Prologues in Profusion, 1921–1922
摘要
This chapter explores the profusion of stage prologues in the early 1920s. The trade press singled out more exhibitor producers from Josef Urban in New York and Paul Wilkerson in Los Angeles to Lowell V. Calvert in St. Paul, E. R. Rogers in Chattanooga, and Howard Kingmore in Atlanta. Rural, urban, and exotic prologues continued to attract audiences, respectively, for The Old Nest (1921) or School Days (1922), The Kid (1921) or The Affairs of Anatol (1921), and One Arabian Night (1921). Joining them were historical prologues, exemplified by ones for the German import, Passion (1921), and a western, Bob Hampton of Placer (1921). Fashion shows were also popular, whether closely tied to a feature film or separate, as with “contrastive” prologues like the “Oriental” playlet preceding a murder mystery film, The Sign on the Door (1921). The chapter ends with special notes on how and to what effect prologue dances and popular songs tended to match the feature films they introduced.