Music+and+Movies

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=Music and Motion Pictures= By Hugo Riesenfeld //Former Managing Director of the Rivoli, Rialto and Criterion Theatres, New York City// [|Introduction] | [|Kinds of Music] //|// [|Aid to Musicians] //|// [|Arrangement and Use of Scores] [|Field for Composers] //|// [|Growing Demand for Musicians] | [|American Leadership]

Introduction
If it were possible to see at a glance every city of 50,000 inhabitants and over in France, Italy and Central Europe, one would be struck by a certain similarity. However widely these cities may differ in architecture, in language, in the appearance of their people, they have one element in common. Each has its own municipal theatre where the entire population goes regularly to hear opera and light opera. And each has its promenade concerts where the symphonic works of the great masters are played. Here in the United States we have no such institution for developing an appreciation of good music among the people. With the exception of the Metropolitan, the Chicago Opera Company, and one or two touring companies, we have no organization which furnishes us with operatic performances. We have twelve symphony orchestras of first order for a population of one hundred million. Were it not for a substitute that has sprung up in the last twelve years or so, a vast number of Americans would never hear the finer musical works. This substitute is our motion picture theatre-an institution in which the United States rules supreme-which more or less duplicates the work of the European musical organizations. Early in its existence the motion picture discovered that its growth could be materially aided by grafting to itself the sister art, music. Each of them has benefited. Whenever there is a film theatre of any size, there is now a good orchestra. When one considers that there are about 18,000 such theatres in the country, one realizes what an influence the industry can exert on the musical life of America. The development of motion picture music in the short space of ten or twelve years has been remarkable. Those who were adventurous enough to go to the much-maligned movies a decade ago will recall what a miserable musical accompaniment was furnished. A single pianist drummed mechanically on a tuneless instrument. The same threadbare melodies tinkled in one's ears whether the screen showed a tender romance or the villain getting his just reward. During the supper hour the music would stop altogether while the pianist slipped out for a bit of nourishment. Turn the pages from yesterday to today. Many of the country's finest instrumentalists are now playing in motion picture houses. The palatial theatres in the larger cities often have orchestras of eighty or more players. They spend hundreds of thousands of dollars annually on music alone. In fact, in some cases the cost of music totals a third of the total running expenses. The best organists and conductors are engaged. Music and music of the highest caliber is considered indispensable. The dignity that has been achieved by the motion picture industry from a musical standpoint is indicated by the important musicians who have entered the field. Henry Hadley, well known associate conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, appeared on the program at the presentation of //Don Juan//. Such recognized artists as Percy Grainger, Orville Harrold, Hans Kindler and Sascha Jacobson have frequently played in motion picture houses. Film theatres, because of their ability to pay large salaries, can attract the best musicians, where sometimes concert managements are loath to take the risk.

Kinds of Music
Motion picture music may be divided into two groups. There is the program music, which includes the overture, solos, ballet and dance music, and the like. And there is the accompanying synchronized score, which forms the background of the film. As to the former, the taste of the public is in a state of flux just now. American passion for jazz is at its height. The public-at least the motion picture public-cannot seem to get enough of it. It is like a child with a new toy, unable to see anything else. So, for the time being, jazz predominates in our film theatres. However, I believe it is only a matter of time before the wheel of public favor again turns, bringing the better type of music to the foreground again. Above all else America wants variety, and in time it will again want its jazz tempered by classical music. A jazz selection is old and discarded in a single season. A Beethoven overture or Chopin nocturne is eternally new. Jazz, that native American product, should by all means be encouraged. It has proved itself worthy of admission to the field of modern music. It has undoubtedly a permanent place in the world's store of fine music. Such modern composers as Gershwin, Harling and John Alden Carpenter have helped to dignify and perpetuate it. On the other hand, there is still a vigorous minority of theatergoers who want classical music, who loudly express regret that it has been dropped from some programs. I believe that the motion picture theatre should cater to the desires of this minority. From a commercial standpoint it would be worth while because it would serve to hold these people to the theatre. From an artistic standpoint it would be invaluable, since it would keep alive in this country a love of finer music. There is no reason why classical and modern music cannot be combined on the same program. Some of our finest symphony orchestras do this in the concert halls.

Aid to Musicians
Much has been done by the motion picture theatre already to aid the cause of good music. It has offered to new singers and instrumentalists an excellent means of developing their art. The practical experience of singing before a film audience for a week is equivalent to months of secluded practice at home. It develops poise and stage presence, so that when the performer is at last ready for his ultimate goal, the opera house or concert hall, there is less probability of stage fright. As a training school for singers, America's motion picture houses more than take the place of the provincial opera houses of Europe. The standards of the former are higher in most cases, and certainly they offer better compensation. Salaries for soloists at the major metropolitan theatres range from a hundred to four hundred dollars a week. This money enables numbers of new performers to continue with their studies, where without such financial help, it might be necessary for them to give up the struggle, with success a short but unspannable distance away. A number of successful artists have graduated from the motion picture stage to that of the coveted Metropolitan Opera House. Among those who served their apprenticeship in the film theatres are Mario Chamlee, lyric tenor, Anne Roselle, dramatic soprano, Vincente Ballester, baritone, Jeanne Gordon, contralto; also Mary Fabian of the Chicago Opera Company and Emanuel List of the Berlin Opera and La Scala, Milan. For the young and striving artist, this is an invaluable stepping stone to a broader career.

