Dreiser's Wrath

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 106, 7 May 1931, Page 18

Dreiser's Wrath

Theodore Dreiser, the • man'- who - twice irrriacke'd Sinclair Lewis''for his caustic comments, is again in-fighting mood. -This time the tsars of Hollywood are the ob-' jccts of his, wrath,'says the "San Fran-' cisco Chronicle." Admitting that -he has ■ broken with Paramount over tho adaptation of his '"'American Tragedy" to tho talking screen,, the famous'author voiced plans for bringing '-action -.in -Federal Court to protect authors from '.."vivisection" by , film directors and producer*. He said lie would demand a Inderal injunction to restrain the film company from showing the, picture, and a general equity ruling defining the rights of authors in general, unless the pieturisulion of his novel;: is "perfectly satisfactory" to the author upon it's completion. "Aiid I think they are making a chief character that' I will, never .accept," he *aid. ■ Drei-fer' then launched into,;a..tirade against film executives and directors -in general that,'"they paid 150,000.dollars for the'-.sereen and talkie rights to my book," he "said. * ' , '. '■ , r : -, .', "When Tread the script I went into,a trance. When T came t0,.1 tried to-pro-, test. ':'I bellowed. I screamed. I wept: I went places and saw. people. I sent; telegrams and letters by the bale. "Jesse Lasky-,had-me'come, to Hollywood from New York to work/wilh Josef: yon Sternberg, the director. I came. I; saw. 'I was conquered. They laughed at.--inc. They said I was antiquated. 'They said Hollywood needed no .advice or' suggestions from moss-back authors." _ • Dreiser was quoted as saying he anticipated bringing suit against Paramount before, -but finally agreed to "let 'em go ahead'with their butchering" and view the "remains" before taking Court action.' "They tell", me 'I'll be crazy over the picture, arid I believe they're telling ..mo ■ the truth,"'lie said.' He added the ques-' tion of authors'rights "might just'as we I be settled now as later by- Court rulings. ' - - "I have .talked with; Will, Hays, repro-' senting the -film industry, and you may rest assured -.I, have conferred with- the,, best attorneys in the nation," he continued. '.;'''■' Speaking of Hollywood generally, Dreiser declared; it. is. "just a -great farce, com"They arc convinced that authors don't know -their business. Everything must be made over to. conform to the spirit of Hollywood.:. Directors are all alike, they can't. resist tearing things apart to sec what may come forth. Hollywood reminds me of children. The film people chatter nboufc everything but the-essentials, there is nothing creative here. It takes double doors, platoons of minor executives, and a half-dozen boys to 'tell you that 'Mr. so and so will soon answer the tele-, phone." "Meet the: Wife." Laura la Plante, well-known screen star, has been selected' to depict the leading feminine role in Columbia's comedy, Meet. the Wife"' This is being produced by Christie,- and supervised by Al Christie, and is an-adaptation of Lynn Starlings stage success of the same name. A. Leslie Pearce will direct. This marks Miss: La . Plante's return to the Christie lot after an absence o£ more than seven years. She makes her screen debut in a series of Christie two-reel comedies: ■ -'Following,this she appeared iii .comedies . opposite "Reginald Denny. "Subway Express," Robert Linden and Maston Williams, both former, stage 'players, ■ ■;' have been • added to tbe'cast of' Columbia's "Subway Express." Linden,- formerly a well-known juvenile in stopk,, -the legitimate - stage, and silent pictures, • makes his talking screen debut -in this '■ film. ' Williams . 'is ; famous in stage annals for his characterisations in "The, Little "Rebel";and ■■ "Ben Hur." ' Among the' screen presentations of recent date, in which Mr. Williams has , appeared, are "General, Crack,"- "Bride of the Regiment," "Moby Dick," "Dishonoured," "The Squealer," and "Morocco." . ,

