I still think John’s was the better story but was not it self published. Would it be interesting if somebody got inspired to make a PBS special of it Sent from my iPhone > On Sep 13, 2018, at 8:59 AM, Alan Kitty <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > I know of no instances in history where Scholarship or Greed were choices fo= > r filmmakers. The choices are always =E2=80=9Cartistic value=E2=80=9D vs. fi= > nancial gain. No one would understand this better than SLC himself.=20 > > An unbridled curiosity and uncanny awareness guided his steps, and brillianc= > e certainly helped him arrive at his destination, but it was need that drove= > Twain to write commercially. Fortunately for all of us, his natural talents= > and personality merged with his need for commercial success.=20 > > Scholarship exists to discover, interpret and teach or inform. Commercial f= > ilm making exists to entertain. When I read about the Stead-Bird controversy= > , I immediately thought =E2=80=9Ccommercially-minded=E2=80=9D author vs. edu= > cation-minded author.=E2=80=9D You turn a scholarly discovery into gold only= > if you understand or can create its market value and know who to work with t= > o get the ore out of the ground.=20 > > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Sep 13, 2018, at 10:01 AM, Barbara Schmidt <[log in to unmask]> wrote= > : >> =20 >> Unfortunately, the movie option for this story is not for John Bird's >> version. But for the adaptation of the story made by Philip and Erin >> Stead. Kevin Mac Donnell reviewed that version on the Forum in August >> 2017. That review is online at: >> =20 >> http://www.twainweb.net/reviews/Oleomargarine.html >> =20 >> There is yet unexplored potential for study regarding Twain's intent when >> he penned this unfinished fairy tale. I have yet to see a scholarly >> interpretation that really delves into the historical controversies at tha= > t >> time surrounding the invention of oleomargarine versus real butter. Sort >> of like Prince (butter) and the Pauper (oleomargarine). What happened to >> John Bird and his work surrounding this manuscript is an example of concer= > n >> for $$ (greed) taking precedent over scholarship. >> =20 >> Barb