http://www.altfg.com/blog/classics/paramount-vs-theodore-dreiser/ thinking film Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:41:03 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://www.altfg.com/blog/classics/paramount-vs-theodore-dreiser/#comment-76760 Marcus Tucker Sat, 26 Aug 2006 19:47:18 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2006/08/25/paramount-vs-theodore-dreiser/#comment-76760 Hollywood was adapting books long before Dreiser ever set foot there so I really wonder what on earth her expected from them in the first place. But I can't really sympathize him because he should have known. A lot of writers still don't like Hollywood but they like the money just fine. If you can acceot the money but not the changes that's not compromising. And to be truthful the book was too long in the first place, 700 pages or more and how he expected that to fit into the format of a film back then was unrealistic. Willa Cather had issues with the adaptations of A Lost Lady too, but I can't fault the studios for the writers not getting their way, if a writer didn't want their vision altered then the definitely wouldn't sell to Hollywood at all. But look others like Lillian Hellman, she knew her stuff, as a writer and screenwriter and when a compromise would be necessary. And Lillian came out just fine, yes she did write plays but adapting a play to the screen is just as hard as a novel. The only way that Dreiser would have gotten what he wanted was is Von Stroheim and not Von Sternberg had directed, but we know how that story would have ended, bankruptcy. Hollywood was adapting books long before Dreiser ever set foot there so I really wonder what on earth her expected from them in the first place. But I can’t really sympathize him because he should have known. A lot of writers still don’t like Hollywood but they like the money just fine. If you can acceot the money but not the changes that’s not compromising. And to be truthful the book was too long in the first place, 700 pages or more and how he expected that to fit into the format of a film back then was unrealistic. Willa Cather had issues with the adaptations of A Lost Lady too, but I can’t fault the studios for the writers not getting their way, if a writer didn’t want their vision altered then the definitely wouldn’t sell to Hollywood at all. But look others like Lillian Hellman, she knew her stuff, as a writer and screenwriter and when a compromise would be necessary. And Lillian came out just fine, yes she did write plays but adapting a play to the screen is just as hard as a novel. The only way that Dreiser would have gotten what he wanted was is Von Stroheim and not Von Sternberg had directed, but we know how that story would have ended, bankruptcy.

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