Hollywood Spectator (Apr-May 1939)

BY BRUNO DAVID USSHER 'Jilt* tfltiMc and J)tJ tflakerA O ONE man can read the annual report made by Will H. Hays, as president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, with anything but keen appreciation of the social significance exerted by the film as a public entertainment and educational medium. Only one brief and quite general reference however is made to music although the Hays’s summary of the trends and functions of the cinema in America is entitled: "Enlarging Scope of the Screen." This is greatly to be regretted and does no justice to the large and artistically high contribution made by hundreds of the best musicians and sound engineers to the cultural and commercial advancement of this "art industry," as President Hays aptly calls it. But this omission is characteristic of a rather prevalent attitude in most executive and promotional branches of Hollywood where public appreciation of music is underrated sadly. And, if it is not actually underrated, then this ideal avenue of "salesmanship" remains deplorably deserted to the disadvantage of all those sharing an interest in the art industry as producing, selling and individually consuming agents. Slight Not Intended <1 I am fully aware of the fact that Will Hays had no intention of slighting so vital a branch of his art industry as that of music. Neither need he be reminded what films would be without musicians and music recording experts. I am aware, too, that his written address to the American producers and distributors of motion pictures is not meant as an aesthetic dissertation. But that a paper on the "Enlaring Scope of the Screen" should make repeated reference to the "most popular stars, ablest writers, best directors, most skilful technicians," and make no minimum specification of orchestra, composers, conductors, writers of songs, of lyrics, of singers and instrumentalists, many of the latter the best from the outstanding orchestras of the country — that surely is strange. Will Hays devotes three and a half of his twenty-six-page report to "Community Service" and to "Education.” He speaks of cooperative contacts with the National Education Association since 1922: he also speaks of the cinema committee of the "International Council of Women" and their objective "education of public taste.” Hays's Brief Mention <J Here it is that the Hays report faintly acknowledges music as a factor in this "art industry.” Here he refers to the regular service rendered by his Hollywood office which "stresses motion picture appreciation by discussing the educational and other features of individual film production.” And now comes the single reference to music: "Moreover, through the progress of this work the National Federation of Music Clubs has been added to the list of previewers, following their approval of what the screen has done to advance interest in music.” Fortunately for Will Hays and luckily for those making film music, the community service and education department of the Hays's office in Hollywood is headed by Mrs. Thomas G. Winter and Mrs. H. D. Field, who perceive and present film music as high and infinitely far reaching from every practical and pedagogic angle. Entertainment and Box-Office <J Far be it from me to remind Will Hays publicly of what he must be aware. He closes the very first paragraph of his report with: ". . . there is nothing incompatible between the best interests of the box-office and the kind of entertainment that raises the level of audience appreciation whatever the subject treated." And he proceeds to remind his producers: "The discussion that proceeds (as to commercial and cultural) is the greatest possible tribute to the progress of the screen, for it is proof of the fact that an entertainment art for the millions has risen to such high estate that the best which the living theatre has been able to produce or which other artistry can create, is now demanded from the film. Frankly, it irks me, a believer in the commercial, vocational and artistic function of music, that President Hays should choose to refer only to "other artistry" and not dignify music by direct mention, although commensurate music makes a contribution without which even the best plot, speech, acting and photography remain incomplete in their combined appeal. And by commensurate music, I mean a sufficient amount of the best music. Again, the "best" music does not imply a fourpart fugue in six flats. In fact, a lone, lowly mouth organ can prove eloquent of man’s state of heart, as demonstrated by Victor Young in his Man of Conquest score. Subtlest of All Factors <J Cooperation of the National Federation of Music Clubs in drawing more direct attention to pictures with musically worthwhile scores is a recognition for which Hollywood musicians may be deeply grateful to Mrs. Winter and Mrs. Field. Letters of inquiry and acknowledgement reaching me from the music research council of the National Education Association indicate that musically well-equipped pictures may eventually count on an enormous number of financially vastly profitable endorsements by public school music teachers throughout the country. Will Hays, when warning producers that they must not rely on American bookings alone, but calculate sales appeal also in terms and tastes of foreign showings, might well have included music as a big and indispensable aid. Of course, music, subtlest of all cinematic factors, is still in its beginnings, certainly quantitatively. I wonder at times if Hollywood musicians themselves fully vision their social artistic responsibilities. Again, they must have the articulate support from lay music lovers and educators alike in order to convince certain ignorantly economic producers. Strong But Not Noisy <J| Victor Young's extensive background score for Man of Conquest forms a dramatically indispensable and generally strong contribution to this Republic production. It is a strong, yet not noisy score for a film moving vividly in terms of physical action and emotional stress. Some day, a chapter in film music history will have to be devoted to music in films based on American bibliography and history, and the Young score will be listed as an example for its thoughtful and unobvious use of American music. Naturally, pictures such as Alexander's Ragtime Band or the Castle films will be included, but more as film musical documentations of tunes. In those pictures, the popular songs a score of years ago are the excuse for the pictures. In Young's score, these American tunes fulfil a higher function, for they attest the Americanism of Sam Houston and his period. Victor Young has gone to these tunes as a folklorist does to identify a race by their songs and in turn to diagnose the character of songs by the milieu from which they sprang and to which they gave living color. Parallel or Portent <| There are times when I should have preferred more music, and when I was conscious of music being limited to rather brief episodes: while rapidly and radically changing scenes in Man of Conquest would have made it difficult, no doubt, to write even "against the scene.” One is apt to grow weary of too much action accent hitting, or shall I call it action metric music? Music can match the general pace of a scene, or it can go "against" the scene by serving as an outside, narratively reflecting commentator. It can prove an auditory PAGE FOURTEEN HOLLYWOOD SPECTATOR