SILENT FILM SOUND Rick Altmanwy Atego oened nay agen Cala PBs Da Indigo e ndink Pensa5 From Peep Show to Projection Eanly im accompaniment offers maddeningly in- ‘complete evidence, Sound was held in such low es teem that it sever even mentoned in most re views Bren more problematic cinema’ erly ears were a perod of eaceptions. Everything was now: ty, ad thus recived special treatment. Remain ing evidence often relates t inaugural presenta: tions of new projection system, gala releases of new films oF special introductions of new devies. [Ava whole the sound components ofthis era have thus bean entirely passed over by historians, wth the sole exception ofthe festive debuts af the Vis scope, Cingmatographe,Biograph, and other new projection systems! revi commentators have treated these inaugural events either 25 wholly rep resentative ora totally unigue and separate fom all others Cinema’ atest years challenge us to flscover within a wide variety af appazeatly un felted practices pattern that wil permit so un derstand how lm sound was conceived at he turn ofthe centry,‘The Kinetophone Introduced in 17, Ealions phonograph wat sue> cefily exploited by showren wnt 179, ba ‘novelty soon wore off Not anti Alexandr Graham Bell, Chichester A. Bel, and Cres Sune Titer perfected the rival graphophone did Edson eetuen problem of sound recording “In the year 1887 he caimed in 894 “he idea oecurzed 10 me ‘hati was posible to devise an instrument which should do fr the eye what the phonograph docs for ‘he ear andthatby a combination ofthe to all mo- tion and sound could be recorded and reproduced simultaneously Whe he Gist half ofthis famous statement regulary quoted in connection withthe Invention of moving piste ithe lateral that offers insight int the expected role of sound in the new medium. From 188 to 1895, the Edson team, headed by W.K. Laure Dickson, labored to create a system whereby “motion and. sound could be recorded and reproduced simultaneously” culm rating in the introduction of the Kietoscope and inetophone. ‘> woul pic pronouncements seeing new system provided more information about the inventors aspirations than about is actual progres. ‘A century before the process was perfected inthe po lia domain, ion had mastered the wehsiqu of ‘the instil "la" repeated aring reporters into ‘making unjustified claims regarding the nature and ropes of hi research, In ety 190, aca news Paper reported thusly The idea Mr. Edson had in ind ws to the Dube speaker and photograph bi svcetly gor eee tines seed through sew ‘te spec the subject te being tthe same {ine recoded by th telephone. By am gesouly ona mechnism the reprodction oft db spect bythe phonograph and the pe. Sonal appenine, estcltons and faci ‘neta thn on taco bythe rope tne so exact timed eto be aynchronou. The Photographie purer foning one anaes therateof eight tormety ascond preduce acon “any mong ptr, eacy simusting the 3p petanceotthespeker whl he speech pe duced by the phonograph wil appeal come rom the ip ofthe orator Te experiment wae Pevfoaly secs and are now eancade, the now tage being the deeaprent of he ome Ghalside ofthe ireton andthe creator frac. ‘mand foenew product ‘The confision apparent inthis reporter coun perfectly eles the sate of ai inthe Eon Laboratory. tempting combine abst ofthe | ‘cephone phonoeph, nd sereoption Dido teamed as ofthis dite not ye produced any audio ‘inal combistion, but od cy se sol) Syeanized econo and presentation of ge aod sound 1 ‘A yerltr Eon wie invited members of the Federation of Womens libs 10 view the psp protorype ofthe Kintoscope, On that oesion the [Now tovk Sun eported Edson plans or he ney machine My ntention to have such apy combination of electric and photography that aman can st Ins own parlor and se reprodacel om asereen ‘he forms the payers nan opers produced on ‘wl er the Sound of hives hey al of “ngorluaghBsoelangit wit poset apy hissy to pz hts and boxing exh ‘tons Toe lesen wth the comments of ‘he pectoral the second the nose af ‘he Hows ands on willbe tally antec i ; “Two more ears lapsed before the ne spp ‘woud publicly dled. According the Brak {yn Sundard Unio “Toe Knctogagh, Edo] endef new mento, by means of which amon | ing ving cee brought before the ee hie he areas the scomponying sounds, as ple hibited forthe fe tine anywhere atte annual tng of the Department of Py ofthe rook} ‘gn nate, which took place at evening? Yet the} Depaper species, “The strum which wa | bite, however on presented he moving pee without the noes accompunying™ Images wih | {ound nvertles remained te overt goal When 4] Yes lier Dickson snd hs se publi recounted | 1ing work at Edson Laboratory, the desirability viding sound synchronized to the image re- hing more sd oF more natura could be than thes bexhing audi frms teks of anlar gesture and speech The cable swiftness ofthe photogapy sce ps and the exuste symcronsy of the opaphic attachment, have removed the lt ef stomatc ction 2nd he asin ior “The organ grinders tnankey jumps pon houlder tothe