esting angle, as any exotic character may be. 
 
 "A WOMAN IN GRAY." 
 
 (Serico Producing Corporation; serial in Fifteen Episodes; written by C. N. 
 and A. M. Williamson; scenario by Walter R. Hall; directed by James Vincent.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Wilfred Amory buys the old Amory residence, where he was born, at a tax 
 sale. It has stood vacant since the murder of old Mrs. Haynes within its walls. 
 Through evidence given by Mary Edivards, servant, Florence Haynes, an adopted 
 daughter, tvas convicted of the crime and died in prison. Amory sends his secretary, 
 Tom Thurston, to inspect the property. Tom meets Ruth Hope, a girl dressed in 
 gray, in the old house. She tells him, laughing, that she is also inspecting, but does 
 not explain how she got in without a key. Amory and his niece arrive. The former 
 is convinced that his father left concealed treasure in the house and this belief is 
 strengthened by the discovery of a code paper in an old family Bible. Haviland- 
 Hunter, a man of mystery, also gains access to the house by a secret passage. He is 
 intent on finding the code, kidnaps Ruth and carries her off in an auto. Thurston 
 pursues and rescues her. Ruth constantly iiears a bracelet of old design, xvhich covers 
 
 146 
 
the back of her right hand. Amory, uho knows her as the author of a novel with the 
 title, "A Wotnan in Gray," suspects that she has a strong interest in the code and 
 its key, which is contained in another document. He wonders whether she is the 
 Mary Edivards on whose testimony Mrs. Hayne's daughter was convicted. Amory's 
 niece, Paula Wynne, is jealous of Ruth, ivith whom Tom has fallen in love. Havi- 
 land-Hunter and his henchmen make desperate efforts to do away with Ruth, and 
 finally succeed in obtaining the code. But they are unable to decipher it, without 
 Ruth's help. They decoy her to Hunter's den in the slums. She breaks away from 
 her captors, just as Tom arrives. Escaping through a window, she swings herself 
 across the intervening space on a clothes line. Hunter proceeds to cut the rope by 
 which she is suspended in mid-air. 
 
 In the presentation of a consistent and well-constructed plot, this serial is above 
 the average of serial productions. Its basic situations arc "The Enigma," (XI), 
 "Obtaining," (XII), and "Abduction," (X). The use of the first two of these 
 three leads to a good element of mystery in the opening episodes, and "Abduction," 
 as we have observed before, forms a very good basis for a thrilling and exciting 
 sequence of events. 
 
 The use of the mysterious code as the object of the conflict is an idea that is 
 employed rather frequently, and it is a variation of the familiar melodrama quest for 
 the "papers." In this story there is more logic in the development of the idea than 
 usually, for it is fairly plausible that a treasure might be buried in the estate and that 
 the code of plans leading to it might be somewhere concealed. Many writers of 
 serials concentrate so entirely upon developing the thrills that end each episode that 
 they fail entirely in working out a consistent and plausible plot. It is an indication 
 of the improved production conditions that the recent serials are more logical, more 
 effective, and no less dramatic and sensational, than those of the past. All branches of 
 the photoplay are advancing in quality, and the day is not far distant when the serial 
 productions will be founded upon sound, plausible, human stories of as high a qual- 
 ity as the magazine serials. Photoplayvvrights interested in the writing of serials, 
 which has always been a remunerative field, should make a very careful study of the 
 situations most often used and of the technique of mystery. There will be a very 
 strong market for really good stories of this kind in the near future, for thrilling 
 melodrama — with its direct appeal to the dramatic instincts — will always have a wide 
 audience. 
 
 "A WOMAN WHO UNDERSTOOD." 
 
 (Robertson-Cole production; starring Bessie Barriscale; written by Isabella 
 Johnson; directed by William Parke.) 
 
 Synopsis. 
 
 Madge Graham, sculptress in Greenwich Village, gives up her art career to 
 marry violinist Robert Knight. They have two children. Knight becomes gradually 
 fascinated with Mrs. Alden, wife of a wealthy man, while Madge devotes herself 
 to the children. Robert gives a recital at the Aldens' summer home. His wife dis- 
 covirs him in a compromising attitude with Mrs. Alden. A fire breaks out. Just 
 as Madge tells her husband she is willing to leave him, the alarm is raised. Robert 
 is badly burned in tearing down burning draperies. It becomes necessary to resort 
 to a skin-grafting operation to save him. Mrs. Alden refuses to aid the surgeons, 
 but Madge sacrifices her skin cheerfully. Robert and his wife are reunited. 
 
