Rex E. Beach — The Spoilers (1914) 🇺🇸
Rex E. Beach spent several days in Chicago last week. It was a business visit, for, first and foremost, he desired to be present at the reviewing of “The Spoilers” by the Chicago censor board, a Selig photodrama adapted from his famous story of the far North, and in the next place he had other interests to look after, as will be shown.
by James S. McQuade
Mr. Beach [Rex Beach] had already seen the films run off in New York, while being viewed by the National Board of Censors, and he had been stirred by the spontaneous outburst of applause given the pictures by the staid members. Doubtless, with anxiety for the welfare of this favorite child of his imagination in Chicago, after hearing exaggerated stories of the ruthless slaughter of films by the Chicago censor board, he hurried on here to be present at the killing, if any killing there was to be.
He found, however, that his fears were groundless and that his child of the North, as shown in Selig’s nine-part production, has an appeal that knows no north, south, east or west in this country. This appeal, based on elemental Americanism, moved the Chicago board to such a pitch of enthusiasm that if any of the members brought cutting implements with him or her, he or she forgot to use them. And so The Spoilers was passed without weakening any of the great scenes of the story, as given in Beach’s book. For this we are thankful, as we are also for the preservation of the good name of Chicago.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Beach during his visit and had a brief, informal chat with him. One cannot help comparing, almost at first sight, the fine physique of Mr. Beach with the powerful, masterful climaxes in The Spoilers. No puny, thin-blooded man — no matter what the caliber of his brain — could have given us that descriptive fight between Glenister and McNamara, or the faro bank scene in the dance hall. A man must be able to go through the mill before he can know how hard it grinds.
Naturally, our short conversation touched on moving pictures. Mr. Beach acknowledged that he had been intensely interested in the “game” for some time. He referred to his experience, about six years ago. when asked to write a one-reel scenario for a prominent New York manufacturer. He had found it difficult, and, personally, unsatisfactory, and suggested lo this manufacturer, or his representative, that works of fiction — the best efforts of prominent authors — should be put in scenario form. The objection made then was, that it would be impossible to hold together a producing company for the length of time required to complete productions on so large a scale. And there was also the question of lack of demand for such subjects at the time.
“Now the demand for such material for scenarios is so great that all fictional authors of prominence are fairly besieged for photoplay rights,” said Mr. Beach.
Mr. Beach believes that, in the near future, there will be valuable photoplay serial rights for works of fiction, with stories suitable for photodramatic purposes, just as there are now valuable serial rights for periodicals. He also believes that the photoplay serial rights will be the more valuable. He referred to the “Kathlyn” series by way of illustration. He was careful to emphasize that such serial film stories must abound in adventure, and be capable of being broken up, so that the various climaxes shall not be merely episodical, but closely connected parts as in the written serial.
Answering a question, Mr. Beach was not quite certain that a serial filmed story would be as valuable, in the way of publicity, for the sale of the story in book form as a serial story in a periodical. The test must first be made to decide the question definitely. He rather inclined to the opinion that the serial story in a periodical would lead to a larger sale of the book, for the reason that there is such a thing as over-serialization. He drew attention to the fact that the appearance of a story in serial form, in a monthly periodical of good circulation, will bring a better sale for the book than does a serial in a weekly periodical, with a circulation many thousand times larger. The filmed serial story would reach vastly more people than a serial in any publication, and would thus tend to reduce the sales of the book.
On being asked how he was pleased with the Selig production of The Spoilers. Mr. Beach stated that all his expectations had been far exceeded.
“An author may feel proud and plume himself when he has succeeded in writing a successful book, in 100,000 or 125,000 words,” said Mr. Beach; “but when he sees the pith and marrow of it — including the characters, atmosphere, and story — visualized in moving pictures, in which only 200 or 300 words are used for sub-titles, he cannot but feel the great superiority of moving pictures over the written word.”
He paid high tribute to the work of Producer Grandon [Francis J. Grandon], William Farnum, Miss Kathlyn Williams, Thomas Santschi [Tom Santschi] and other photoplayers in the production; and expressed regret that he had missed much valuable education by not being present while the production was under way. In the future, Mr. Beach intends to be right on the spot during the production of his other available works.
“I intend to do this not from any desire or intention to participate in any way as a producer,” he said. “I desire rather to be on hand to make suggestions that may tend to give stronger local color to a scene, or to bring out more strongly, at points, the personality of a character.”
This intention of Mr. Beach is a good one, for be the producer ever so capable there are times when the author is needed to give him a full view of what was in his mind’s eye at the time some scene was described.
Speaking about the comparative returns to an author from dramatic and photodramatic rights for adaptations, Mr. Beach considered them about equal. Since many dramatic adaptations prove failures, and that one only may be successful, the profits of the latter, for one or more seasons, will still be large. This one success, with respect to profits, would pretty well balance the returns from photodramatic adaptations, where each of the photodramas makes profits, large or small.
When asked if he intended having any more of his books used for scenario purposes, Mr. Beach informed me that he had just arranged with Mr. Selig [William Nicholas Selig] for the photodramatic rights of his great tropical story, “The Ne’er Do Well.” This work he considers eminently fitted for a photoplay, even better than The Spoilers. Then he has in mind five or six other stories, all suited for stirring photoplays, in the hands of expert scenario writers. It is understood that Mr. Selig has the rights to all of them for photodramatic purposes.
As we said adieu, Mr. Beach told me that in writing his future books he will make it a point to keep the camera well before his mind’s eye. He also expressed his faith in a marvelous future for pictures. Indeed, he spoke quite casually about our having our morning news read from a screen in our breakfast rooms, in the near future.
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Will Build Theater.
B. F. Liddon, Corinth, Miss., is preparing his own plans for a moving picture theater in that town. The plans call for a house with 700 seats. It will be handsomely equipped throughout, and will be one of the finest 5 cent picture houses in the South.
Collection: Moving Picture World, March 1914