accompaniment of tain "Noma" The ich ttce oor oa [ano a heard tin the sppropiat dramatic onthe Bachamih i se winging Hs Po ashame eal in i ante can of al Leys pace wh hs syne me long withthe rhythmical mere ofthe beso sounding fata ins produced by the Edvon Laboratory in 1853-94 Grinder Blacksmithing See, Carmen). no ‘evidence aogset that the carping ys ever recorded. In ft, the istration of us ecording in the Dickson tice ares 8 1 suggest that synchvonzed sound wat chive daring this period, Yt the aspiration cx sichroized ound never wavered & desire for synchronized reprodiction of the prodced by image activity maybe taced to story of phonography. Esty phono- eloted as recording devices, eapable back recognizable copy of sounds pro on stage. The frst traveling phonograph iy involved visible production of ome sPech, musi, barking dogs, followed by ic Fepetion ofthat sound. The quality 9f any particular sound was les impor is match tothe ovgil This shady ut ee Edison happened onto the principle of raphy while tempting to perfect a devie eribing telegraphic messages, Film sound under the sign of tansrption. important synchronized sound may tthe Edson team during the erly ROM PEEP sttoW To PROJECTION fied oan atc ge a lattice pn ol 18905 this gol was events et ssde infor of ‘ammerciasing the Kinetosope Fist enpoted ‘4.0. Tate's sorefront parlor ats Broad on 4 Apri 54 the peephole devie wie an infinitely re petable loop of fl measuring les than fy feet and lasting no mote than twenty seconds, Like the ‘contemporary fp-ed Maoscope device, which ‘the American Mutoscope Co, ba to market just fey month Inter, the Kineoucope was exhibited without sound. ven silent, however, the reproduc Vion offered the Kinetoscope was regula praised and deemed wholly natural. A local newspaper ‘opined that, “The scene which i dipped in Me Joyce’ kinetoscope & that of thece Blacksmiths working at an anvil It is perfectly natural and ie- kein every respect” Scenic american echoes this jndgment “Inthe picture exhibited in the Kine, ‘graph every movement appeared perety smooth and natural... The machine inthis ase was not 2c companied by the phonograph, but nevertheless the ‘exhibition was one of gret interest" The publics wlingness to accepe a lent image as “natura” may be atibuted in part to the circumstances under which the peephole device wat exploited, Fromi | | | fobrinthe-Slot ‘inetd hs Se data ga Bostonto San Francie, by far the msjoriy of Kine toscopes were exploited in nicke-n-the-ot phono aap parlon—on one side «bank of machines hat feed sound without an image, onthe other ie 3 new row of instruments eferig an image without sound. Ironically, the Kinetoscope' sounlesness would thus be authorized bythe very phonograph whose transcription tendencies provided a model for Kinetophone sound. GRAPHOPHONE TALKING-MAGHINE For $20.00 Former prices, $50.00 to $75.00. saa Sa Py For afl yar, the Knetoscope ruled the ete ‘ainment roost Of the 73 Kinetoscope event sold, most were delivered bythe spring of 895, wh Some sty es were availble Final Api 8 2s demand for the Knetotcope waned, Edson beg to make deivris of his long announced Kine phone? Basically a modied Kinetascope, wih a Phonograph in the spot where the battery had pret ‘ously been located, the Kinctophone festured eatlistening to compen In site of substndal effort on ns eam, the Kinetophone would never enjoy Be fateul synchronization promised by Ealsons ations over the preceding ive years Unable peephoe view pat of atone at eri to produce precie gmchronzation, the new mi thine did, however, offer 2 more generalized sym hronization, thanks to savry production choes Instead of offering speche ropes ais, the Kinet ‘ophone was regularly outed with ls featuring dances or marching bands. OF the fifty-five tes listed in Edison’ mid.tos catalog, one thi are march or dance flme—and we know fiom new et references that thes re thems st often in stale in Kinctophones!© Dancers and marching bands do indeed offer ‘unique synchronization opportiitis. Instead of people making sounds (like the lctorere or opera singers mentioned in Edison's earlier pronounce. ments), dance and band files portray people keping time ose, Whereas people making sounds te ‘quite exact instantaneous synchronization, dancers and marching bands eal tolerate lose synchro. ization. “One ofthe new machine is now in operce sgt Sat en “ore ee can 4 of an med ee agin ation in the Company's ffs a printed announce ‘ment prohims. "The li i the Fist Act of The -Mik Wie Flagand asthe band is seen comsingito ‘ew in the Kietosope the muse Buss forth with volume and melody thatis aly wonderland re alist" Similar testimony comes from an anon ‘mous contemporary report "we were present at a performance of military band music. We saw the conductor wave from the podium and spread both bis arms to give the signal forthe instruments to ben playing, The music immediately began playing, sof? Offering 2 single close correspondence point to establish snehonizaton (always