After the Silents: Hollywood Film Music in the Early Sound Era, 1926-1934Many believe Max SteinerÕs score for King Kong (1933) was the first important attempt at integrating background music into sound film, but a closer look at the industryÕs early sound era (1926Ð1934) reveals a more extended and fascinating story. Viewing more than two hundred films from the period, Michael Slowik launches the first comprehensive study of a long-neglected phase in HollywoodÕs initial development, recasting the history of film sound and its relationship to the ÒGolden AgeÓ of film music (1935Ð1950). Slowik follows filmmakersÕ shifting combinations of sound and image, recapturing the volatility of this era and the variety of film music strategies that were tested, abandoned, and kept. He explores early film music experiments and accompaniment practices in opera, melodrama, musicals, radio, and silent films and discusses the impact of the advent of synchronized dialogue. He concludes with a reassessment of King Kong and its groundbreaking approach to film music, challenging the filmÕs place and importance in the timeline of sound achievement. |
Contents
Introduction
| 1 |
Musical Influences in the 1920s | 12 |
2 Music in Early Synchronized and PartTalking Films 19261929
| 40 |
Music in the 100 Percent Talkie 19281931
| 87 |
The Hollywood Musical 19291932
| 136 |
The Hollywood Film Score 19311933
| 180 |
6 Reassessing King Kong or The Hollywood Film Score 19331934
| 230 |
Conclusion
| 266 |
Chronological Filmography 19261934 | 279 |
Notes
| 315 |
| 345 | |
| 359 | |
Other editions - View all
After the Silents: Hollywood Film Music in the Early Sound Era, 1926-1934 Michael Slowik Limited preview - 2014 |
After the Silents: Hollywood Film Music in the Early Sound Era, 1926-1934 Michael Slowik Limited preview - 2014 |
Common terms and phrases
aesthetic Altman audience audience’s Big Trail characters cinema conductor’s continuous music convey couple’s dance dialogue diegesis diegetic and nondiegetic diegetic music diegetic sound Don Juan early sound film early synchronized egetic fantasy film music film score film’s filmmakers Golden Age Gorbman helps Hollywood instance Jazz Singer Kalinak King Kong King Kong’s score late silent Liliom Megan MGM Director mickey-mousing montage montage sequences motifs movie music cues music director music practices musical theater narrative events Neumeyer nondiegetic music Nubi opening credits opera orchestra original music Paramount Director Paramount Pictures performance period phonograph plays provides radio recorded rerecording RKO Director scene scholars sequence shot silent film silent film music Silent Film Sound Singing Fool sound effects sound film soundtrack Squall stage musicals Steiner Steiner’s score studio suggests Symphony of Six synchronized films Talkies techniques theatrical melodrama theme song tion tune underscoring Vitaphone Warner Bros Weary River