Attached is a small column that credited U.S. Representative Charles Hiram Randall (1865 – 1951) of Los Angeles for having proposed legislation before Congress that sought copyright protection for the benefit of scenario writers in Hollywood:
"Congressional Randall [Prohibition Party] of California has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives for the protection of scenario authors, by providing for the issuance of a copyright on the scenario upon reciept of two typewritten copies to the proper department in Washington." A word on movie ushers and those darn flash lights...
Marie Dressler (b. Leila Marie Koerber: 1868 – 1934) left her mark on stage and screen (both varieties) and by the time she died of cancer in 1934 shed had acquired a sizable fan-base and two Academy Awards. Although the attached column is a book review covering the 1923 novel by Rupert Hughes (1872 - 1952), Within These Walls, we have posted it in this category due to the fact that in our age, more people see his movies than read his books. In fact, the bulk of the review refers to his Hollywood efforts (he had over 65 credits before retiring) rather than his novels (thirty titles):
"Few authors have been successful at the business of creating motion pictures...Rupert Hughes, however, has proved to be exceedingly able in the Hollywood studios. He not only writes his own scenarios, but he directs his pictures." |