SILENT FILM SOUND Rick Altmanw nyo Vey Pe esha cand i shonby th et hr th bition bokFilms That Talk Long before projected moving images became rel lstheylived an active imaginary lie inthe mings of thei iventors. Almost without exception, dreams about the future of cinema not only iced sound ‘but systematically evoked 2 specie sound mode ‘the theater and ope in particu. Sch gals were alway apart of Thomas Edizon vison is 94 handwritten statement, published in facsimile by W, - Laure Dichon, maker hieagpitations abundantly er "belive that incoming yer by my own work snd that of Dickson, Maybvid, Mai (a) and ‘ets who will doubles enter the fel, that igand opera can be gien atthe Metopolian {Sper lowest Newe York who! any material «ings om the origina and with att and Sins ong since den! [A year later, Edison predicted that, “Before many ‘years we wil have grand opera in every li vilage ato cents ahead” From the stat, the sae const twted one of cinema's most important realty codes Until Bernbardr and. Caraso—along with their 7ices—could be reproduced on flim, the ulin objective would remain unreained But these lofty sims were not matched by early fl technology. “Throughovt cinems' decade 2s vaudevl’s down- stir servant, many were the attempts to syncno- ‘ize moving pictures and phonograph inorder to reproduce the dsited thatial model, Though one of these endeavors was a great succes, they crenual ed to one of cinemas best-hept sce ‘he masive introduction of synchronized sound Sin projection systems inthe 1907-1909 period, Synchronized Sound In the 190s, dovans af new stems targeted simol taneous synchronized presentation of image and ound, Among the less appointing were Edison's Kinetphone, an 1895 version ofthe 1894 Kinet scape peep-show device, which patrons listened ‘hrough eaephones the 198 Cinemacrophonograph ‘or Phonorama of Berthon, Dusaud, and Joubert, ‘with projected images ands mechanical connection betncen the projector and phonograph, bur stil ‘with earphones: and the 1900: Phono-Cinéna "There or Litetographe of Gratioulet and Lior, with projected images and sound. Other systems vere developed throughout Europe andthe United Stats during the nal years ofthe nineteenth ee: ‘ory ncaing Wiliam Frise-Greene’s 89 5)tem, patented in England; George Demeny':892 Phono- seope; George W Brows 1897 patented improve ‘ment ofthe Kinetophone; and Auguste Barons 858 apparatus? Like many ltr aproaches, these 5s tems suffered fiom poor synchronization, inade ‘uate amplification and lack of commercial sry (and capital) onthe part oftheir aventors. ‘Twenteth-centary tempts at synehronized Sound immediately tached these problems, At the 1900 Pais Exposition, working with disks rather ‘han ender, Léon Gaumont demonstrated a ys tem providing sychronization though a mechani- cal connestion between projector and gramophone Area ltere woud patent the ist of manyeleti= cal conection betwen the 100 ohne deronsating bi ye in 1010 the frame de phtogrpie. Le eer Gavmont led te aplication poten croing the sie an nmbe of hoe ta is cord payer For his 1906 Eton, te borowed the comprar sppronch hes Pro gs Atetephon, aly mal orbs fills with ound A sori ston «i ineting proper aye fr Thereof: made the Chronophone fly ope fd wgguedaumonts campaign to sytem tothe United Ste is cle Pi Scenes wee provide by ong inoue pe ttn oven by Ale Gy who decd ti sfc the sundon-dk porton had Ben Condy others? Opera tons wera muse hal ec ih arate sje ly wuch hte The adition of «second plage staring somal othe Ss End fend accompaniment of ng {ton Ota Mew demon i raph sond-onn system. Ung The Wh ower Boy and ther ns psa shorn theKoumegiaph—ofe cle he igo itv exe in Bt’ Bophon Theat demonstrated the flowing yer a he Loi Purchase Expo. Fevring | Ane amplifeion with ance coneston proctor and gramophone Messe ra Permited persion aumento mod tyne. Like er aynesund loro M Produced hs own oe With the color remarkably sucess international cares forth and east of Germany? uly ynesound stems sere fom expettions regarding sound and image 9 speeds In order to avoid unplessantfequeny ‘uations, sound recordings requie an absolte be speed soa windup spring moto equiped spec governor wae weed forthe phonogrph sonseylnder devi). te