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The Silent Cinema in Song
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The Silent Cinema in Song, 1896 – 1929, by author and film
historian Ken Wlaschin. This new book is an illustrated history
and catalog of songs inspired by the movies and movie stars.
By Thomas Gladysz
Chances are if you’re a fan of Scarlett Johansson or Kirsten Dunst, you own the soundtrack to one of their films. And, it’s also likely that their image appears on the cover of the soundtrack CD.
Similarly, during the era of silent films, if you were a fan of Colleen Moore, Marie Prevost, Lya De Putti or Louise Brooks, chances were you owned sheet music or a 78 rpm recording of a song associated with the actress.
Fandom – and the movie studio’s attempt to promote it's stars through music – has changed little over the years.
During the 1920’s, if you went to the Granada Theater in San Francisco, or the American in Oakland, or the California in San Jose, or even the Hub Theatre in Mill Valley – chances are you not only saw a motion picture, you also heard it. Music was considered an important part of the movie going experience: musical accompaniment provided atmosphere, and, it gave the audience important emotional cues while viewing a film.
For most movies, studios would suggest appropriate pre-existing music (in the form of “cue sheets”), or they might commission an original score for select pictures. And sometimes – like today, an original song or two or three might be written especially for a motion picture.
All of which brings us to Ken Wlaschin’s The Silent Cinema in Song, 1896 – 1929 (McFarland). This recently published book details a fascinating but little known aspect of the era - the many songs composed for or inspired by movies and movie stars. The rare illustrations in this recommended book are alone worth the price of admission.
As Wlaschin succinctly explains, “Most people are aware that silent movies were rarely silent, that there was live musical accompaniment. It is less well known that large numbers of popular songs were created in connection with silent films, played and sung during screenings, published as sheet music and often recorded.” Many such songs, the author says, were written by noted composers (and even a few by movie stars, such as Charlie Chaplin). Some songs went on to become hits.
Wlaschin’s 388 page book, perhaps the first truly comprehensive study of the subject, is divided into three parts. The first part, "Movies and Moviegoing," describes songs about particular movies as well as the larger phenomenom of motion pictures and the movie going experience.
Apparently, songs were associated with film from the very beginning. The author, who has long collected sheet music, documents some remarkable items. For example, the first piece of popular music inspired by the movies was published in 1896 – just a few years after the first commercially exhibited motion pictures. The first song about the movies (in general) was published three years after that.
There are many other fascinating pieces of information in The Silent Cinema in Song. “Oh! Oh! The Picture Show!,” published in 1913, was the first song to name individual movie stars and their films. This bit of fluff name checks Sarah Bernhardt and other actresses of the time. Striking a very different note, the provocative White Slavery-themed “Traffic in Souls,” also from 1913, was the first song to have been written about a paticular American movie.
The second part of the Wlaschin’s book, "Movie Personalities and Their Films," provides brief biographies of actors and actresses and a description of the songs created both about them and for their films. For example, the first song about a named movie star was “Mary Pickford, The Darling of Them All,” which was released at the same time as Pickford’s first feature, A Good Little Devil (1914). Wlaschin records many such interesting bits. Did you know that the most popular song about a movie star during the early silent era was “The Moon Shines Bright on Charlie Chaplin,” which was sung by millions of soldiers during World War I. And, the most popular song created in connection with an early feature was “Mickey,” written for Mabel Normand’s 1919 film of the same name.
Francis X. Bushman, a hugely popular star of the 1910’s (and one of my grandmother’s favorite actors), is best known today for his role as the villainous Messala in the classic Ben-Hur (1925). Songs connected with Bushman’s films began to appear some twelve years before. Throughout the Teens, his likeness appeared on a number of pieces of sheet music. In 1918, the song “Soon We’ll All Be Seen Upon the Screen” was issued. Its title suggests something we all dream about, movie stardom – though its lyrics curiously assert “When Francis X. Bushman starts to killin’ / the depraved and wicked villain / you know you should become a photo play star.”
During the silent era, another handsome actor, Rudolph Valentino, appeared on a number of pieces of sheet music. In 1926, when the screen idol suddenly died, millions felt bereaved. Shortly after his passing and appealing to national sentiment, a song was published called “There’s a New Star in Heaven Tonight.” On the cover of this sheet is a solemn image of the much loved actor.
Another favorite of some, Louise Brooks, surprisingly never appeared on the cover of sheet music issued during the silent era. (The actress did, however, appear on the cover of sheet music for her 1931 sound film, Prix de Beaute.) Nevertheless, the now much celebrated star is represented in Wlaschin’s book in connection to her 1928 film, Beggars of Life.
The sheet music for that William Wellman directed Paramount film featured leading man Wallace Beery. At the time, Beery was a far more better known actor – and Beggars of Life is something of a guy’s film. This sheet was one of two different pieces issued for the title song, which in turn was recorded by a few different artists and released as 78 rpm recordings.
Other film stars, and even a few directors, such as Ronald Colman, Marion Davies, Douglas Fairbanks, Ramon Novarro, Gloria Swanson, Blanche Sweet, James Cruze, D.W. Griffith and Thomas Ince were each celebrated on sheet music. Each is represented in The Silent Cinema in Song.
As is the man of a thousand faces, Lon Chaney, and the girl with the bee-stung lips, Mae Murray. As well as child star Baby Peggy, vamp Theda Bara, “It girl” Clara Bow, the “too beautiful” Barbara La Marr, the bespeckled Harold Lloyd, the dashing John Gilbert, the reticent Greta Garbo - and even canine star Rin Tin Tin. Chances are, if you have a favorite actor or actress, they were depicted on a piece of sheet music.
The Silent Cinema in Song is a valuable guide to the many songs composed for or inspired by movies and movie stars. That’s especially apparent in "Recordings," the third part of Wlaschin’s book, which annotates recordings of silent era songs and their current availability on 78 rpm, LP, CD, DVD and on the Internet. After reading about this material, chances are you’ll want to track down these still little known recordings - some of which can be heard on RadioLulu, an online radio station featuring vintage songs about the movies.
The Silent Cinema in Song is sure to appeal to silent film fans of all stripes. It's a must read. For those wishing to dig deeper, Wlaschin’s book also includes a useful bibliography. The two titles with the greatest appeal are Marion Short’s illustrated collector’s guide From Footlights to “the Flickers”: Collectible Sheet Music, Broadway Shows and Silent Movies (Schiffer Publishing), and Rick Altman’s excellent academic study Silent Film Sound (Columbia University Press).
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