[78-L] Rare records in films

[victrola78s at aol.com]

Well, it's nice to know that poor research and lack of historical context in films isn't a new concept. The writers of "Mysterious Intruder" didn't seem too bothered by the fact that Jenny Lind died in 1887, just at the dawn of wax cylinder recording experiments by Tainter and Bell. The unshakable wisdom of Wikipedia suggests that Lind "is believed to have made an early phonograph recording for Thomas Edison", but Ol' Tom's interest in the phonograph was somewhat dormant once he got to working on incandescent lights. She would have been past her vocal prime by the 1870s anyway. So unless there is a leftover piece of tinfoil in Schenectady with Lind's voice on it, I think we'll lay this one to rest:)

Semi-related to the Hollywood "Tom-foolery" about phonograph anomalies in movies and TV I remember an episode of "Our House", the NBC series from the 1980s featuring Wilford Brimley as Grandpa Gus Witherspoon. In one of the episodes he dusts off an open horn Victor and proceeds to demonstrate the machine to his grandchildren by playing Harry Lauder's "Roaming in the Gloaming". Cute scene as Brimley dances around and sings along to the Victor record. But it's the Orthophonic version that's heard, clearly electrically reproduced on the TV soundtrack-not the earlier acoustic version one would expect. 

Dennis "Bonnie banks o' Clyde" Forkel


-----Original Message-----
From: Julian Vein <julianvein at blueyonder.co.uk>
To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Sun, Oct 28, 2012 12:57 pm
Subject: Re: [78-L] Rare records in films


Were there any rare records in that? And were they part of the plot?

      Julian Vein

=======================

On 28/10/12 16:24, Bertrand CHAUMELLE wrote:
> BLACKBOARD JUNGLE ?
>
> BC
> Le 28 oct. 12, à 01:17, Julian Vein a écrit :
>
>> I have never seen a film where the plot involves rare records, until
>> today, that is. It was a 1946 film called "Mysterious Intruder",
>> starring Richard Dix, as a rather scheming private dick, who finds out
>> that a musical instrument shop owner has a couple of cylinders by Jenny
>> Lind, which he hopes to pass over to a young woman he used to know.
>>
>> There are plenty of rubbings-out and the cylinders eventually get
>> broken.
>>
>> Are there any other films that involve rare records?
>>
>>         Julian Vein
>>

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