Short -Titles.; ' ', Brevity, reputed the-""soul. of wit," isi likewise the.soul o£a good motion pic-, ture title, according to Jesse, L. Lasky,; 3 first, vice-presidentlin charge.'of; produc- ; tion ■ for''Paramount- Pictures. Producers, 3 . Lasky points out, are. always engaged in/ ~lhe': difficult, task ;of, .finding' the shortest '.possible title which [also.: lias-interest;- up-. " peal,' and is; in the spirit'of. the picture. To •'illustrate the search for. brevity.'in l -titles, a survey -has- just been-completed , of- a-list of 558 .pictures 'released during the last year. The figures "show that sixty- . six,of the, titles were of one word. The - .two-worded titles, which include the'use" '. of; "the" ;as 'in , the case; of - "The. Vir- " giiiian,"'- were- •• represented--.-by- 210, pic-'' 1 ttu-es. There wore'lS7 containing three , words, only seventy-eight were oE .'four: [ words, while a minor portion comprising , .seventeen embraced .five or more, words. 3 LasUy mentions as examples of good one- > word titles such names as "Morocco," "Sweetie," "Laughter," ' "Jealousy," f "Thunderbolt," ■ "Dishonoured," "Man- »■ slaughter," "Honey," "Derelict," "Wings," i and "Kango/'>Tlie latter title is thatoE I (he Ernest Scli'ocdsack Sumatra jungle ■■'' picture, aiid the. one-word' title is iv keep- ' ing with.the policy, this director estabj . .lished in titles-, for "Gvass" and. "Chang" t,-. with which'-productions he was-associ- ... ated.; ":':'",,.'l . '" ... ''""■' • "Jolly Piece." '.'. • >../ '- r , This is1 what the : ".Sunday ' Times," -.-• London, says "about "Almost," a Honey-. f nioon": • "British■ '"International have [■■ striicji a winner in 'Almost 11, Jloiieytindon:' Thissis'-.a jolly piece.-well direct- ; r cd by Monty; Banks, 'and. brilliantly acted ' - by Donald; Calthorp,'. Clifford . iMoMson,.Doda Watts, and a. company-oE well-known - British artists. Mr.'Cnlthrop's'facial play - as a discreet and, invaluable-.butler, would 1 make the fortune of. any film, whilst, Mr. : Mollison's lively, and cheery method lifted the comedy into the realm 'of sheer, . : gaiety."' ..•,'■: .'.'.''■', •', •.'■'"'.'.. ».''■.' ': "East'Lynne." • ' » , '' ' Originally'conceived and-written as a- . magazine', story, "East -Lyiwe" .quickly, found ■ publication in-book form. From '' thericd its''success sbon.led.'ifc to'the-boards " of the: stage-, where for- upwards of sixty . 1 years it.thrilled audiences in gi-eat cities and "little towns, witlvj star players and slock ■ troupes,' from London to Sydney. '..'When'-.the-movies 'began .to attract, their' thousands, > a.. number .of silent .versions ■ were - made. . An'd'.iiqw:stage: and screen combine-to-present-Frank Lloyd's Fox production of "East Lynne" with Ami Harding, Clive Bi-ook, Conrad Nagel, Beryl Mercer, and Cecilia Lof his. ' British Sound News. .Commencing early in May, Paramount will introduce a new- departure in news reels known as ' the Paramount British Sound News." The . new gazette, -which .was given its initial release at the Carlton . Theatre, London, on 2nd March, is composed mainly of items filmed in. the British Isles and Europe, and of ■ particu-. ,-lar!interest tolthe people of the Empire. ; Each issue; is*'enhanced-by material of ■. international significance from the United • States and other parts of the globe.' Paramount has recently constructed a special 1 studio at Elstieo;. arid" considerably increased its production staff in Great , .Britain to handle ihe filming, editing, and i! distribution of this innovation. Tho New Zealand . copies of - the Paramount ;- British Sound News will be skipped week- ., ly from-the. English! studios. :. Disastor. '• In-the-first-class-dining saloon of a big homeward .'.'bbiind liner , in, 19.1.2 a danco ■ was in progress; laughter and chatter coiri■■'peling- noisily - with "Alexander's Rag- ' time Band:" 'Suddenly the liner came into •'. a head-on. collision with , another, vessel. . Fragments of ceiling rained, down .on the ; dancers and-, tile crash of flying cutlery and i crockery,'swept'from the tables, mingled • with the'shrieks of terrified women passengers. -'■ "Fine!" shouted,Millard Webb, 1 tlie -director,-for- this maritime drama of 1. pre-war days was taking place at the Gau- ' monfc Shepherd's Bush Studios, and - the scene, was-being made J for "The Happy I Ending/ avhich stars Anne ;Grey - and George ;\Barraud.' .

"I' Surrender"' Warner;Baxter. j will-play the leading . role in'"Ti Surrender," the Fox Film adaptation of Pierreiß,ehoit's no\"el, - "Axelle," described«by- its^publishers'ias "the great-est-love- story* of' tho-.World. -War." ; It deals with .the-romance of aFreneh prisoner in a German;catap. with-a-daughter: of German aristocracy. '.-• William K. Howard will direct.;.the'screen, -story written :by Hugh Stan'ge,'. Broadway; dramatist.