Abstract
Silent films were never truly "silent," nor were they meant to be. From the genesis of film in America, production companies and exhibitors looked for ways to add sound to movies. Early techniques, such as the phonograph, proved too cumbersome to synchronize with the scenes. For two decades, the most common way to accompany a silent film was by employing live piano, improvised to the action. One of the pianists was the grandmother of co-author Pat Finkel — Alice Evans earned her living playing piano accompaniment at nickelodeons and silent film theaters.
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