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Show I iW "CIVILIZATION" I CAME TO BE WRITTEN 1 B By Dculah Hvlngstono. H C. Gardner Sullivan, co-author H I with Thomas H. Itico of tho matn- H moth multiple-reel pcaco spoctacle, "Civilization," attracting capacity H audiences twlco dally at tho Crltor- H Ion theatre, Is tho author ot over H 200 produced photoplays. Mr. Sul- H llvan Is a natlvo of Stillwater, Minn. H -who gained his first expcrlenco in H tho literary field as a cub reporter H on a local paper soon after ho had E graduated from the University of H Minnesota. Later ho gained valu- H nblo experience on tho city staff of H lending papers in Minneapolis, Oma- H ha, Kansas City, Chicago, Cleveland, H Philadelphia, Washington, Now Or- H leans nnd New York. He remained H ilvo yearn In Hearst's servlco chiefly H on tho mngazino sections for which H ho wroto Sunday feature stories un- H til joining tho Now York Evening H Journal. Thrco years ngo ho resign- H ed from tho Journal to writo photo- H plays. H Mr. Sullivan had none of tho dlf- H Acuities which tradition tells us bo- H set tho young playwright. Ho sent H out his first manuscript at tho cost H only of a two-cent stain p. Two H weeks later, ho received an nccopt- H nnco blank from tho Edison Studios. H Thus encouraged, ho dovotcd his en- H tiro time to tho writing of plot H scripts for some fifteen different pro- H luclng corporations. H Ho came to tho attention of Mr. H Thomas II. Inco through a scries of H sixty stories written for tho Now B York Motion l'icturo Corporation m -which resulted In his giving up frce- H lancing to Join tho Inco staff. Of M tho first thirty-threo releases mado M by Inco for tho Triangle program, H Sullivan wrote twenty-four. H Tho inspiration for tho scenario of "Civilization." which Mr. Sulll- H van considers his best work, thus far H came to him ono sunny Easter morn- Ing a year ago. "For soveral weeks," M says Mr. Sullivan, "I was unablo to fl write a lino because ot tho tragic Tiold tho European conflict had on M -inc. I could think of nothing cIbc. H "Thinking up comedy plots or society H dramas Bcoiucd such a futllo thing fl for a man to bo doing to cam his living when half tho countries of tho fl -world were plunged In blood-red M turmoil. I honestly thought I would M never bo ablo to wrlto again. Then, M suddenly tho Idea came to mo, 'Why H jiot wrlto a motion plcturo that would teach the world the horrors of war as no amount of newspapor editorials or platform lectures could possibly do? Someone had coined tho paradox that 'We must havo war in order to havo peace,' nnd so 1 decided to show up tho horrors of war In order to impress upon tho public tho glory ot Christ's teachings teach-ings 'Pcaco on earth, good will to men.' Tho idea of putting tho Savior Sav-ior on tho screen, I know to bo a grave, dellcato matter which must bo exceedingly carefully handled as It would cither bo tho 'making or tho breaking of tho whole picture. Only a director with faith and Imagination Im-agination would havo listened to such an idea and would have seen Into the tremendous possibilities that havo since been realized. Mr. Ince, fortunately, was Just tho very man to whom I would havo submitted submit-ted such an Idea oven if I had not been on his staff. Ho waxed enthusiastic enthu-siastic at onco and It Is to his encouragement en-couragement and belief in my Ideas that I owe my sharn In the 3UCC0HB of thl3 Aim. , "it took mo Just about three hours . to writo tho original synopsis. When ! showed It to Mr. Ince, I think the whole thing totaled a little less than 160 words, and on tho strength of that one-half typewritten page, ho decided to Invest ono million dollars! "Wo then set to work together and Plugged arduously day and night for about thrco months until wo had a good running continuity. "After that Mr. Inco engaged 2G0 carpenters nnd set to work transforming transfor-ming Incevlllo, that unique nnd picturesque pic-turesque Ilttlo vlllago ot California, a few miles up tho coast from Santa San-ta Monica, Into tho Imaginary kingdom king-dom of Wredpryed In which our story is laid. "I should like to go "on tolling you how ho erected a Capitol building at tho co3t ot S80.000 only to bo shot o plccss in the plcturo, how he brought various little colonies of cowboys and Indians to Incevlllo, how ho laid a new SG000 concrete, how tho plcturo was nlmost finished whan Incevlllo was nearly destroyed destroy-ed by fire, nnd tho wholo plcturo had o bo done over again, how ho took the most remarkable submarlno pictures pic-tures that have over boon tnken, off .ho coast of San Diego, jind how, but theso things aro each" a story In thonifiolvoo that would take a week in tho tolling " speaking stage a few years ago. Ilobart Iiosworth, noted for his) work In "Tho ea Wolf" and other Important photodramntic productions is an ideal Bill Sikes. Tully Marshall, Mar-shall, ono of tho cleverest ot character char-acter actors, wonderfully portrays tho part of Fagln. Raymond Hat-ton, Hat-ton, famous for his work In crook parts, is tho Ideal Artful Dodger. Elslo Jano Wilson, who scored such a pronounced success in support of Gcraldlno Farrar In "Temptation," Is cast as Nancy Sikes, and good old Mr. Hrownlow, Oliver's bonefactor, has been placed in tho capablo hands of James Nolll. Theso principal mombors of tho organization, with Director James Young, realizing that they wcro to havo tho honor of nppearlng In the presentation of tho famous author's work, which will live na long as his written word, mado a profound study of their respective characters and their relations to each other. Libraries, both public and private wero ransacked by tho Lasky company, com-pany, which oven sent to England 'or tho first edition of tho nuthor's works Illustrated with tho original crulkshank drawings. Tho story ot Oliver Is romombored by every mnn, woman nnd child. In solcctlng tho characters for tho minor typos, Director Young has almost outdone Dickons himself In producing tho types of his pen for this production. Tho story has been given most ola-borato ola-borato attontlon to dotall and tho English atmosphcro ot that period most admirably preserved. Tho photography is of tho usual Lasky oxccllcnco. |