SILENT FILM SOUND Rick Altmanwy Atego oened nay agen Cala PBs Da Indigo e ndink Pensa5 From Peep Show to Projection Eanly im accompaniment offers maddeningly in- ‘complete evidence, Sound was held in such low es teem that it sever even mentoned in most re views Bren more problematic cinema’ erly ears were a perod of eaceptions. Everything was now: ty, ad thus recived special treatment. Remain ing evidence often relates t inaugural presenta: tions of new projection system, gala releases of new films oF special introductions of new devies. [Ava whole the sound components ofthis era have thus bean entirely passed over by historians, wth the sole exception ofthe festive debuts af the Vis scope, Cingmatographe,Biograph, and other new projection systems! revi commentators have treated these inaugural events either 25 wholly rep resentative ora totally unigue and separate fom all others Cinema’ atest years challenge us to flscover within a wide variety af appazeatly un felted practices pattern that wil permit so un derstand how lm sound was conceived at he turn ofthe centry,