Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)

August 26, 1916 ACCESSORY NEWS SECTION 1267 by the number of days the kilowatts used one day, thus if bills are rendered weekly, counting six days as a week you would multiply $3.30 by 6, which equals $19.80 as the cost of current for the week. Note : I shall endeavor to give you in this series of articles as brief a description as possible compatible with " understandableness " of the arc lamp, wire systems (with diagrams), etc., before going into a detailed description of the operating room equipment which takes in rectifiers, compensarcs, motor-generators, and projection machines, with the various devices appertaining thereto. I. G. Sherman. A Musicians View of Motion Picture Music Writer in Music News Tells of Her Visit to the Movies, and Gives a Humorous Description of What She Saw and Heard— Much In Suggestions Which Will Be of Value to the Exhibitor Sincerely Interested In Improving the Music In His House A RECENT edition of Music News published a seriously humorous article on Motion Picture Music, under the caption, " Concerning the New Art of Movie Music. A serious subject handled lightly as befits the Summer season." I reprint it here, feeling that the exhibitor as well as the picture musician, will be greatly benefited by reading between the lines of this humor, and seeing how unsympathetic music and musicians in the Motion Picture theatre appeal to the person who is interested in the New Art of Movie iNIusic. I am sure that the writer. Belle Squire, of Chicago, wrote under the inspiration of actual occurrences, for she cites incidents which have often come to my personal notice. Only recently I was handed the same remark, namely " My musicians are all union men and they don't need any rehearsal, for they play any kind of music." After the performance it was my painful duty to answer the question: How was the music? The most painful of all was the fact that the film manufacturers had believed the above statement, and took a chance to save $25. The picture that is painted in the following article is not exaggerated, and the conditions spoken of will be found in eighty per cent, of the present motion picture theatres. Most every exhibitor in the country has at some time seen how the better theatres in New York and other large cities are conducted, yet has not the ambition to at least rid his house of unnecessary tumult, so as to make possible the better rendition of music and inspire his musicians to better efforts. Noises of all kinds are very trying and nerve racking to the well meaning musician and their elimination is the first essential in any theatre where the management desires good musical results. The travestry on musical programing as written by Miss Squire, is well taken, and is the one subject that is at the present time most agitated. This should be the uppermost thought in the mind of all producers of photoplays, for until the producers are less indifferent, the same indifference will be shown in every picture theatre, and the tonal atmosphere in every theatre will always be the jest of the patrons and the Photo Play theatre will continue to want the respect that is really due an Art such as Picturedom is destined to be. The following is Belle Squire's very interesting article : Finds Some Music Artists '' America will yet have its own music ! It will evolve a music of its own ! " said the editor of Music News. " Who can tell? " he continued with warning enthusiasm. " Maybe it will grow out of the music of the movies! " We had been talking of the possibilities of movie music and kindred subjects. We had admitted that, though much of it was crude as yet, some of it was also artistic. We had been talking about the condition, past and present, of unmusical America. We were agreed that it was more than probable that something good might really come out of the movie music and that something might be looked for from the new race of movie musicians. Then we dropped into futures again_ "Will there be new forms?" I asked. "Is the music of the movies the beginning of a change? " I contended that movie music was worthy of being reported like any other music, or should be, and, much more to the point — it ended in an assignment. For a long time I had been so curious about it all. " Why — why did I hear the same commonplace tunes, no matter where I went?" "Why did they all keep up such an infernal racket on their tinpanny pianos ? " " Where did the breed of pianos come from that irtfested movie houses?" "How did the players manage to keep things going hour after hour, day after day and night after night?" " V/hy — ?" " How — ?" "Could not a better class of music be demanded in movie houses?" "Why not the classics — ?" A host of questions arose, clamoring for answers. The obvious thing would seem to be to go to some movie house and find out. I went. I asked these questions here and there — with but little result. At the movie houses they are too busy to answer questions, as a rule. They did not know whether I was unbalanced or whether I was seeking a job. One player invited me to sit down in front and he'd show me how it was done. He averred it was easy, but tiresome. After listening to him for a while I agreed with him. He had talent, but he was either lazy or tired. His work was childish. In the course of time I wandered into a studio where pictures are produced. A voluble gentleman engaged me in conversation, but he dodged my question, " Would it not be possible to play good music as well as poor music during a picture play?" He did succeed, however, in imparting the information that he too. was a musician — a composer, in fact ! Had I ever heard of him? I shook my head until he mentioned his chief work of art, '■ White Wings, They Never Grow Weary "—or was it " Oh, for the Wings of a Dove" that he produced? Trying to Interview the Musician When, finally, I diverted the conversation back to its original channel he suggested that I see the manager, and also directed me to the musicians' union, if I wanted a job. The manager, however, stared coldly at me, and as yet I have not been to the headquarters of the musicians' union. I'm going, though, and later I will tell you all about it. It is valuable advice. In the course of my investigations I had many adventures, and still the " why " of movie music eluded me. Always I arrived too late or too early to see the right person. He had just stepped out. I interviewed managers and box office persons and ushers, but all to no purpose. I then decided to meet the player himself ! Sounds simple, does it not? It is not an easy thing, however, to meet the musician. Try it if you doubt my word. Not being given to haunting stage doors (by the way, does the movie theatre have a stage door where the cunning little films go in and out?) I sought the box office man again and laid my quest before him. Nor was that an easy thing to do. The organ was thundering beyond and street cars were whizzing by the open door. I had the good luck, however, to find the manager himself in the cashier's cage. He was an American who understood the English language, who could make change and run a theatre, but knew little about music. He invited me into his den. He was a pleasant faced youth, frank and engaging, whose weather eye, though apparently at my service, did excellent detective work — to the secret chagrin of several small boys who were trying to slip unseen into the dark depths beyond from whence came roars and shrieks of laughter. Slipping by the ticket taker, I take it, is the modern equivalent of the historic feat of our fathers and brothers who boast to this day of how they managed annually to crawl unseen beneath the big tent of the one and only circus. Poor little boys ! I felt sorry for them. I hoped the manager would close his eyes for a few brief moments. But he neither slept nor slumbered. It was disconcerting to explain my mission between these many distractions — cars whizzing by, the arrival of the manager's frugal supper, the entrance of ushers and musicians, and the detective work outside. Music? He grew eloquent. (Continued on page 1276)