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IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Moving Picture Organists Big Factors
in Exploitation of the Popular Number
Moving Picture Presentation by Organists in Conjunction With Slides and Singing
Audiences Develop as Most Direct Means of "Plugging"
self and not a vocalist sings the number. The
slides have been modernized, too, and present the
words oi the song with such artistic touches neces-
saty to set them off.
In New York and certain other large cities
this form of exploitation has been only moderately
successful, due to the peculiarly transient charac-
ter of the theatre audiences. It is in the smaller
c o m m u n i ties,
where each large
m o t i o n picture
house has a regu-
lar weekly pat-
ronage, that the
organist builds up
a following and
makes the song
presentations one
of the interesting
spots on the eve-
ning's bill.
There is one
outstanding ex-
ception in New
York in the per-
son of J e s s e
Crawford, organ-
ist at the new
Paramount The-
atre at T i m e s
Square. Through
the medium of
his Victor records
and his broad-
casting at various
times, Mr. Craw-
ford has devel-
oped a great fol-
lowing, and his
presentations of
popular songs at
the 1' a r m o u n t
constitute a def-
inite high-spot of
each day's pro-
gram.
Other
promi-
nent organists in
their own locali-
ties are such men
as Henri Keates
H. A. Weymann & Sons' Display Ties Up With Orchestra and Organist in Chicago, Irv-
employing this form of specialized "plugging" to ing Kalian in Philadelphia, Robert Clark and
sec that the music dealers in the locality where Don Miller in Detroit, Milton Slosser in St.
the song is being so presented are informed of
Louis, "Maurice" in Indianapolis, _|<>hn Hammond
the fact and provided with suitable material for in New Orleans, George Johnson in Omaha, Will-
effecting a tie-up with the event in their stores. iam Dalton in Columbus, Leonard Leigh in St.
The general consensus is that not many dealers Paul, Minn., and dozens of others. These musi-
have taken the trouble to co-operate to any great cians are featured by the theatre in which they
degree, but that in those cases where the mer- are playing as one of the "draws," and their play-
chant is alive to the situation he is well repaid in ing of popular selections, especially with a special
sales volume for his efforts.
slide presentation, accomplishes more in the way
The details of the organ presentations follow of local publicity for a number than a season
briefly. The publisher arranges with the organist of exploitation by a dance orchestra or musical
or theatre owner for a five or ten-minute specialty, act.
and supplies a set of embellished slides, which are
The real reason for this is that the audience
to be projected on the screen while the organist enjoys being made part of the show. To bring
is playing the verses and choruses of a song. this about the patrons are generally challenged by
Sometimes the slides include a group of new num- means of an introductory slide, with reference to
bers. This practice, although it dates back to the their collective ability to learn a popular song.
days of illustrated songs of fifteen or twenty This is psychologically good showmanship,
years ago, embodies several modern features, the whether the theatre is in Maine, Oregon or Texas,
most important of which is that the audience it- for all audiences like to assert themselves. Thus
HP HE past year has seen some surprising de-
velopments in the field of popular song ex-
ploitation in the motion picture theatre with the
aid of the theatre organist, and this practice has
come to be regarded by most of the large pub-
lishers as a highly profitable one in building up
a nation-wide demand for their songs. Consid-
erable attention has been paid by the publishers
24
Songs that Sell
TOUKTHKIi \VK TWO
C'EST VOl'S
FOIR WALLS
THE SONG IS KNDK1>
(But the Melody Lingers On)
ME AND MY SHADOW
MOTHER OF MINK, STILL IIAVK
YOU
AUK YOI' LONKSOMK TONIGHT?
MISS A N N A B E L L K L E E
WHAT DO WK DO ON A DKW,
D E W , DKWY DAY'
DAWNING
T H E R E MUST IIE 8OMKIIODY
ELSE
T H E H O I K S I S P E N T WITH YOI
Iti SSIAN LULLABY
WHAT DO KM IT MATTKK?
B L U E SKIES
IT ALL HELONGS TO MIC
I'VE B E E N LONGING FOIl A GIKL
LIKE YOI
HOLLYWOOD KOSK
WE'LL IIAVK A NEW HOME IN
T H E MOKN1N'
MINK, ALL MINE
DON'T FOKGKT WHKN T H E
SUMMER ROLLS IIV
SOMEONE L1KK YOU MADE SOME
ONE LIKE MK L I K E YOU
IT'S A MILLION TO (INK YOU'RE
IN LOVE
MK. A E R O P L A N E MAN
LOVELY LITTLE SILHOUETTE
A SI KEN DREAM
HAVANA
Y A N K E E ROSE
From the New
ZIEGFELD FOLLIES"
(Mill. MAYBE IT'S YOU
SHAKING THE BLUES AWAY
IT'S UP TO THE B A M )
YOICK
,OKS THAT SELL
•New" UNIVERSAL. DANCE
No. 14
IKYING BERLIN, INC., SONG HITS
FOR SAXOPHONE FOLIO No. I
and No._~.
IRVING BERLIN, INC., SONG HITS
FOK
TENOK
BANJO
FOLIO
_
PALL ASH FOLIO OF NOVELTY
PIANO SOLOS
AL .MM.SON COMEDY SONG HIT
FOLIO
WORLD'S FAVORITE SONGS
PETERSON'S UKULELE METHOD
THE MOST POPULAR NEGRO
SPIRITUALS
Published in » separate folios (or
TENOR BANJO—With piano accom-
paniment
SAXOPHONE—For Eb, HI) and C
Melody Saxophone* (Combined) —
with piano accompaniment (words
and music)
VIOLIN AND PIANO—(With words
and music)
PIANO AND VOICE
(Each volume contains words and
music complete)
IRVING BERLIN In,
1607Broadway New York City
the new song is taught to the audience on the
spot and hundreds of admirers of the number
L'ave the theatre as live prospects for sheet
music sales of the song as it is possible to be.
Here and there oiu- finds a music dealer pro-
gressive enough to make an effort to cash in
on such a presentation. When Irving Kahan,
organist at the Stanley Theatre, Philadelphia, put
on a special presentation of Walter Donaldson's
hit, "My Blue Heaven," a short time ago, H. A.
Weymann & Sons arranged an effective window
display with many copies of the song given
prominent position. A large placard announced
that the number was being feafured by Irving