 Self-sacrifice, as exemplified by the steadfast love of a good woman for her erring 
 husband, is the theme and the basic situation of this story. So far as the plot 
 is concerned, it offers little that is new, and its dramatic effect depends wholly upon 
 two elements. First, the utterly sympathetic character of the heroine, which must 
 produce an emotional effect upon the average spectator. Second, the skillful con- 
 struction of the climax. Neither Madge's decision to leave Robert and to set hun 
 
 147 
 
free nor the fire is a dramatic plot element ; but when they are combined so that the 
 fire comes immediately after Madge's decision, a great deal of dramatic suspense is 
 created. This leads to a tense and interesting climax, and presents the characters in 
 more clearly defined predicaments. Madge has already won our sympathy, through 
 suffering; now Robert comes in for his share by reason of his physical courage and 
 his suffering. We should hate Madge if she left him to suffer alone, yet she would 
 be partially justified in doing so. What will she do? The answer to this dramatic 
 question leads on to the wholly satisfying, though in itself timeworn, climax. Blood 
 transfusion has been employed similarly very often, and the author might have found 
 an equally dramatic and less sensational bit of material for the climax. But the 
 technique of the play, while simple, is well worth study, especially as it illustrates 
 a very adroit development of suspense. 
 
 Situations XXI, already mentioned, VII, II, and XXXIV, are used in the play. 
 Although the plot is fundamentally trite in its material, it is a very helpful example 
 of how even hackneyed stories can be dramatized and made interesting by clever 
 treatment. 
 
 148 
 
PART FOUR. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 The Photoplay of the Future. 
 
 1. The way of the prophet is beset by pitfalls, but perhaps a word may be 
 allowed concerning the probable developments of the photoplay during the next few 
 years. During the relatively short period of photoplay history the new art of pre- 
 senting fiction by means of pictured action has made surprising advances. The motion 
 picture is no longer held in contempt by the "highbrows" of the literary and art 
 world, but it has in fact recruited many of its early detractors as directors and writ- 
 ers and producers. Many experiments have been tried, many failures must be 
 recorded, but in the various cycles of development there has been a continual prog- 
 ress towards a form of art that at its best is comparable to the best of the stage 
 and of printed fiction. 
 
 2. The candid and unbiased observer will admit that the screen, on the whole, 
 provides as intelligent and interesting entertainment as the stage or the popular maga- 
 zines. The necessity of making an appeal to a wide and indiscriminate audience 
 limits all of these forms of popular entertainment, and the artistic merit of the pro- 
 ductions can only be judged from the popular standpoint. The producers and exhib- 
 itors of photoplays make a very serious effort to discover what the public likes and 
 to provide such productions, and it is gratifying to know that the photoplays that 
 have been considered best by all the critics have made the deepest popular appeal, 
 such as "The Miracle Man." Too many writers in the past have endeavored to 
 write "down to their audience." But this is no longer necessary. There can be no 
 question of the public's genuine appreciation and respect for true drama, providing 
 only that it possesses the reality and the charm of life. 
 
 3. The first thing that we can say of the photoplay of the future, then, is that 
 it will be of a higher dramatic standard than in the past. There will be less arti- 
 ficiality of plot, less absurdity of theme, less of the mechanical manufacture of plots 
 for the sake of producing an unreal thrill. Instead the plays will be of the substance 
 of life, dramatically constructed of course, but founded upon real situations of real 
 significance to the average spectator. The producers are already recognizing the need 
 for plays that truly reflect and interpret life, and such photoplays are easily salable 
 if they also possess genuine dramatic value. But the writers who have written for the 
 screen in the past, the authors of stage plays and novels whose work has been adapted, 
 and the beginning photoplay wrights do not seem to recognize the same necessity. If 
 we can only impress upon students the necessity of taking the photoplay' seriously 
 as an art form, of writing real stories of real life, of dealing with themes of genuine 
 significance to the average theatre-goer, we shall have accomplished the chief purpose 
 of this book. 
 
 4. Consequently, in the future, photoplaywrights will be more concerned with 
 theme and with characterization than in the past. There will be more genuine 
 creative thought in the building of photoplays, and the photoplayv.right will work 
 more slowly and carefully, making each play the very best of which he is capable. 
 No longer is the motion picture industry a mushroom growth. It is now firmly 
 established as one of the greatest industries of the nation, and in all its branches 
 there will be a higher quality and a more serious effort than ever in the past. 
 
