Tom Barnes's Blog: Tom's 'RocktheTower' Blog - Posts Tagged "sheldon"

This Week:
Let's Go to the Movies
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone (Spicer hearing excerpt)
Writers Notebook: The growth of Sidney Sheldon's characters.
Let's Go to the Movies
Hollywood Silents 1914-1929 Part 4
Charlie Chaplin was a British comic and grew up in the theater. He was on an American tour when Mack Sennett saw him and signed him to a contract with Keystone. Sennett saw great potential in Chaplin's comedic humor, but was stumped as to how best to transfer that humor and energy to film. Out of frustration he just said, 'Get into a comedy makeup,' possibly thinking along the lines of a circus clown. Chaplin recalled the incident and said he had no idea what kind of makeup Sennett had in mind. He went to wardrobe and it struck him that baggy pants and oversized shoes might work. Fatty Arbuckle contributed a derby hat and a pair of his own pants. Chester Conklin provided a tight fitting cut away tail coat. And to make himself appear a bit older Chaplin added the small mustache.
Once he put the full costume on and added a cane it all felt right – and at that moment the little tramp was born.
Roscoe C. 'Fatty' Arbuckle joined the theater at an early age working for the Webster-Brown Stock Company. Arbuckle was a talented actor and comedian and he could play parts and did from acrobats to circus clowns to singing waiters.
By 1913 Arbuckle had his eye on film and directed several of his own one reel comedy skits.
In 1914 Mack Sennett recognized Arbuckle's talent and signed him with Keystone.
Mary Pickford:
America's Sweethart was born in Canada and her name was Gladys Smith. Her stage mother introduced her to the theater and the talented child fell in love with the theater from the beginning. The youngester was known on stage as 'Baby Gladys,' the public adored her from the beginning of her career and almost immediately made her a star.
At the age of 15 Gladys was mature enough to travel alone to New York. Her goal was to meet the famous producer David Belasco.She was aware that her chances of meeting the great producer was a longshot, however, her talent coupled with ambition and enthusiasm made theater people take notice. She made the rounds of theatrical agents and small time producers and in a very short period time she got that appointment to meet David Belasco. In the summer of 1907 she cabled her mother in Canada 'Gladys Smith now Mary Pickford – engaged by David Belasco to appear on Broadway this fall.'
Mary Pickford was a hit in the only Broadway play she did for Belasco 'The Warrens of Virginia.'
And it was during that time in New York that she discovered the movies. Mary followed her dream, made the rounds and fortunately got a job with Biograph Films working under the direction of D.W. Griffith. During those days in New York Biograph was a factory churning out a film every week.
In 1910 Griffith moved his troupe to California to get away from the New York Winters. Mary went along with the move and once in sunny California she played every kind of role you could imagine. She also wrote a few scenarios and sold them to Griffith for twenty five dollars each.
After appearing in 80 Biograph short films Mary Pickford left the company to work for Carl Leammle's IMP Company. (Leammle later founded Universal Pictures.)
Mary didn't care for the work enviroment at IMP and returned to Biograph and D.W. Griffith.
By that time the general public knew who Mary Pickford was and her films were becoming more and more popular.
The year following Mary Pickford's return to Biograph – the company produced its best body of work.
In the early Hollywood days film companies went in and out of business so fast that you needed a score card to keep up. Production companies were spread out all over the Los Angeles area. At one time there were a dozen or more film companies located on Mission Road in east Los Angeles. Tom Mix and Bronco Billy Anderson made their westerns in an area south of Glendale. Hollywood was also attracting its share of film companies. The Lasky Company and C.B. DeMille were turning out films from that old barn at Selma and Vine, while a few blocks away at Sunset and Gower the Christi Film Company was producing films out of an old tavern. The several blocks around Sunset and Gower would later be dubbed 'Gower Gulch' and over time film companies such as Columbia, RKO and Paramount would take up residence in that community.
The production of feature films was becoming common in Hollywood, but D.W. Griffith's mind was on the spectacular. He set up his Fine Arts Studio at the intersection of Sunset and Hollywood Blvd.
Griffith bought the rights to the 'Clansman' a book written by the Reverend Thomas Dixon to use as his basic story. As he adapted the book and wrote the screenplay Griffith expanded the scope of the narrative to fit the visual image he had in mind.
(To be continued)

Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone
Spicer Hearing Excerpt:

'...in Judge Spicer’s courtroom James Kehoe, a butcher, was on the stand and the district attorney asked,' "When Tom McLowry came into your shop, was he armed?"
"There was nothing to show that he was armed, nothing in sight.”
"Did you see or hear any part of the gunfight?"
Kehoe thought for a moment. "I heard two shots in quick succession and I saw Frank McLowry running out on the street and drawing his pistol. I saw Holliday going out on the street from near Fly's building. Holliday had a shotgun or rifle in his hand, by this time the shooting was general.”
"When Tom McLowry was in your shop, do you recall how he was dressed?"
"He had on a dark blue blouse of light material, dark pants and dark vest."
“Was the blouse worn inside or outside his pants?”
“It was outside his pants,” Kehoe said.
Price then stated, "I have no further questions for this witness, Your Honor.” Then he nodded toward the defense table. "Cross-examine?"
Doc scribbled a note and showed it to T. J. Drum. It read -- What about the coat lapels? Other witnesses said he was wearing a coat.
The lawyer studied Doc’s note for a few seconds and then responded to the judge. "We have no questions just now, but would like to reserve the right to possibly recall Mr. Kehoe at a later time.”
Doc leaned toward the lawyers and in a low voice said, "Don't you think we should have questioned Frank's gun action. He jerked his pistol before the shooting started. But the court record, at least according to this last witness, shows the fight was nearly finished and he was in the middle of the street before he pulled his six-gun." Doc took a breath and then stared the lawyers down. "Shouldn't we be objecting to some of this testimony?"
T. J. Drum's face flushed. "You may be right, Doc. I promise though we'll clear it up later."
"I sure hope so," Doc said glumly.
The next witness was a tall man in his forties with dark restless eyes. “My name is Andy Mehan, I’m in the saloon business.”
Mehan brought a pistol into court at the request of the prosecution. The gun was left at his bar by Thomas McLowry on October 26th between one and two o’clock.
The district attorney wanted to prove that Tom’s only sidearm had been checked at the Grand Hotel bar. The defense believed Tom checked one six-gun for the record while he carried a second revolver hidden in his pocket.
Tom Fitch cross-examined with that theory in mind. “During the time you’ve known Tom McLowry, have you seen that pistol before he gave it to you?”
“I had not.”
Tom Fitch smiled and said, “Thank you, Mr. Mehan. I have no further questions for this witness, Your Honor.”
Judge Spicer looked more than a little weary from the grueling week in the courtroom and touched his gavel to the desk and announced, “Court is adjourned until nine o’clock Monday morning.” Then he grinned. “Let’s make that ten o’clock. Think we could all stand some rest.”
Writers Notebook:
Sidney Sheldon on his approach to the novel.
‘When I begin a book, I start out with a character. I have no plot in mind. The character begets other characters, and soon they begin to take over the novel and chart their own destinies.
A caveat: Even though it works for me, I strongly advise beginning writers not to write without an outline. Writing without some kind of blueprint can lead to too many blind alleys. (While writing Bloodline, I found that the character of old Samuel was taking over the book, and since he was not a major character, I had to throw 250 pages into the wastebasket to bring the story back into perspective.)
Note that Sheldon’s method is similar to several other writers, William Faulkner for one.
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://TheHurricaneHunter.blogspot.com