In April of 1924, Makino, after reading "Shinju Kirarazaka," a novel written by a then-budding writer, Sanjugo NAOKI (then called himself "Sanjusan NAOKI") and published in a magazine called "Kuraku" issued by a publishing house Platon Osaka, happened to meet Naoki accompanying Kaoru OSANAI and Matsutaro KAWAGUCHI of Platon whom he had invited to his film studio, and then asked permission of Naoki about making the novel into a movie.
また1924年4月、新進作家直木三十五（当時「直木三十三」）が書いた小説『心中きらゝ坂』が、大阪プラトン社の雑誌『苦楽』に掲載されているのを読んだ牧野は、たまたま同月撮影所に招待したプラトン社の小山内薫と川口松太郎に同伴した直木に映画化を要望した。