Silent Film Sound

Silent Film Sound reconsiders all aspects of sound practices during the entire silent film period. Based on extensive original research and accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, the book challenges the assumptions of earlier histories of this period in film and reveals the complexity and swiftly changing nature of American silent cinema.

During the nickelodeon period prior to 1910, theaters often deployed half a dozen competing sound strategies-from carniva-like music in the street, automatic pianos, small orchestras in the pit to voices behind the screen. During this period, musical accompaniment had not yet begun to support the story and its emotions as it would in later years.

From the mid-1910s, film music would become an integral part of the film rather than its adversary, and a new style of cinema sound would favor accompaniment that worked in concert with cinema story-telling, producing an extraordinarily successful audiovisual art.

Based on extensive original research and accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, the book challenges the assumptions of earlier histories of this period in film and reveals the complexity and swiftly changing nature of American silent cinema.