The Devil’s Composer

Imagine Jaws without the sneaking tuba. Or Psycho without the shrieking violins. Music can help a horror film strike fear in the heart of theatergoers. And you can trace some of these musical scare tactics back to the era of SILENT films—when organists made up film scores on-the-spot.

To celebrate the spooky season this year, we're slashing apart a 1917 silent horror film with composer Andrew Earle Simpson to find out how music can be the beating heart of suspense. Grab your popcorn and get snuggly under the blanket. But be sure to check the closet for a pianist before turning out the lights.

Transcript

Guests:

• Andrew Earle Simpson, composer and professor of music at the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
• Ryan Lintelman, curator of entertainment at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

Smithsonian links:

• Let's go to the movies! Explore collection items related to silent films from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and across the Smithsonian.
• Get ready for Halloween! Take a tour of some of our favorite spooky collection items for things that scare us.

Special thanks to the HMH Foundation Moving Image Archive at USC School of Cinematic Arts.