Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

October 5 , 19 18 2237 C-ixe SKeets L atest Hits Nlix sic cL 1 Equipment/ 'Frisco Attends to the Music for Motion Pictures WITH the engagement of Herman Heller, noted violinist and symphony director, to conduct the large orchestra at the California theatre, with Conductor Lawrence in charge of the similar organization at the Rialto theatre, with Gino Seven's fine orchestra at the Imperial, with Strachan heading the corps of musicians at the New Fillmore, and with other houses showing a tendency to add symphony programs to the organ music, it looks as though the musical attractions would be made a powerful drawing card in connection with the pictures in San Francisco. Mr. Heller, who took charge of the orchestra of twenty-five pieces in San Francisco's largest and finest theatre on September 8. has long been popular in the directorship of the orchestra at the Palace Hotel, and previous to his engagement at the latter place he was for several years in similar capacity at the St. Francis. He is a composer of distinction, as well as a violinist and conductor. Music in the legitimate theatres has become of less importance than it formerly was, and the Columbia, one of the two leading houses, has done away with the orchestra altogether. Now the Musicians' Union is putting forth a demand for higher salaries to the musicians employed in the motion picture theatres, the demand being made at a time when these theatres are generally establishing orchestras, it being understood that the Tivoli, the Strand and others will follow the example of the houses already mentioned, and the big San Francisco Symphony Orchestra of eighty pieces is about to be revived. It was on account of similar demands, and more particularly on account of demands relating to the minimum size of the orchestra to be employed, that the Columbia orchestra pit became as silent as the film scenes of a grand opera; but the need of musicians is large, with many of them gone into the army service, and so the salaries are being boosted beyond what the film managers think a reasonable schedule and beyond the rates they can afford to pay. Curiously enough, the cause of the motion picture theatres in this matter is being championed by the Pacific Coast Musical Rciiew, the one newspaper in San Francisco devoted to musical matters. This paper contends that the musicians are being paid enough already and that the demands made by its organized fraternity upon the movie houses are unjust and unreasonable. No definite conclusion has been arrived at in regard to the salaries of the musicians, but the theatre owners declare that they will not submit to anything unfair and that if necessary they will get along, as formerly, with organs alone. In addition to the instrumentalists, the theatres are employing large numbers of singers. Real Patriotic Novelties IT is a customary' rule for musicians when accompanying weeklies to play the typical national anthem of the country whose military activities are being displayed on the screen. In other words, when the French Chasseurs appear, the " Marseillaise " is immediately performed; when the English Tommies are flashed on the screen, the " British Grenadiers " is at once played, or if our brave American Sammies march proudly before our eyes, without hesitation, the orchestra takes up the strains of " Dixie " or " The Girl I Left Behind Me." Although the object of the musicians is to create an appropriate atmosphere, nevertheless, there is not sufficient time to complete these different patriotic pieces, and thus a great amount of confusion is caused by the audience rising, some hesitatingly, others confidently and then being suddenly forced to seat themselves again, thereby losing the trend of the picture and disturbing their neighbors. All this disturbance and excitement can easily be avoided by Orchestra and Stage Setting of the California Theatre, in San Francisco. Music is a Great Factor in the Success of This New Theatre orchestra leaders using a little discretion in their selection of patriotic marches. The most suitable music would be marches which contain merely a strain of the different typical patriotic airs of the country and upon searching through the different publishers' catalogues have found only four such original novelties. They are herewith enumerated. " Fighting Tommies " is an English march in which there has been embodied such melodies as Rule Britannia, British Grenadiers and the patriotic song from "Pinafore." " Aces High " is a typical American national march, dedicated to the American ace and ably portraying the whirr of the motors, as those wizards of the air fly daringly upward. " Blue Devils " is a typical French march with the Marseillaise as' a bridge in the trio. Another surprise of the trio is that it possesses a counterpoint throughout. " Over the Top Boys " is an American march consisting of a very clever combination of American melodies, the introduction being a very effective bugle call. Since these very interesting patriotic novelties are at the disposal of orchestra leaders, they should certainly avail themselves of their use, and there need no longer be any necessity for disjointed snatches of patriotic anthems being performed. Review of Latest Compositions — "There's a Light in Your Eyes" — from Klaw & Erlanger's phenomenal Broadway success, "The Girl Behind the Gun." Music by Ivan Caryll. (Chappell's, 41 East 34th Street, New York.) — "L'Oracolo" (The Oracle) — acclaimed by New York critics as one of the most beautiful melodies of the operas performed at the Metropolitan Opera House. "L'Oracolo," by Franco Leoni, is assured a prominent place in the regular repertoire of this famous opera house. (Chappell's.) — "Kisses," Valse D'Amour, by Zamecnik. The melodious waltz success. It's that melody, boys! It gets them! That haunting, lingering melody. They all go wild over "Kisses" and encore it again and again. The waltz sensation of the day. (Sam Fox. Pub. Co., Cleveland, Ohio.) — "Sabre and Spurs" — march of the American Cavalry, by Lieut. John Philip Sousa. Every audience wants to hear