Everybody Sing! Community Singing in the American Picture Palace / Esther M. Morgan-Ellis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Morgan-Ellis, Esther M., 1984- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Motion pictures--Social aspects--United States--History--20th century.

Motion pictures.

Community music--United States--History and criticism.

Community music.

Motion picture audiences--United States--History--20th century.

Motion picture audiences.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

1st ed.

Manufacture:

Baltimore, Md. : Project MUSE, 2018

Place of Publication:

Athens : The University of Georgia Press, [2018]

Summary:

During the 1920s, a visit to the movie theater almost always included a sing-along. Patrons joined together to render old favorites and recent hits, usually accompanied by the strains of a mighty Wurlitzer organ. The organist was responsible for choosing the repertoire and presentation style that would appeal to his or her patrons, so each theater offered a unique experience. When sound technology drove both musicians and participatory culture out of the theater in the early 1930s, the practice faded and was eventually forgotten. Despite the popularity and ubiquity of community singing-it was practiced in every state, in theaters large and small-there has been scant research on the topic. This volume is the first dedicated account of community singing in the picture palace and includes nearly one hundred images, such as photographs of the movie houses' opulent interiors, reproductions of sing-along slides, and stills from the original Screen Songs "follow the bouncing ball" cartoons. Esther M. Morgan-Ellis brings the era of movie palaces to life. She presents the origins of theater sing-alongs in the prewar community singing movement, describes the basic components of a sing-along, explores the unique presentation styles of several organists, and assesses the aftermath of sound technology, including the sing-along films and children's matinees of the 1930s.

Contents:

A visit to the Oriental

The sing-along tradition

Practices and tools

Community singing and the "class house"

Community singing and local outreach

The advent of sound

Epilogue.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780820352039

0820352039

OCLC:

1012107384