This content downloaded from 134.139.29.9 on Sun, 14 Sep 2014 00:04:14 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Music for the Universal Pictures Horror Film Scores of the Thirties BY WILLIAM H. ROSAR he horror films produced by Universal films regarded as uncommercial prospects be? Pictures between 1930 and 1936 have cause Jr. had persuaded him to make All Quiet enjoyed continuous popularity since on theWestern Front in 1930, which proved to they premiered five decades ago and be enormously successful and one of the finest are regarded as classics of their genre. They are films Universal ever made.2 also the films for which Universal is mainly Perhaps one of Laemmle, Jr/s least concerns remembered for that period, which is ironic in was having music in his films (i.e., background were music or were another that they nearly all low-budget "B" films. underscoring?songs These films made the names of Frankenstein matter altogether) and he was directly respon? and Dracula household words, not to mention sible for the complete absence of music in at those of actors Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. least one of the horror films he produced. Later, There were twelve films in all, produced when he sanctioned the use of music, he ordered under the regime of Carl Laemmle, who was the that it be dubbed so low that it is almost in? founder and president of Universal Pictures: audible in some cases. Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), Murders Let us see how music?or the lack of it? in the Rue Morgue (1932), The Old Dark House played a role in these films and how the fate of (1932) , The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man music in each film was affected by prevailing (1933) , The Black Cat (1934), Werewolf of Lon? trends in the film industry at large and by the don (1935), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), personal whims of any number of individuals The Raven (1935), The Invisible Ray (1935), involved in their production.3 and Dracula's Daughter (1936).1 These films might never have been made had it not been n the fall of 1930, when Universal finished for Laemmle's son, Carl Laemmle, Jr.,who pro? its production of Bram Stoker's Dracula, duced them, often against the advice of his the place of music in sound films was the father. Laemmle permitted his son to produce subject of ongoing controversy. In question were such issues as the amount of music there should be in a film, where the audience would Bela as Lugosi Count Dracula inDracula (1931). think the music was "coming from" if they did not see musicians and Film stills courtesy of Universal Pictures, unless actually performing it, or otherwise specified. whether not to have music during dialogue scenes. The outcome of this debate was that, William H. Rosar 1983. Copyright? aside from main and end titles, there was very FALL 1983 391 This content downloaded from 134.139.29.9 on Sun, 14 Sep 2014 00:04:14 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The concert hall sequence in Dracula was the only accompanying dialogue scenes virtually ruled music was heard other than themain title. place out music altogether. Thus music was the ex? ception, not the rule. With these prevailing attitudes toward film little music in most early sound films.4 For music in 1930, it is perhaps not surprising that example, All Quiet on the Western Front had the only music in Dracula is heard during the only main and end title music (the music heard main title and in the concert hall sequence where during a film's opening credits and at the end there is some "source" music (coming from an of a film) consisting of an instrumental tran? onscreen source). There was no music at the scription of a German song, "Gebet W?hrend end of the film, only chimes (although the shoot? der Schlacht/7 and "Huldigungs Marsch" from ing script called for organ music). Universal's Grieg's Sigurd lorsalfar, respectively. Universal mystery thriller, The Cat Creeps (a remake of was one of several studios whose policy was to the silent film, The Cat and the Canary), which have no music under dialogue, since it was felt was scored about the same time, had only main that music interfered with it. Since most and end title music. Ironically, Dracula is one "talkies" were just that?nonstop dialogue from of the few films of that time containing long beginning to end?the policy to have no music stretches which are not only without dialogue 392 THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS This content downloaded from 134.139.29.9 on Sun, 14 Sep 2014 00:04:14 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions but which are virtually silent, leaving ample room formusic! What little music there was in Universal's early sound films typically consisted of a com? bination of original compositions, classical