In the world of screenwriting, one voice stands out among the pioneers: Anita Loos. This brilliance wasn’t merely scriptwriting—it was the art of sculpting stories on celluloid, capturing the elusive magic of cinema. Loos, associated with over 136 film projects, has left us with pearl after pearl of wisdom, like the quote, “The secret of fine cutting lies in a resolve to work with an open mind…” But what does it truly mean to let go of our “pet scenes” for the greater good of the film? As we dissect her insights, we may find ourselves questioning just how attached we get to our own ideas in the creative process. Enjoy this thought-provoking exploration of Loos’s legacy and her early take on cutting in the film industry, which seems strangely current. It’s fascinating—as we observe the unholy blend of writers and editors in 1920—how little has changed despite the evolution of cinema. Ready to delve deeper? LEARN MORE.
“The secret of fine cutting lies in a resolve to work with an open mind, to reject your pet scene if the director has evolved a better one, and always to be ready to forsake an old idea for a new and better one.”
If you are a screenwriter, you should know about Anita Loos. Loos was one of the most influential writers in the early stages of American cinema, associated with 136 film projects per IMDb.
Married to writer John Emerson, the pair wrote one of the first books on screenwriting in 1920: “How to Write Photoplays”. I have been running a weekly series based on the book. You can access those posts here.
Today: Cutting The Picture [P. 79].
Naturally you must first run all the film through your projector. Then comes the interminable task of assembling the picture, selecting the best material, and rewriting the sub-titles. The secret of fine cutting lies in a resolve to work with an open mind, to reject your pet scene if the director has evolved a better one, and always to be ready to forsake an old idea for a new and better one.
Once again, we find ourselves in a shocking reality whereby writers are involved cutting movies. In 1920, the movie industry was definitely in a pre-auteur mindset.
