The Moving picture world (January 1922)

164" MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 14, 1922 Riesenfeld Agrees with Taylor That Music Must Be Subservient to Picture: Terms It An Opiate WILLIAM D. TAYLOR, one of the oldest and best known direc- tors, recently protested against the overwhelming quantity of music and the so-called "atmospheric prologues" of the programs in the better class picture theatres. His objections were not mere- ly personal, but were an expression of the Motion Picture Directors' Associa- tion, an organization that has on its mem- bership rolls some of the biggest figures in the directorial branch of picture pro- duction. Now Hugo Riesenfeld, director of the RivoU, Rialto and Criterion theatres, New York, contributes to the discussion. And it seems strange to find the sponsor of music in motion pictures supporting Mr. Taylor's view that the music and all the attending numbers must be subserv- ient to the feature film. Mr. Taylor insists that the picture is the thing. Mr. Riesenfeld—the man who first turned to the classics to score a picture; the first musician of any prom- inence to desert the field of opera for the film; the man who made his reputation on his "presentations and prologues"— joins Mr. Taylor in saying that the pic- ture is the thing. Music An Opiate "The whole purpose of music with pic- tures was originally to satisfy the ear so that the eye could give its attention to the screen," explained Mr. Riesenfeld. "It was a sort of opiate, nothing more. That was the fundamental theory upon which music was originally introduced in motion picture presentation, and if the exhibitor will hold to that central idea he cannot go far astray. If he will bear in mind that the work of men hke Mr. Taylor and others shall be the center of his program, that the music is merely in- cidental, he will be safe. If he is led to believe that because his patrons like good music he must give them more and still more music, he is doomed to disappoint- ment, because, primarily, his patrons want pictures. "Why do we need music with pictures ? Because the ear demands it. Nearly every action in life has sound connected with it. And on the stage there is the human voice and color as well as action. When the patron turned to the motion picture for entertainment, it was natural that the human voice should be sought as well as the figures in dramatic action. Without a sound except the whirring of the projection machine or the whispering of the audience, there would be an un- naturalness about the silent drama which would be disconcerting. The players would be seen to speak—their words might even be read upon the screen—but there would be no sound. Naturally, it was found necessary to appease the de- mands of the ear, and music was intro- duced. To Rest the Eye "In time this musical side of the enter- tainment was given great study and an effort was made to bring together the emotional force of the music with the appropriate action on the screen. And there was, at the same time, a develop- ment in the orchestral side, until the piano and the primitive organ disap- peared and fine symphony orchestras were used. And so it went on, progress in music setting and in the orchestras. "Then there was the problem of the entire program. A motion picture enter- tainment takes about two hours, yet it is almost physically impossible to watch pic- tures for that length of time. That is why pictures were made to alternate with stage numbers, a bit of dance, an orches- tra] selection or a vocal solo. It was to give the eye a rest that these stage and music numbers were introduced. And, of course, the best possible numbers were presented. The Danger "This wonderful development of mo- tion picture presentation continued with remarkable strides—and hidden in that fact lies the danger. The public liked fine music settings with its pictures, it appreciated the symphony orchestras, the vocal selections, the dance numbers, and immediately it was presumed that more and more of that side of the entertain- ment was desired. The original purpose was being forgotten and music and stage numbers were made a fetich. The serv- ant was placed in the master's chair and obeisance was paid to a usurper. "After all is said and done, the picture is the thing. We know that the public likes music with its pictures. A good orchestra, a properly prepared score and well selected soloists will give the theatre a steady clientele, provided, of course, that the average of pictures is good. Music will increase the attendance when the photoplays are good, but will not draw patrons if the pictures are uniform- ly bad." Louis Green, Fox Manager, Dies Suddenly in Albany Louis Green, 35 years old, resident manager for Fox Film Corporation in Albany, N. Y., died on January 4. Two weeks ago he caught cold and it developed into congestion of the lungs. He was well known throughout New England and New York, having at one time been Select manager in New Haven and later with George Klein in BuflFalo. He leaves a wife and two children. The funeral will be held in Roxbury, Mass., but the date has not been announced. SCENES FROM "HIS BACK AGAINST THE WALL." RELEASED BY GOLDWYN