Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1912)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 49 Music for the Picture BY CLARENCE E. SINN. CL MANAGER S. L. ROTHAPFEL, who helped to make both Milwaukee and Minneapolis famous, has taken over the Lyric Theater in Chicago and is now giving us "Pictures de Luxe" in his own inimitable style. He gives a two-hour show, consisting of seven reels of pictures, an orchestra of nine pieces, a mixed quartet and a lecturer. The performance begins at 2:30 and 8:30 P. M., with an overture by the orchestra — the same as at a theatrical performance. The present week's bill is as follows: Overture "William Tell," orchestra (under direction of Mr. Fisher). The lights slowly diminish, the strains of Gounod's "Ave Maria" are heard and the first picture is thrown on the screen — "The Lord's Prayer — a Study in Color Photography." The "Ave Maria" is played through once; the soprano, Mrs. Erlinger, then takes it up and sings it through to the end, singing from behind the scenes. At the end of the vocal solo the violincello takes up the same melody and plays to end of picture. The effect was beautiful. Next, "Trawler Fishing in Hurricane." Not a note of music in this entire picture, but well executed sound effects of wind and waves. It got a rousing hand. Mr. Hugh Anderson, basso of the quartet, then sang "Calf of Gold" from Faust, and handled the number well. The next number on the bill was the picture "Shriner's Pilgrimage at Los Angeles." Music for this was "Auld Lang Syne" through first scene, then marches of more or less Oriental character till finish of picture. ("Imam" being one of them.) Mr. Kimball, tenor, who has a very pleasing voice, was next with "Ah, So Fair" from Martha, and a catchy little encore number, the name of which I did not get. This was followed by Pathe's Weekly Review No. 24. This also opened with "Auld Lang Syne," which got a hand from the shriners in the audience. 2d scene, "A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight." 3d, a soft waltz, which played till the scene of the "Mass in Front of the Brooklyn Navy Yard," then Handel's Largo (violin and organ) back to same waltz, which was used as a "fill-in," till title: "New York, N. Y. ;" then Weldon's "Gate City" march till title: "Rehoboth, Pa.," back to same waltz till "Constantinople," then "Turkish Patrol" till end of scene. Waltz again till "Roosevelt" scene, then "He's a Jolly Good Fellow" till change. The next scene opened with "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," which music ran clear through. This was punctuated by cannon shots — a salute of 21 guns, which was heard all through the picture; this is correct, as the guns could have been heard by the marchers even at the times the battleship is not seen, and besides the 21 guns is an essential part of the picture. Other sound effects were given worth noting: The clash of cymbals in one of the "Shriner" bands, and the whistle of the captain of the drill team for each change of figure in the exhibition drill. For finish of Pathe Review ("Paris Fashions") they played "Oh You Beautiful Doll." Miss Miller, a contralto of pleasing personality and a voice of both depth and quality, followed with "Annie Laurie" assisted by the other members of the quartet. "Winter Logging in Maine" (picture), "The Sextet from Lucia" (quartet) and "Buster's Nightmare" completed the first part of the program. The "Buster" picture was worked up in the usual way. Neutral to open, lullaby (from Erminie), at bedroom scene, "Indian War Dance" (Belstedt's), all through Indian scenes. Back to neutral (a waltz), to close. "The Tale of Two Cities" in three reels formed the second part of the show. This was opened by the lecturer, Mr. Reader, in a short introductory address, which led up to the story of the picture. Music: First two bars "Marseilles" for brass; drum solo, two bars. Brass repeats first phrase a 4th higher. Then the "Marseilles" for voices and orchestra, forte. Diminish toward end, lights go down and as picture begins the same music is continued pianissimo by violin and organ — just above a whisper, in fact, to make a background for the lecture. When the young heir is seen, music changes to light waltz, which continues till combat, then agitato till "To the Bastile." Theo. Bendix's "Longing" is then played till "Thinking Manette Dead," etc. Here Nevin's "Rosary" is played — a short introduction pianissimo when the soprano (Mrs. Erlinger) joins in behind the scenes and this finishes the first reel. The music continues, however, the lights go up and then down again for the second reel, when the music changes to Massinet's "Meditation" from Thais for violin and organ. This is played softly till "In Paris when the "Marseilles" is again introduced by quartet (behind scenes) and orchestra; swell and diminish with action till prison scene; music dies out and blends into "Thais," which runs through next three scenes, then soft waltz till "The Case Darney," etc. Agitato music to action, waltz (same one) then "Thais" till end of reel. The "Marseilles" is again sung behind scenes, accompanied by orchestra, which fills the time between reels. At opening of third reel "Marseilles" is continued softly till "The First Red Stain," then mysterious (pizzicato) till stabs through curtains. This incident is accented by the wind instruments setting into form a heavy "swell" (not an ordinary (chord) diminishes and melts into the "Marseilles," which swells and diminishes according to action. Continues till "The Knock at the Door," then agitato till "To the Guillotine," "Marseilles" till "It is a Far Better Thing." Soprano behind scenes sings "Good-bye" to close. Mr. Rothapfel is putting up a good picture show. His projection is excellent and all the musical accessories are subdominant to the picture. The audience was very appreciative and it is to be hoped that he meets with the patronage that his efforts deserve. The program is changed once a week — not every day. * * * A belated letter from Idaho says: "Have been reading letters from different pianists giving ideas and suggestions through your paper on playing the pictures. The following is our musical program for "Cinderella" (Selig): "First reel: 'Beautiful Lady' (Van Alstyne) and 'Since I Fell in Love with You' (Von Tilzer). "Second reel: 'Sunbeam Dance' (Jacobs) and 'Lady Bug's Review' (Niel Moret). "Third reel: 'Heart Throbs' (Leo Feist) and 'Chrysanthemums' (Wm. Penn). "For each reel we figure on playing two pieces of music, repeating each piece. (Not only for this, but for all pictures.) We have violin, piano and drums and all play just as soft as possible — loud enough to be heard all oyer the theater, but not loud enough to detract the attention from the picture. Our manager is a fine fellow and an up-todate picture man; he gets all his reels two days ahead of time and runs them through for our benefit — also to see if they are O. K. In this way we can get up our musical program to fit the picture. We find with the general run of the public and also the proprietor a good smattering of popular and classical music with a novelty in each program goes fine. For our 'Current Events' we generally play an overture of popular hits. Our main object is to play soft, and for pathetic scenes the violinist mutes his instrument. I think soft playing and not a continuous changing from one piece to another takes better than a hum-drum (all same electric piano) by far. The 'Cinderella' pictures were certainly appreciated here by the public. S. R. O. each night. If the editor prints this I shall be tempted to write more later on. Hoping to see more 'dope' from pianists in the Moving Picture World. Yours, E. A. A. The exhibition of "Pictures de Luxe" in the Fine Arts building on Michigan Avenue has seemingly gone away past the experimental stage and are interesting an increasing number of intelligent patrons who like the better class of pictures served up with high class music and realistic sound effects. This is a twenty-five cent show, running from noon till 10:30 P. M. With Lyman Howe at the Palace Theater, the Paul Rainey "African Pictures" at the Colonial, the "Sara Bernhardt" and "Mme. Rajane" pictures at the LaSalle, "Dante's Inferno" at Riverview Park (accompanied by organ and' vocal music and interpreted by a lecturer) together with the old reliable Orpheum Theater, Chicago may congratulate herself on her quota of high class moving picture shows.