Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-07

sum Of money invested il in a small
moving picture ,hcatcr in Il Middle
Western town. The pric" had been
low and the young man felt "lntcd I'M
til he took posscSsion Then he dis
covered that there were TWO other NOV
ing-picture shows i'll the town having
much better locations and getting the
majority Of the business. and that the
prevailing opinion among the towns
people was that hc had made Il bad in
v.Stment.
To resell the ihcatcr was out of
the question. and it WAS up Ia the
young man to make i, pay. How could
h. make his thcatcr so popular that
people would go out OF their way 10
patroniEc it? The young man succeed
ed in answering this question. and to-
day his th"ater is one OF the best
paying Investments in the Middle West.
What he did Was TO hire an orchestra
OF eight pieces and raise the price of
admission 10 10 cents.
Thi. happened about three years ago
when IN. big feature films were just
beginning to make their appearance.
ana when people were just beginning
TO realize that the music which accom-
panied the nlm was an important fac
tor. Now almos, every moving pic
ture thcatcr Of any pretcnstons has 4
good sized orchestra
There are still many small nickel
orcons where the music is OF the crud-
est sort. consisting of an ancient piano
played by careless and unframed
performer. According TO recent gov
ernmcnt estimate. over lo.Oo0'Voo per-
sons patronizc moving picture shows
throughout the country every week.
and OF these a large number hear mu :
sic nowhere else. Here IL great op-
portunity to educate tho American pub
lic-espccally the younger generation
to appreciate good music. That INC
public is capable OF appreciation is IL
Illustrated by the fact that the th"hters
with the best music draw the largest
crowds To raise the standard OF music
in every movinE-picurc thcatcr is now
the ambition Of the musicians OF the
country.
Perhaps tho first person 10 recognize
the close analogy Of music 10 the pic
turc drama was the producers inc
first feature production Of Queen f:li%-
ah.tb" starring Sarah licrnhardt. thnt
made its appearance in TINS country
was accompanied by an original score
of music written for the picture D.!
I,rcil. and since then every big Ameri :
can f,lm production has carried music
.nncially prepared. il not specially
written for it, "Quo Nahis." "Cabi-
81. and ..'rhc Birth OF Il Nation would
have been much less picturesque WIN
on, the Wonderful musical accom-
rauimcnts that supplied color 10 thc
ricturcs and filed out the situations
Producers Employ Composers.
Now a great many moVinG-"'c'u
copnani,s employ composers. VINO pre-
n,re spcciaI scores for each large Tea :
turc film, so that gradually ~"
field has opened up FOR the m"S'c'"h'
Just as all the great Broau"aF S'''S
have condesccnded to act t'r TOY III" '.t.
pictures so the great composers are
new, contributing their musical efforts
in that direction Victor tt"rbert
wrote the music for the recent picture.
."rhc Fall of Il Nation. and tooert
Hood Towers is completing an oriEiha
score for the new Annette kellcrmann
production "a Daughter Of the COOS.
ID is not likely that the greatest com /
poscrs will enter the movie field VIII
any great enthusiasm. however. since
great care is exercised by the pro
Queer to sec that tn" music - only
the film.
Not only do the moving picture com.
name. employ composers, but many of
them also employ staff musicians TO
play for the players wien any big
emotional part must he taken. Acting
before the cold. metallic click of the
moving picture camera and acting be-
fore a sympathetic audience on the
real stage are two different matters
and the directors have discovered that
an occasional RUSSIAN symphony pro
duces splendid results.
SO much for music from thu; pro
duccr's standpoint Unfortunately, 1t
is not practicable to send out Il special
score of music with every two or three
reel feature. SO in the majority o.
cases the question OF appropriate mu-
sic is still up to the exhibitor. and his
orchestra or pianist must work tho
! matter out. Perhaps the best eNanpl.
| of how this may he done is the Strand
| Theater in New York. This theateI
| charges so cents admission for films
, that are later exhibited in the l0-ccnt
| thcaters, hut the house is always
! crowded from the first floor 10 tho
| gallery.
More Thnn Films Offered.
/ This is because the films are not the
| only attraction offered. There Is one
Of the finest thcater orchestras in New
| York. and several singers of exccp-
! tional ability. Sometimes II is a SO.
| prano. sometimes a contralto, and us.
ually there is baritone or tenor
I The selections arc mostly operate, ant
always OF a classical nature. At in
t"rvals throughout tho film a big pipe
| organ takes UP the work OF the or
chestra. and plays for periods OF tel
and fifteen minutes. The equipment OF
| this theater is. Of course, above 9Th.
| ordinary. but 1t Is the system by which
| the music is fitted to the film that lifts
| II far above tho average.
When a feature is received at the