Heroic Hollywood: Charlie, the Kid and the Cop
by Russ Dvonch
Charlie, the Kid and the Cop
Best Lesson Ever in Hollywood Screenwriting
If you want to write for Hollywood, study this picture.
This faded lobby card from Charles Chaplin’s The Kid is the best lesson you’ll ever have in how to write for the movies. Despite its age, it illustrates many of the essential elements you’ll need to keep in mind today as your write your Hollywood screenplay. It’s a visual reminder of the kind of movie that producers, studios and – most importantly – audiences are looking for.
And that’s no accident. This lobby card had a specific purpose: to bring people into the theater. Chaplin chose this particular image because it effectively answers the first three questions that are always on the mind of the audience when the lights go down on a Hollywood movie. (more…)






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