George Bernard Shaw is forever being tempted by the emissaries of Hollywood. Here comes Mr. Jesse Lasky who offers him $75,000 for the film rights so the only Shaw novel "Cashel Byro Profession." The mere offer would be sufficiently interesting, but the shrewd Mr. Lasky has even more delightful things in store. If he succeeds in obtaining the rights he intends and most appropriately to sign Mr. Glene Tunney to play the pugilist. No one could be better fitted for the role; like Shaw's hero Tunney has gained fame as the student heavy weight. What he does to Kant Hegel and the boys is according to his press agents no less than what he did at the Sesquicentennial. Give him a book say his admirers and he asks no more.
Whether or not the amazing cinema will ever attain reality is up to Mr. Shaw and Mr. Lasky alone. Shaw is anything but a child when it comes to reckoning dollars. To be paid $75,000 for "Cashel Byron" would he admits be nice; but to get $250,000 would be over picker. A brief cable from Lasky rather spoiled that plan however and realizing that it would be curel to deprive the public of such a treat Mr. Shaw has come down to $100,000 at which sum the matter stands while the Paramount Pictures deliberate.
Shaw might be accused of being mercenary if financial terms were the only ones for which he cared. But true artist that he is he has something to say about who shall mime his characters. Tunney would do very well, but there is in addition to a hero a villain. And the villain a the author has his way and this author usually does will be acted by the unfortunate Mr. Dempesey Shaw's kownness is remarkable; but if memory serves correctly he has other motives than aesthetic ones. He had a wager up once on the Dempsey Carpentier fight. Something happened and carpenter lost. Therefore if there is to be a villain in the proposed movie and if the villain is to suffer a beating at the hands of the hero. Mr. Tunney Shaw has the right to demand retribution and to stipulate that no other than Dempsey shall be the recipient of Mr. Tunney flats Even a Shawan is human.
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