located a ‘he very bepaning of the flyin) the Kinet Phone would depend heal on em-qchroniaton ‘nth dance a band movement ‘A page fom an 85 lin publication, sugges. ing appropriate musical cylinders for use with specie Kinetophone films, constitutes the east, extng ist of recommended musical sccompani= ‘ment fr silent lms! OF the seventeen fms men- tioned, all svaable from the Continental Phono- raph Kinetoscope Co. of Milan, iten are dance of ‘march films the only exceptions—a juggler and a contortionist—may well hve performed 19 music, ‘The proposed accompaniment yindrs ll contin musi thats chosen for is rythmie match to the mage: ablly dance number for Princess Al's Egy ‘ton Dance an Afian wedding mach forthe Fis lander Pudale Dance, marchesby Gilmote's Band for Band Della Finale of st Act, Hoyts “Mi White Flag” wahze for Carmencta snd Annable Bute Davee. Interestingly, the only prescribed casicl rember, sections from Cavalleria Rasicona i Paired both with the juggler and the contortion the only performers who don't either dance oF march Recognizing the potential of ight clas music to provide a deviale background only loosely matched to the image, this recommendation ‘comes twenty year ahead oft me Before cinema became cinema-—wth projected images—the Kinetophone had thus aleady esa lished important aspirations and standad fo Sim Sound. Tied by is technology tothe phonograph, the Kinetophone would sto be fundamentally de- pendent on phonographic values and practices. At this pointin itshistory, the phonograph wa til pe ‘marily a recording instrument, Touted by Edison 35 an office dictating devi, the phonograph was best known for its ability wo provide automate tanscip- ion This is pecs the tlationship hat presides ‘over Edison Kinetophone-rdated dacourse. fst a showmen would show singe singing and hen play ‘the freshly made recording ofthe singe singing, the ew machine we to offer the image of « sound-PROM PEEP SHOW TO PROJECTION accompa by transcription ofthe sound produced in the image. Unie to atin the o8raphy-ispted goal of pointby-piat sym. ization, the ste ofthe atin the mid-8pon limited to semi-syncheonization, with heary iKinetophone pulsing established rlation- that would endure for many years. While some seemed appropriate for ute withthe Kineo others were deemed Better served by the scop'silent presentation. Complemented by transformation kts for the Kinetoscpe, the hone enjoyed modest succes for about a Neither appratos would survive the 196 jn ion of projected moving pictures, Jn-theslot technology remained strong years ong enough to see the introduction chin that claimed to sti Edison's asic for synchronization. Developed by EA. Reeves ioe, the Strcophone is described a6 2 ion ofthe phonograph and coxmoram or matic stereoeope PF ngs nd usrates thm o shows inter views and dsb them, Oe ie or called "Going tothe Circus Looking the ist scene you se the crus procession a tng and hear he band psy gadul be Toader at I growing neater Tae ext Be near view of he dant and you est ies andthe band inthe dtc Then Proccion views ar shown ep ih accompanying sre ie, the ot hone ete Then iw of he cies shown and you hate hikers es wl known era sound Then ie the Fist and You ses thea den, near views ofthe Hon tnd hippopotems, Brod imation ofthe gro ofthe Lon Theo ise he ig tet you sete od fr _ietes and ea the olf fame ee reba predrsistingthen=Thes i Fd concert shed Gal ending with ‘pposed to be sung by the concert dll about thee mints sn fore ‘ands she ania and doubles this ight beaded Going to te Crews is enough to make 2 contempo rary composer of descriptive musi envious Though it made litle commer impact, the Stersophone ‘esis to the importance of synchronized relic sound 2 a coming goal for tun-oFthe-cenary entrepreneurs, Projected Images, Ina several teams were boring o produc chin that would projet moving images By the end ofthe year the Lthams had demonstrated thei Abolscop, the Lumiee brothers had shown their Cinématographe, and Jenkins and Armat ha exhib ited their Phantoscope, eventually Ficnssd to Raf ‘nd Gammon and reamcd the Vtscope. Cleverly contracting with Edison to manufacture the Vite scope and provide lms, Raf nd Gannon thus e- ‘uted the best posible publeiy—asociton with the "Wizard of Menlo Park” The 33 April 896 Vite scope premiere at Koster and Bal» Music Hall a New Yor Cty on the erent ston of May's d- partment store) thus tracted an enormous amount ‘of meds attention. More than just new vaudevile 4 the Vtascope was presented the phenomenon ofthe age the brainchild ofthe worl rests in ‘enor: As such it was gten the kindof wrapping that no oer vaudeville newcomer ever enjoyed The Times noted thatthe projectors were draped wth ‘ive vet brocade The Daily News pointed out thatthe pctres were projected on a drop curtain with age pct frame painted in the cemer™ ‘Am engraving fom the Nw York Herald represents the spectators as sea of top hats While reports on ‘sil aecompaniment for thi inaugural show are notoriously