About Us

The greatest era of cinema history went from 1900 to 1930. This was the era of silent film.

Silent slapstick movies of the 1910s and 20s were often accompanied by a live orchestra highlighting the films’ themes and playing the top 40 tunes of the day. The music would drive the film along at a cracking pace trying desperately to keep up with the manic imagery on screen. To enhance the films further, a man would be employed to create sound effects using many objects including the slapstick for which these comedies were named.

Silent dramas include the great Rudolph Valentino playing The Sheik and Douglas Fairbanks (not junior) playing the first Zorro all accompanied by exciting music specially composed or arranged for the films and played by full orchestras. Australia also had a fine silent film tradition now jealously guarded by The National Film and Sound Archives

The Moving Picture Show had the good fortune to obtain the music library of the Bradford Theatre Royal Picture House and thanks to her work there, was given access to the Sydney State Theatre silent music library.

Jan was told that Sydney had a large collection once owned by the Sydney State Theatre and now held by The National Library of Australia. on the strength of her work, she was given access to the Sydney State Theatre silent music library. This collection was enormous and as far as she could find, intact for the whole silent era

Studying this music raised many interesting questions: was there a full orchestra or just a small combo?, did it perform in Vaudeville, melodrama, or a mixture of both styles? Did it play continuously throughout the film? How did it handle repeats? Did it finish all numbers? How closely was the music synchronized with the rhythmic movement of the film? Was every show accompanied? What was Sydney’s experience? In exploring these questions, the Moving Picture Show and a life of research began.

The music, however, is only half of what these old movies need to bring them to life. Other requirements included someone to produce sound effects which were used in all big film theatres as well as acts between the films and even sing-a-longs while the projectionist was changing films. And there have to be ads as there are today and an old piano to give the orchestra a rest. It all ended up very much like a vaudeville show with film, which was exactly as it was particularly in the early days of the silents. and it is this material Sydney saw in that bygone era.