 151 
 
5. The greatest producing organizations have endeavored to meet the need 
 for good stories by adapting the writings of well-known authors. In the consideration 
 of the examples we have seen that the great majority of such adaptations are failures 
 on the screen. The tendency is again turning towards original screen stories, written 
 directly for the screen by authors who thoroughly understand its technique. In the 
 future many adaptations will be made, undoubtedly, but a book or a stage play will be 
 considered not because of its author's name but because of its intrinsic screen merit. 
 The novels and plays that are suitable for screen production will be used, but the vast 
 majority of photoplays will undoubtedly be original stories. The far-sighted leaders 
 of the motion picture industry are now looking to trained photoplaywrights for their 
 material, and during the next two years we shall see a large percentage of photoplays 
 from the hands of masters of screencraft, regardless of their previous fame as novelists 
 or playwrights. The future of the trained photoplaywright is assured, and may be 
 verified by a careful study of the failures of the various adaptations that have been 
 made. 
 
 6. One of the largest producing organizations recently announced that it 
 intended to pay the author on a percentage basis, as the novelists and playwrights are 
 paid, in order to assure good stories and popular successes. The photoplaywright who 
 can supply a strong and entertaining drama will receive from five to ten times as 
 much for it in the future as in the past. And the stories will be judged on their 
 merits, and not in accordance with the accidents of reputation, book publication, or 
 stage production. 
 
 7. A thorough, careful study of the photoplays of the past and their success 
 with the public, as well as the views of the best-known editors and directors in the 
 industry, lead us to believe that during the next year or two the trained photoplay- 
 wright will have a better market, larger returns and more enduring rewards than 
 ever before. To the thoughtful, creative writer who can master the new technique 
 of the screen the photoplay offers better opportunities than the stage or the magazines. 
 
 8. We would urge the student to keep closely in touch with the constant changes 
 of the industry, and to become familiar with the needs and requirements of the various 
 stars and producers. It is necessary for any writer to study his market very carefully 
 and to know what to write and where to sell it. 
 
 9. In this connection the Advisory Bureau and the Sales Department of the 
 Palmer Photoplay Corporation provide the serious student with a service that can not 
 be underestimated in value. We are in constant touch with the producers and editors 
 and are thus able to handle the work of Palmer Plan members efficiently and quickly 
 and to procure the highest market prices. 
 
 152 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 Conclusion. 
 
 1. After a careful study of the foregoing pages of this book the student will have 
 a clear knowledge of the thirty-six dramatic situations and the combinations which 
 are possible. Enough has been said in the specific treatment of each situation and 
 example to clarify many of the problems confronting the novice. The reader should 
 now possess a critical standard with which he may analyze and judge the value of all 
 photoplays and fiction he views or reads. 
 
 2. A few further suggestions in regard to the combination of situations are 
 perhaps appropriate. Very often the photoplay^vright will make an excellent begin- 
 ning — in theme, characterization, plot, or in all of these elements — and then his 
 story will lose strength and interest and fail to produce a satisfying or compelling 
 effect. Stories that begin well but rapidly lose interest, and stories that end well 
 but are begun with illogical or implausible situations, compose the bulk of rejected 
 photoplays. Both of these defects can be avoided, as well as the unfortunate selec- 
 tion of plot material, by a thorough knowledge of the contents of this work and an 
 alert, critical faculty. 
 
 3. If, for example, a writer has selected a vital and distinctive theme, has 
 created an interesting group of characters expressive of that theme's inherent con- 
 flict, and has placed his central character in one of the novel phases of Situation 
 VII, "Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune," he may be said to have made a good 
 beginning. But if, in working out a plot, he makes mechanical and artificial use of 
 hackneyed forms of Situations X or III, or any other that has been used many 
 times before, the story will quickly lapse into the commonplace. Let us suppose that 
 an author is "stumped" for a plot after having made the good beginning we have out- 
 lined. He should then lay the rough draft aside, and bearing the theme and char- 
 acters in mind, should glance through the thirty-six situations, seeking the one that 
 is the most harmonious development of the preceding action and the most expressive 
 of the theme. By using the work in this way, purely as a reference guide, the cre- 
 ative writer of alert imagination will receive many helpful suggestions. Providing 
 the theme is well chosen, the characters well drawn, the situations logical and nat- 
 ural, and the whole story constructed in a dramatic, cumulative, life-like sequence, 
 it will be a good photoplay. 
 
 4. Having made use of the book as we have indicated, the writer should then 
 take up his script and work out the complete plot outline. When it is finished — and 
 here we would again remind the student that the trained photoplaywright spends 
 more time in constructing than in actual writing — the book may again be used to 
 check up details. Compare it with the example that is most nearly like it, and 
 subject it to the most careful criticism of which you are capable. 
 
 5. After several revisions of the plot outline, each better than the preceding, 
 the best plan is to lay it aside for a while. Writers often allow themselves to believe 
 their work is verj' good when a little cool analysis after the first fine flush of crea- 
 tion has passed would illuminate many weaknesses. Nothing is to be gained from 
 rushing madly to the post office until the finished story is the very best you can write. 
 Only after you have clearly visualized and analyzed the complete plot outline should 
 
 153 
 
you commence the writing of the synopsis. The detailed synopsis, of course, should 
 be the clearest, most concise and comprehensive you can possibly write, for from it 
 the editor must grasp your whole story. 
 