fragmentary, we do know thot the re. ent ensemble, De Leo Sommers Blue Hungarian Band, introduced and acompanie atleast the iia fins “The Band srk up ively air and fom ove head could be heard a whirng noise hat ated for few moments then there Mashed upon the screen the45 vio “The Vitascope” 5 The a mse cynic LO.De Wath "The Vinee my fe sn gures of two dancing gil who tripped nd iret ad while an umbrelbefor them It is fclt eo tl fom this text whether the band’ primary purpose here iso accompany the opening fl, Umbrella Danes, oto provide the kind of an fare atonal provided fora star's sage entrance saute es be Soak trent ote ‘ingen obs ReoZona phonographic model Butonce moving wee projected, what might we expect a5 code? According 10 what standards fone possibly decide what connttes "appro A single page ofthe Phonosope will ate the complexity ofthe problem. the very relevance of periods! named rape” requires some explanation. The ‘on 4 new technology are commonly publications decsted to domaine now un pert to reviews of phonograph records (in 2), sage productions (in the Dramatic anternslides (in Views and Fils fedex boing Picre World and View Photographer). ay szocition with other media con ly to cin density crs. n No ers elid months of motion pc gem premieres, Phonescoe correspondents ein ling fashion on slr "Piture Project. 5” Herein brie is how each syste was (with added itis for terminology bor other medi} Vitascope hae boen called an inproved “The picttes reproduced have been photographed on Kintoscope fms, and ‘about a large as ones fingenal. The ed for scene reproduction, ae each eng, and contain several hundred pe- Bat oto make up a panorama, ematographe consis of box in. X10 ining sercs of rel upon which the at yards long of photographic sis ap bshinda set of emagniyinglenss Each sno arer than postage stamp. fndid auspices, a special interest being Perormanceby the semi-politcl char ison to iveto the world the Telephone, has made itself manifest in “The Bidloscope” This instruments tothe ye what the Telephones tothe ‘exe..AS the camera can easly take 2000 impres- ‘Sons per minut, the photographs, displayed before the vision with such rapidity foe an ever moving ving pcr. + At the Imperial Theatre, the Phamoscope has proved itself a drawing card. The pitwres are all French view * The Theatrograph tll ntents and purposes 1 powerful serepticon provided with a series of ‘whe, oer which i passed spool of fils o pie- tures taken ofthe same scene nity short i terval” ‘One senses the writer? discomfort in describing the new phenomenon. Lacking standard language to ‘esgnate these ferent picture projecting” devices (the monthly column’ very ee fame the tem ‘with quotation marks) the journal’ representatives ros resort 10 neologinms(quetagreph) or Famiiar terminology borrowed from ater medi (improved Kincocope, panorama, photographic fils, cen, perfomance, Tetephons, ving pcr views erp. ‘Scan picure) Ta each one of thes borrowed iden- tikes impiilycoresponds a diferent style of ac- ompaniment. It thus harlysurpiing thatthe carly history of projected motion pictures should present sucha variety of sound strategies (On 29 Tune 3896, the Lumite Cinématographe rected it US. debut t Keith's Union Square The ‘ve in New York City, Reporting that “Lew Shaw Aeny introduced three ew views” the Clipper ‘wenton o opine that he ws arly necesaryasthe ews speak for themes, eloqueaty! Had the roving pictres not been idenid with magic luntexn “views” no need would have been fel fora lecturer Reviewing the ery sme program the Dra mate Minor concentrated instead on an entirely dt ferent sound practic, affering that, "The els ‘ed behind the scenes while the pictures ar being shown add gestly to the effect”? IF the Cine ‘malopraphe had not boon exhibited ona age, ndthus asimined to a theatrical production, i is oubfl that sound effects would have been made avaiable. When in August the Cinémarogaphe ‘eached Keith's Bijou in Philadephia, sound efats continued tobe used slong with mse matched onssreen set No pay af the pst season has contained st: 2hion mor thing than dhe reprodacton of & parade ofthe Nine-ssth Regiment Fenh Ca Sry The soliersmarch othe sting tone of the “Alesile” andthe scene sired the aude to's ich of ents that at racy boon ue by any fom of enersinmen. The ly ingot the“Mareilai” ied noite nthe ofthe pte Inthe sham bate sane the rostead at dincetedalo ade the won fl realism ofthe cee plea aunt da tet scan (iden dancing he sans fahand-ogan) were als exelent species of ‘he woof the cnemarogpe pment rn Seok ie Sieg of Soa ch Cane a ne Are reas ses etbafpim nal aber be oles pcr sg he Ctra pe at Gye tour a nee ae Sent ed impor a Singin canto i ip fe yi csp CLES) Sng oe tee ns [sal wy he en ras sarah eetgelotr ern ur hr onl cece a “nepali gestae Tani ay oe a Teh oe ge gin ee oe; dean eerste Suna cena hed ieoas Eien oat Souda ‘One review of The Charge ofthe Seven Fre Cairasiers mentions "the gallop ofthe hors, loud of dust raed by thei hoo, the jinging the