Helping Hollywood Avoid Duds

Why do Hollywood producers often blow it when going from

    book to movie ?   Imagine  losing millions of dollars  AND insulting

    quality  literature ? The latest example of this is " The Ransom of

    Redchief ", an O'Henry short story. I will not see the movie simply

    because ALL the critics I read  panned it. Often when it comes to

    entertainment " independent "  judgment is a waste of time and

    money.

          I concluded a long time ago that the average competent high school

    English teacher - hired  temporarily as an advisor - could protect

    film makers doing a familiar literary work from costly fiascos.

               But unfortunately big   shots of entertainment industry -

    like the big shots of politics -surround themselves with craven flunkies

    who dare not question the GENIUS in  charge.

                 POWER everywhere needs to plug into the COMMON SENSE of

    the more ordinary talented people . A little Democracy- outside the

    voting booth - can work wonders !

                 As for filmed books, I would like to see a competent

    Hollywood  version  of Theodore Dresser 's   " An American Tragedy  ".


               Of   the  O'Henry stories " The Cop and the Anthem " might

    have been a better choice to film . It is about a hapless derelict named

    Soapy who tries to get arrested in a big city - merely to be warm

    and cared for during the long cold winter .



              Is   Soapy  still out there in the cold ?