ISU alumnus discusses future screenplay

The challenge facing screenwriter Christopher Kyle and author Erik Larson is integrating the two main characters of "Devil in the White City" to captivate movie audiences.

Kyle, an ISU alumnus, spoke along with Larson on Thursday as part of the University Speaker Series. The two met by chance and are now working to transform Larson's non-fiction novel into a movie.

Kyle read the book by chance as a leisure read, and said he was instantly enthralled by the two characters and how their stories wove so well together. He said he was pleasantly surprised to find the movie rights to the book were still available at the time.

The two main characters in "Devil in the White City" are Dr. H.H. Holmes, who used the Chicago World's Fair to lure victims to his hotel to become the first-known serial killer in America, and Daniel Burnham, an architect and planner of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The fair was nicknamed the "White City" for its beauty and amazing architecture, Larson said.

Larson said he first began research for the book by studying Holmes. However, he said he was instantly hooked when he began studying the World's Fair for the novel.

"How amazing and magical that thing [1893 World's Fair] was," Larson said. "Burnham just had this tremendous passion to pull off this fair against all odds. You just can't help but get caught up in that."

He described the fair as a magical collection of the brightest lights in America, such as Thomas Edison, all in one time and place. Larson said 28 million visits were recorded to the fair, at a time when the U.S. population was 65 million.

"My favorite things, I have to say, are the little things," Larson said, and went on to give examples of them.

While researching, Larson found that Walt Disney's father worked at the fair, the first Ferris wheel appeared there (with the highest point being as tall as the crown on the Statue of Liberty) and the Pledge of Allegiance was created there as well. Larson also made jokes about the belly dance being created there.

Larson said there are a number of Indiana angles in the book, including where some of Holmes' victims' bodies turned up.

"I crafted this book very carefully to give this book suspense," Larson said.

Kyle spoke about what it will take to transfer the book to the silver screen. He said it will be difficult because not many people have heard of the 1893 Chicago's World Fair, and recreating the immense fair will be incredibly expensive.

Kyle's challenge in writing the script for the movie is somehow making the two characters' lives intersect for the audience without tainting the facts too much.

"We started to wonder, what if Holmes used the fair to get recognition," Kyle said.

Kyle said that while researching serial killers he found they often want to gain recognition for the acts, but still not get caught.

Therefore, Kyle said he started wondering what Burnham would do if Holmes dumped one of the corpses on his fairgrounds.

Another challenge Kyle said he is facing is trying to portray Holmes' character because he was so extreme.

"Holmes is just not human," Kyle said. "He doesn't have a conscience."

Kyle said some names have come up as possible prospects to play Holmes in the movie. He mentioned actors Jude Law, Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp.

Larson said he doesn't want to have anything to do with the creation of the movie.

"It's not my field," he said, with a laugh.

Kyle replied, "Erik [Larson] is a screenwriter's dream actually."