toopes accoutrements, their cireee snunteted hands” while another provides ‘more auditory deat: "The bugle cil vance Ineard the clanking of sabees ings ou through ‘theatre and the easees paring of hore all ad to ane of the most exciting scenes ever payed”? This lin so delighted spectators d {he fllowng evenings public shoving that tha be repeated. Finally, 2 nature documentary ‘tured intoa novelty film by clever accompa ‘The guar, ptr of ie peste nd cekthat wriggle a though thoy wee oh tural deme o fogs were faded i the) Sobmarine company and when Lovenberg’s Or ‘her, whch Rad been rendering some mie {ens started up ajigte whch he gs ep ine, ‘heaplase was unbounded Ling selec Kis Ope Ho eed aie’ ja hey ‘lean ote ac Beane ome fhe fr tk god we of hes sound el nd sony ers ood we fod eile aon ster end ‘la by thigh jk of the ting oe Wenthe Rogar aly pn cnr a the il of ip fr ee ted os vay of wound tremens Dating shoving exe ome 0 Repbcn Cabe trea fp Hal ee om Sante Mata open compny sang“ Wt etl e Do"® Tecan of decir nd xc ye round bt wa peel in tcp with period prac of gong to compen Pic eugdhiman utleof iar vi Compo or mage aren vs When i geah wa ecb in Onis tn Cc Enter was ec igre The Eni Set ips ot Now York ete i ing onal eof ck ah ac ta Editiikea paptating monster, as big at rely, item perfelly reproduce, and the orchestra sight withthe sound that when i is ‘st spelbound, elted in happy wonder is scenic and mechaniesl eduction are to give on sign of hope to the draped sen sy af or music halls OF course had the shown ina music hal thee would in all “Reh furnishes with every the nies ch accompany the sve. Ths anid iil came oon device tht wl Be phos well as reproduce of Sens At jou thera ofthe waves sping of wae, fing of tands of music fcomaie whi Sreum, et are accompaniment that no spall dein the 8 wks sacs eae ting + single devie that would record sound and image, many raveling shower olive or recorded sound efets. Afr per Jon the impending extacysm tobe brought Projection of The Black Daman Expres Albert E Smith lecturer} Suse, 8 would turn into «sound efets man, sn- 5 oncoming tain, Audiences apprised of bells the roar ofthe wheal, the rash my and the whistle ofthe The Blak Dia new medium lacks strong identi xh supply thir own Beas each loc and topic was already ssocated with tration, fs realy fund themes Fo what we might cll “eden practices. ina theater with its own orchesta and o sound effects personne! was ety assimilated to & Play and received the auditory tretment typically ‘Bien tpl. Send these fm on the road with & ‘couple of tnerantshowmen having ony thei wa four hands to provide both projection and sound and i tums into someting ele entire Show tina ‘music hall nd the resident band may well ccm: pany i In some eases, however, the nature ofthe films themselves invokes a specific auditory radon that is powerful enough 1 overide questions of enue and audience. When Klw and Esangers ori Pasion Pay played the Pisdlphi Academy of Music during Thangiving week 1897, ws pre- sented by lester Eres Lacy and acsompanied by unseen organ musie™™ Local religious music aso complemented Professor Lacy's Baltimore leture: “Not alice ofthe fetivenes ofthe performance esterday was duet the accompanying musi Dur ing the presentation of some ofthe views an organ ccompaniment was payed by John R. Clrano ‘The iil tableaux were acentted by slo en etd by Mins Dance el In a ‘sao oie and Mr: N-Du Shane Clowar, who has 2 magnificent baritone” In 3836, at New You's ‘Academy of Musi "music by oxgan and horses accompanied “THE GREAT SCENES OF THE PA SION PLAY" presented by lecturer Rew. Thomas Dinan, Je* Wheter in Baltimore’ Msc Hal, local church a in smal towns throughout Americ, rin New York’ prestigious Eden Musée, the rele tious character ofthe various Pasion Ply versions lied accompaniment by scred mus ‘Wis the music played primary between tableau, ss ithad ben for Stoddard Passion Ply lectures?” for did musical performances actally accompany ‘ln projection A pubic ter from the American Motoscope & Biogrph Co, dated 22 November 1900, argues strongly in favor of he former. "We de- siretocallyour attention tothe Biograph ar an enter tae for your Church this Winter” the eter begins -Armodest props follows ‘We wal fnish you with Bigrah nd site 36 or ion ech you may pee loinures ves arranged on ses of pes tars each. The charge fo the Blogrph for one ‘ening 33a Theol other eharge wl be for rave gen dring she vine theese ing changed The Bagaph viwsand mas ill {Brean etiam stig sbow two hoor Reproducing» pattern far to all trn-o-he entry Amricins, whether they fequented the theater ofthe Lyceum iret the leer proposes an evening of sernation between moving pictures and ‘musi, Offering an important additonal stracion to a musicchongry population, Biogaph imagines ‘mason “dring the tne thatthe el ae being changed” Tost 2 508 accompaniment was influenced by available esources, exhibition venes, and fl top iesso audience reponse varied widely Projected in { thester and accompanied like a ply, ery fms ‘were gece ike melodrama. During the 836 pres enti campaign sudincas often hissed one ofthe adits, teting him Hea stage vil” while Cheering the other Spectator participation fo Towed the period practic of atv, worl involve ment. Theurn-o-the-century pres often ad more to say about audience noise than about musi 2c companiment + Pandemonium broke loose for five minutes [NewYork Mai and Express 1 Oe. 1896) *The cheering was incessnt.[New York Ti brs 33 03896} * Ningrs Fall made sreslstie pouring picture, ‘but ther oie in the original could not be much Touder than the cheece that gece the picture of them, [New Yok Ties 33 Ot 1856} "The ther night two lds in oneof the boxes on the lefthand side of the horseshoe, which i just, vere the [Empire Stat Expres yer vanishes from view, screamed and neatly inte ait came appar- ently rushing down upon them, [New Yor Mail and apres 17 Ot 1896] He was esived with tremendous cheering, and there were loud eal for a spech. [New Yr Herald Now. 18961" At the Pilsaphia opening ofthe Hévite Play something eaizely diferent took pac. At spectators applauded each tableau, sin reo ton of the theatrical character ofthe projected ‘pe, But soon," semed gradually to dn up them that they were witnessing something they cag the spc ofthe actors, and thes ‘which flowed at sgafcnt of ther feeingg ike the accompaniment povided by the exhibiy ‘he accompaniment provided bythe audience widely daring ln’ aly years Discontnulties ven init rageentary ad limited state the able record regarding ea fm sound reveals an ‘rsoninary range of practices. Evidence remains musi, ound effects, and lectures, produced byl occhestis, sagehands, phonograph recordings the human oie. From the few reining bits of formation bout specific mia numbers, we ‘hat fm accompaniment curing tis pstiod every tradition: dance mos, marches, ‘ascl sections, and popular songs. One ques ‘eming, Dring this period id ms always ha sos sort of sound acompanimnent? acy sept from abroad cetily suggest wie, After seeing the February 896 opening Ci tmatographe showin London, , Winter fered Feport “The pict varies, bat the el aay the tamer teint oi bao ie whe ‘erence, Tia Hie sipped of cxlaur and of sound ‘hough you ate conisous of the sunshine, the eta sade to uniform and afing ey Though the waver beak upon an imagines bore, they brrakina sence whieh doubles yourshrlke Ing rom grey. The boys ugh wih jes. ndsnouthcthatyoucan sca glance Bat ey ‘ugh ssn which no ipl ars” Jus ew month le, Masi Gon rected quit simialy to a Lumiére program atthe Nizhal Novgorod ue. The seen tees eth if e 5 —— j 7 iworld without sound” Everything takes Ge “in strange silence where no rumble of the ic heard, no sound of footsteps or of spech Nota single note of he intricate symphony ys accompanies the movements of people” augh until hee sides split, "but not sound "Bren in France, where we know that the cgraphe was fst introduced to piano a ent, it would appear that avbuoquent took place in musical silence From the work come many later reports of sent ns likely that inthe United States a well o conclusions from thi fact vaudeville re dott mention acompzniment either, and we ‘one available piece of hard evidence on ent exibition offs pertains, onicall to of exibition. The Vitacope projector was noigas we ascover each ie the relate the Cintmatogrphe is pried As the cen- 10 close. projector noise increstngybe- fssue, to the point where the Optigeaph one ofits primary sling points. nan often statement, absence of noise was presented ofthe projectors "Pols of Superonty” Dio. The sbene of moe» feture of great si the Optzaph Motion Picture Machine. hth machin noi sn greta ncesy tke apna ther mu Bl nsrument going wie the metion pictures show to prevent annoyance tthe au The Optigagh works wil moton thts cath, easy nd pre, that thee alot erly statements regarding flim sound, raps point has « double edge. On the one Bit soggess hab common agreement the evel noise required musical accompaniment. hus conclude that musical accompaniment on. Atthesame time, however, it ndiats that fn musie vas considered dispensable: i ll Drojectors were a quit as the Optigrph, music ‘would no longer be need. We may thus concise ‘hat musical accompaniment was not alway deemed necessary. nthe fc of such contradictions, the ei- ence regarding sence in erly American fl exh bition most be considered incomplete Distinctions were regularly mad mong Sento ‘es according to thee suitability fr musi accom: animent. The very fest Vitssope catalog ised by Raffand Gammon in March to incuderapagersc- fommendig the we of musi wth ected ms. “Al subjects made up of dancing, marching or other acts nd scenes where mica election inne withthe ‘movement arin place, canbe made more interesting and remarkable by the addition of mie™ Match ing Kinetophone’s preference for dance or march films coupled with dance or march musi, there fommendation justifies mesial accompaniment on igeic grounds. Understanding musc-makers 3+ Simply snother group of sound effects personel this pproach configures musicians aan ipl port of ‘heim word Complementing thes els the ‘otchestra or pianist simply supplies that which isi ‘led bat not provided by the image. Musi shee ‘ndestood not a a shetorcal device designed to suid spectator reaction othe fm butasa ety fect directly contributing to the film's reproductive quae. Bry silent lm practice i thas precy the evere of what has since the thisties bee led Mickey Mousing” When muse iitates the move- rent of sound fl actor, ii peresved a lly ‘outside (and after) the imag, wheres ary ims sound insted emulates sound effets, sock toa ea internal tothe image, af ithad been produced contemporancowy with he imag, ‘Opportunites for traveling showmen 10 add ‘moving picttesto thei shows were regularly outed by phonograph manicures, a inthis 859 FM. Prescott catalog entry: Wah the adiet of the Grapophone Grand, hich reproduces as load snd naturals the aman vie or at orchees band combined‘Pusical Accompaniments RSE ‘THE EDISON PHONOGRAPH seat te cl cpt fo Sneogaph and grphophone is now pose 20 ‘hat he audience may bear as well ase the ee Ermince By the ue of the flowing out as strated showin cnecon wth the Ginengaph is ‘Sireords Rarmonted thes af dancers oF ‘et marching, eam be reproduced So tht the ai ‘nce may se the dancing othe marching ed esr the mus othe steps athe sae ine The CGaphopone i plced onthe sage sod the aud fe cam bear the msc pli The Gropbo- fone i operated independent up the sage bythe etre he Cancngrap being operated in theta ofthe hl or rom by a asta, bu ‘operators workingin conjunction Tes instructive to compare this exhortation to use ‘he phonograph o accompany dancing and march ing ns with the same ctl’ scription wd projection of raion ils “The drop curtn has ln forthe inten, when dey he hoses dakened ad he Towing announcement side thrown on the screen by the ereptic atchment The Bac Diamond Expres. “hnumber of workmen ae engaged in epi ing the rosdbed. There appear the distance, jist emerging fom the wood, a coud of white Sinoke wich win a ow socond shapes uel {nt thous ofan apreching tian hen ‘hetamour"Black Diamond” apres handesto: ‘rtd andy the window at remendous seta Ina tihng the whale sen disappears the shea iapinlighed uote sconce hangs onthe pine dopa ‘Adapted from a Sears and Racbuck clog descrip tiom Bist included in the Spring 89 catlog a tisement forthe Optigraph, and repeated in the 1898 and Spring bp catalogs, this evocation of Tote-nineteenthcentury film exhibition makes mention of musi, eventhough Prescot touts tseuness of the Graphophone Grand to pro musi accompaniment fr selected fils. “The Prescot esalg provides «preliminary planation for his diference. According to the. log, the Gaphophone Grand is be operated the lectures" During the final quarter of then teenth century, spectators had become acus to the two-man lecturing team. While the p font mained wit he projector, the eter ‘cupid the tage, providing anything from an lectre 9 intermitent comments. Whenever topicor the sumpruousness ofthe occasion musi the numbers would be pce jst 28a ‘heater before, between, and afer the store seotations When the lecturer projections 9 ‘was adapted othe new moving picture medium, Iectarercommenlyinteodueed the flm as be wa introdvce a phonograph record. When proe ‘began the lcrer would abandon the tring im onde to playa phonograph record, provide ‘ees or prepare the next lm. Contemporary suggest that musie was most commonly ued‘The Vitascope being Exhibited in a Theatre or Public Hall (Tee mie cane PARTMENT 01 : DEI F | PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT OUTFITS AND SUPPSis hat depict music-making, dancing, or march ing while sound effect were most common with representations of nosy mechanical eves ike fire trucks and steam engines. Rarely would musi and sound eects be combined for asngle lm, and then only inthe largest theaters ‘One remaining form of documentation deserves to be evoked at this point. Er fim public olen Included a sized graphic representation of fim projection and helm aience. Used on posters in Catalogs, in advertisement copy and on corporate stationery, these images typically epresent the po jection proces with a trlangulr bear of ight ‘way showing film image on the sren. Thought there ea ret deal of repetition i these on-screen images, many ferent scenes are nevertheless po teayed: several diferent dancers, locomotives and ‘warships marching bands, Edison's The May Trin Kis, Lumitee's The Gardener and the Bad Boy, and the Lathas’Bulfght (or possibly one of Edison's 1898 Bul Fgh ils" Ierestingly, some ofthese ther musicians nor any other obvious sound secon ‘paniment A clea logic dictates the inclusion or 2b Sence of musie sources, Systematically orchestral fsscompaniment ie chown with on-cren images representing dancers and marchers, while musicians st absent for locomotives, warships, and narrative ‘ln other words thei for which previously quoted texts lead us to expect