Arrangement and Use of Scores
Now as to the scores. The hit-or-miss musical accompaniment furnished by the bored pianist in the old days has long since been abandoned. Nowadays no important picture is released without a specially prepared score. Nearly every large theatre has a musical director who arranges the scores of the lesser films from week to week. Infinite care is taken and sometimes weeks spent in the preparation of a score, so that every emotion and every bit of action on the screen will be exactly reproduced musically. As long as six months has sometimes been spent on certain of the more important scores. The chief difficulty in score writing or arranging is keeping the music subordinate to the action on the screen. It must never obtrude itself. The audience must never be conscious of hearing a familiar tune. To achieve this, the musical director who is obliged to prepare a new score every week must have at his disposal a limitless supply of music. For this purpose the metropolitan theatres maintain enormous libraries, some of them containing 25,000 pieces of music. These are all catalogued, not only by titles and authors, but also by the type of emotion or kind of action which they suggest. When the score writer wishes a piece of music giving the atmosphere of the opening scene of MacBeth, he refers to the sections marked "Witch Dances" or "Ominous Music." In the same way he may instantly put his hands on music which suggests the sound of an aeroplane, anger, a runaway horse, a canoe drifting down a quiet stream. A staff of trained librarians is required to keep this stock of music constantly replenished with fresh works. The larger musical publishing houses have a standing order to send everything that comes off their presses. Material is sought in France, Germany, England, Italy and even the Orient. The musical stores of every country are assiduously combed for melodies that will create just the right illusion. When that remarkable film //Grass// was being prepared for public presentation, the services of an authority on the music of Eastern tribes were called upon. For //The Vanishing American//, rare and little known songs of the Indians were utilized. In //Deception//, original music written by Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII was dug out of the forgotten archives. The compiler or arranger of scores searches down every possible alley, in every corner for something that will give just the right effect. He knows the vital importance of an appropriate score. A good film can be made even better by a good score. An inferior film does not seem nearly so bad if it has an excellent musical background. In preparing the music for a film, the director first has the picture run off while he makes notes. He then consults his library for selections which he believes will produce the proper atmosphere. With these before him he again calls for a running off of the film, and working at a piano, he tries out the music he has selected. Now and then he presses a button which notifies the projectionist to stop the machine while he looks for a different number or makes further notes. After the music the music is assembled and timed to the film, it is turned over to copyists who prepare a complete score for the musicians. Usually three or four days are devoted to rehearsals. Very often, if the arranger cannot find satisfactory music for a certain bit of action, he is obliged to compose some himself. The musical ability required for this work is of such a high caliber that only the larger theatres are able to afford it. It cannot be expected that the musical head of a theatre in a small town will be able to write as good a score as an expert employed by a metropolitan theatre. For this reason many scores are syndicated, and sent with the film all over the world. The most recent developments along the line of making the best music available to smaller communities is the Vitaphone. This invention is the best so far in reproducing synchronized music and films. It makes it possible for artists and orchestras of the first order to be heard in the smallest towns. The reproduction of the voice and music is very fine. It seems almost as though the performers were in the same room as the listener. It is not probable that the Vitaphone will ever entirely replace the orchestra, but it does make it possible for certain films requiring the finest musical accompaniment to be shown in places where there is no orchestra available.

Field for Composers
Before leaving the subject of scores, I wish to touch on a matter about which I have often been questioned. That is: Do motion pictures offer a new field for composers? What future does this new art form offer to the creative musician? Tales have been spread of fabulous sums paid to certain composers for original scores. It is true that a few of the larger films have employed composers for original scores, but these can almost be counted on one hand.//Civilization, Puritan Passions, The Thief of Bagdad//, and //Little Old New York// are among them. At present, at least, the field is too limited to insure a promising outlet for composers. There is also this difficulty: The average super-film, which lasts about two hours, requires as much music as an opera. Think of the physical effort of writing such a work! The life of even important films hardly exceeds two years. It is then put aside and forgotten, except for rare revivals. Will the composer of first rank be willing to devote his best effort and energy to something whose death is doomed before its birth? From what I know of composers, they would rather starve with the hope of creating a great symphony that will live through the ages, than grow fat off the proceeds of an excellent but short-lived film score. If, however, the film world has not made serious inroads into the ranks of the better composers, it has encouraged a larger number of Americans to take up music as a profession. A short time ago the life of a musician-an orchestra player-presupposed great financial sacrifice. Even the first-rate symphony player did not earn as much as the average second-rate business man.

Growing Demand for Musicians
With the growing demand for musicians, however, their value has gone up. The musician today is in demand as he never was before. Think of the army of them necessary to man the orchestras in our 18,000 film theatres, to say nothing of the requirements of the dance halls, cabarets and legitimate theatres. The American musician has become a commercial asset. In the larger of our motion picture theatres the minimum salary is eighty-three dollars a week, and almost half of the players get one hundred dollars. First stand players and concert masters usually are paid from $7000 to $10,000 a year. The organists get from $6000 to $20,000, depending on their individual performances. Is it any wonder with our American love of luxury that the ranks of musicians have increased so enormously during the last few years? We have more musicians and better ones. Men who are naturally musical are no longer forced to become clerks or traveling salesmen in order to earn an adequate living.

American Leadership
In this country we are supreme in utilizing music in the motion picture theatre. While traveling in Europe during the past summer, I saw little that could compare with our methods of presentation. European countries themselves are aware of this and are beginning to send over representatives to study our methods. Theatre owners abroad are amazed at the way we use music in our houses. They are eager to learn from us. They are engaging our conductors to go over and take charge of presentations in their theatres. By no means do I wish to imply that America has achieved the peak musically, any more than it has reached the limit in the development of motion pictures. There are still limitless possibilities. It is certain that the next decade will see still greater strides made by the motion picture industry. Lately large Wall Street banking firms have been allying themselves with motion picture companies, thus demonstrating their faith in the industry. With millions invested, great progress is certain. And there is no reason why music, now inseparably linked with motion pictures, should not also benefit.

Original article by Hugo Riesenfeld, 1926. Hugo Riesenfeld, "Music and Motion Pictures," in //The Motion Picture in Its Economic and Social Aspects//, issue of The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, November, 1926, pages 58-62.

=The Music for Your Theatre= By Erno Rapee [|The Overture] | [|The Scenic Picture] [|The Editing of the News Reels] | [|Vocal or Dance Artists] [|Musical Accompaniment to the Feature Picture] [|The Comedy] | [|The Organ]

