CHAPTER II
A SPECIMEN PHOTOPLAY
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TYPOGRAPHY; “THE SALT OF VENGEANCE,”--A SHORT PLAY DRAMA.
Typographical display in preparing manuscript will effect its immediate understandability. A careless and unintelligent display will require extra time and patience on the part of the reader to fathom its full significance. A careful and intelligent arrangement will enable the reader to grasp the full meaning of every detail on sight. The special features of the arrangement and display of type adhered to in the following play are: (1) Single-spacing body of Synopsis; (2) Underlining setting, or location, above the text of scene action; (3) Indenting scene text, single-spacing it and making it stand out as by putting double space before and after it; (4) All Captions and dialog typed in capital letters; (5) Using the red ribbon for all matter that is to appear intact on the screen; (6) Numbering Scenes and Captions in Arabic numerals and Inserts in Roman; (7) Indenting Close-Views double the distance of Scene indentation; (8) In case of more than one reel, numbering the scenes consecutively (1 to 100, etc.) but, after the first reel, putting in parenthesis the number of scenes it represents in current reel, as: Scene 48 (13), always referring back to the serial number on its reappearance. (The foregoing remarks are necessary since print-type gives only the effect without following the rules identically.)
HENRY ALBERT PHILLIPS, New York City .... N. Y.
_THE SALT OF VENGEANCE._
A Short Play (One Reel) Drama In 23 Interior and 17 Exterior Scenes. By Henry Albert Phillips.
_Synopsis_:
The matter of a rotten bridge is brought to the attention of Donnelly, a penurious railroad president, by Dalton, a conscientious consulting engineer. Donnelly refuses to listen or heed the report. Dalton pleads, insists and finally is discharged.
Dalton does not tell his wife of his misfortune. Failing to get work after two months he is on the verge of a breakdown. His wife has learned the truth and sets out at once with their little boy, Arthur, to her father’s for aid. On the way home Dalton reads of the terrible train wreck at the very point he had condemned. Hardly able to think, he hurries home, finding a note from his wife saying that she and the child have taken--the train that was wrecked! More than half-crazed, Dalton hurries to the scene of the wreck.
Mrs. Donnelly, the sweet wife of the president, has learned of the wreck and hurries to the scene to offer aid. With her is her own lovable child, Florence. It is her car that carries the terribly maimed little Arthur to the hospital. The child’s leg is amputated.
Mrs. Donnelly has kept her identity secret, but continues to bestow every blessing in her power upon the stricken family. Dalton has gone completely mad. There seems but one influence under heaven that makes Arthur want to live, and brings intelligence and peace to Dalton--that is Florence. They worship the wonderful little girl.
Dalton’s insanity takes the form of a blind obsession. He seeks vengeance on Donnelly. He learns that Donnelly has an only child. He immediately sets to work and makes a terrible bomb. He then plans to telegraph for Mrs. Donnelly and her daughter and have the train wrecked and the child blown to atoms on the spot where his child was maimed.
Mrs. Donnelly and Florence are with Arthur when the telegram is brought by a servant, they just catch the fatal train. Meanwhile, Dalton has forcibly entered Donnelly’s office, tells him at the point of a gun what will happen in less than an hour and waits. In that hour Donnelly passes thru hell. When there is but twenty minutes left, Dalton espies the picture of Florence, realizes that she is the victim, his mind clears and the men hurry away on the almost hopeless task of rescue.
It is Dalton who arrives alone, half dead, just as the train looms up. They ignore his white signal and he heroically cuts his wrist and saturates the handkerchief with blood that warns the engineer of danger the last instant.
Dalton recovers; the men are reconciled; Dalton gets back his position; Donnelly mends his ways.
(NOTE: _Use another sheet of paper_.)
HENRY ALBERT PHILLIPS, New York City .... N. Y.
_THE SALT OF VENGEANCE._
_Author’s Remarks_:
In the explosion scene, the supposed bridge that is blown up could be a set erected to look like portion of bridge showing thru trees. The question of color of the blood is solved by the Caption.
_Scene Plot_:
INTERIORS
Donnelly’s Office, 2, 4, 25, 27, 29, 31. Ante-room, 3, 8, 10, 20, 24. Dalton living-room, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 21, 28, 40. Hospital, 19. Telegraph office, 23. Passenger coach, 35. Engine cab, 38.
EXTERIORS
Beneath bridge, 1, 22. Veranda, 6, 26. City street, 12. Field hospital, 15, 17. Open field, 14, 16. Near automobile, 18. Railway station, 30. Stretch of railroad, 32, 34, 39. Another stretch, 33, 37. On railway trestle, 36.
_Cast_:
CHARLES DALTON--Arthur’s father; consulting engineer; serious, nervous.
JOHN DONNELLY--Florence’s father; railroad president; brutal.
FLORENCE DONNELLY--(Ingenue) Sweet child with wonderful influence.
ARTHUR DALTON--(Juvenile) Injured in accident.
MRS. DALTON--Anxious type.
MRS. DONNELLY--Kindly.
Telegraph Clerk, Newsboy, Stenographer, Employe, two laborers, Engineer, Fireman, Guards, Doctors, Nurse.
(NOTE: _Use another sheet of paper._)
HENRY ALBERT PHILLIPS, New York City .... N. Y.
_THE SALT OF VENGEANCE._
_Scenario_: