Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)

496. ACCESSORY NEWS SECTION Vol. 14. No. 3 J L Music and the Picture |IMflFgtF'"3'??:"'!!'H!>'^''*|''1'*S'^ Edited by Ernst Luz This department is maintained for the exhibitor s assistance with a view of suggesting proper musical illustrations jor current photo plays. MOTION PICTURE NEWS will be pleased to help solve any difficulties the exhibitors may have with their musical programs. All communications should be addressed to the Music and the Picture Department. EACH PICTURE HAS A CERTAIN RHYTHM WHICH MUSICIAN MUST OBSERVE WE are always glad to hear from Alice Smythe Jay and while the theme she mentions has been continually agitated in Music and the Picture, nevertheless the subject is of such importance that its continued agitation is necessary if we desire to eradicate the evil of playing beer garden concerts and hope to have them appeal as Picture theatres music. "Your answer to C. A. James reminds me of a similar question that I was asked recently. It was this : What music will suit most every picture? How can I tell what to play? I could only answer the question in this way: study rhythm, vibration and character. Could you two step to a waltz time, certainly not. This rule applies to the pictures. Each individual picture has a certain rhythm and if studied at all you will find that different movements suit different pictures. To be able to do this one must be careful to select the same as for dancing. For example, I attended a high class motion picture theatre recently, where they employed a most unusual orchestra. I should judge they were all soloists, judging from the artistic way they played, but the selections were absolutely void of rhythm to the picture. The picture was " God's Country and the Woman." Scenes were in log cabin, snow storm; in fact the Western type of scenery. These were the selections : Sympathy, novelette, intermezzo, etc. ; in the scene where she walks through the room, heavy agitato, music best suited to a mob scene ; heavy fortissimo chords. " The melody ' Sympathy ' evidently was intended for the musical theme setting, as they played it nearly all through the picture. The words and the theme of ' Sympathy,' are perfectly blended and would suit a love scene after a quarrel or something of that grade, but not a picture of the western atmosphere. The Novelette, etc., were all well suited to society scenes in pictures of this grade. Great care should be taken to select proper music. I would have selected for this grade picture a bright 4/4 movement like ' Heart to Heart," or ' Sunshine and Roses,' blending in an andante movement. The sleep walker, an andante, mysterioso movement and so on. ■' I find that little or no attention is paid to the synchronization by rhythm and vibration. It is just as essential as for dancing, opera or character. The one-man orchestra has a great field to study proper music at the right time and place. The many different makes of rjotion picture orchestrions open a most desirable opportunity for study also. The Fotoplayer is awake to this fact using that special grade of music that is arranged in the correct registers for fife and drum. As Mr. \Vestcot: states, he never knew the worth of music for the picture, until he purchased Inspiration Music Rolls, which makes the picture talk. The different traps in the Seeburg Fotoplayer, and other orchestrions are easily played when music is arranged in this manner, but the operator must look well to his picture, rhythm and vibration, if he obtains the best music. I have played, orchestrions and manually, piano and organ, and am extremely careful in making my selections for the picture." It should be of interest to our readers to know that the writer of the letter is a sister of Frank E. Woods, manager of the Fine Arts Studios in Los Angeles, Cal. Hence her helpful words, her interest being for the betterment of Music and the Picture. The letter from Carrie Woods Bush follows : " Your articles interest me very much and I think that your arrangement for the Musical Library in your issue of May 13 excellent. "People are demanding a more appropriate and better grade of music. I have seen theatres that were running the highest grade pictures fall off in attendance because of the inappropriate music used, and the manager was wholly unconscious of the reason, not realizing what picture music evolution is doing in that regard. " The photoplayer has been filling a place in many theatres throughout the country for economic reasons as well as being advantageous for making quick changes, and when in the hands of one who is perfectly familiar with musical literature and possessing ability for selection, has proved quite satisfactory. " Just now the pipe organ is destined to take the lead even though it may be supplemented by the orchestra, for the reason that its possibilities are almost unlimited in accompanying the picture and it being much easier for the organist to follow and make quick changes. " Now that some of the leading motion picture companies are having the music selected before the picture is released, the task of the music director is much simplified. In case the music is not so arranged and an orchestra is not present, a few volumes of different selections tabulated would come in very handy : for example, arrange a row of tabs about an inch in width from the top to the bottom of your book containing the various selections and be sure that you have the tabs on the page in front of the piece indicated so that you can instantly take hold of it, turn the leaf over and have the desired selection. If the piece is in another key from the one just played, you can quickly modulate to it. " In my own case I have taken large sized scrap books and patsed in pieces of different nature and moods, tabulated. Referring again to the music being arranged for pictures before they are released, I notice that the plan of David W. Griffith of the Fine Arts-Griffith productions to be a very good one, and when the exhibitor realizes the necessity of using the programs thus selected, the success of pictures will be far greater. "Your comments on B. A. Holoway's article, in your issue of June 3, are very convincing and should be helpful to the exhibitor and to the musicians employed in accompanying pictures." APPROVES ARRANGEMENT FOR MUSICAL LIBRARY, PUBLISHED IN " NEWS " MAY 13 WE are pleased to hear from the writer of the letter printed . . below. Musicians should take note of the suggestion reg9.rding folios with their proper tabulations. Those employing ^uch a method as set forth by Carrie Wood Bush will find that diey can. keep an unlimited repertoire -of music immediately in M4GAR0 ENGAGES MARIAN MERCHANT AS ORGANIST AND ELSIE MALSEED AS PIANIST FOR THE REGENT, HARRISBURG special to Motion Pictube News. Harrisburg, Pa., July 8. MARIAN MERCHANT has been engaged as organist of Peter Magaro's Regent theatre, 410 Marlset Street, and Elsie Malseed as pianist. Both young women are Harrisburgers. Miss Merchant having formerly been organist at the Regent. She recently went to New York to play for the Loew interests in one of their theatres there, and took a course of training which has added greatly to her usefulness as an accompanist to motion pictures. Miss Merchant has a fine musical education and has had much experience both as orchestra leader in vaudeville houses and in motion picture work. She succeeds Professor Walter C. Wallace as-organist at the. Regent. ■ .=v-.^-.v,,.; ,