The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-11-01
KISSING SOUNDS,
EASY FOR HIM
Robert Dorm Can Initiate
200 Different Noises
BEEN PLAYING THE DRUM FOR
80 YEARS, STARTING WHEN
8 YEARS OLD.

Il started to play drums when |
was nine and I'll be thirty-nine in
November, so l spent thirty years on
the drum. | played in the band
when l was nine years old"
Such has been the preparatory
training of Robert Dorm who mani
pulates the one hundred and fifty
seven varieties of effects" used in
the moving picture shows at the
Lyric Theatre.
Some of the effects may seem
startling" he said. 'If persons saw
how the effects were made they
would be surprised It's a business
by itself. You have to have a little
natural ability about you to do it,
If l should buy all the instruments
l use it would run up to $500"
DO you get tired?" he was asked.
NO." he responded, because the
excitement is there. If it wasn't for
these effects the job would be very
monotonous. It's very pleasant
coming in make it very interesting
for me. 1 like it, 1 don't get tired.
IF you were a musician, and was
up to popular music you'd appreciate
our efforts. In some theatres they
play 'AlexandeF's Rag Time Band"
in death scenes or in church scenes,
which is entirely uncalled for and
Jarring on somebody's nerves, and
entirely out of place. We stick
right to the music part of the piece.
The average length of a reel is
twenty minutes. We play appropri-
ate music, the pianist and l. If
there is4a scene of a young couple
caught spooning under a tree, the
most appropriate thing would be
Under the Yum-Yum Tree" If a
man and his mother stand by an old
well, the proper thing to play would
be "The Old Oaken Bucket" If it's
in happy home, the proper thing
would be to play Home, Sweet
Home" There's almost a piece of
music for any piece they exhibit.
How many kinds of effects are
there?"
ooh, there's no end to effects
Probably $50 to 200. For saving
wood we use two pieces of sand pa
per, and also use that for waves in
the ocean. l have all kinds of lit
tie noises like in Christmas celebra-
tions with tin horns. We had a
boat race scene, recently where we
used the tinkling of COW bells tink-
ling in the distance. We have
sleigh-bell effects so that you can al
most freeze to death when hearing
them. l have telegraph bell and
church bell effects. Slap sticks
where people get hit or in base ball
games for the crack of the bat, or
for tearing cloth. l have an instru-
ment that makes a noise like kisses.
ITO initiate man at the wheel of
boat we have trolley car bells. We
use the organ in church scenes. We
have wind whistles, from little gust
OF wind on up to hurricane. We
have tom toms, Indian drums, tam
bourines for Spanish dances. Wei
have horses hoofs for the sound of
galloping horses on asphalt and
ground.
You'll admit that the effects and
the music in the picture shows adds |
a great deal to the entertainment. |
People sit there and listen to the eff |
fects. They go out well-pleased and !
say that the show was good, while |
the average person don't give the |
musician credit for what he does. |
It's his effects that makes the pic
lures good.
you can go into the average city
and you don't get the musical eff |
fects that you do here. Why? Be
cause in the first place in small pic
ture houses in the city that's one
of the expenses they cut down on.
A first-class man with a first-class
paraphernalia demands a big salary.
There are lots of drummers in
theatre that can't do it. You ought
to be performer yourself to know
what to do. You ought to have I