Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info

End-of-Year Fundraising Drive In Progress. Please visit our home page to see this and other announcements: https://www.mmdigest.com     Thank you. --Jody

MMD > Archives > May 1998 > 1998.05.08 > 08Prev  Next


Mechanical Music in the Movies
By Berley Firmin

Just a quick insert about a few movies that I have noticed that
contained mechanical musical instruments.

In the movie Perils of Pauline, with Betty Hutton, in the first few
minutes of the movie, a barrel piano on the street plays a tune while
Pearl White, played by Betty Hutton, shirks her sewing in the sweat
shop above and dances.

In the recent movie with Gregory Peck, called, I think Old Gringo,
there was an Aeolian Grand Player Organ that was played for a dance
scene, but unfortunately played player piano music!

In the movie Beat the Devil, with Humphrey Bogart, on the old decrepit
Italian ship, there is a scene that involves an upright Duo-Art.  It is
at first foot-pumped, then completely electric.

Another Bogey movie, Dead End, about the Bowery Boys, has a nickelodeon
in a speakeasy.

In an old movie with Eddie Albert in a ghost town, there was in an old
saloon a huge orchestrion with a lyre on the facade ... I think a
Losche ... can't remember anything else!

I love to see these machines in old movies.  Wouldn't you all love to
look through the prop departments in Hollywood?

Berley Antoine Firmin II
Bayou La Combe, Louisiana


(Message sent Fri 8 May 1998, 02:23:55 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Mechanical, Movies, Music

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page