Terminological History of Music for Cinema

The graph below shows the frequency that various terms used to describe music and cinema appear in the sources contained in Google Books. This was produced using the Google Labs Ngram Reader. I inputted five terms: film music, cinema music, moving picture music, motion picture music and movie music. One of the more interesting aspects of this graph is that it suggests that "film music" does not become the dominant term until after 1930—that is, its terminological dominance coincides with the change over to sound film production.



(Click to see a larger image.)

You can make your own graph and change the variables here.

Music on the Set

"Music—The Soul Behind the 'Movies'" is link to a nice, short article from 1924 on the practice of playing music on the set. The article might be especially good for the purposes of teaching. It appeared in the September 1924 issue of Popular Mechanics, pp. 412-14.

Classroom resources

A pointer to our "Classroom Resources" page on the main HtM website: Syllabi and other materials.

Here's the syllabus for Jim's large section general course based on HtM: UGS303, fall 2010.

Here's a link to David's summer course for which HtM was the textbook: MUS 337, ss 2009.

We're happy to add links to syllabi for courses using HtM. Please send links or write to us (see "Contact us" under Contributors).

Review sites for film books

David Bordwell has written another excellent essay on the state of the field, this time on the mismatch between the volume of publication in film studies and the number of book reviews. Citation: Film History 22 (2010): 257-64. Bordwell mentions two open access online journals that make a serious effort to review film books. Here are links for both of them:

Senses of Cinema.
Screening the Past.

UCLA silent animated films

The following is reproduced from this week's edition of The Scout Report (June 4, 2010; Volume 16, Number 22).

UCLA Preserved Silent Animation [Flash Player]

http://animation.library.ucla.edu/

UCLA's film and television archive of animated silent films from the pre-

1930s is relatively small, but considering the rarity of any silent films,

it is still an impressive collection. Some of the films offered up on this

website include "Felix the Cat", the "Inkwell Imps", and "Aesop's Film

Fables". Visitors are lucky enough to be able to view online or download 11

animated films from the library's collection. While watching the films,

visitors can listen to the preservation commentary, or listened to the music

for each film composed by Michael D. Mortilla, who has played music for

silent films for the Silent Society. Visitors can learn more about Michael

D. Mortilla by reading the "About the Music" link. There are also film

notes and an historical overview that visitors can read for each film.

Researchers or interested parties will find a 15-page study guide of films

and works about silent films available as a PDF. This helpful document is

conveniently located at the bottom of the homepage. [author: KMG = Max Grinnell]

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2010.

http://scout.wisc.edu/

Gaumont Sound films

Below are some "phonescènes" that have been posted to YouTube. These are synchronized sound films directed by Alice Guy for the Gaumont Chronophone, and all of the ones below happen to have been made in 1905. All of these are also included on the Gaumont Treasures, 1897-1913. Here is the IMDB link to a list of Chronophones.

This first one is actually not on the IMDB list (but is included in the Gaumont Treasures): Polin performs L'anatomie du conscrit (The Anatomy of a Draftee).



Félix Mayol performs La Polka des Trottins.



Armand Dranem performs Five O'Clock Tea.



Armand Dranem performs Le Vrai Jiu-Jitsu.



The Gaumont collection also includes Félix Mayol in both Questions indiscrètes and Lilas-Blanc.

Examples of Early Sound Film

Here are a number of examples of early sound films.

The Dickson Experimental Sound Film (c. 1894)



Nursery Favorites (Edison, 1914)

A Few Moments with Eddie Cantor (de Forest Phonofilm, 1923):



Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake Sing Snappy Songs (de Forest Phonofilm, 1923)



President Coolidge, Taken on the White House Grounds (de Forest Phonofilm, 1924)



Gus Visser and his Singing Duck (Theodore Case, 1925)



Anna Case in La Fiesta (Vitaphone, 1926). (Although the YouTube video lists this as 1928, I believe it is actually 1926.)


George Bernard Shaw (Fox Movietone, 1928)



Finding His Voice (Western Electric, 1929)