 6. Then it is time enough to post the script, and if the right kind of thought 
 and care has been put into it, it will win an editor's interest and a check. 
 
 7. This book is a supplement of the Palmer Plan Handbook and shoulc be 
 studied after the student has gained a thorough knowledge of the principles of con- 
 struction from the Handbook. A thoughtful study of the two books will prepare 
 the person of creative ability for successful photoplay writing. The individual 
 service of constructive criticism rendered by the Advisory Bureau and the service of 
 the Photoplay Sales Department of the Palmer Corporation are also valuable aids 
 to the success of the photoplaywright. For the first time in the history of the fourth 
 largest industry the very basis of that industry — the creator of stories — is being 
 guided and trained by a practical plan and assisted in selling his work. 
 
 8. But the work of creation is up to you, dear reader. We shall do all in our 
 power to help you, but YOU must Study, Think, and Create! 
 
 1S4 
 
INDEX 
 
 Page 
 CHARACTERIZATION 18 
 
 CONTINUITY, writers of 
 
 Baldwin, Ruth Ann 82 
 
 Beranger, Clara 94 
 
 Beresford, Frank S 74 
 
 Bergere, Ouida 67-75-118 
 
 Bryant, Charles 135 
 
 Carr, Catharine 89-140 
 
 Clawson, Elliot J 81 
 
 Clift, Denison 72-79 
 
 Cowan, Sada 143 
 
 Cunningham, Jack 102-106 
 
 Dix, Beulah Marie 133 
 
 Eyton, Alice 108 
 
 Hall, Geo. Edvvardes 66 
 
 Hall, Walter R 146 
 
 Harris, Elmer 132 
 
 Hively, Geo 92 
 
 Hoadley, Hal 71-88 
 
 Holubar, Allen 120-127 
 
 Hubbard, Lucien 80-109 
 
 Hum, Philip J 91 
 
 Ivers, Julia C 115-117 
 
 Johnson, Adrian 79 
 
 Johnson, Isabel 98-114-147 
 
 Kavenaugh, Katharine 82 
 
 Kennedy, Clara 84 
 
 Kennedy, Edith 65 
 
 Maigne, Charles 102 
 
 Marion, Frances 123 
 
 Mathis, June 82-126 
 
 Ferret, Leonce 138 
 
 Printzlau, Olga 143 
 
 Proctor, Geo. D 77 
 
 Reed, Luther 68-84-112 
 
 Roach, J. Anthon\- 78 
 
 Schrock, Raymond 108 
 
 Smith, R. C 87 
 
 Somerville, Roy 136 
 
 Steck, H. Tipton Ill 
 
 Stuart, Kathcrine 73 
 
 155 
 
Page 
 
 Sullivan, C. Gardner 95 
 
 Unsell, Eve 121-124-131 
 
 Whipple, Clara 69 
 
 Wilson, C. J., Jr 136 
 
 Yost, Dorothy 86-132 
 
 Young, James 1 45 
 
 DIRECTORS 
 
 Apfel, Oscar 77-94-109 
 
 Badger, Clarence 103 
 
 Barker, Reginald 97-129 
 
 Beal, Frank 79-82 
 
 Beaumont, Harry 89-139 
 
 Blache, Herbert 82-135 
 
 Borzage, Frank 140 
 
 Brabin, Charles 70 
 
 Cabanne, W. Christy 71 
 
 Chautard, Emile 121 
 
 Crisp, Donald 132 
 
 De Mille, Cecil B 133-143 
 
 Dillon, Jack 126-129 
 
 Dunlap, Scott 98 
 
 Edwards, Walter 65-108 
 
 Fawcett, George 80 
 
 Fitzmaurice, Geo 67-75-118 
 
 Ford, Francis 76 
 
 Ford, Jack 76-81-1 10 
 
 Franklin, Sydney A 142 
 
 Gerrard, Douglas 88 
 
 Haskins, Harry 143 
 
 Heff ron, Thomas N 1 1 
 
 Holubar, Allen 120-127 
 
 Humphrey, William 66 
 
 Hunter, T. Hayes 78 
 
 Ince, John 84 
 
 Ingraham, Lloyd 1 12-144 
 
 Jaccard, Jacques 92 
 
 Keenan, Frank 1 32 
 
 Kirkland, David 116 
 
 Lawrence, Edmund 108 
 
 Le Saint, Edward J 72-86 
 
 Maigne, Charles 102 
 
 Maple, J. E 68 
 
 Martin, E. A 107 
 
 Mercanton, Lou 101 
 
 Mitchell, Howard 1 1^' 
 
