Drivel Racket

$$$ FOR PHOTOPLAY IDEAS--ORIGINAL PLOTS ARE WORTH MONEY

BIG DEMAND FOR PHOTOPLAY TALKING PICTURE & MAGAZINE STORIES

To tens of thousands of men & women on farms, in kitchens, behind bargain and lunch counters, advertisements like the above are addressed day after day in the U. S. Last month The Author & Journalist, free lance writers' tradepaper, revealed what happens when, a moron answers the advertisement.

For the test case Editor Willard E. Hawkins had his 19-year-old daughter, Stephana, concoct "the most impossible, inane and childish semblance of a story that it was possible to conceive." Miss Hawkins produced "Her Terrible Mistake, by Lottie Perkins." It told how "Mary Jane Smith ... a very pretty girl of 17 . . . fell devinely in love with a very nice fellow who was a machinic by the name of Jack Berry." A slick city stranger comes to town, is about to seduce Mary Jane when her "fionce" exposes him as "a villian in sheeps clothing ... a traveling salesman." "O Jack my Hero, I am so glad you saved me from him. . . ."

Miss Hawkins sent the story to the two most blatant advertisers, Daniel O'Malley Co. Inc. of Manhattan, and Universal Scenario Co. of Hollywood. Universal thought the tale "admirably suited to talking picture presentation," offered to print a 500-word synopsis of it in its Scenario Bulletin Review, copyright it, submit it "personally to those producers whose current production demands call for this particular type of story"--all for $10. Daniel O'Malley Co. Inc. (proprietor: Daniel S. Margalies) was equally enthusiastic, would perform approximately the same service for $21.50.*

Last fortnight The Author & Journalist followed its expose of the heartless "copyright racket" with the report of its investigation into the similar but more lucrative "vanity publishing" field.

Lottie Perkins wrote a 30,000-word novel this time, The Missing Twin. Excerpt: "Mr. and Mrs. Jones left after they had told the Jameses what a wonderful time they had. As they got into their sedan Mrs. Jones said

" 'Mr. Jones I think something has happened at home. I think we ought to have left someone to take care of our children. What will I do if someone has kidnapped them out from under my nose. How can you sit there and let them be stolen from me. O my babies. How could anyone be so crule as to steel you.'

"Mrs. Jones was crying all this time.

"Mr. Jones had the same feeling but being a he-man he wasnt going to begin to cry so he tryed to comfort his wife but he couldnt do it for the simple reason that he felt the same way himself."

Economy Publishers of Tacoma, Wash. received and read the manuscript "with ever increasing pleasure and admiration for the author. My! how your characters live and breathe and walk out into the room before one ... !" The concern agreed to publish the book for $375, returning 40% of all royalties to Lottie Perkins.

The Christopher Publishing House of Boston, "founded 1910," thought The Missing Twin "good and well worth while," offered to publish it if Miss Perkins put up $360. The company agreed to turn over 55% of the proceeds "of all copies sold."

Three other "vanity publishers," in Kansas City, Boston and Philadelphia, tried to cajole Lottie Perkins into letting them print her book--all with vague promises of social, economic and literary advantages.

On various occasions publishing humbuggery has been reported to the Post Office Department which has refused to take action on the grounds that the agencies actually did not promise to accomplish more than they did--i. e., print the absurd drivel sent them. However, reputable agents are currently trying to arouse action by the Federal Trade Commission which has broader powers. Author & Journalist pointed out the adroit wording of the publishers' provocative letters to Lottie, also called attention to the major catch in the publishers' schemes: In no case was Lottie told just how many copies of The Missing Twin were to be issued. In the cases which Author & Journalist has investigated, 100 copies were usually bound, enough for the author and his or her friends. Average profit to the unscrupulous publisher: $200 per sucker.

*A copyright costs $2. The agent copyrights his entire bulletin for the same fee.

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