[78-L] The recording studio in MGM's Sweethearts (1938)

[Royal Pemberton]

On the topic of a recording studio scene set in the 78 RPM era,
although in a much later film, I wonder how many others noticed in O
BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? the early scene with the group in the
recording studio, ostensibly in the late 1930s, where you see a Presto
machine happily cutting silent grooves at 45 RPM whilst the band
plays?

On 4/21/09, David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca> wrote:
> Forgot to mention that the song is "More Than You Know".
>
> David Lennick wrote:
>> I haven't seen that..but it sounds a lot more authentic than the recording
>>
>> setup in "Funny Lady", wherein Fanny Brice, in 1930 (maybe late 1929)..
>>
>> (a) Records onto a lacquer disc (not invented yet)
>> (b) Records onto a CENTER START lacquer disc
>> (c) Records a song which the producer SLATES (noop!)
>> (d) Records with a bunch of hangers-on in the studio
>>
>> Then she receives the test pressing, which comes to her with a free
>> phonograph
>> under it, and it has a locked groove. Of course since Fanny never recorded
>> that
>> song, anything goes. Maybe Joel Whitburn was the music consultant...if she
>>
>> HADDA recorded it, that's how it would have been done. And with a big lush
>>
>> orchestra, too.
>>
>> dl
>>
>> Harold Aherne wrote:
>>> "Sweethearts" may be the best of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy's
>>> co-starring
>>> films, both because of the light satirical tone and the witty screenplay
>>> by Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell. There's one scene that sticks out
>>> especially for those interested in
>>> recording technology. It's in the following video beginning at 3:28 with
>>> the iris in to
>>> the fake Nelson Eddy label:
>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5UqYzu97Ms&NR=1
>>>
>>> Now that I look at it up close, it appears that they just put a sticker
>>> over
>>> a Victor red seal with the circular label. Anyway, Nelson Eddy sings
>>> Victor
>>> Herbert's "On Parade" in a recording studio and for about three seconds
>>> (4:32 to 4:35) we get a close-up of the wax master. It's much thicker
>>> than
>>> the one in "Command Performance" from 1942, and I'm guessing that it's a
>>> "cast" blank instead of a "flowed" one. When did Victor start using the
>>> latter?
>>> They were using both kinds in 1940-41 when Billy Murray made his Bluebird
>>> sides, cutting a given take simultaneously on both varieties (see
>>> http://www.denvernightingale.com/discography/bluebird.html
>>>
>>> Was there supposed to be an increase in quality on the flowed wax blanks,
>>> or were they used for some other reason?
>>>
>>> Getting back to my subject header, is this an actual recording or radio
>>> studio
>>> in the LA area, or was it built on the MGM soundstages? I'm guessing the
>>> latter,
>>> but I really don't know. I don't recall seeing "On Parade" among his 1938
>>> titles
>>> in the CED...but I always get a kick out of seeing the musicians dressed
>>> up in
>>> band uniforms, something that would never happen at an actual session!
>>>
>>> -Harold
>>>
>>>
>>>
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