 Moore, Eugene 136 
 
 156 
 
Page 
 
 Neil, R. William 73 
 
 Neilan, Marshall 128 
 
 Niblo, Fred 95 
 
 Noble, John W 87 
 
 Otto, Henry 93 
 
 Parke, William 147 
 
 Perret, Leonce 104-138 
 
 Plimpton, Horace G 134 
 
 Powell, Paul 123 
 
 Reicher, Frank 124 
 
 Ruggles, Wesley 122 
 
 Scardon, Paul 85 
 
 Schertzinger, Victor 121 
 
 Smith, Cliff 78-130 
 
 Storm, Jerome 125 
 
 Sturgeon, Rollin 81 
 
 Taylor, Wm. Desmond 117 
 
 Terriss, Tom 1 04 
 
 Thornby, Robert 74-99 
 
 Tucker, Geo. Loane 113 
 
 Van Dyke, W. S 96 
 
 Vekroff, Perry 141 
 
 Vidor, King 119 
 
 Vignola, Robert 115 
 
 Vincent, James 1 46 
 
 Warde, Ernest 102-106 
 
 Webb, Kenneth 131 
 
 Willat, Irvin 68 
 
 Wilson, Elsie Jane 89 
 
 Withey, Chet 136 
 
 Wood, Sam 84 
 
 Worsley, Wallace 105 
 
 Worthington, William 69-92 
 
 DRAMATIC AND UNDRAMATIC 31 
 
 DRAMATIC TRIAD, the 26 
 
 EMOTIONAL CURVE, the 25 
 
 EMOTIONS, the thirty-six 13 
 
 "GOLDEN CHANCE," plot outline of the 21 
 
 NOVELTY, of character 18 
 
 NOVELTY, of plot 28 
 
 NOVELTY, of situation 29 
 
 NOVELTY, of theme ^^ 
 
 NOVELTY, of treatment 30 
 
 NOVELTY, the test of 28, 29, 30 
 
 PHOTOPLAYS, examples of representative produced 65-148 
 
 157 
 
Page 
 
 "All of a Sudden Peggy" 65 
 
 "Atonement" 66 
 
 "The Avalanche" 67 
 
 "Before the White Man Came" 68 
 
 "Behind the Door" 68 
 
 "Bonds of Honor" 69 
 
 "Buchanan's Wife" 70 
 
 "Burnt Wings" 71 
 
 "The Call of the Soul" 72 
 
 "The Career of Katherine Bush" 73 
 
 "Carolyn of the Corners" 74 
 
 "Common Clay" 75 
 
 "The Craving" 76 
 
 "The Crook of Dreams" 77 
 
 "Cup of Fury" 78 
 
 "The Cyclone" 78 
 
 "The Danger Zone" 79 
 
 "A Day's Pleasure" 80 
 
 "Deadline at Eleven" 80 
 
 "Destiny" 81 
 
 "The Devil's Riddle" 82 
 
 "The Divorcee" 82 
 
 "Double Speed" 84 
 
 "A Favor to a Friend" 84 
 
 "Fighting Destiny" 85 
 
 "Flames of the Flesh" 86 
 
 "Footlights and Shadows" 87 
 
 "The Forged Bride" 88 
 
 "The Game Is Up" 89 
 
 "The Gay Lord Quex" 89 
 
 "The Girl Alaska" 90 
 
 "The Girl in No. 29" 91 
 
 "The Gray Horizon" 92 
 
 "The Great Air Robbery" 92 
 
 "The Great Romance" 93 
 
 "The Grouch" 94 
 
 "Happy Though Married" 95 
 
 "The Hawk's Trail" 96 
 
 "The Hell Cat" 97 
 
 "Her Bridal Nightmare" 97 
 
 "Her Elephant Man" 98 
 
 "Her Greatest Performance" 99 
 
 "Her Inspiration" 99 
 
 "Hip— Hip— Hypnotism" 100 
 
 "Infatuation" 101 
 
 15S 
 
Page 
 "The Invisible Bond" 102 
 
 "The Joyous Liar" 102 
 
 "Miio- ;^;^;^;;^;:"'!!:!;;';:;;;; 103 
 
 "Lifting Shadows" IO4 
 
 "The Lion and the Mouse" 104 
 
 "The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come" 105 
 
 "Live Sparks" 1 06 
 
 "The Lost City" 107 
 
 "The Love Auction" 108 
 
 "Luck in Pawn" 1 08 
 
 "Mandarin's Gold" 109 
 
 "A Man's Fight" HO 
 
