Martin Eden, from Script to Screen...

I began this blog as a means to hopefully get my script, Martin Eden, a little more exposure.  Martin Eden is adapted, rather faithfully, I might add, from Jack London's 1909 novel.  The story is set in the early 1900's and is really a semi-autobiographical account of London's own life and times. My screenplay actually came together relatively quickly, within a year of it's inception.

 It had not always been my ambition to write this particular screenplay, though I'd always had a special place in my heart for this novel. My original plan had been to write a screenplay based on the life of Jack London. This notion had actually been brewing in my head, on and off, since I was in my late teens. Some thirty years hence, when I really began to get serious about the project again, I contacted the London estate to see if I needed to be granted permission to write a script based on Jack London's life.

 London packed more adventure, travel and action in his 44 short years than most people could squeeze into twice that much time, if they tried. As it turned out I was denied that permission as the surviving family of London's estate felt that there was yet to be compiled an unbiased account of the true Jack London.  A biography is currently in the works by London scholar Earl Labor. When that biography is released, I was told that the rights to base a screenplay on that material might be reconsidered. So I was a bit discouraged, but quickly shifted gears and set my sights on the next best thing...Martin Eden. London and Eden shared many of the same life experiences, including their journey from working-class laborer to famous author, and even their untimely death.  There still continues to be large speculation on whether London's death was suicide. 

London was an oyster pirate, smuggler, he road the rails, sailed around the world in a schooner he built himself. That was after he went north to the Klondike to seek gold and spent time in the south seas hunting treasure. He was also an outspoken  member of the socialist party. Nearly everybody with even the most cursory grasp of literature is aware of his authorship of scores of novels and short stories, including Call of the Wild, White Fang, The Sea Wolf and of course, the novel in which my screenplay is adapted Martin Eden.