Tweet The Strand Theatre in Altoona, PA

Does anyone know anything about the musical history or history of this theater in Altoona, renamed the Warner in 1930, beyond the information found here:

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/27541

I recently acquired about 75 pieces from their theater orchestra library, and would be interested if anyone else can help give it some context, or has other pieces, just to compare and compile a repertoire list.

There are two generations of scores, a lot of standard theater scores from 1890-1915, and then a lot of cinema, jazz, dance, and popular music from 1920-1928.

The scores indicate that the actual ensemble was violin, cello, bass, clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone, piano and percussion. Those are the only parts that have any wear, notes, markings and etc.

The various pieces were often noted as "Theme I, Theme II, Theme III, Love Theme," as well as some film cues, timings and cuts, etc. It appears that I can assemble part of their performed score for Harold Lloyd's

The Freshman

based on the notations.

If anyone can help or is interested I'd be grateful.
Thanks!

Sounds like a fun project! I can't tell you more about the theater, except that "The Strand" was the name of a New York theater that was considered the best movie theater in America in the early days, maybe circa 1915 (I don't have my Altman book handy). They were one of the first to regularly have orchestral accompaniment that carefully synced with the film. A number of other theaters were named after it, and that may be where the Altoona theater got its name. By 1930, the original Strand was probably pretty much forgotten.

(There's a tiny theater in Julesberg Colorado named "The Hippodrome" after the one in New York... I doubt it's big enough to do equestrian shows, though.)

As you can probably guess, you would label pieces Theme I, Theme II, etc. if you planned to repeat the piece in the score. In the days before photocopiers you couldn't just make multiple copies. Those pieces would be kept available by each musician for reuse when needed, while the other themes in the score were turned over and stacked (and might not have been marked at all, except by the leader, who was responsible for following the film cues).

Ernst Luz had a complicated scheme where different themes received different "colors" on the cue sheet. Then you were supposed to put colored tabs on the parts so that you could grab them quickly when the piece was repeated. It probably worked fine, but whether it was worth the trouble is anyone's guess. It would be easier in these days of Post-It notes... but it's even easier to just make multiple copies so that the score is just one stack.

Plus, quite often, I've come across hand-copied pieces in folders of original arrangements I've purchased. It's obvious that at least with some theaters, having a copyist on hand was much simpler than flipping through the score constantly.

That's interesting. I've come across hand-copied parts in one collection, but it was always just the first violin part. So in that case, it's probably because the Stadium Theater in Woonsocket had more than one desk of first violins, and didn't want to buy two complete orchestrations just for those violinists. Oh, and the hand-writing is terrible; I'm glad I wasn't sitting at the second desk...

Just off the top of my head, I've got one of the preludes to one of the acts of Hadley's "Azora" that has extensive copies of each instrument (it was obviously a larger orchestra). The copying work is pretty neat on that one, but the conductor was copied, obviously because that would have been an easier bookmark/flip-back. Published scores always copy/repeat.

Just off the top of my head, I've got one of the preludes to one of the acts of Hadley's "Azora" that has extensive copies of each instrument (it was obviously a larger orchestra). The copying work is pretty neat on that one, but the conductor was copied, obviously because that would have been an easier bookmark/flip-back. Published scores always copy/repeat.

I love Azora! The libretto is available online, and it looks to have been a corker of an opera. The preludes make great material for oriental film scores.

As you can probably guess, you would label pieces Theme I, Theme II, etc. if you planned to repeat the piece in the score. In the days before photocopiers you couldn't just make multiple copies. Those pieces would be kept available by each musician for reuse when needed, while the other themes in the score were turned over and stacked (and might not have been marked at all, except by the leader, who was responsible for following the film cues).

Ernst Luz had a complicated scheme where different themes received different "colors" on the cue sheet. Then you were supposed to put colored tabs on the parts so that you could grab them quickly when the piece was repeated. It probably worked fine, but whether it was worth the trouble is anyone's guess. It would be easier in these days of Post-It notes... but it's even easier to just make multiple copies so that the score is just one stack.

One thing I've wondered, do you find the ABC dramatic cues of any use in your actual performance practice. I've looked at a number of them, but they just don't seem all that useful?

Or that good...sad to say, the idea was great - a group of related pieces to be used together throughout a film - and yet...

Oh, Luz was a nut, no question, and his music is definitely hit or miss, mostly miss. I've used some of his agitatos, and rearrangements of opera and symphony themes. The most fun you get from Luz's color method is how crazy his writing style is. Look for his cue sheet for "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" some time, his lecturing to projectionists are certain to do nothing but piss them off.

Zamecnik wrote a series of related "themes" in 1921, each with a woman's name. The idea was to have three or four treatments of the same music so you could use them in different parts of the score for a different effect. But the one I found ("Theme Doris") sounds exactly like "Chinatown, my Chinatown," which I had a hard time getting over, so I haven't tried it out in an actual score.

The ABC Dramatic Sets actually do have limited use... as long as you're picking and choosing which to use.

Yes, Luz is not the best of the best for Silent film underscoring, but a few of his pieces do have merit to them. I'm using two for a Chaplin film we're underscoring Saturday. If you want to look it up, it's specifically ABC Dramatic Set #3, Hy. Agitato or Hurry, and another, ABC Dramatic Set #15, Society Reception or Cabaret Scene. I've found they work well in appropriate settings. They do work for our score of "The Rink."

Zamecnik wrote a series of related "themes" in 1921, each with a woman's name. The idea was to have three or four treatments of the same music so you could use them in different parts of the score for a different effect. But the one I found ("Theme Doris") sounds exactly like "Chinatown, my Chinatown," which I had a hard time getting over, so I haven't tried it out in an actual score.

This was attempted a few times by a few different composers, but I think the most successful of these type arrangements is Savino's Symphonic Love Theme, which was published in seven or eight different variations ("Moderato con Agitazione" is probably the most famous). Really lovely theme.

If you want info on the theatre itself, you might want to contact Robert Dickson at the Margaret Herrick Library. He handles the B'Hend/Kaufmann Collection, a huge collection of manuscript/photographs regarding motion picture theatres throughout the US. He can be contacted at: rdickson@oscars.org.

Also, Theater Historical Society of America:

http://www.historictheatres.org/

If you want info on the theatre itself, you might want to contact Robert Dickson at the Margaret Herrick Library. He handles the B'Hend/Kaufmann Collection, a huge collection of manuscript/photographs regarding motion picture theatres throughout the US. He can be contacted at: rdickson@oscars.org" target="_blank.

Thanks!

Also, Theater Historical Society of America:

http://www.historictheatres.org/" target="_blank

Thanks, I should also check the organ lists since they had a wurlizter according to one source.