 "Marked Men" !!..!. Ill 
 
 "Mary's Ankle" ' 112 
 
 "Marry Me" 112 
 
 "The Miracle Man" 113 
 
 "Molly and I" 114 
 
 "More Deadly Than the Male" 115 
 
 "No Babies Allowed" 116 
 
 "Nothing But the Truth" 116 
 
 "Nurse Marjorie" 117 
 
 "On With the Dance" 118 
 
 "The Other Half" 119 
 
 "Paid In Advance" 120 
 
 "His Parisian Wife" 121 
 
 "The Peace of Roaring River" 121 
 
 "Piccadilly Jim" 122 
 
 "Pollyanna" 123 
 
 "The Prodigal Wife" 124 
 
 "Red Hot Dollars" 125 
 
 "The Right of Way" 126 
 
 "The Right to Happiness" 127 
 
 "The River's End" 128 
 
 "Shadows" 129 
 
 "She Hired a Husband" 129 
 
 "The Silent Rider" 130 
 
 "Sinners" 131 
 
 "The Six Best Cellars" 132 
 
 "Smouldering Embers" 132 
 
 "The Squaw Man" 133 
 
 "The Stream of Life" 134 
 
 "Stronger Than Death" 135 
 
 "Sue of the South" 136 
 
 "The Teeth of the Tiger" 136 
 
 "The Terrible Bandit" 137 
 
 "The Thirteenth Chair" 138 
 
 159 
 
"Toby's Bow" 139 
 
 "Toton" 140 
 
 "Trailed by Three" 141 
 
 "Two Weeks" 142 
 
 "The Ventures of Ruth" 143 
 
 "Why Change Your Wife?" 143 
 
 "Wives and Other Wives" 144 
 
 "The Wolf" 145 
 
 "The Woman in Grey" 146 
 
 "The Woman Who Understood" 147 
 
 PHOTOPLAYS of the future 151 
 
 PHOTOPLAYWRIGHTS and original anth< rs 
 
 Adams, Frank R 114 
 
 Ardel, Henri 104 
 
 Atherton, Gertrude 67 
 
 Baker, Geo. D 99 
 
 Bell, Pearl Doles 98 
 
 Bennington, Marshall Bruce 79 
 
 Blair, Nan 96 
 
 Buck, Charles Neville 81 
 
 Burnham, Julia 72 
 
 Byers, Ruth 80 
 
 Carew, Ora 97 
 
 Carr, Catherine 140 
 
 Chapin, Frederic 107 
 
 Clark, C. M 130 
 
 Clift, Denison 72-79 
 
 Cohan, Geo. M 113 
 
 Corbaley, Kate 132 
 
 Cunningham, Jack 102 
 
 Curwood, James Oliver 120-128 
 
 Davis, Owen 131 
 
 Dazey, C. T 141 
 
 Delano, E. B 124 
 
 De Mille, Wm. C 143 
 
 Denny, Ernest 65 
 
 Edgington, May 108 
 
 Endicott, Ruth 74 
 
 Foote, John Taintcr 139 
 
 Ford, Francis 76 
 
 Forman, Justus Miles 70 
 
 Fox, Finis 93 
 
 Fox, John, Jr 105 
 
 Fox, Stephen 144 
 
 Geraghty, Tom J 99-1 10 
 
 KO 
 
Page 
 
 Glyn, Elinor ji 
 
 Gollomb, Joseph j ] 5 
 
 Hall, Holworthy 132 
 
 Halsey, Forrest 77-86-94 
 
 Hawks, J. G 88 
 
 Hively, Geo 92 
 
 Holubar, Allen ]27 
 
 Howard, Clifford 92 
 
 Howard, Eric I37 
 
 Hughes, Rupert 78 
 
 Isham, Frederick ] j 5 
 
 Jaccard, Jacques 92 
 
 Johnson, Gladys E 89 
 
 Johnson, Isabel I47 
 
 Josephson, Julien 125 
 
 Jordan, Elizabeth 91 
 
 Kahler, Hugh 132 
 
 King, Bradley 87 
 
 Kinkead, Cleves 75 
 
 Klein, Charles 104 
 
 Kyne, Peter 13 1 1 1 
 
 Le Blanc, Maurice 136 
 
 Levin, Edwina 82 
 
 L'Herbier, Marcel 101 
 
 Lonergan, Philip 109 
 
 Mack, Willard 97-129 
 
 MacPherson, Jeanie 21 
 
 Marigold, Col. Tod Huntc 78 
 
 Maugiiam, W. Somerset 82 
 
 Montgomery, James 116 
 
