The Black Crook (1916)
Edward P. Sullivan | Gladys Coburn | Robert G. Vignola (Director)
Rest of cast:
Roland Bottomley | Henry Hallam | Charles De Forrest | Mae Thompson | Frank Leonard | Helen Lindroth | Walter C. Simon (Composer) | Julian Alfred (Dance Director) | Charles M. Barras (Story) | Phil Lang (Scenario)
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Splendid Music for “The Black Crook”
Kalem production exhibited with special score pleases critical audience.
A showing of the Kalem feature, The Black Crook, was given in the projection room of the Wurlitzer Building on West 41st street, New York, last Wednesday. The object of the exhibition was to demonstrate what original music combined with well-selected music will do for a great spectacular feature like The Black Crook. Music for the feature had been specially composed and arranged by Walter C. Simon.
The splendid projection room was well filled with a critical but appreciative audience when, at 11 o’clock, Robert E. Welsh in a felicitous little address stated the purpose of the exhibition and introduced the composer, Walter C. Simon. Mr. Simon, a young man of pleasing appearance, bowed his acknowledgment of the applause and as he took his seat at the organ the picture was started.
The Black Crook was reviewed in the issue of the Moving Picture World of January 1. It offers unusual opportunities to a clever musician to increase the power of the story and to accentuate the many spectacular incidents. In both these respects Mr. Simon has completely succeeded. The weird and magic element which at times predominates in the feature was wonderfully well illustrated by the music. The visits to the cave where the Black Crook meets Zaliel, the sudden disappearance of the Black Crook, were accompanied by music that made every scene more impressive. The one point in the score that stood out with particular brilliancy was the way the young composer handled the music for the great spectacular parts of the film-play. There are dances of great variety, the minuet, the ballet, a Greek dance, a fairy dance, etc., all of which required different treatment to be made as attractive as possible. Mr. Simon did exceedingly well in each one of these spectacular scenes. It is difficult to see how the score for the various dances could possibly have been improved.
Presented with this splendid score The Black Crook becomes a performance of rare merit and presents many novel features which no audience will fail to appreciate.
Collection: Moving Picture World January 1916