musical accompa rent are shown withan orchestra, whereas no muse ‘shown for hove fms that seem to require snd fect oF for which no consistent sound model hat ‘been evoked. The exception tat proves the rule is ‘Bullfh shown with orchestral accompaniment a 1902 Ksine catalog.” While cetsiny neither a dance ‘or a march film, Bulfgh had shorty afer being shot a 96 been incorporated ito the fourth act of {8 Carmen tage production.» le Wdentifcation with the opera cles justifies the unexpected orchestral sscompaniment in Klin catalog ‘This fascinating distribution of music among films sepesented in cinema publicity coeresponds witnests to silent projections regulary expres thet ‘quite precisely to many previously quoted examy both prescriptive and descriptive. Together, thes Arawings and teats suggest that atthe tar of th century cinema’ fist standard for sound produc tion was alread in pace. ust asthe phonograph w rimatlyconsidred as an instrument capable producing record eats early ines wasn Aestod ata deve forthe reproduction of realy Soune!s major role during this period ay in rein forcing that realty, Whenever sound is implied by the image, his eal standard species the exhibit may usefully supply (ie, simulate) that sound. ‘ound-ffects oriented aesthetic obtains whether th sound is dicey impli (people or abjects shown ‘making sounds), oF sugested only niet (peo ple or animals movin in time to some wnheard sound). In the former ease the exhibitor prov ‘what we usually cal*sound effects (crashing bricks train whistles, saber clases), whereas the later sit ‘sion typically regues what we term “music” (he ‘waka or march to which on-sceen character to be moving: butt ie important to recog tha ‘this terminology corresponds not to diferences in ‘motivation for the sound, bt only to 3 disineton betwesn sound providers Whether the fm is om: plemented by "sound effets" or “music the Ismeantto be understood asa product the ima the sound-mskers are thus implicitly within space implied bythe image. At this early te, sound ‘secompaniment is thus conigured nots retort cal addition tothe image but a8 3 form of entre quis, Musicians and sound efets personnel al “throw their vies as it were into the image, The hole pint of this early sound standard is to ma ‘the sound seem tobe coming fom the image, thu teinforcng the ater tanecrptive poner ‘We may usefully cll his eaely aecompani approach the *cued-ound aeshetic® because it tently bated on the presence of sound cues (orhether for music or effects) within the image Note that this aesthetics operative even when accompaniment is provided. As we have sen eatvat they cain 0 need is Got jst sound n genera but the specie sounds ins, ied by the image. nother words, this not a ease ‘fen mentioned eerinest of silence (which 3 sometimes evoked, though les often than eal texts imply), but cel expressed ned for sounds. Whether of not individual ex: iors actualy provided the sounds implied bythe 1 of course heavily dependent on thet ce Kelis Providence Opers House could es. ish sound fet for Tearing Dow a Wal for The queria, but a soo itinerant show tan would be hard pu to provide similar accompa Nor would the quality of fects or masibe in these very diferent cates. n both sis Tower, exhibitors would be reaching t- identical oa of increasing he i's realty ning 2 film's reproductive qualities is not iy reson for ealy exhibitors to provide ud, however. ll to0 often, we forge that ery ins were rarely presented inthe context of pro devoted exclusively to film Films alot a. plemented other entertainments, includ. theatrical performance, lantern slide, tecords, and...musi. Plyed before, Weshvandafter the actsof pay the tableaux of 8 Pay, or rel of film, msi wa clearly ue ertood asa major atteation inthis period when Americans wee enjoying a love afi with ll sorts ‘of muscle or canned, Whether politcal. religous, ‘sient artiste, o simply amusing, no event dur ing this period could afford to do without music ‘The key to understanding ery fm sound es inthe etiods continued tendency to separate fl accom Pniment, heavily dependent onthe cued-sound c= slic ashe fom entertainment musiin the oF ‘hestral overture or matching band tration By the teens, these two approaches would merge, but atthe {um ofthe century cued Sound and entertainment si existed side-by-side and separately, Asthe new century began cinta sound was hus Aosbly discontinuous. Contemporary standards ‘ied accompaniment for seeted los ony In ‘many theaters. dunce and marching band fms could ‘count on some form of musi accompaniment but fms tacking clear usiication for msc would us sll do without. Simisly, sound efets might well be introduced, ut they would accompany. only image events lay productive of sound. Fall, in ‘many theaters music would serve asan leratve to the fl, providing an independent pint of intrest Precisely at the moment when the fl cel ws bing ‘hanged. One way o another, the sound component of eat film venues would usualy be characterized bys dont.