 Morris, Gouverneur 68 
 
 Morton, Michael 118 
 
 Packard, Frank L 113 
 
 Parker, Sir Gilbert 126 
 
 Pinero, Sir Arthur Wing ^ 89 
 
 Porter, Eleanor H 1 23 
 
 Reed, Luther 84 
 
 Royle, Edwin Milton 133 
 
 Sayre, Caroline 1 06 
 
 Shaw, Stanley 85 
 
 Shields, James K 134 
 
 Taylor, Marvin 108 
 
 Taylor, Rex 129 
 
 Tully, May 112 
 
 Underwood, Sophie Kerr 102 
 
 Unsell, Eve 121 
 
 Van Schaik. Geo. E 121 
 
 ISl 
 
Page 
 
 Veiller, Bayard 71-138 
 
 Vidor, King '. 119 
 
 Walter, Eugene 14-5 
 
 Wharton, Anthony 142 
 
 Whipple, Clara 69 
 
 White, M. R 136 
 
 WiUets, Gilson 143 
 
 Williams, Ben Ames 103 
 
 Williamson, C. N. and A. M 146 
 
 Wing, Wm. E 68 
 
 Wodehouse, P. G 122 
 
 Woodhouse, J. Stewart °4 
 
 Wylie, I. A. R 135 
 
 Zangwill, Israel 117 
 
 Zellner, Arthur and Lois 95 
 
 PLOT OUTLINE, the 20 
 
 PLOTS, the building of 27 
 
 PLOTS, the test of 23 
 
 PRODUCERS 
 
 American 144 
 
 Artcraft 65-67-73-84-102-108-113-115-118-121-132-133-136 
 
 Astra 75 
 
 Beck 141 
 
 Brentwood H" 
 
 Brunton 74-102-106 
 
 Burston 96 
 
 Chaplin 80 
 
 Christie 97-112-116 
 
 Eclipse 10^ 
 
 Epic 134 
 
 First National l'*^2 
 
 Fox 70-72-7S-79-82-86-98-108-1 14 
 
 Gayety 100 
 
 Goldwyn 78-89-97-103-105-121-129-139 
 
 Haworth 69 
 
 Humphrey 66 
 
 Ince 68-95-112-125 
 
 Metro 82-84-99-126-135 
 
 Neilan 128 
 
 Northwestern "° 
 
 Pathe 132-138 
 
 Realart 117-131 
 
 Robertson-Cole 92-147 
 
 Ruth Roland Serials, Inc l'^3 
 
 Screencraft 
 
 162 
 
Page 
 
 S"'™ 146 
 
 Selznick 87- P2 
 
 'Triangle 99-130-140 
 
 United j jq 
 
 United Artists 123 
 
 Universal 71-76-81-88-89-91-92-111-120-127-129-137 
 
 Vitagraph 80-85-104-145 
 
 Warner Bros 1Q7 
 
 World 77-90-94-109 
 
 RULE OF THREE 25 
 
 SITUATIONS 
 
 Abduction. . . . 44-68-79-81-85-86-92-94-96-97-113-115-124-127-130-131-141-147 
 
 Adultery 53-83-108-125 
 
 All Sacrificed for a Passion 50-67-76-99-110-132 
 
 Ambition 56-74-75-81-89-91-96-101-109-132 
 
 An Enemy Loved 56-74-92-95-105-106-122-136 
 
 Crimes of Love 54-128 
 
 Crime Pursued by Vengeance 
 
 38-68-69-76-78-79-81-86-92-94-103-122-129-135-143-146 
 
 Daring Enterprise 
 
 ..43-68-70-75-86-91-93-94-95-98-107-113-115-117-122-123-128-131-138-139 
 Deliverance 38-66- 
 
 67-68-75-81-87-92-96-97-100-101-107-113-115-120-128-133-138-141-144-148 
 
 Disaster 41-71-94-97-101-107-1 10-116-119-129-141 
 
 Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One. 54-68-70-73-74-79-83-86-123-129-133 
 
 Enigma, The 44-86-107-137438-143-147 
 
 Enmity of Kinsmen 46-66-70-124-135-146 
 
 Erroneous Judgment 59-67-71-74-75-77-78-79-81-83-84- 
 
 85-86-89-90-92-96-97-98-99- 1 00- 1 02- 1 03- 1 04- 1 07- 1 1 2- 1 1 3- 1 14- 1 1 6- 
 117-118-119-120-122-125-127-128-129-130-131-132-137-138-140-142-145 
 