The Overture
The Overture and its selection depends largely upon the general layout of the program. If you have a Spanish picture and you are building a Spanish prologue and you happen to have a Spanish scenic it is obviously desirable to choose a Spanish Overture to keep the program in the same vein throughout. Establish your atmosphere with your Overture and keep the same atmosphere leading up to your feature picture, which is assumed to be the strongest number on your program. Should the picture have no particular local color and no bearing upon the make-up of your show as a whole, then the selection of the Overture should be made with the idea of having your program as diversified in character as possible, or it may be determined by the particular taste of your audience. The size of the orchestra is, of course, a very important question. Where there is an orchestra of thirty-two or more pieces the performance of most works of such standard composers as Wagner, Liszt, Tschaikowsky, Verdi, etc., if well performed, will invariably meet with success. Several years ago, the playing of two or three Movements of a Tschaikowsky Symphony (with cuts, of course) in a movie house, was considered a sort of an experiment. Today the stage of experiment with Tschaikowsky and his Symphonies is a matter of the past. The 2nd and 4th Movements of the 4th Symphony or the 3rd and 4th Movements of the 6th Symphony are in the repertoire of every fair size movie orchestra. The same could be said of excerpts from the Wagnerian Operas such as the Valkyries Ride, Wotan's Farewell, etc. Christmas and Easter Holidays would naturally suggest particular types of Overtures, such as Christmas Carols, or Easter Chimes in Russia, etc. American Holidays should, of course, be marked by the use of Yankee Doodle, Dixie, Southern and Northern airs, etc. The Jubel Overture by Weber has been found particularly useful, as towards the end it develops a big climax to the strains of "God Save The King" which lends itself well to patriotic tableaux. Victor Herbert's American Fantasie is always a satisfactory Overture and can be well used for covering three or four different tableaux during the various sections of the composition. For Irish Holidays Victor Herbert's Irish Rhapsody or his Eileen Selection will always be an appropriate overture. A warning word must be said to the ever-anxious Musical Director to choose only such works as the number of men at his disposal can do justice to. Although there are modern orchestrations of practically all the big symphonic works, it is not a pleasure for an intelligent audience to listen to one lone trombone playing English Horn, French Horn and Bass Clarinet parts, which, although they are cued in the Trombone part as a rule, will not give the desired coloring and effect. On the other hand, with an orchestra of fifty men or more it would be wasted energy to play an Overture like "Jolly Robbers." Recently Rossini's antiquated "Semiramide" was performed by an orchestra of thirty men in one of the larger theatres of New York City but was done so exquisitely that it received round after round of applause, which would show that it is not what you play but how you play it. I have been asked several times to supply a list of Overtures so the various musical directors throughout the country would not have to weekly go through the worry of finding an Overture, but would only have to consult the list to be covered each and every week. It would be an impossible task to select fifty-two compositions and denote them as "the" Overture to be played in fifty-two weeks of the year, because, as I mentioned before, the size of the orchestra, tastes of your audiences and the general make-up of your program will be important factors in determining the number to be used as an overture. Sometimes a collection of old time songs or a fantasie prepared by the musical director consisting of the most popular hits of well known composers will prove to be good Overtures. By mentioning these two possibilities we have reached ground too dangerous to tread on extensively as the solution of the problems presenting themselves in compilations of that sort will depend largely upon the ingenuity and versatility of the musical director.

The Scenic Picture
The Scenic picture, by the very nature of its being, as a rule portrays scenery and atmosphere with relatively little action and all it requires for its accompaniment is purely melodious music moving in the same atmosphere as the picture; the Andante Movement of symphonies such as the "New World" by Dvorak or the "Rustic Wedding" by Goldmark or the "5/4 Movement of Tschaikowsky's 5th" will be found very pleasing and satisfactory material. For North American Scenic pictures with big massive rocks and thundering waterfalls Victor Herbert's "Natorna Selection" is a most suitable accompaniment. If you have an Italian, French or Russian scenic a selection of corresponding Folk-songs usually proves very appropriate. Some cuts may be necessary in those selections as your picture may change from quiet scenes to waterfalls or to mountain climbing and it is advisable to have different strains for different sections of the picture. For scenic pictures dealing with water and sea you will find suitable accompaniment in Mendelssohn's "Fingal's Cave" Overture or the "1st Movement of Caucassian Sketches" by Ivanoff-Ipolitoff; etc. If you happen to have a scenic moving in one atmosphere lasting about six minutes and you choose a selection which only lasts five minutes do not hesitate in cutting the weakest parts of your scenic picture to suit the length of the music, as it has been found that in accompanying scenic pictures the music if well proportioned, well rounded and played in a natural tempo will prove a tremendous enhancement.

The Editing of the News Reels
Though this would appear to be an easy matter I consider it a very intricate procedure. The various shots selected from the different news reels have to cover incidents varying from race and aeroplane flights to fat women taking reducing exercises. You must show the spectacular and the humorous as well. It is well to keep the best shots for the close of the News. The mixing of foreign news with domestic as well as local is advisable. Many news reels are spoiled by having the best of the shots in the beginning or middle and the weaker shots towards the end. It is up to the man who edits for his theatre to make the necessary changes and finish every individual shot with a climax so that his news shall consist of a series of climaxes leading up to the big climax which will be the last shot. The musical accompaniment to the magazine can help to make your news reels very important and even outstanding on your program because it offers so many chances of describing with music what the eye actually sees. Most of the subjects of the news reels consist of action and as such are the easiest to accompany. It being the most realistic part of your program I advise the use of all possible effects in your percussion section. Train effects, ending with a red flash all over the house and stage I found to be particularly effective. Marches are the most abused compositions for news reel accompaniment. Any time a leader cannot decide just what music to choose the easiest way out is generally found by taking any old march and playing it through. Marches should only be used to accompany actual marching or for such occasions as the launching of a battleship, presence on the screen of important men, preferably in diplomatic or military capacities. A 6/8 march will prove itself mast valuable for actual marching. For scenes of military or political character, the lively 2/4 marches will be better accompaniment. For instance, at the launching of a new dirigible where there is lots of activity shown preparing for the flight, a good 2/4 march played brightly and brilliantly will be proper accompaniment.- Now the dirigible ascends- the higher up it gets and the further away it seems the more your music should diminish. There is no use changing your music, keep the same march, play it very subdued, with tremelo accompaniment, and it will be in harmony with the scenic atmosphere. The procedure of coming to a satisfactory end of a march is a very important one. Not every shot will be of the desired length to allow you to play the march all the way through, but by timing your subject properly, you can, by eliminating some repeats and if necessary making some cuts, come to the very end of the march which is always a more satisfactory procedure than just to play one or two strains and then break off at random on the dominant or a secondary chord. The proper musical accompaniment for some of our great Presidents appears to be a source of continuous controversy and misrepresentation. I have heard "Swanee River" played to accompany President Grant where a more martial air would be very much more fitting. The following selections, I think, will prove, in most cases, a proper accompaniment: for George Washington- "My Country 'Tis of Thee" for Abraham Lincoln- "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," who is so well identified with the last line of the lyrics: "His truth goes marching on." For Marine Scenes-The "Marine Hymn" or "Semper Fidelis" by Sousa. The playing of the Star Spangled Banner, I would not advise under any consideration as it is the National Anthem and should be reserved for momentous occasions such as a Declaration of War, the signing of Peace or the presence in your theatre of the President himself. The Gate City March which contains "Maryland My Maryland" in the trio will prove a fitting accompaniment for scenes in that locality. For Southern scenes of military character the introduction and finale of the Southern Rhapsody-by Hosmer, should prove satisfactory accompaniment. For the various Governors choose, if available, songs or martial airs connected with their State; as for the Governor of Mississippi use the song M.I.S.S.I.S.S.I.P.P.I. For prominent people in Indiana use "On The Banks of the Wabash"; for the Mayor of New York- "The Sidewalks of New York" and for California personages- California Here I Come." For personages which you cannot connect with any well known air "Hail To the Chief" will be a stirring and suitable accompaniment. For comedy situations the use of such well known songs as "Look Out For Jimmy Valentine," "She Has Rings On Her Fingers," "Everybody Works But Father," "Where Did You Get That Hat, "are not only appropriate but entertaining accompaniment. The judicious selection of numbers will help considerably to make your news.

