Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-17
Music From the Screen.

HMUSIC in films whose appeal had
AVA been practically ruined by Hol-
lywcod producers bent upon capitalizing
! the novelty of the talkies, is finding its
| way back" says Samuel Coldwyn
United Artists producer. "as an integral
part of film making, to be employed
only in pictures whose stories are actu-
ally motivated by the rendition of q
vocal or instrumental air."
Recent pictures coming out of Holly
wood seem to prove this. according to
Mr.. Goldwyn. 1T is evidenced in the
cese of vocal music in Indiscreet.
picture" he says, land in the case of
instrumental music in Charlie Chap
Inns City Lights' In the former 1t Is
the rendition of song which brings on
the climax. In the latter 1t has been
estimated that the underscoring of
Chaplin's picture adds 80 or 40 per cent
to its appeal.
When the movies first began TO
visualize, music became one of the prime
, urges of Hollywood. Every major pro-
Queer did his share in importing Tin
Pan Alley from New York, and songs
| and dances were dragged into nearly
every picture. So-called musice'es soon
began to dominate all schedules. And
the result was inevitable 1t didn't take
| long for the moviegoing pubic to be-
; come stated. and Hollywood found a new
ma or problem upon It's hands, for it
| not only had several musical pictures
! upon its shelves but It also found itself
burdened with scores of unwanted music
/ writer's.
| The pendulum which had swung sc
far in one direction was then given a
| prcdlgious push in the other direction
and most producers eliminated music
| from theiH schedules entirely. The very
word music became arathema in some
| studies. and a number of producers
wouldn't touch it with the proverbia
| l0-fcot pole.
! Now. however, the process of read
| jEstment has set in and a return tt
| music is noticed. but only in cases in
| which stories are aided rather than i'm
peded by its inclusion In Miss Swan
sons case it's return is que to the de-
mand Of her fans, who like her singing
upon the screen.
IN Chaplins City Lights it Is the
musical under5ccring which builds up
| most of the comedy situations, and in
sore Instances. it is believed, it even
works upon the emotions. For the most
part, however, it is done subtly to reach
the audience through its subconscious
moods"
IL you Cdu ItdIkcu DUCK 10 bLl6 IllCA61-
odeon days, when the chase. that great
institution of silent players, linked more
than seven or eight reels on the screen,
you will remember the girl at the up
right piano just underneath the screen
that hammered out accompanying must
cal snatches
When the villain pursued her" there
was sinister music, stealthy and insidi-
Gus; sunshiny burst of tinkling notes
when love was in the offing. and thun-
derous roll for the oncoming Indians,
an approaching storm or a scoundrel
with no good intent.
All this was called mood music" and
was played from a single volume, en-
titled "Photoplay Compositions"-that
is. If the pianist could read music. Many
of them merely hammered away by ear
at popular songs.
Today, after discovering too much
dialogue is out of place on the screen
and that background music is a real
asset, mood music is coming back into