graphophone (thes‘The Bun —J ==B0LD BANK | ROBBERY== 4 Alf Labi lan cd Cer system marketed by Columbia an oh i he pramophone (Berliner disk machine). iy virwaly all moving pctre projectors cranked at speeds that varied according speed and on-screen action, Where Yar- Bandon filmexpsriments of Eugene Augustin sired at circumventing ths problem emi er problem sy in inventor regular recourse iy to stabilize speeds and 0 synchvonie 0d sound machines, Since contemporary te tional odes dictated that the projector should aed behind the avdence and the round soure en projector and record player were extremely sient, not to say imposible. The abviows of choice—decteciy—was during the il in its inne. Some American cies em direct current, while others wed aerating a Yliapes varied widely. More problematic or be ditrbutors of cectrcaly driven synchro {sound sytem, lm tock ws eminent am sto the point where most ces seared the ors absence shoud re break ut that they ed electrical projection emir, However at in theory, eal yc Sound was always faced phil practical atl Sill the desire to make pictues sing and tlk ‘would not go ay In 909, Philadephis based pe ducer Siegmund Lubin conceived the idea of sy hronzing fins to lead exiting Vicor Monarch records, ths Limiting investinent. Aiming atthe eur- rently locate lustre song markt, Labin chore instrmental recording of popular Song, which his performers then faked hile being fimed: Daisy anche on the rombone,"Oor Ove Mae Pola fon the ccne,"Military Serenade” onthe ila, and ‘Happy Days in Dise™ on the xaphone only Banjo “Lie” featured the human voice? “You see the Black Face Comedian in Life-motion Fctureson the sree, and you hea hi tal and sing atthe same tm blared Lobin a, "You se the Comet Soloist playing and tthe same time you ear the ‘eloy he plays” Dubbed “Cincophone Fils the ‘lm portion was tobe played on Lub’ "Cineo- raph with Stropticon Combined" (or another Projector while the records were plyed on the ex: bites otn “Talking Machine” The ad promised a Cineophone catalog lstng + hundred Cneophone fins, bu the Bist is filed to el 0 90 eatalog ‘was ever fd andthe Cinophone ily dip peared Tneet in synchronized sound systems was neve in ety 1997 with reports of the Chrono- phone's sucess performance at the London Hip- podrome. Organized to matkt the French tem in the Unite Stats the GaumontChronophoneCo.ofHERE core th isn os ee $550.00 eros wwe wo Taf IT Is! | Weis, I Ls 9 itp om Mr ‘Cleveland sponsored the fist Chronophone demon stration in hiscounry atthe local Family Teatein May 907, offering ceverl fim of individuals and ensemble singing everything om popularsongsto ‘opera While tis inital sally was not followed up by active marketing of the Chronophone unt the flit set in motion two yeas of he most energetic ‘competion that the American fl industry has ‘ver known. Immediately, ll those who had been ‘uiely working on thee wn syne-sound systems ‘used to introduce hemo June, George K Spooe announced tat his Phoneidograph would be ready for distebution in September. ust few days the Cameraphone was demonstrated for the time, perhaps bit prematurely ‘OPENED MONDAY CLOSED TUESDAY The Cameraphone, Snowe a the "king pi tures opened on Monday, Jn 0, 0H eins and ed Jane The inverter tld Hammes that he ha word or fern fon the ies and could not endetund why {es Nether coud the manager" By the end of 907, Miles Bros, would also be ing thei Piturephone!" The following yea 2dibaum's Synchroscope (exploited by le), LP Valuers Photophane," the pe and the German Biopraphon paper thus reinforced the social consteuc: with symc-sound systems sinc thee i, "The combination of the phonograph aph has at lst bacome a thor ical sucess” opined the journals editorial, detaing each machine's "In keeping with long-standing ete the phonograph was led "te Sealy smchronied sound systems shore all eet reproduce words and ie of widespend contemporary use of 4 provide music or sound efecto ng pictures, it was the human voice to preserve and represent. Like its Moving Picture Word sresed the bs of recording political figures, making only tose, but to seeand he ain the Ii, President Roosevelt delivering @ speech hu reds files away for years and yeas after” This