Musical Suggestions

In this column, Sinn provides mostly lists of musical suggestions submitted by readers. Because he does not appear to edit the suggestions for consistency of formatting, it is interesting to see how differently each author approaches the form.

The Selig Polyscope Company are re-issuing a picture made famous by them some years ago. You remember it, of course—“The Cowboy Millionaire.” It has been remade entirely on a much more elaborate scale than before, and is now in two reels, the first one being taken up mostly with spirited pictures of cowboy sports. The accompanying music should be of a spirited nature likewise. Some suggestions are offered:

“The Cowboy Millionaire.”
Part First.

1. “Zephyr” (“The West Wind,” from suite by Trinkaus, published by Witmark & Sons). Watch for pistol shots; continue music until donkeys are seen.
2. “Wild West” (by Percy Wenrich) until title: “Bud Gets a Surprise.”
3. Lively music until Bud reads telegram; as they rush into a saloon:
4. Chorus of “One Drink More” until change of scene.
5. (Railroad scene.) Back to same lively for one scene.
6. “Starlight Sioux” (Intermezzo by Aubrey Stauffer) until Bud sits in office and looks at stenographer.
7. “I Want You, Dearie, ‘Deed I do” (by Remick) until change of scene. (Any similar song chorus will answer, such as “I’ve Got My Eyes on You,” or “I Always knew the Girl I’d Love Would Be a Girl Like You.”)
8. Any lively music until title: “Getting an Outfit.”
9. Waltz until Bud sits at table with girl:
10. “Won’t You Be My Sweetheart?” (song chorus) until end of reel.

Part Second.

1. Waltz (two scenes) until title: “The Same Old Club.”
2. “The Mouse and the Clock” (Whitney) until change of scene.
3. Waltz again until title: “The Diamond S Boys Arrive.”
4. Kick-a-poo” (Harry Von Tilzer) long number—p. and f., according to alternate scenes; play until title: “Bud Takes the Boys to See a Melodrama.”
5. Waltz until stage is seen.
6. “Hearts and Flowers” until villain seizes leading lady.
7. Short hurry until change.
8. “Sailing, Sailing” (any sea song); in second scene change to “How Dry I Am” until title: “A Bucking Broncho,” etc.
9. “Stein Song” (or any drinking song). They get sea-sick; can follow action. When Bud enters apartment change to:
10. “Broncho Nell” (Gardner Publishing Co.); begin piano, increase and decrease with action until title: Bud’s Resolve—Never Again.”
11. “Never, Never No More” (old song), or any lively music until finish.

“The Mexican Spy” (Lubin).
W. E. King’s orchestra at the Orpheum Theater, Chicago, accompanied Lubin’s two-reel film, “The Mexican Spy,” as follows:

1. Waltz, “Espana,” until title: “The Forged Letter Secures,” etc.
2. “La Paloma” (the introduction plays through one scene)l the balance of the number until the title: “The Major’s Son and the Paymaster’s Daughter.”
3. Novelette until: “Tom Unable to Pay.”
4. Mysterious (bass solo); subdue at alternate changes, until Tom enters office.
5. “Pizzicato” until girl enters office.
6. Novelette until ”Having Accidentally Knocked the Receiver,” etc.
7. Agitato p. and f. until Tom exitsl a few bars of neutral until change.
8. “Reconciliation” (Bendix suite) until end of reel.

Part Second.

1. Heart’s Ease” (Moret) until recruiting office. (N. B.) Increase quasi agitato when she comes on screen to the two men.
2. “Under the Harvest Moon” (Published by Witmark) until: “One Year Later.”
3. Novelette until ambulance seen in foreground.
4. Hurry; start softly and work up to forte; at shots
5. Change to heavier hurry for battle; play until: “He Will Live.”
6. Plaintive for one scene.
7. Novelette to end of reel.

