What is it about?
It is an analysis of a single sheet of Musical Suggestions. It was circulated with the film by New Era, as distributors of John Grierson's Drifters (1929). The year in question was distinctive in British cinema history standing as it did at the crux of changeover from accompaniment live by musicians to synchronised recorded sound.
Featured Image
Photo by Claus Grünstäudl on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Several alternative ways of accompanying Drifters were provided for by Arthur Dulay who compiled the spreadsheet. Thus the document provides a survey of means of providing music to go with the film that were (as Grierson himself lamented) obsolescent.
Perspectives
The article concludes by referring to Grierson's hopes for the future of film with synchronised music and effects. It shows how some versions of Drifters released on electronic formats in the twenty-first century marry with the documentarist's original ambitions.
John Izod
University of Stirling
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Arthur Dulay and John Grierson: Fitting Drifters (1929), Visual Culture in Britain, December 2019, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/14714787.2019.1686416.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