sentiment was doubled by the New York Dramatic Mirror "We shall undoubtedly come tte when the public speeches of every great man will be recorded chronophonicallyntoned the profession's ‘most distinguished pubiation, “and the interest of such records can well be imagined. The man who could now show President Lincoln practically asin lie with both voice and action wold be reasonably sure of making fortene”™ Politicians wasted no time in turning the new technology int apolitical wespan. In October 1906, [New York gubernatorial candidate Willam Ran doiph Hearst simplified his upstate stumping by sending in is place a syne sound moving pitare of 4 speech sho in a Broadway sion thi way aid ‘the New York Tins perhaps providing a ide for & later candidat who actully won the lection, “Me ere wil beable to teach the very side with hie speeches” Ae far ant 8 London, music ll ma ser was anaous to aequite copy ofthis speech, in which Mr Hearst called Mr Parker a cockroach, Mir Jerome a croton bug, and Mr. Towne a at" Other ‘candidates quickly rushed to take advantage of the ‘opportunites forded bythe new medium. Accord ing to Cameraphone general manager Carl Heber, ‘oth major party candidates, Taft and Bryan, would ‘ely make wse of the Cameraphone during the 908 resident campaign" Thomas Edzon contnsed to tei the age model. “When we arrive atthe point of oral and visual reproduction of opera and ‘the drama, as sung and performed by atts and ac tors of note and ability” predicted the Wieard of ‘Menlo Park "the sta of the motion picture theaue vel inded bein the ascendant” Edo’ sent rents were widely shared, “What would we not sie” Chicago entepreneur George Keine asked _hetorcal, “for... repeoductions of David Garrick, Siddone, Malian and other famous actors and Singers of the past or of Bernhardt, Irving, the Booths, Cashman, or of Lincoln at Gtysburg?"® ‘Whether the focus was Heat, Caruso, of Linco,First Time in America esate Have Your Pictures Talk! ACO Ue RCN KONO ReTL OUT ‘A PROVED SUCCESS THE PERSEVERING LOVER the topic was always the same—the synchronized human voice. This consistent emphasis on synchro ied evidence of human if explin the fequent hoje of names tefertng tlie procese:Biophon, Vivaphone,Vi-t-phone" In order to understand the development of syn sound system during the lte aught, tis essential te recagize important ferences between the rales thet eal technologie were asked ofl 3 om pared to more famille sound systems two decade lates While both periods shared 2 publica ‘model the new ecologies’ dominant realy exhibited far more dferencs than sna the Inte aught syn-sound systems consistent produced singing voices, thereby poviingin sive epesentationsof expensive vaevile fra, Se-sound filme wee not even calle ‘he pres but “at Twenty yeas later, und would ofr an economical substi {by then standard pit orchestea. In1926 the ttc for Warner? Don juan thas ncaded oy susie accompanying narrative images but la ‘overture and en acte musi accompanying not but Blank screen. The Vitaphone system so began withthe sen lin orchestras its mode ite loudspeakers were at fist actualy placed ‘orchestra pit very bit ofthe orchestras muse to be eproduce, even when the orchestra wai Plementing rather than scompanying the fl ‘907-1909 the synchronized human voice was Gilly prized. The combination ofa phonograph 2 projector could esl have been usd orp fim lectrer or to provide voie-ove com taryin fact citer ofthese uses would hve ‘nich ease than the simple synchronizat fucrenteaity codes for sye-sound prods ‘wereso fem rounded inthe theater hat no lessthan human voice succesfully synchro ‘human body could possibly be accepted asa representation. From fll 90, the trade papers were for yan of details on the newest sye-sund system the theater to convert and the most recent fms Ready several months before the Cameraphoag CChronophone ws fst ino theaters. In Oc 1907 Kets Providence (1) Nickel Theatre perimented with snc ound, ofering "a novel {use inthe motion pitores that 'sng tlkandd that motion pictures of wel-known vaudevil with whieh ae simutanously reproduced sounds of singing talking or dancing of thei spe tice Fis exhibited included a singing and ing at by Dorothy Ford and Frank