Description
The Sounds of the Silents in Britain explores the sonic dimension of film exhibition in Britain from the emergence of cinema to the introduction of synchronized sound. Written by experts on British silent film and film music, the chapters provide an introduction to diverse aspects of early film sound: vocal performance, from lecturing and reciting to voicing the drama; music, from developments in accompanying techniques to the impact of legislation on musical practice overall; and performance in cinemas more generally, from dancing and singalong films to live stage prologues. The book also debunks some of the myths about the sonic dimension of film exhibition: it reveals that exhibition practices in London were arguably more sophisticated than those in New York before the onset of World War I, for instance, and that venue licensing decisions had a profound effect on whether music could even be performed with film in some theatres. Based on extensive archival research and musicological analysis, The Sounds of the Silents in Britain represents an important addition to early film and film music scholarship.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Sounds of the Silents in Britain Julie Brown and Annette Davison Speaking to Pictures 1. Professional Lecturing in Early British Film Shows Joe Kember 2. "Now, where were we?" Ideal and Actual Early Cinema Lecturing Practices in Britain, Germany and the US Judith Buchanan 3. Eric Williams: Speaking to Pictures Stephen Bottomore 4. Sounding Scottish: Sound Practices and Silent Cinema in Scotland Trevor GriffithsAccompanying pictures 5. "Suitable music": Accompaniment Practice in Early London Screen Exhibition from R. W. Paul to the Picture Palaces Ian Christie6. The Art of Not Playing to Pictures in British Cinemas, 1906-1914 Jon Burrows7. "The efforts of the wretched pianist: Learning to Play to the Pictures in Britain, 1911-1913 Andrew Higson8. The Reception of British Exhibition Practices in The Moving Picture World, 1907-1914 James BuhlerPerformance in cinemas 9. Selsior Dancing Films, 1912-1917 Stephen Bottomore10. Song Performance in the Early Sound Shorts of British Pathé Derek B. Scott11. Atmospheric Film Prologues and the British Film Trade Papers, 1919-1926 Julie Brown, Royal Holloway12. Animating the Audience: Singalong Films in Britain in the 1920s Malcolm CookMusicians, Companies and Institutions 13. Workers' Rights and Performing Rights: Cinema Music and Musicians Prior to Synchronized Sound Annette Davison14. Sound at the Film Society John Riley15. Edmund Meisel's "visual sound" in The Crimson Circle (1929): The Case of the Vanishing Part-Talkie Fiona FordBibliography Index