Vocal or Dance Artists
If your theatre employs vocal or dance artists and builds prologues to the feature picture the selection of this type of entertainment should be governed by the same principles as those of selecting the Overture. The question as to whether a vocal or dance prologue should be used for any particular picture depends largely upon the atmosphere and the main character of your picture. A Spanish or Italian picture as a rule will lend itself to a dancing prologue, while a western picture, with, perhaps a "waiting mother" for a "wandering boy" will offer good material for a vocal prologue with a clean western back ground. I found the following a very satisfactory plan. Start your prologue with off-stage singing drawing nearer and interrupting some kind of pantomime on stage; this will prove particularly effective if done behind the scrim and when the picture is flashed on let the singing and dancing continue by dimmed lights until the picture on the screen occupies the complete attention of your audience and your orchestra has drowned the singing on stage. Some pictures have scenes, holding the keynote to the story, which if reproduced in life on the stage will make effective prologues. Building prologues, of course, is a field depending entirely upon individual endeavor, ability, vision, taste and also upon the equipment and staff at the disposal of the conceiver. I want to suggest here a few drops and accessories which can be used in many forms, shades and varieties with a minimum expenditure: Your black drop is adaptable to many different presentations, either as background for a fine soloist, or when split in the center with a doorway, giving the impression of distance or with a painted panel representing any number of things according to what your vocal or dancing act may demand. In one particularly effective scene I remember the blacks were used with a church window placed in the center, the window painted on the front side and lighted from the rear. The singer singing "Ave Marie" in the front of the panel was lighted by a blue lamp from above, giving the impression of a person standing outside of a Cathedral. If you have an organ or a harmonium backstage your effect should be complete. The Silver curtain will lend itself particularly well for specialty scenes, such as a "Music Box" dance with full lights or Grotesque dance with blue or green lights. Your Batik will be mostly useful for interior sets, particularly by splitting it a little off center and putting in a window, behind which you can use your sky drop. A piano, a vase of flowers, parlor furniture, etc. etc. placed in front of this batik and using dim lights will give a realistic homelike atmosphere. It is your sky drop which is the most important part of your outfit as it will lend itself to any number of outdoor scenes which can be made very realistic by just using some rocks, flowers or hedges in front in artistic disorder. Stars, moon, sun, cloud, or ripple effects will all enhance the atmosphere. A sky drop will also lend itself to all kinds of silhouette effects. Cut a trap behind the drop and put your lighting strip into it: Either a dancing act or an orchestra in front of the drop with the rest of the stage and house in darkness, will give you a complete silhouette effect. Of course the ideal condition is where you do not have to fit your acts to the drops or hangings on hand, but can go to work and decide what scenery you want to give to the act and then order it. However, most theatres are not in a position to spend several hundred dollars every week on scenery, so it will depend upon the ingenuity of the producer to make his two or three drops look as attractive as possible by his versatility and by surrounding it with props. The amount of props to carry depends upon the amount of money you can invest or can spend from week to week. Property such as platforms of various heights and sizes, runway, windows. of different sizes, some circular, some oblong and some square, a moon, stars, benches, hedges, grass, mats, trees, flower baskets, etc. are absolute necessities in staging acts. No matter how many or how big an act you use or what outlay you can afford for new scenery and property, the one thing to be constantly borne in mind is to avoid sameness of productions. Do not have similar type of singers appear too often in succession, if you have a permanent ballet corps vary their numbers as much as possible, sometimes bring in a jazz band for the sake of spice. If your orchestra plays a serious symphonic work one week, for the sake of diversity have them play a musical comedy selection the next week. If one act works in an outdoor scene with moonlight be sure that your next act is surrounded by glowing amber.
 * Black Velvet with black border and black legs.
 * A Silver drop with border and legs of the same or contrasting material.
 * A Batik drop with border and legs of the same material.
 * A Sky drop.
 * A drop with a little house on top of a hill, the foreground being occupied by a lake.

