Broadway, Hollywood and Tombstone

This Week
Let's Go to the Movies
Spicer Hearing witness H.F. Sills
Writers Notebook:

American Theater Broadway to Hollywood
The legendary theatrical producer David Belasco coined the term playwright. When asked why playwright and not dramatist, Belasco said, 'Simply because it's the proper term, 'Playwright's a workman.. We say wheelwright, shipwright – why not playwright? A wright takes the materials he finds and builds them into coherent shape.' ...'The materials the playwright works with are human thoughts, passions and deeds. These are the bricks he works with, the rock he must build upon is human nature.'
Scores of theater people that worked with Belasco later transitioned into film. Among that talent was Lionel Barrymore, Jane Cowl, Judith Anderson, Mary Pickford, David Warfield and perhaps the most famous was C.B. DeMille.

Mary Pickford rose to stardom under the guidance of David Belasco and later became one of our most popular film stars. And as most performers do Mary ran into a rough patch while at Paramount. Adolph Zukor chose a couple of films for his star that were rejected by the public. They didn't approve of the East Indian girl she played in 'Less than the Dust' or her Scottish lass in 'The Pride of the Clan.' Both films were well made, but Mary's fans didn't accept her playing the parts that were written for her. They wanted her to be the American Girl they'd grown to love.
The studio quickly recognized their error, and found a play that fit Mary's style called 'The Poor Little Rich Girl.'
Mary asked them to hire her friend Frances Marion to write the screenplay, which they did. The film was made at the Ft. Lee Studio in New Jersey and
Maurice Tourneur directed the picture. During the filming of the movie Mary and Frances came up with some pretty wild comedy scenes that were neither in the original play or the scrip Frances had written. However the new material seemed to fit at the time and the director reluctantly went along with their ideas.
But once the film was cut, edited and played -- the studio personal thought it was awful. Putrid was the actual word bantered about, and they were on the verge of pulling the film for fear that if shown it would hurt Mary's career.
They sent it back to the cutting room and sharpened the comedy by eliminating a few scenes. And eventually they decided to release it but they were afraid if they let the press preview the film they'd shower it with unfavorable reviews and end the run before it had a chance for the public to weigh in.
They opened the film with no publicity at the Strand on Broadway. Mary wanted to see the audience reaction, good or bad and cajoled Frances Marion into going along with her to the opening.
Mary put on dark glasses, a wide brimmed hat and the two of them stole their way down Broadway to the theater and climbed to the top row of the gallery where they could not be recognized.
Marion said they were gripped by nausea and at Mary's first entrance on the screen she sank deeper into her seat and gave a weak moan.
'It wasn't long before we awakened to the fact that everyone was laughing at incidents which we had come to believe were pointless. As the picture progressed, the theater seemed to rock with laughter. Applause sounded like thunder at the conclusion of some of the scenes, and if lightening had zigzagged from the ceiling we would not have been more startled. Our hearts stood still. So did the audience through the sad scenes of the picture, silence finally broken by soft handkerchiefs and noses being blown.'
'Frances, it's a hit!' Mary gasped.
'Throwing discretion to the wind she pulled off her glasses and wept. At that moment an usher spotted her and a few minutes later the audience discovered that America's Sweetheart was among them.'
(To be continued)

'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone'
Excerpt from Spicer hearing – Witness H.F. Sills continues.
District Attorney Price questioned the witness. "When did you arrive in Tombstone?"
"I came here on the 25th of last month.”
"What kind of transportation did you use to get to Tombstone?"
"I came here on the Wells Fargo's express wagon with the driver and one other passenger."
"How can you be sure you arrived in Tombstone on the 25th of October last?"
"I am as positive I came here on the 25th of October on that wagon as I am of anything."
"Did you come directly from Tucson to Tombstone?"
"I stayed in Benson only about a half hour."
Price played with his yellow pencil and paced back and forth. Then he turned to the witness and asked sharply, "Now, Mr. Sills, on the day of the difficulty, how many parties were standing near the OK Corral that you speak of?"
"There were four or five men standing together."
"Where did you next see the same parties?"
"I saw them on Fremont Street between Third and Fourth Street, near the corner of Third, standing in a vacant lot."
"How many men were there at that time?”
"There were five men in the party when I saw them on Fremont Street."
"Where was the Earp party at that time?"
"I saw the Earp's and Doc Holliday when they went down to Fremont Street. I was right behind them. I went behind them as far as the post office; I then crossed the street in front of the courthouse. That is as near as I was to the scene of the difficulty.”
"Where were you located during the shooting?"
"I was standing close to this building and then stepped back into the hall when the shooting became general.”
"Where did the Earp's and Holliday come from, as they walked toward the Clanton’s and McLowry’s?"
"The Earp's and Holliday started from the corner of Fourth and Allen Street."
"Did you see a shotgun among any of the Earp party?"
"I saw the marshal pick up a shotgun when they started from along side the building and hand it to Doc Holliday. Doc Holliday put it under his coat and handed the marshal his cane."
An exasperated district attorney paced back and forth collecting his thoughts. "During the time you were working in the machine shop and running on the U.P. and A.T. & S.F. roads, had you a nickname, and if so, what was it?"
A wide grin played over Sill's face as he rubbed his bald head and chuckled. "Yes, it was Curly, and some folks still call me that."
"Where do you lay off at and what place do you stop in New Mexico?"
"I lay off at Las Vegas and stop at my own house."
"I have no further questions for this witness, You Honor," Price said as he turned and walked dejectedly to his seat.
Spicer looked to the defense bench and T.J. Drum said, "We have no further questions, Your Honor."
Judge Spicer excused Mr. Sills and then with a broad gesture said, "Next witness."
(To be continued)

Writers Notebook:
Author of such novels as Stardust, Back Street, Humoresque and Young at Heart Fannie Hurst said she wrote six hours every day and rarely accomplished anything until the last hour or so of her work day. It took her six to eight weeks to complete a story and one and a half to two years to finish a novel. She always had a character before she had a plot, and she let the character determine the plot.
Ms. Hurst's system was very similar to William Faulkner's. He said about his novels, 'It begins with a character and once he stands on his feet and begins to move all I do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.'
There is nothing mysterious about that. It's simply your sixth sense/subconscious mind putting it all together and tossing it up to your conscious. That way the creative side of your brain gets actively involved in the process.

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 Tungee's Gold, 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.
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