Exhibitor's Trade Review (Nov 1925 - Feb 1926)

February 13, 1926 Page 19 The Organist Too Big For His Job BEFORE proceeding with the principal subject of this article it is necessary to explain that nothing therein shall be construed as contrary to the following generally accepted facts : That almost everyone enjoys hearing a good organ played by a capable organist. That thousands of people attend the theatres chiefly to hear the organ music. That the organ should not be relegated to an unimportant place in the complete entertainment program. That the organ does not merely furnish more or less agreeable sound to which the audience is expected to pay no particular attention. That the organ, properly featured, is a tremendous business builder. Nevertheless, it is obviously undesirable to attract separate and distinct attention to the organ during every unit of the program. The organist should show-off the organ and his own executive dexterity and virtuosity to the fullest possible extent during the solo unit of the program. If he also is required to play for the news and magazine, these units will generally afford ample opportunity for similar treatment. This treatment, however, is usually entirely out of place in the feature picture unless it synchronizes perfectly with the screen action. The music for the picture should always be in full accord with the episodes passing on the screen ; but there is one type of organist who insists on presenting an organ recital throughout the entire picture program. This is the organist we will now discuss. There are innumerable advanced concert and church organists who are being attracted to the theatre by one great magnet ; the theatre organist draws a larger salary than he who plays for church or concert. This type of organist is in most cases entirely out of sympathy with the more advanced methods Goldwyn-Mayer house. The Delmonte, Kings, Rivoli and Grand Opera House have shown first-run the pictures of many producers and distributors. To some in St. Louis film circles the charge that Skouras Brothers dictated the telegram to Mr. Woodhull is little short of amusing. Some of the men who affixed their signatures to that telegram are the keenest kind of business rivals to the theatres in which Skouras Brothers have an interest. So it is difficult to figure out why they should aid their competitors even if such aid was sought. In the last analysis the pictures shown on the screen are the best evidence of what the policy of the house really is. Statements are words, and as the old adage says "Actions speak louder than words." With this in view a check of" the film shown in the theatres of Skouras Brothers and the St. Louis Amusement Company on Sunday, January 31, may be regarded as Exhibit A. On that date the Missouri showed "The American Venus," (Paramount) and the -Grand Central, West End Lyric and Capitol^ Rudolph Valentino in "The Eagle" (United Artists). In the twenty-four houses of the St. Louis Amusement Company the •count was : Paramount, 3 ; Metro-Goldwyn Continuing a series of articles on organ operation by VERMOND KNAUSS Mr. Vermont! Knauss, who conducts a studio of Theatre Organ Playing will be glad to answer any and all questions relative to the care of organs. Questions should he addressed to him in care of Exhibitors Review. of picture synchronization, and when he succeeds in securing an engagement he loses no time in letting his audiences know that he feels he is too big for his job. This individual will expect theatre audiences to be more interested in his displays of manual and pedal virtuosity and in overwhelming tonal effects, to which he was accustomed in recitals, than in the picture program itself. Extraordinary as it may seem, the more skilled he is, the more unwilling he is to adapt himself to the requirements of perfect synchronization. He is too important, and admires grandiose and impressive effects too much, to condescend to the performance of the relatively simple music required for the artistic accompaniment of motion pictures. He is proud of his expertness and the evident limitations placed on his virtuosity by the exacting requirements of synchronization are entirely unwelcome. He is there to exhibit his virtuosity. At least, he generally does so, regardless of the irritation he causes to those who are desirous of enjoying the emotional continuity of the dramatic action. Then there is the "concert" organist who admits that he plays nothing but the "best" music, and who assumes that everyone in his audience is uncultured and that the average person does not know or care whether the accompanying music synchronizes with the film action or whether it does not. He Mayer, 7; First National, 4; Producers Distributing, 1 ; Warner Brothers, 2 ; Fox. 3 ; United Artists, 1 ; State Right Distributors, 5. Two of the theatres had double features. And in Big Picture Month which starts on February 6 the line-up for the Grand Central, West End Lyric and Capitol theatres shows : "Lady Windemer's Fan" ; "The Sun Beast," "Irene" and in the concluding week of the month "Memory Lane" at the Grand Central and "Three Faces East" at the West End Lyric and Capitol. Included are two First Nationals, two Warner Brothers and a Production Distributing picture. Spryos P. and Charles Skouras and their brother, George Skouras, started their motion picture careers in a very humble posi^ tion. The same is true of Harry Koplar. Could it have been possible for them to have attained their truly wonderful success of they hadn't given the publis the kind of entertainment wanted? That's the question thflt disinterested observers ask. Whether St. Louis is over-built meets entirely with the point of view from which ihe existing facts are reviewed, The number of theatres now operated and the seates therein must be taken at face value. utterly disregards the musical tastes of the great majority of his audience and of his manager, selecting his program of accompanimental music according to his "pet" ideas; entirely losing sight of the fact that most films can be synchronized with the simpler forms of music that appeal to the great majority and yet do not offend the good taste and sensibilities of the cultured class. Good judgment and showmanship are the principal requirements of these organists and would increase their box office value 50 per cent. The time is past when one could be "promoted" from "movie pianist" to "picture organist" over night. There was a time when one could be transformed from theatre pianist to theatre organist by merely moving from the piano stool to the organ bench and boldly proclaiming himself a theatre organist to the general public and the theatre managers. Today, the theatre-going public and the managers recognize the wide gap between this type of player and the organist who has been thoroughly trained in showmanship, proper synchronization and all the details of correct theatre organ playing. The thoroughly trained theatre organist has a thorough knowledge of organs of various types, an acquaintance with their tonal and mechanical possibilities and limitations, and has a technique equal to all demands of correct musical synchronization. He knows just what stop combinations will give the desired coloring and effect suitable for the portraying of the ever-changing moods and situations of the screen action He does not fear tradition and refuses to be limited by what is being done or has been done by others. He experiments and blends his stops until he has exhausted the best combinational resources ot every organ that he is called upon to play. He familiarizes himself with the peculiarities of every stop, choosing the best, and shunning those that will not blend or are imperfect. He listens to symphony orchestras at every possible opportunity, enhancing his sense of proportion and balance, and imitating its tone color by a discreet and frequent change in registration. He uses the various distinctive stops of the instrument separately, and avoids mass registration as far as possible. He shuns the "churchy" four-part harmony and the chordal style, and uses them only where they are exceedingly effective. He uses the "solo and accompaniment" style as far as possible in the building of his synchronization. He brings his instrument up to "full organ" only once in the course of the entire program. Under his hands the organ is non-obtrusive and he does not permit it to make itself overwhelmingly felt. His music supports and vitalizes the impression of realism experienced by the observer of the screen action. He does not attempt to draw the attention of the audience to himself, or to split their ears. He studiously avoids all uncalled-for displays of pedal and finger acrobatics. He is equally careful not to employ an excess of soft effects. He varies his music to bring out and heighten the emotional lights and shadows of the dramatic action. He exercises self-restraint in the use of blatant and striking stops, reserving these for gruesome and diabolical scenes that cannot be portr-ayed by any other variety of stop. He realizes that atmospheric suggestion is more to be desired than over-powering and distracting noise. He strives constantly and systematically to improve his technique. He is clever, has perfect command of trick playing and jazz; but he does not depend on these to hold his position. They're from Missouri (Continued from page 10) I