Na film czy do kina? O sposobach redagowania pokazów kinowych okresu niemego
For a Movie or to the Movies? The Methods of Editing Screenings of the Silent Cinema

Summary/Abstract: This funny question in the title, which is often asked to couples pretending to go to the cinema, is no longer so amusing, when we refer it to the audience enjoying the charms of the Tenth Muse during the silent movie. Analyzing the presentation of films by the end of the 1920s, we notice that, to a large extent, it depended on the place in which they were shown. It was the owner or the manager who had a significant impact on the way of editing the screening, and thus on the reception of what was seen by the audience. Apart from the main film the additional components of projection were: a variety of songs, non-soundtrack of the film in the modern sense and the way of their performance; recitation and explanation; not only operetta singing, but opera as well; stage shows. Another important thing was a variety of film benefits to the main title and the active participation of the audience. So as to accommodate all these entertaining components, the films themselves were shown at a different, often accelerated speed. The importance of these benefits can be certified by the fact that the cinema advertisements mentioned the film stars, the bandmaster of the given venue, and what was going to be presented on stage. To sum up, the cinemagoer not only experienced the film, but also took part in a multi-part show.

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