_____
Miss Maude Waters Dittmar (Marvel Theater, Frederick, Md.), gives us another of her welcome letters. She says: “For our comedies the numberless amount of songs as well as “rags” work out well as shown by Mr. Bruce’s program (Moving Picture World, January 18th). I have found the operettas very valuable and suggest some selections I am using: “Red Mill, Madame Sherry, Three Twins, Siren, Singing Girl, Kiss Waltz, Red Widow, Pink Lady, Little Miss Fixit, Dr. DeLuxe, Enchantress, Balkan Princess, Hans the Flute Player, Quaker Girl, Jacinta, Naughty Marietta, Chocolate Soldier, Gypsy Love, Baron Trenk, Three Romeos, Woman Haters, Dollar Princess, Golden Butterfly, Mikado, Pinafore, Robin Hood, Sorcerer, and Eva.” Of course you must use judgment if you wish to suit the picture. We are running Warner’s features together with one Universal program. For the “Sphinx” I used Baron Trenk, using some detail work, of course, and closing with Schumana [sic] “The Two Grenadiers.” For the first reel of “The Glass Coffin” the slow movement from the selection Stradella,” for the other two reels the selection from “Aida.” It fitted beautifully. The “Bohemian Girl” works out fine, for you can make the selection fit exactly. I have used fifteen of these grand opera selections published by Schirmer to great advantage. Enclosed find program for:

“Redemption.”
First Reel.
1. “Moonlight Dance” (Finck).
2. Valse from “Siren.”
First movement “Sango de Maurice” (Hein).
“Trauermarsch” (Mendelssohn).
“Humoreske” (Dvorak).
Second Reel.Waltz, “Phantom Isle,” first movement.
For dance, “Tarantella,” Gillette (Presser). This was splendid. Finish above waltz.
Agitato until “Sent to Prison,” then plaintive. (I used “Valse Dolores,” by Waldteufel.)
Close with chorus from Faust “Whilst This Blest Sign.”
Third Reel.Inflammatus from Stabat mater.
Intermezzo from “Rusticana.”
Largo (Handel).
Closing chorus from Faust: “Holy Angel in Heaven Blest.”_____
“The Resurrection” (Masko).
The music given to this four-reel feature was arranged by Mr. Milt E. Schwarzwald, the leader of the Bijou Dream Orchestra, Chicago. This house is now running a feature film, which changes once a week, and is making its music a prominent part of the show. Mr. Schwarzwald kindly gave me a copy of the numbers as selected and played by his orchestra:
First Reel.1. Russian walze suite (pub. by Ditson), “The Fawn,” “Bluette” and “The Orchid” in the order as given; keep last number (“The Orchid”) until title: “Death Takes Katusha’s Baby From Her.”
Then plaintive music for one scene.
“The Orchid” again through one scene, then:
“The Rosary” until end of reel.
Second Reel.1. “Puzta Maiden” waltz (by Chas. Roberts). The introduction is characteristic and will fill first scene; No. 1 waltz begins at 2nd scene, rather slowly and softly until: “The Life Without Care or Hope.”
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2. Russian Dance until dance is over.
3. Same waltz until “Russian Dancers.”
4. “Russian Kossack” (dance pub. by Emil Ascher) until dance ended.
5. Same waltz (short) until he drinks poisoned wine.
6. Agitato pp. until dancers.
7. “Russian Kossacks” again (short) until change, then back to
8. Same agitato as No. 6 until: “Maslova Is Accused.”
9. Plaintive until end of reel.
Third Reel.1. “Melody in F,” once through.
2. “To a Star” (by Leonard) until letter is shown.
3. “Salut d’Amour” (Elgar) until end of reel.
Fourth Reel.1. Plaintive until title: “The Condemned Start for Siberia.”
2. Pilgrims Chorus (from Tannhauser) until title: “The Prison Hospital,” etc.
3. “The Melody of Peace” until end of reel.

Source: Clarence E. Sinn, “Music for the Picture,” Moving Picture World 1 February 1913, 469-70.