Emmetdose quintet So Long, Mary” fom George ‘Cohars ForFie Minutes fom Broad, and dancing team of fohnny Doveand Minnie Lee As irully always the casein theaters exhibiting, esound Alms, fmilar programming was re ed incon iusrated songs and “some of the a kindof motion pictores” While itis a5) gnethe traction of ound films ae compared to i sent counterparts, sound fins representing pg fen pled in comparison to lve performers Nickel Theatre, for exaeple reviewers inssed in spit of the sync-sound noelty,"Bab Ale, popular baritone, waste big applause winner of program, however, with anllsate sng au that would please even the most fastidious of it iced vaudeville lvers™ Handicapped by 8 pg-and dance strategy and insfcen fin pro: erly smcsound systems were aways con as just a single act na longer program. Never to provide the emir evening’ entertainment as their late oventie descendants, ely aync- technology remsined no more than a novelty ofits inability to achieve any sgnieant. ‘run for ts money. Ia February 1908, enly fr distribution, the Cameraphone was eronstrated at the Novelty Theatre in Sn Eco. Within 2 month, there was a Camera Jn the Toledo (Ohio) Arcade. Varies re of many on g08 Cameraphone install cl contemporary confusion regarding ofthis new instument andthe linations sync sound systems continedt abr. 1 10 Vary the Aree Cameraphone wi Etied only for vaudeville nd msi, not for fodramatic subjects The later, we ae tld "are described by the phonograph” In spite ofthe obvious potenti for"dscibing fms (i. the role ofthe estar) an artificial imi both by produces and exiitors pre- MOTION PICTURES AND WLLGSTHATER Sones THIS WEEK ADMISSIONS NICKEL luded any such use. No unt uly 198 id Camera phone’ general manager Carl Herbert announce that ‘he company was "now producing dramatic at of high order? inctding versions of Quo Vadis, The Cons Brother, Monte Cris, Otel, FEMS. Pinafore, and The Mikado Yet Cameraphone con tinued to sek its market niche inthe inespensve production of high-priced vaudeile sas (jst as the Vitaphone would swenty yeas later oer the "de delle Broadvay hit for Bt cents the local theater. A full-page December 1908 ad in the New ork: Dramatie Mir pitured over a dozen vaue- wile headlines featuring theie names and accom- Plishments. Individual testers fllowed the sine sate. Even on NewYork’ Fourteenth Steet, Aras item in connection withthe exiton ofthe ling” pits othe Cameraphone on lem he bingo the ats mame "Er Tn fy” hasbeen plastered all vr the neighbor. ect thiwel and hs den more people ie ‘Uniguesince Monday than ht house eve ld in sms period" ‘Though historians ave usually ated initial fm tar rentation to Edso's 909 hiring of named sage sors ofthe toting af Florence Lawrence a "the Biograph Git” Cameraphone’ vaudevill-orened strategy ley paved the way fora star sytem at Jeasta year ealien®™ By the summer of 1908, Cameraphone daimed ‘hatte apprat ws “now being operated in ot) five houses, and we have orders abead for one husTo Owners and Managers VAUDEVILLE THEATRES CAMERAPHONE COMPANY, red and forty testes” Every wack during the 1go8-1909 season, the trade papers would ist an- ‘other dren rao Cameraphone adoptions Atypical ‘example from January 2909 names ifcen new the- ters adding the Cameraphone fom New Hamp- Shite to Arkansas and Flovida to Washington In corde to take full advantage of thet nee equipment, ‘many of those theaters would be calle “The Cameraphone” a name that would in many cases coutst the sytem ile Similar sucess was ported by Gatmont, which ade tis 909 catalog, the Mode! © Chronophone, with two dick bul by the Vistr Taking Machine Co, wo ha and substantially increased amplication.™ Fi Tcensed by the Motion Pitre Patents Corpor in March 09, Gaumont enforced its poston sophistiated to-fot fl, including The Red and The Mikado, to complement its existing tory of opera arias and populist songs (inl several performed by Harry Lauder)” In 1909 he market was Farther complicated by fe sd Barker succesful Cinephone system, al sdopted by over 1000 theaters in Brin, record oe made inthe United ites by Vito June the American Cinephone Co. was formed ‘market the Cinephone?