[78-L] Phonograph records in the movies

[Harold Aherne]

I can think of a couple of movies (not recent ones, either) that displayed
odd or anachronistic record labels:
 
In "Sweethearts" (MGM, 1938) Jeanette MacDonald has just finished singing
"Summer Serenade" when the picture irises in to a record label--but not a red seal
circular Victor as one might expect, given Nelson Eddy's recording contract
at the time. Instead it is a picture label, with the top half featuring an illustration 
of Eddy at the studio microphone, a design that likely was never used for 
commercially pressed discs. (The whole scene of Eddy "recording" is worthwhile; 
we get a close-up of the wax master and the technicians making ajustments, but the musicians are rather absurdly dressed in costumes!). 
 
At the beginning of "Penny Serenade" (Columbia, 1941) Irene Dunne reminisces over
her marriage to Cary Grant and pulls out a record album. It contains mostly Victor
batwing labels, but when she puts one on the turntable we hear "You Were Meant 
For Me", a 1929 tune not issued on the batwing design stateside (and the labels were
clearly not Canadian). Moreover, the singing style and musical setting of the tune 
are more typical of the early 40s than the late 20s.
 
One entry in Columbia's "Whistler" series featuring Richard Dix focused on cylinders.
In "Mysterious Intruder" (1946) a supposed Jenny Lind cylinder is the centre of action.
Now if Lind had recorded at all it would have been a Phonautograph strip, a piece of tinfoil,
or a very early wax cylinder (probably of the white or brown variety), yet when we finally
see the recordings they are moulded black cylinders, more typical of 1902-1912. Doubtless
all these films were trying for at least a veneer of authenticity, and none of their writers
could have known how easy it would be to point out mistakes in them many decades
later.
 
-Harold


 

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com