"Patrick Henry" scenario by William S. Hart, 28 pages octavo, 1920. Rare.

Hart never had the opportunity to turn this scenario (short story written for adaptation on the screen) into a movie. He did expand it into a full book, as indicated in his handwriting on the cover of this publication. (He has written "The Lighter of Flames;" the book was published in 1923 by Grosset & Dunlap as "A Lighter of Flames.") Hart was unable to find a studio that wanted to produce a romanticized biography of the Revolutionary hero that didn't just focus on his notable deeds (Davis 2003:177). For that matter, after his dispute with United Artists over the distribution of "Tumbleweeds" (1925), he coudn't find a studio that wanted to do anything with him.

Hart had his scenario printed in a short run of no more than a few dozen copies by Standard Printing Co., a shop in downtown Los Angeles that printed pamphlets, local government publications (e.g., some of the L.A. Board of Water & Power Commissioners' annual reports) and novelty books (e.g., portions of Fr. Engelhardt's series on the Spanish missions).

Hart had his prospective scenarios published for the purpose of security copyright. At the time, the prevailing copyright law (Copyright Law of 1909) required the appearance of the copyright notice and distribution to the public without restrictions. It did not specify the number of copies that constituted "publication." (Subsequent law specified "one or more" copies; see H.R. Rep. No. 94-1476). In 1920, Hart would have had to deposit two copies with the copyright office.

The 1971 inventory of the contents of the Hart Mansion (page 46) lists a single copy (1) of this title. This is a second example. It is not known if others survive.