The talking machine world (July-Dec 1927)

The Movie House Organist Is a Song Plugger One of the Biggest Factors in the Popularizing of New Songs Is the Theatre Organist — Dealers Overlooking Sure Profits THERE is a tendency on the .part of music dealers to regard the sheet music department as a more or less necessary evil that merits no time or attention, but must be carried* as a "customer convenience." Deal self, a "sink or swim" proposition. This method of handling sheet music has become such a habit that many dealers have not realized that a new factor in the exploitation of new numbers has entered the field within the H. A. Weymann & Sons' Display Ties Up With Orchestra and Organist ers of this type relegate the sheet music rack past few years, and while the publishers are to some corner of the store, stock it with the doing everything possible to take advantage of latest numbers and then let the music sell it the situation, the dealers are lagging behind. How Paramount Features Its Organist The factor in point is the motion-picture theatre organist. This artist has done more to make possible increased sales of sheet music than any other person or persons. As one publisher aptly puts it: "The organist is one of the biggest 'plugs' in popularizing sheet music." In practically every city or town which boasts a theatre given over to the presentation of feature moving pictures the organist is a feature of the program. A further point is that the organist as a permanent feature is enabled to build up a following which is denied other artists who must each week or each few weeks play to a new audience and win over new followers. Even in New York, where the competition between entertainment attractions is so strong, Jesse Crawford at the Paramount Theatre is an outstanding attraction, and there are many thousands who attend this playhouse each week and vote the Crawford organ presentation of popular songs as the big "hit" of the program. And what Crawford is to the Paramount audiences there are some 5,000 theatres boasting organists whose rendition of the popular melodies of the day have won them places as regular programmed features. In other cities, in fact, the organists stand out far more than they do at any Broadway theatre. In Chicago, for instance, at the Chicago, Oriental and Granada theatres, the audiences look forward eagerly to the organ presentations, for they are "acts" in every sense of the word, and the audience takes part in them, enthusiastically singing the melodies as the slides are shown on the screen. The publishers have been alive to the benefits of this type of exploitation, for it is through their efforts and expenditures that these "acts" have become so popular. The publishers are at great expense providing theatre organists with complete "acts" with accompanying slides to bring home to the public in an entertaining fashion the latest popular music. Every big publisher, for instance, supplies each year an average of twenty-five sucli acts, consisting of from thirty to thirty-six slides, designed to present the best numbers from its catalog. Each of these special presentations is worked up in a different manner, and there is nothing stereotyped about any of them. For instance, one which is in great favor with organists at the present time is entitled "Requests," and introduces "You Don't Like It—Not Much," "Cheerie Beerie Bee," "Sing Me a Baby Song," "Are You Thinking of Me To-night," "Baby Your Mother," "My Blue Heaven" and "Just Once Again." Descriptive matter which is shown between the playing and singing of the different selections lends to the interest, and in several selections the boys sing one part and the girls the other. The organists themselves are always on the alert to introduce new methods and new effectsinto their presentations, as witness an act recently put on~ by Eddie House, the singing organist of the Granada Theatre, Chicago, which he entitled, "Donizetti vs. Donaldson." In this Mr. House first played tiie sextet from "Lucia," as representing the operatic composer, and then played a medley of "hits" of Walter Donaldson, concluding with "My Blue Heaven," which he sang with the capable assistance of the audience. So much for the work of the publishers. What are dealers doing to gain the benefits of this invaluable exploitation? In most cases, little or nothing. The illogical part of this attitude is that little or nothing need be done, (Continued on page 123) f^^own South (fox-trot song) A\ fifty Million Radio Listeners J Great Revival Hit u Polla Dance Arrangement ' Sensational Victor Record tlit ^ Beautiful WaltzTheme /^Spider EDW.&. Marks Music Co. 225W.46ST. NEW YORK. T/iE HO(/S£ OF H/TS rrasfiuitaX Serenade | (my LITTLE nest) Lehars XtA^sX featured 6^ V Kreisler&Jeritza ^ Slow River A FOX-TROTSPIRITUAL . W QUARTETTEDRAG ^fe^^ 122