Wind-up Phonographs in Movies

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Henry
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Re: Wind-up Phonographs in Movies

Post by Henry »

estott wrote:
Henry wrote:OK, I located the song: "For You," by Joe Burke (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics). See https://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/song ... fford.html . Many recordings of this one, including Ricky Nelson (!). Who woulda thought? Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra did record an arrangement on Brunswick, cat. no. 6606A, in 1933: see http://www.78discography.com/BRN6500.htm . The movie release date is 1931, so it may be some other arrangement used on the sound track.

Al Dubin was born in Zürich, grew up in Philadelphia, and attended the Perkiomen School (then known as Perkiomen Seminary) in Pennsburg, PA, not too far from me. It would be interesting to know the circumstances of all that, given Dubin's history. See further, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Dubin .
Dubin wrote a lot of lyrics for Warner Brothers musicals, with a variety of partners. In "Gold Diggers of 1933" Ned Sparks picks up the phone and shouts "Cancel my contract with Dubin and Warren!"
Among the best known of the many is 42nd Street, regularly shown on the TCM network.

AmberolaAndy
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Re: Wind-up Phonographs in Movies

Post by AmberolaAndy »

On this prohibition documentary on the Smithsonian channel. A guy shows some prohibition memorabilia and plays a record on his Crezenza machine.
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travisgreyfox
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Re: Wind-up Phonographs in Movies

Post by travisgreyfox »

Thats neat whats the name of the docu?

AmberolaAndy
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Re: Wind-up Phonographs in Movies

Post by AmberolaAndy »

travisgreyfox wrote:Thats neat whats the name of the docu?
Episode 1 of “DRINKS, CRIME AND PROHIBITION.” But unfortunately they replaced the audio of the record playing with some stock record crackling noise. :roll: There’s also a re-enactment set a speakeasy where they show a victrola playing what looks to be a 1940s Decca label 78. Lol

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marcapra
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Re: Wind-up Phonographs in Movies

Post by marcapra »

I just saw a terrific Jimmy Cagney movie called Blonde Crazy (1931) on TCM that shows Cagney putting a record on his Brunswick Ultona machine to create a romantic atmosphere for Joan Blondell. It doesn't work though. When Blondell comes in and Cagney kisses her, he gets slapped hard! Odd that they showed such an out of date Ultona machine in a 1931 movie. Since this was a Warner Bros. picture, it fits that they showed a Brunswick as they had just bought that company.

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Wes K
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Re: Wind-up Phonographs in Movies

Post by Wes K »

A couple of movies by Powell & Pressburger have wind-up machines in the. The Spy in Black (1939)was mentioned earlier, has this HMV horn machine in a couple scenes.
Valerie Hobson listening to gramophone is The Spy in Black
Valerie Hobson listening to gramophone is The Spy in Black
vlcsnap-2018-08-14-08h03m52s328.png (114.42 KiB) Viewed 1965 times
One of Our Aircraft is Missing (1942) has a scene where the burgomaster, played by Hay Petrie looks thru record albums in an upright HMV-ola machine.
Hay Petrie looking for missing gramophone records in One of Our Aircraft is Missing.
Hay Petrie looking for missing gramophone records in One of Our Aircraft is Missing.
vlcsnap-00036.png (138.96 KiB) Viewed 1966 times

Viva-voce
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Re: Wind-up Phonographs in Movies

Post by Viva-voce »

Here's my contribution---a couple lousy photos I took from the first scene of Mel Brook's hilarious 1967 film "The Producers" starring Zero Mostel.
Looks like a garden variety Victrola next to the debauchery :)

--Bialy, Bialy, darling did I hurt you?
--It's only a flesh wound, lamb chop.
--Don't worry, darling. I'll kiss it and make it well!
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fran604g
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Re: Wind-up Phonographs in Movies

Post by fran604g »

I don't know if "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" has been mentioned yet, but there's a Victor V with speartip horn at 1:51:20 (and earlier, too) that shows the crank as being on the "wrong" side.

What's that all about?

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Francis; "i" for him, "e" for her
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Viva-voce
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Re: Wind-up Phonographs in Movies

Post by Viva-voce »

There are several phonographs shown throughout the excellent HBO TV series "Boardwalk Empire."
Victor and Columbia horn models, and many Victrolas from a VTLA through what is referred to as a "VV-80" but is actually a more elegant model, maybe an XVI or a 120?

An interesting anachronism is the scene in the first season--actually, the first episode, if I remember correctly--where one of the Mob bosses, who is a Caruso fan, is shot and killed from behind at close range in his empty club (with framed autographed Caruso photos on the wall) while listening in rapt ecstasy to his beautiful mahogany machine, with brass flower horn, playing Caruso's 1910 recording of the Siciliana from Cavalleria Rusticana, which, in 1920 when the scene takes place, would have been either a 10" single-faced Victor patents or batwing label record. However, the disc shown spinning on the turntable is a 12" post-war RCA Victor (or HMV?) label record LOL.
An easily remedied anachronism considering the attention paid to period detail in so many other ways.

So the character has a violent demise--but probably painless--and obviously while in a contented moment haha.
Still, what a great and artistic scene it really is.

Additionally, the vintage recordings and newly recreated classic musical arrangements used throughout the series' run did a great service by drawing appreciation for this music from many younger viewers!

Steven

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Henry
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Re: Wind-up Phonographs in Movies

Post by Henry »

Viva-voce wrote:Here's my contribution---a couple lousy photos I took from the first scene of Mel Brook's hilarious 1967 film "The Producers" starring Zero Mostel.
Looks like a garden variety Victrola next to the debauchery :)

--Bialy, Bialy, darling did I hurt you?
--It's only a flesh wound, lamb chop.
--Don't worry, darling. I'll kiss it and make it well!
Judging from the size of the horn doors, I'd guess that this Victrola is an updated VV-100.

http://www.victor-victrola.com/100.htm.

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