This article was written by a Hollywood veteran concerning what was at that time recognized as a growing cottage industry in the sun-soaked entertainment capitol: needless law suits that lay claim to falsified violations of movie plagiarism.
Robert Lord (b. 1902, Best Original Screenplay Oscar in 1932) penned this two page article and outlined it all quite clearly as to how the plagiarism game was played in 1930s Hollywood:
“The plaintiff may allege truthfully enough that the motion picture resembles his story in essential plot structure. But the defendant alleges with equal truth that the plaintiff’s story resembles a thousand other stories and motion pictures in essential plot structure…The plaintiff’s lawyer, if he is at all cunning, will only allow the case to come to trial as a last resort.”
Click here to read about Marilyn Monroe and watch a terrific documentary about her life.