 Falling Prey to Cruelty and Misfortune 42-67-75-77-78- 
 
 82-84-86-87-89-94-98-101-107-108-120-122-124-128-131-132-135-142-148 
 
 Fatal Imprudence 48-72-74-101-102-119-125 
 
 Involuntary Crimes of Love 48 
 
 Loss of Loved Ones 60-74-77-88-125-135-140 
 
 Madness 47-77 
 
 Mistaken Jealousy 58-67-82-90-94-95-112-114-115-119-121-145 
 
 Murderous Adultery 47-72 
 
 Necessity of Sacrificing a Loved One 51-1 10-134 
 
 Obstacles to Love 55-66-75-81-83- 
 
 84-88-91-94-98-102-103-105-108-109-115-118-121-123-126-130-134-140 
 
 Obtaining 45-76-81-86-107-129-132-141-147 
 
 Pursuit 40-88-94-107-137 
 
 Recovery of Lost Ones 60-74-77-88-91-133 
 
 Remorse 60-73-82-108-110-128-131-134-135-148 
 
 Revolt 42-74-85-94-118-119-135-144 
 
 163 
 
Page 
 
 Rivalry of Kinsmen 46-70 
 
 Rivalry of Superior and Inferior. . .51-68-86-89-98-105-111-119-121-133-135-144 
 
 Self-Sacrifice for an Ideal 49-106-112-127 
 
 Self-Sacriflce for Kindred 50-66-68- 
 
 71-72-75-79-82-83-86-92-99-104-1 1 1-112-1 19-125-127-134-135-143-148 
 
 Slaying of a Kinsman Unrecognized 49-127 
 
 Struggle Against a God 58-127-135 
 
 Supplication 37-66-96-97-113-120 
 
 Vengeance Taken for Kindred Upon Kindred 39-70-140 
 
 Situations, Characters Suggested by 26 
 
 Situations, The Combination of 15 
 
 Situations, The Dramatic Triad in 26 
 
 Situations, the law of the thirty-six 7 
 
 Situations, plot building and 20 
 
 Situations, the test of 32 
 
 Situations, themes suggested by 26 
 
 Situation, what is a dramatic 14 
 
 Situation, what is a photoplay 14 
 
 STARS 
 
 Allison, May 99 
 
 Barriscale, Bessie 147 
 
 Barrymore, Ethel 82 
 
 Bennett, Enid 95 
 
 Boland, Mary 124 
 
 Bosworth, Hobart 68 
 
 Brady, Alice 131 
 
 Brockwell, Gladys 72-82-86 
 
 Calvert, Catherine 73 
 
 Carey, Harry Ill 
 
 Castle, Irene 102 
 
 Clarke, Marguerite 65-108 
 
 Clayton, Ethel 115 
 
 Clifford, Ruth 89 
 
 Compson, Betty 113 
 
 Deslys, Gaby 101 
 
 Dean, Priscilla 129 
 
 Delva, Yvonne 138 
 
 Farrar, Geraldine 97-129 
 
 Farnum, Dustin 110 
 
 Ferguson, Elsie 67-121 
 
 Ford, Francis 76 
 
 Frederick, Pauline 121 
 
 Gordon, Kitty 109 
 
 Griffith, Corrine 80 
 
 Hayakawa, Sessue 92 
 
 Holmes, Taylor 116 
 
 164 
 
Page 
 Huff, Louise nn 
 
 . Joyce, Alice JO4 
 
 Kruze, Lottie gg 
 
 Keenan, Frank 132 
 
 Kerrigan, J. Warren 102-106 
 
 Locklcar, Lieut. O. M 92 
 
 Lockwood, Harold 93 
 
 Love, Bessie 74 
 
 Love, Montagu 94 
 
 Lytell, Bert 126 
 
 McLaren, Mary 88 
 
 McLean, Douglas 112 
 
 May, Doris 112 
 
 Mayo, Frank 91 
 
 Mason, Shirley 98-1 14 
 
 Meighan, Thomas 1 13-143 
 
 Minter, Mary Miles 117-144 
 
 Mix, Tom 78 
 
 Moore, Owen 122 
 
 Moore, Tom 89-139 
 
 Morey, Harry 85 
 
 Murray, Mae 118 
 
 Nazimova, Alia 135 
 
 Ovey, George 1 00 
 
 Pearson, Virginia 70-108 
 
 Phillips, Dorothy 81-120-127 
 
 Pickford, Jack 105 
 
 Pickford, Mary 123 
 
 Ray, Charles 125 
 
 Reid, Wallace 84 
 
 Roberts, Edith 136 
 
 Roland, Ruth 143 
 
 Rogers, Will 103 
 
 Stewart, Roy 130 
 
 Stone, Lewis 128 
 
 Swanson, Gloria 143 
 
 Talmadge, Constance 142 
 
 Terry, Ellen 99 
 
 Thomas, Olive 87-140 
 
 Traverse, Madlaine 79 
 
 Washburn, Bryant 132 
 
 Wehlen, Emmy 84-104 
 
 Ward, Fanny '5 
 
 Williams, Earle 145 
 
 THEME 17 
 
 TREATMENT 15-19-20-23-27-32-153 
 
 165 
 
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