Salt Lake Telegram | 1924-02-04 | Page 8 | New Wool or Shoddy?

NEW WOOL OR SHODDY Authors who complain that their stories stories when hen made Into scenarios are so warped and twisted that they do not recognize them will find comfort In an pinion handed down b by br the app appellate division of he New York supreme court gourt The learned Justices held that when an author sells a story to a picture produce product t he does not thereby convey the privilege of changing the theme and making malting over the story until it is entirely different while still attaching the theauthor's theauthor's authors author's name to it Patrons who have enjoyed a work of fiction and because of this enjoyment have gone to see the picture version only to come away i disappointed ought to get some comfort from this j But the real trouble Is more fundamental mental it involves involves in involves in- in the whole problem of changing a work o of art from one medium of expression to another Fiction is written or should be written to be re read d and not with one eye on tho the movies or the stage x If It after the author has put his soul into expressing hs hIs thought in one medium the structure he ho has created ere cre also falls naturally Into another medium welland well welland welland and good If It does not and he is willing to sell tho the product of his mind for a mess of f royalties he has himself to blame The public however has a areal areal areal real grievance The motion picture producers on their part ought not to undertake the tho filming of fiction that has to tobe tobe tobe be warped twisted and changed out of all recognition tion They believe they have a great future in their means of expression and the public believes they h i But Bait they also have a responsibility They wIT attain greatness not by borrowing second-hand second material not by giving shoddy Instead of ot new wool but b by presenting material materia created primarily for their own medium of expression Mil Milwaukee waukee Journal