Musical Accompaniment to the Feature Picture
A great deal has been written on how to arrange music to feature pictures. Experience and observation have taught me that the simplest procedure is as follows: Firstly, determine the geographic and national atmosphere of your picture; Secondly, embody everyone of your important characters with a theme. Undoubtedly there will be a Love Theme and most likely there will be a theme for the Villain. If there is a humorous character who makes repeated appearances he will also have to be characterized by a theme of his own. It will happen quite often that two characters, each having a theme, will appear together in which case it will be necessary to write original music for that particular scene treating the two themes according to the rules of counterpoint. After your atmosphere is established and your characters are endowed with their respective themes determine if either the playing of atmosphere music or the individual theme will suffice in portraying happenings on the screen or if the psychologic conditions are such that the emotional part will have to be portrayed in preference to atmospheric or characteristic situations. Now you can start setting each scene: if you have a picture playing, for instance, in China, you will have to find all your accompaniment material in existing Chinese music, both to cover atmospheric situations as well as to endow your characters. If there happens to be two Chinese characters and one English you will of course cover your English character, by English music for the sake of contrast. The choice of the Love Theme is a very important part of the scoring as it is a constantly recurring theme in the average run of pictures and as a rule will impress your audience more than any other theme. Special care should be taken in choosing the Love Theme from various angles. If you have a Western picture dealing with a farm hand and a country girl you should choose a musically simple and sweet ballad. If your Love Theme is to cover a relationship between society people, usually portrayed as sophisticated and blasé, choose a number of the type represented by the compositions of such composers as Victor Herbert or Chaminade. It will often happen that the situations on the screen require the Love Theme being used for an extraordinary length of time in which case you may have to play four or five choruses. This situation should be handled by varying your orchestrations, play one chorus as a violin solo, then have all the strings play it; the next one can be played on the Oboe or Cello and so forth. If you have exhausted all variations and particularly if the situation is of a dramatic sort have your men play that same chorus 1/2 a tone higher or lower. As long as you vary your instrumentation or your tonality it will not get tiresome. The danger of monotony is often encountered playing an oriental picture, as the playing of oriental music for an hour or longer will naturally get on the nerves of almost any listener, more so as oriental music is of very specific type. In that case grasp every opportunity the picture will afford and play some English, French, Italian or American music to break the monotony. The Villain ordinarily can easily be represented by any Agitato of which there are thousands. Distinction should be made between sneaky, boisterous, crafty, powerful and evil-minded villains. A crafty villain who does not exhibit any physical villainy in the course of the picture can be easily described by a dissonant chord being held tremolo and very soft. If the Villain happens to be of the brute type who indulges in lots of physical activities, a fast moving number would be more apt. Sometime you have a villain whose power to do evil is mighty but he achieves his evil deeds without any physical activities in which case chords slow and heavy should be a proper synchronization. The portrayal of humorous characters seems to be rather hard as there is very little music written which in itself sounds humorous and you very often will have to fall back upon your own ingenuity for the creation of such themes. Emotional and dramatic characters and situations are the hardest to fit, firstly because it requires that the music should swell and diminish in accord with the emotional moods portrayed on the screen and it is a rare good luck to find a piece of dramatic music which will rise and fall simultaneously with the action; secondly because that very dramatic music we have reference to ought to play around the themes which are identified with the characters and within whom the emotional or dramatic situation exists. This also very often necessitates the writing of original music. The use of Silence will prove very often highly effective in situations like the appearing of an unexpected person, committing a crime, in fact all unexpected happenings which are followed, as a rule, by stillness. The recitativo, to be effective, should also be built on the theme or themes of the characters. Very often the arranger of the music for the picture will not have time to cover every little detail in the manner here suggested, but he can help a great deal by shaping the orchestra's playing. A good musician can take an ordinary 4/4 Andante and as readily make it into a misterioso as into a recitativo. This is purely a case of ingenuity and adaptability on the part of the leader. The flashbacks seem to be a continuous source of trouble to the inexperienced leader. If the flashback is not of extreme length and the scene preceding the flashback is of such character that it will hold attention even during the flashbacks I would not advise changing the music but would advise bringing it down to "PPP." Another source of trouble I found is the making of musical endings. The brutal procedure of breaking your music no matter where you are just because the cue for the next number is flashed on the screen is an antiquated procedure not in use any more in first-class theatres. If you train your orchestra sufficiently and arrange for some kind of a signal for your men, you will not have to go more than 8 or 1P bars in most compositions before you can come to a tonic close. The finishing of most numbers during a feature picture should not be in a decisive cut-off manner but more of a dying-away effect. The more segues you can arrange between your numbers the more symphonic the accompaniment will round. The turning of pages in the orchestra is a comparatively easy matter, if you have more than one man to each instrument. It is important that the out-side men religiously stick to playing only and have the turning done by the inside-men. In theatres where you have time to prepare a score most of your numbers will not start at the beginning, but with certain passages which you think will fit particular scenes. The number on your music and the place where it should start should be marked very plainly by an arrow so that the eye can grasp it in a second. If you have more than one theme it will be an easy matter if you will carry out the following suggestions: If theme No. 1 is also 7-13-18 and 24 put all these numbers on top of the page and have the music sticking out in the center of your stand above your other music; if theme No. 2 is also 3-14-29 and 34 put that number also on top of your music and have that piece sticking out of the right or left side of your stand. if you will then mark on the bottom of No. 6 that the next number is Theme No. 1 I think you will find no difficulty in handling two or more themes. If your film breaks, which nowadays is a rare happening, I advise keeping on playing the number and if necessary make a D.C. If you were playing your number soft and with strings only, bring in your brass and woodwind and play the number in concert form. Fortunately these breaks never last more than 10 or 15 seconds. Should there be a fire in the booth, which may necessitate a wait of several minutes, I advise bringing up the house lights and having the men play any popular hit of the day which they may know by heart. It is advisable to keep in mind some such selection for use in case of emergency. The main object is to prevent the audience from getting nervous and to keep them entertained. The effects in the percussion section and back stage can be made very effective if used judiciously. I only advise the use of effects if they are humorous or if they can be made very realistic. The shooting of the villain, unless a real shot can be fired back stage and can be timed absolutely, will be much better handled by stopping your orchestra abruptly and keeping silent for a few seconds than if the attempt of a shot is made with a snare drum. In one of the foremost theatres in New York City, I saw a picture in the course of which the villain jumped through the window and immediately after was slapped on the face by the heroine. The effect-man backstage was supposed to drop some glass at the proper moment to imitate the breaking of the window. As it happened the man was asleep on the job and the dropping of the glass occurred when the heroine slapped the villain, so what would have been a tolerably descriptive effect turned out to be the cause of hilarious laughter on the audience's part. Effects which can be worked most satisfactorily are storm effects, obtained by the use of batteries of large square head drums and wind machines back stage. In theatres where singers are available, vocal selections back stage will occasionally prove very effective. The most effective incident of such type I remember was applied in the Capitol Theatre in New York City during the presentation of the "Passion" where during the scene of the funeral of the French King a mixed chorus chanted the Funeral March from Madame Sans Gene. The effect was almost uncanny as outside the death chamber there were a multitude of people assembled. It is the Vaudeville theatres throughout the country which commit the grossest insults to feature pictures for reasons I was never able to quite understand. If the musicians are too tired after having played the vaudeville to play music to the feature picture, then there should be an organist who is alive to the possibilities. If it is ignorance on the leader's part it is up to the management to see that the accompaniment to the feature picture is placed in proper hands. Happenings like one I witnessed where Dvorak's "Largo" was played from beginning to end with frightful tuning and wrong tempo during a reel of snappy events depicting dancing cannibals, Italian Army, Streets of New York, etc. indicated a condition which ought to be remedied if for nothing else but for the sake of music and its masters. In choosing your orchestrations I would advise the use of arrangements which are so cued that if necessary they can be played with strings alone and will sound full, for in three quarters of the average feature picture music of very soft quality is required. The "Overplaying" by which is meant playing so loud that it attracts the ear more than the picture attracts the eye, has killed many a good picture.

The Comedy
The comedy has only one duty in a program and that is to make people laugh. As a rule it is the only bright spot and should be carefully chosen for its entertaining value. In some comedies there will be good opportunities to burlesque the characters with old songs. Other comedies, which may have no reference whatsoever to well known or old time songs (unless there is some specific quick action where you could well play some very bright one-steps) could best be supported by popular hits of the day with muted brass, but in concert form. Medleys of old time hits can supply valuable material for the scoring of comedies. I must sound a word of warning again in reference to the effects, particularly of the noisy type like falls, crashes, collisions, etc., which, if not carried out with taste and judgment will kill the laughter of your audience, which is a very valuable thing since it is contagious and sells itself. In some comedies I found it very effective to employ a few words spoken through a megaphone while the orchestra was silent.

