"BEHIND THE SCREEN,"

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 16174, 27 December 1924, Page 15 (Supplement)

"BEHIND THE SCREEN,"

Novelists who are complaining that the plots of their stories are altered and artistically ruined by the hands of the film producer may experience a lifting of the heart at the story told by Samuel Goldwyn in "Behind the Screen " of Norma Talmadgc when Bcnavantc's " Passion Flower " was being screened.

Everybody advised Miss Talmadgc against the preservation of the drama's tragic end, arguing the picture audiences demanded a happy ending, and that otherwise thousands or dollars would be lost.

"No," she said firmly, "this is the story of the greatest living playwright, lie knew what ho wanted to say and who am I 4 o spoil a great man's story?" ,

Mr Will Rogers, the famous screen comedian, had such a difficulty >vhen playing under the direction of exacting authors that he lias now changed plans, saying: "I helped to spoil none of their stories, made some of them, and lost the friendship of every living one whose stories 1 made. I am off all living authors' works —me for tiie dead ones!"

When he was in London searching for English authors to write films for his company. Mr. Goldwyn visited Mr Shaw. He says that towards the latter part of the afternoon he noticed him look frequently a his wrist-watch. Ultimately he mentioned that he was due to deliver a lecture that evening-. " Have you decided yet what you are to speak about?" asked Mrs. Shaw, when at last her husband rose to depart.

" Not yet," he replied. " I dare say I will decide on the platform." But Mr. Shaw, although an admirer of Charles Chaplin and Mary Pickford. refused to write for the " pictures." "Oh," said he, "I should like to come, for I know I should enjoy Cali-fornia"~-sunshine and meeting Charlie Chaplin. '(The only trouble with me is that I never could write to order. I haven't been able to do it for the magazines or publishers, and I should certainly fail abjectly when it .camp i---doinK it for the screen."