The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-13

sicians, Oscar Spirescu, at the strand theatre, New York City, and Hugo Riesenfeld, at the. Rialto theatrt, New Yots City, and the similarity of Mir. Haughton's views and those of MT. Hamrick are so identical in many in- stances that it will be of interest to note the comparisons; l quote IS fol- lows:
 There is no phase of music in which the development for the better has been so meteoric and yet so steady as in the moving picture house. Hard ly more than decade ago motion pie ture houses were regarded more or less as permanent side shows, but we now have attractive and substantial theatres, faultless as regards archi- lecture and comfort. theatres built ex- clusively for the screen drama. It is natural that as the mechanical side Of the pictures improved and the best dramatic stars no longer disdained to act upon the screen that the type of patron also improved, the theatregoer who had enjoyed the drama on Broad way was interested in seeing his fa- vorite star on the screen. Also the popular screen actor with little or no stage experience came to a place of prominence in his own field.
 Consequently, the mechanism, the drama and the building having inn proved and a more cultivated class having become patrons of the picture drama, it was necessary that the mu- sic improve also Pioneers among movie fans have had sad reconections of the lugubrious upright piano and the reiterated Humoreske, the sex tet from Lucia and 'Traumerei,' with or without sudden and strange tram sitions in between.
 "The most startling innovation was the pipe crgan
 Cautiously enough, new and niger type of organ playing has also arisen to meet the wider need of the theatre. Mere technique, a Knowledge of regis ration no longer suffice, nor is ability to accompany as large an asset as heretofore. MT. Maitland, in an arti- cle in recent number of the Console says "A really capable photoplay orr ganist should possess more than ordi- nary musicianship. He should be able to play the organ in a legitimate man. ner, have a knowledge of harmony 
 also a sense of tone and knowledge of registration.' And this of a performer in a movie house where 10 years ago no more was demanded than a piano and an indefinite flow of ragtime and popular numbers! Does it not give pause to the thinking musician? AL fred Robyn and Firmin Swinnin at the Rialto and Arthur Depew and Ralph Brigham at the Strand preside over instruments which equal any in New York churches.
 "l5ut thet organ is not the only musica newcomer in the photoplay house. AL most as unforeseen is the orchestra not merely a few instruments such as one fir ds ordinarily in the theatre. but a band of trained musicians under an eff cent conductor. In short, an orchestra capable of playing a Beethoven sym phony. Originally we have the piano (and often with drum) and mostly ragtime- Now We have the symphony orchestra and, in consequence symphony music with modicum of ragtime when the picture scene demands it. Recently | The Devil Stone, with Geraldine Farral as the star was presented There was elaborate thematic development, veritable | 'leitmotive easily recognizable and high | ly characteristic. Especially noticeable 1 ones were the Curse and the Origin of the Stone" Much of the music was orig