The Organ
The organ, which is often called the queen of all instruments, has rarely, if ever, been fully exploited. As a rule, even in the largest houses, the organist will play his solo at the end of the show as a "Chaser" and as such it receives very little attention from the public. As a solo instrument it should be used in the earlier part of the program where it has a better chance. Where there is an orchestra of even moderate proportions the organ playing along with the orchestra is not an advisable procedure as it is an instrument easily affected by changing atmospheric conditions and has a distinct tone quality of its own rarely blending with orchestra instruments. In orchestras of 6 or 7 pieces, the use of Horn, Flute, or English horn stops on the organ is acceptable, but only on the condition that the organ is in tune with the orchestra. It can also be made very useful in church scenes or in filling out in big climaxes of overtures, such as "Tannhauser" or "1812." In accompanying the feature picture it is very important for the organist not to use solo stops which will divert attention from the picture by their singularity, but to use a combination of stops which is soothing and only accentuate important developments in the picture. Improvising on the organ is a subject upon which books have been written, and in my belief cannot be taught. The same principles as are applied to scoring a picture can be followed with the organ but can be worked out in much greater detail than with an orchestra since even a fairly clever organist can play two themes at the same time which cannot be done by an orchestra unless special arrangements have been made. An organist can more closely follow the action by increasing or reducing his volume or by changing his stops than any orchestra, no matter how well schooled or rehearsed. Humorous effects which in an orchestra can mostly be brought out only by special arrangements are readily at the disposal of any organist. The main requirements for an organist who wants to improvise for his picture is the ability of making smooth and quick modulations from one key to another, this, added to the memorizing of several themes and applying them at the proper time and also having a fairly good knowledge of the more or less known songs will help the organist to achieve a satisfactory synchronization. It would be a useless procedure to mention combinations of stops which should produce a certain effect as most organs are built on different specifications and it is surprising to hear the varying sounds produced by similarly named stops an different organs. The following suggestions should only be taken as general and not as explicit instructions: a grotesque effect could be obtained by playing the melody, preferably of a 6/8 staccato type on the Bassoon and Piccolo two or three octaves apart. For creepy, gruesome effects the low register of the Oboe or Clarinet should give the proper coloring. For Pastorale scenes a soft English Horn or Flute solo with a still softer string accompaniment would be a worthwhile experiment. For rippling water a sustained melody with florid accompaniment should prove effective. The much spoken of effect of the organ-the Rumble should mostly be produced by the low notes of the pedal which can be pressed down with one foot while the other foot controls the crescendo box. Special care should be taken that only the 16 and 32 foot stops are used for your pedals and if you want to add the lower notes of your manuel by pressing them down with the palm of your hand or forearm, exclude all shrill stops and only use soft 16 and 8 foot stops. I have known of isolated cases where organists feature as their solo number popular songs, but they were very few. The organ by its very nature does not lend itself well to sharp rhythmic expression, but leans more towards the majestic, sweet or sustained. A much abused practice among organists I found to be that they use piano solo parts if they play alone. The orchestral piano part will have the following advantages: first of all it is clearly indicated which instrument has the melody and which instruments have the accompaniment and this should guide the organist in obtaining the proper combinations. Besides that the leading of voices is generally much better and more carefully edited in the orchestral piano part than in the solo piano part. Another advantage is that the flute variations or counter melody in the cello or horn are always indicated in the orchestral piano part, whereas they are very often omitted from the solo piano part.

Original article by Erno Rapee, 1925. Adapted from Erno Rapee, //The Encyclopedia of Music for Pictures//, (New York: Belwin, Inc.), 1925. © 1996, David Pierce, on editing and revisions (if any)

=Managing a Film Theatre= By Erno Rapee [|The Missionary of Good Music and the Motion Picture Theatre] | [|How to Organize and Rehearse An Orchestra] | [|The Music Library] | [|Projection] | [|Lighting Effects] | [|Publicity and Exploitation]

The Missionary of Good Music and the Motion Picture Theatre
If you consider that only ten years ago there were not more than a half dozen symphony orchestras in this great country of over hundred million inhabitants and that it is just exactly ten years since the first Cinema palace De Luxe opened its doors to the public it will not be hard to see the connection between the two. It would take many pages to enumerate all the compositions performed in the big movie theatres of this country in the last ten years so let it suffice that every form of music from Irving Berlin to Richard Strauss has been played. This movement for better music reached its culminating point in the year 1921 when I had the honor of producing for the first time in the history of any movie theatre, Richard Strauss' "Till Eulenspiegel" and then one year later the same composer's "A Hero's Life." Some of these performances were witnessed by such judges as Paderewski, Grainger, Jos. Hoffman, Alexander Lambert and Krehbiel and although they were played with some cuts, what was attempted as an experiment proved in their judgment a huge success and a distinct step in giving to the multitude that which was written for the select few. It is this remarkable progress which music has made in the movie theatres which has made it possible for artists of worldwide reputations, like Percy Grainger, John Philip Sousa and Tom Burke to appear without impairing their high standards in artistic circles. Another beneficial effect the large orchestra in movies has had upon smaller communities is that fake music teachers who have been ruining untold promising talent have had to leave such communities and hunt for newer and less educated sections. Another fact achieved by this same advancement of good music was the chance given the American singers and particularly young American composers, such as Griffes, Mortimer Wilson and others to have their works performed and the important part of this arrangement is that while symphony orchestras will perform a new work once or twice a year, the same work on the program of the movie theatre will be heard by 24 to 28 different audiences in one week. What this means in figures is hard to state, though I would like to quote as a record the attendance at the largest movie theatre in New York City having exceeded 80,000 in one week.