* During this pri, ‘mont bull its own studi and developmen plat Flushing where director Los Weber got hes while Cinephone announced studi to shoot specially fr the American market” Syncon sound systems coupling a record payer and 3 Ing picture projector seemed here to ty “Moving Picture Word was 30 convinced of sound's ry future that « March 909 trial aimed, "We have no station inprophesying Defoe long hardy a moving pictore these a country will be without the talking or Phonograph as apart of is entrtainment™ reasons undedying this coavction were reve the following wek’s editorial "The combination ‘the phonograph or grephophone with the pe machine has now advanced to ich state of tion andisbeing promoted by so many wel fit concerns, that itis destined to occupy an im ppt inthe moving picture field? Concurtng his wade paper colleagues was Frank L. Dyer, resident of Edson Manufctring and president {he Motion Picture Patents Corporation, confident predicted a ew weeks later that Pieter would son reach the complexity and est of the legitimate tester.” A yar ate, the toes of Moving Pitre Wovd had not lost thee "In ous opinion the singing and talking moving ture is bound sooner rlate to Become a perma‘ofthe moving picture thestee™ All partes sound cinema was the coming technology by August 109, in spite of an inal ‘capitalization, the Cameraphone Co, New York bonkrupty court. “inabeyanc”just oaths later, and by November seeking capital In uly 20, Gaurnont’s Motion Petre fs Corporation Heense was cancced The hone was constant hampered by ewe of cia motor drive, Ae Cameraphone’ freer smanaget Carl Herbert put it "any device by Bh the picture machine i motor-driven sles United States, because ofa very sit regu which pro © nsead of le urviving Sever factors conte 5 Fst Cameraphone’ regula a sof additional theses are extremely ng Un March 909, Cameraphone di ot Ue machines bu instead provided a rental and on service modeled on vavdevile’s projection Most of the testers ited adopting he phone were in ft trying ou the parts ther) nok situation. Olen tose lied Meapione thet one weck were by the net filing Cameraphone’ cals. The dangers lnvetor of ths arrangement are demon bythe go experience of Keith's Philadpia ile heater, a8 evidenced bythe fling port GETOGRAPH, The ot Fone. Tiss tee eat kr oe onc which sie Uhorepreph machine sconce ied by Moving pire pec posed rai whch te om BE conic pase ar cch rambo, Ss cst be ate the partion of Hemion but wher adapt ude Bot resis tobe se. tien itseeme ey poming this enthuse review the very next Foto-Fone dsappeared permanently fom the Philadephia il. Withou longterm commit ment rom exhibitors, producers were fced withthe ‘economically dad stuation of an unpredicable ‘Ata time when the flim industry was addresing is financial problems though increasing standard zation, syne-sound systems equited companits 9 follow the opposite path, Since each syne-sund ss ‘tem produced and maintained synchronization ina dierent manner, the dtfcltis of manufictring and distributing equipment were compounded by ‘each studio’ need alo to produce and marke ts ‘own fms, long with matching records, which re- ‘uired the company’s on machines 10 asie proper synchronization. Lack of standurdztion thus condemned each syne-sound stem toa tiny ‘market—a sure recipe for franca disse. Only 3 heavily capitalized company could posiby hold on financily while building a market base and con incing other manufscturers to accept common standards Two decades late the general adoption of Sound fms wes made poesbe bya combination of Warner strong financing partnership with Vis- phone and industry-wide sandardizaton In 90 however, none ofthe esenileanomic and inde ‘wil bulding blocks was yet in place ‘A sina stuation obtained with regard to snc Sound projection. Like contemporary automobiles, ely projectors cold be kept running ony by & traned mechanic; bt for several yeas projectors nd operator practices had been developing. toward renter fay an automatic By the late aught os ofthe problems had ben red ot allowing theaesto hie ls qualified operators Lipht sources had been simplified Tke-up rel ad pice the film alton bag the floor beneath the project. Flr ides had been ced to flns, supplanting the te ides that once complicated the projections