Devon (England) -- Social life and customs; Wreyland (England)
After that was published I went on writing things down in the same way
as before. A second volume was published in 1921. This third (and final)
volume has been written in 1922 and 1923.
CECIL TORR.
YONDER WREYLAND,
LUSTLEIGH,
DEVON.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
LAYING NEW THATCH (YONDER WREYLAND) _Frontispiece_
THE HALL HOUSE _To face p._ 32
THE AUTHOR’S DESK ” 64
VIEW ACROSS WREY VALLEY ” 96
SMALL TALK AT WREYLAND
III
This slumberous place has had another rude awakening. Five years ago an
aeroplane passed over us--the only one that has been seen from here. And
now, recently, a cow-boy on a buck-jumper came galloping down the lane
here, firing off his pistols in the air. It was for a film; and the
rider (as I learned afterwards) was The Thrill-a-Minute Stunt King
himself.
The theme was of a cow-boy, born in England, revisiting his early home.
Considering the Atlantic, I am not sure he would have come home on a
buck-jumper with all his toggery on; but a producer knows exactly what
audiences want. A film (I learned) requires ‘love interest’: so a pair
of Stars made love outside the Hall House door. And an old inhabitant
who came along, was so shamed at their brazenness that he could only
gasp out, “Well, Now, There.”
There is a Wreyland theme that would have made as good a film. It is a
story of John Dynham, who was lord of the manor here from 1381 to 1428;
and, though it cannot be entirely true, it embodies some undoubted
facts. Briefly, the Bishop of Exeter admonished him, for the avoidance
of scandal, to cease from visiting the lady Isotta, even in the daytime;
and as this had no effect, he excommunicated him. Dynham appealed to the
Archbishop, which took up a year, and then he appealed to the Pope,
which took up two years more: by which time he had voluntarily ceased
from visiting the lady Isotta and was visiting the lady Muriel.
Films are dreary things when seen upon a screen; but the making of a
film is as good as a play. You hear the heroine told to put more passion
into it and look really moved, and then you see her putting in passion
and looking really moved. And the villain who kidnaps her, is told to
spring out like a tiger and put a sack over her head; and he springs out
as like a tiger as he can, and there is no need for telling her to
struggle and scream: she does that automatically when the sack drags
down her hair. Theatrical rehearsals may be just as funny; but I do not
see rehearsals on the stage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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