How to Organize and Rehearse An Orchestra
After you have decided upon the number of men for your orchestra, the selection of the individual players requires a great deal of consideration. It is essential that the men employed in your orchestra should not only be able to read well, as new music comes along all the time, but that they should also have a standard, symphonic and operatic repertoire. The necessity of knowing the style of popular music is becoming more and more essential every day. The choice of your most important instruments, like the Concert Master, Cellist, First Horn, etc. who are the pillars of your orchestra, will more or less determine the fate of your orchestra. True, you can take a number of mediocre men, rehearse them incessantly for a long period and sooner or later get some fine ensemble playing, but if you have artists on your first chairs you will get that individual distinction which is so effective in the numerous compositions containing solo passages, as for instance "Scheherezade." It enhances your feature picture considerably to have the theme played by one violin or to have a cello solo with harp accompaniment, which again can only be done if the instrumentalists are artists and not mere orchestra musicians. Featuring your first chair instruments occasionally as soloists on the stage will add greatly to the reputation of your orchestra. In most motion picture theatres there is only one rehearsal a week allowed, either by the union or by the management, which generally ranges from 2 and one-half to three hours. In this comparatively short time you will have to rehearse your overture, the accompaniment to all your entertainment and verify the rotation of your picture music. If you have not a first class orchestra at disposal the only way to achieve any kind of a result will be to rehearse the high spots only and smooth out the rest of the show as you go along during the performances. This will require understanding and sympathy between the leader and his men. Although one of the greatest conductors the world has known is reported to have said "There is no such thing as a good or bad orchestra- there is only a good or bad leader," let us modify this to the extent that although there are such things as good and bad leaders there is no such thing as a bad orchestra if rehearsed properly. The placing of musicians in the pit should be governed by the size of the pit and by the old principle of having your strings on the out-side and the noisy instruments further back. I generally prefer the woodwind to the left and the brass to the right in front of the percussion. The proper place for the harp for acoustic reasons would be on the conductor's left, but in that position it hides the face and greater part of the player's body so for the sake of showmanship it is advisable to place it on the right side. For a concert orchestra to be most effective it is essential that your audience see every member and not only their heads but also the upper part of their bodies. The average theatregoer will want to watch the mere mechanics of the playing quite as much as to listen to the results of the musicians endeavors. Just how high you can place your orchestra will depend upon the height of the stage opening, but it should under no condition be so high as to interfere with the vision of your audience while the picture is on. The same holds true for the placing of the leader who in very many instances spoils the sale of several seats directly behind him as he is placed right in the direct line of their vision. Where it is financially possible I would advise the installation of a hydraulic pit which would elevate the musicians above the audience during the overture and would lower them sufficiently during the picture or stage numbers to permit unobstructed vision. I shall endeavor here to suggest combinations for various numbers of men for an orchestra: 4-men-add obligato violin 5-men-add flute 6-men-add cornet 7-men-add drums 8-men-add trombone 9-men-add clarinet 10-men-add one 1st violin || from 11 to 25 it will be the leader's discretion as to the requirements of the theatre if it needs stringy or brassy type of music. With 26 men the ideal combination would be 2-seconds 2-violas 2-cellos 1-bass 1-flute 1-oboe 1-harpist- preferably one who doubles on piano || 1-bassoon 2-clarinets 2-horns 2-trumpets 1-trombone 1-drummer || and a Leader. The combination I used in the Rivoli Theatre in New York was as follows: 4-seconds 4-violas 4-cellos 3-basses 2-flutes 2-clarinets || 1-oboe 1-bassoon 2-horns 3-trumpets 2-trombones 2-drummers 1-harp || The combination I used at the Capital Theatre in New York was: 10-seconds 8-violas 7-cellos 6-basses 2-flutes 2-clarinets || 2-bassoons 4-horns 4-trumpets 3-trombones 1-tuba 3-drummers 2-oboes and harp. || This last combination only differs from full symphony size in so far as symphony orchestras use more strings all around and three in each section of the woodwind. The one point I would like to impress on the leader who has only a few men at his disposal is that whereas the brass and woodwind instruments are more or less one sided by having a very distinct tone quality of their own, the strings can be used in a more diversified way and will always constitute the nucleus of any orchestra.
 * || 3-men-Piano, violin and cello
 * || 6-firsts
 * || 8-firsts
 * || 16-firsts

The Music Library
In installing a library in a theatre particular care should be taken that the selections representing various moods should be represented numerically in accordance with their importance. Andantes, Marches and Agitatos will need most consideration as they are most in demand. Happy and Neutral Andantes could be put in one book and if the library is very small even the Pathetics could be placed in the same collection with the Andantes. For quick reference work in the library I found a double index system the most efficient. On one set of cards I would arrange composers alphabetically and put on their respective cards all of their compositions indicating also their classification and library number. On the other set of cards I would put the various moods in alphabetical order and put on each card all compositions classified under that mood. The use of wooden shelves or steel cabinets is largely a question of expenditure. Wooden shelves can be built by your carpenter to fill all vacant wall space in your library, but it will have the disadvantage of necessitating climbing and besides that these shelves cannot very well be dust proofed. Steel cabinets are somewhat more expensive but are absolutely dust proof and will indicate on the outside card very readily how many hundred numbers you have in each cabinet. When much music is composed on the premises, I would suggest a book containing nothing but manuscripts, regardless of their classification as in future uses you will easily recall that a certain number you are looking for was written by you or by your staff and as such is easily traceable through the manuscript folio. The erasing of marks on your music after the orchestra is through with it is an important factor; if the proper methods are not used the music will be ruined after having been used only three or four times. In marking the music a soft pencil should be used with as little pressure as possible as an eraser will remove any slight marking as long as there are no grooves. An erasing machine with a small dynamo, very much on the principle of an electric vibrator, will prove a great time saver. It means a small investment and can be made by your house electrician. Although the classification of music is a Musical Director's job, it is the work of the Librarian to keep it under correct headings and properly indexed. If you classify each Movement of a suite or selection separately, it will be necessary to buy additional piano parts, but it will prove a satisfactory investment since you will put one piece of music to 3 or 4 different uses. Overtures containing Hurries, Agitatos, or Misterioso Movements should each, after being classified as Overtures, also be classified under above mentioned respective headings, and marked just where those classifications begin in the composition. The saving up of old time popular hits is of great importance as they can always be used. If your orchestra only consists of Violin, Piano or Cello, I, nevertheless, would advise the buying of a small orchestration because not only does it cost just as much as three or four parts, but should you increase your orchestra you will have the extra parts in readiness and will not have to go to the trouble of buying one 2nd violin or one flute or trombone part. I would advise every Leader to lay aside a certain amount of money every month for buying new music, particularly of the descriptive type, since it is just as necessary to offer your patrons new music as it is to offer them new pictures. The type of new music to be purchased will have to be determined mainly by the type of picture you play. If you play mostly Western pictures you will have to buy Hurries, Agitatos, and Mysteriosos. If your house plays more society dramas, the replenishing of your Intermezzos and Andante Folios will be more necessary. The offering of new picture music from time to time will not only please your audiences but will instill a new interest in the members of your orchestra.

Projection
We must not lose sight of the fact that theatres are primarily devoted to motion pictures and as such the projection plays a very important part. The two best known projecting machines used almost exclusively are the Powers and the Simplex. They are both built to use arc lamps and can be used with a high intensity arc which will work at from 50 to 150 amperes. The advantage of the high intensity arc is, that the angle at which the carbon burns is more practical because it requires less adjusting by the operator, besides which it throws brighter light. The light is blue white which is more pleasing to the eye. The best angle to throw on your picture would naturally be straight or 180 degrees. A straight throw is a very rare possibility in motion picture theatres which are built with high balconies and in these cases the operator will have to adjust his lenses or what is more satisfactory procedure, throw the light on the screen and after it is placed, paint in the screen to make a perfect square. After your projecting machine is entrusted to a capable projectionist it is imperative that the films be maintained in first-class condition. After each show every reel should be gone over thoroughly for torn patches. Pieces of wax on a film which show as black spots on the screen are always a danger signal and if not taken care of immediately will result in a fire. A pan of water should be kept in the bottom of cabinets used for the storing of films to keep the air moist. Ninety feet per minute is the general speed at which pictures should be run to be acceptable to the eye, which means about eleven minutes to the average reel. Marching scenes will have to be slowed down considerably and some scenes of races will have to be speeded up to be more effective. The use of double exposure, although not new will always prove effective if applied at the proper time. For instance, at the close of your weekly, particularly on Patriotic Holidays, with a scene of marching soldiers on one machine it would do well to shoot a Picture of Washington or Lincoln or the Stars and Stripes through the other machine at the same time. Scenic effects like rain, clouds, etc. will be more effective if thrown from the booth as the throw is much longer than from off-stage and so the effect will spread the whole width of the stage. The stereopticon, consisting of two carbon arc lamps, is adaptable particularly for the use of slides and of smoothly changing color effects.