music, and published music which had been composed for use accompanying silent films. Curiously, the preponderance of musical activity was not in scoring sound films as such but in the preparation of scores for what were called "nondialogue" versions of sound films. These were prepared for foreign distribution and had foreign language dialogue titles instead of audible dialogue, with occasional sound effects and continuous recorded musical accompani? ment. The nondialogue versions were the prin? cipal format in which American-made films were released in foreign countries. The process of dialogue dubbing was still comparatively crude, although Dracula was dubbed into French in Germany. In a few instances, foreign language versions were actually filmed, as was the case with Dracula, a Spanish version of which was shot with Spanish-speaking actors.5 In addition, Universal also reissued some of its silent films Heinz Roemheld in 1930. Photo by Jack Freulich, in the The Phantom nondialogue format, notably Universal Pictures. of the Opera, which was given a full-length score and sound effects, with some of the opera sequences being reshot with singing and dia? Gounod's Faust. Because of this, Laemmle gave a logue. him four-year contract, first appointing him Supervising what little music there was in music director of the Rialto Theater inWash? Dracula was the responsibility of Heinz Roem ington, D.C., for two years and then sending held, who was general music director of Uni? him to Germany, where he managed Laemmle's versal^ Music Department at the time. He two theaters in Berlin. In 1929 Laemmle brought a composed music for a number of Universal's Roemheld to California to be composer in the at suc? films in 1930, including the nondialogue version Music Department Universal. Roemheld as of All Quiet on theWestern Front, the musical ceeded David Broekman general music di? in summer 1930 Captain of the Guard, Seed, Hell's Heroes, and rector of the department the of themain titlemusic for The Cat and the Canary. (Broekman had been appointed in early 1929). Born inMilwaukee on May 1, 1901, Roemheld Roemheld had definite ideas about music in was had been a concert pianist and studied compo? films, one of which to use the classical to sition in Berlin with Hugo Kaun, a rival of songs of Schubert, Schumann, and others Richard Strauss. Roemheld was discovered in offset the more-or-less exclusive use of songs 1925 by Carl Laemmle at the Alhambra Theater by Tin Pan Alley songwriters which he regarded inMilwaukee, a Laemmle movie theater. Roem? as being mostly second-rate.6 an held was music director and conducted the pit The main title of Dracula consists of 2 orchestra which accompanied the silent films. abbreviation of scene from Tchaikovsky's to fit the Laemmle was very impressed by Roemheld's Swan Lake ballet suite, edited length main was to use musical treatment of The Phantom of the Opera, of the title.Whose idea it this if not is not known. How? for which the latter staged a musical prologue piece, Roemheld's, was first time the was used featuring opera stars singing arias from ever, it the piece FALL I983 393 This content downloaded from 134.139.29.9 on Sun, 14 Sep 2014 00:04:14 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Bernhard Kaun. Boris Karloff as themonster in Frankenstein (1931), a filmwhich "should have had a lot of music/' ac? cording to composer Bernhard Kaun. Photo courtesy of Forrest J.Ackerman, Fantasy Film Archives, Hollywood, California. in a Universal and it to film, appears have had Hall; themajestic coda ofWagner's Meistersinger a history of usage in silent films as a misterioso, prelude as the count is ushered to his seat; and < and may have been chosen for Dracula for this after the intervening intermission scene, a sol? reason. Any number of classical selections were emn figure in low strings from Schubert's used in the scores for Universal's nondialogue symphony as the lights dim and the count ex- \ versions because did not cost they anything claims, "There are far worse things awaiting in the were (being public domain) and known man than death!" The illogical order in which to be dramatically effective by those who com? the excerpts are heard in this concert hall con? the score.7 It is also it piled possible that might text suggests that they were chosen and arranged have been selected Sam a by Perry, composer in this sequence for dramatic effect. Lugosi's come to i who had Universal with Broekman biographer, Arthur Lennig, provides an inter- was and still working there at the time.8 esting example of the attitude toward music in is to It interesting note that the classical those days when he points out that the scene in ' heard in Dracula the concert was excerpts during the concert hall originally set in a living hall sequence (supposedly Albert Hall in Lon? room.