Lighting Effects
The various lighting effects to be used in the theatre depend largely upon the equipment obtainable. The switchboard should preferably control not only the stage but also the house lighting. The best known makes of switchboards in use by the large theatres are the Bulldog, Pringl and the Walker system. Most modern theatre switchboards have three circuits which are usually controlled by dimmers. The size of the dimmers will depend on the wattage which is to be used on it. The two best known dimmer manufacturers are Ward Leonard and Cutler Hammer. The largest dimmer that is obtainable will carry 4000 watts and the smallest one is built to carry 650. For your orchestra either a number of spot lights or x-ray reflectors from over head will prove very effective coloring to be controlled by a boomerang. As many of my readers may not be familiar with the word "boomerang" I would explain here that a boomerang is a large frame crate built in such, a way that the inside of the crate is equipped with sliders working in a horizontal plane. The sliders are equipped with ordinary color frames and the lamps are hung directly above and in the center of the top slider. The advantage gained with equipment of this kind is that you can get six combinations of color with only one set of lamps, in other words if you wanted blue, red, green, pink, amber, magenta, you would require, figuring an ordinary orchestra space, about five spot lamps for each color, or a total of thirty spots; with a boomerang this can be accomplished with about one third the number of spots, according to the distance and space to be illuminated. For picking out individual characters on the stage, incandescent lamps of from 250 to 1000 watts, controlled by individual dimmers, will be found most effective. Arc lamps will give more light, but each lamp necessitates an individual operator, whereas the incandescent lamp can be connected to the switchboard and then any number of them can be operated by one man. For flooding your stage the Olivettes will prove very effective. For various effects like rain, snow, floods, water falls, clouds, moon, there are individual machines obtainable which will produce each effect. The following firms can supply you with anyone of the above mentioned stage lighting apparatus: Universal Stage Lighting Company, Calcium Company, Display Stage Lighting Company, Kleigel, or, as a matter of fact, any concern handling electrical equipment for the stage. Recently a switchboard has been introduced under the name of the Remote Control Board, which makes quick changes in lighting effects an easy matter. I will quote the following from the inventor, Mr. Masek's own statement:- "The Multi-preset switchboard makes it possible for the stage electrician to set in advance the lighting effects for all the scenes of any production which the situation requires, with the switches set he can produce instantly the proper lighting effects for any scene merely by turning a master switch. The switchboard permits the setting up of twenty different scenes, which is ample for the most intricate of modern stage effects. Twenty is not the limit of the Multi-preset system, but only of the board as it stands in its present stage of evolution." The advantages of this board are first of all that in quick lighting changes the electrician will not have to pull innumerable switches to get the desired effects, but can set the effects before the beginning of the show and then at the given cue for light pull the master switch and get as many effects simultaneously as possible. This does away with the present day necessity of having more than one electrician. I am told that this board can be operated from any part of the building, if necessary, from the conductor's desk. The use of this electrical equipment for stage attractions, is, of course, purely a matter of individuality and nothing I can say here would be of any real use. If there are chandeliers in the house or other lighting fixtures connected with the switchboard, I would advise the changing of lights during the Overture in connection with the various moods of the music. The dimming of the orchestra lights during funeral or special dark scenes will prove very effective. Border lights of three or more circuits will be found a great asset in lighting up various scenes on stage if they are put on the same dimmer with the side or overhanging spot lights. Lighting effects of very quiet nature like a single lamp on a vase of flowers slowly but steadily changing color during the scene or the show is solely a matter of the ingenuity and ability of the conceiver. In using a scrim curtain care should be taken that no light reaches the audience's side from either the booth or footlights, otherwise the illusion contemplated will be lost.

Publicity and Exploitation
Publicity and Exploitation is a matter which is largely dependent upon the city in which the theatre is located. The most effective and one might say the only absolutely necessary way of advertising is through the newspapers. After you have adjusted your budget allowing a certain amount for advertising and exploitation I would figure about 60% of it for newspaper advertising, 30% for 24 sheets and about 10% for Lobby display. Your newspaper ads on weekdays, as a rule, only act as a reminder of the fact that your theatre is on the map and is open for business, but it is in the Sunday edition that you should advertise the attractions which are to be presented the coming week. I found it a good principle to establish a distinctive lettering or design for the headings of the ads, then vary the rest of the space according to your attractions. Sometimes it is the name of the actors, sometimes the name of the picture, sometimes your music and other times some special attraction which you may want to feature above everything else. You may play a short reissue several years old of a famous star and although the Picture may not be up to the present standard of picture production the name of that star may draw considerably more business than your feature picture, which though brand new may not have any stars with drawing power. Your 24 sheets being mostly read by occupants of passing automobiles, trains and street cars should contain as few words in as bold a type as possible. It is a good principle to change the coloring from week to week but retain the distinctive heading. The location of your 24 sheets is of utmost importance and should be very carefully considered and chosen. I believe that if a full showing would mean as many as 150 stands and if for the same money one could obtain 12 luminous specials in choice locations, these twelve specials would be a more advantageous arrangement. The Lobby display is a matter depending largely upon the talent and imagination of the man who handles it. The display space available in the lobby or in the front will be an important feature in deciding upon the quality of display you wish to use. If your space is limited, I would place less material on it in order to have the lettering of sufficiently large size. Perhaps the most effective way of displaying your coming attraction is by well drawn sketches in color giving a fantastic impression of the main theme of your feature. The frames showing either enlargements of your screen favorites or your other entertainers will prove valuable publicity, but after all is said and done, experience has taught successful showmen that most of the advertising worth while having is the advertising which cannot be bought- i.e., if your show is really good, every satisfied patron will speak of it to others and it is this mouth to mouth advertising which will bring you your biggest asset, a repeat patronage.

Original article by Erno Rapee, 1925. Adapted from Erno Rapee, //The Encyclopedia of Music for Pictures//, (New York: Belwin, Inc.), 1925. © 1996, David Pierce, on editing and revisions (if any)