ABSTRACT
Sound effects have been part of the movie process almost as long as music. In the silent movie days, theater organs had effects on their keyboards. Bells, birds, and even breaking crockery were available at the touch of a finger. By the mid-1920s, Wurlitzer was building one of these magnificent machines a day.1 Companies sold hand-or mouth-operated boat whistles, dog barkers, fog horns, and rain machines on the premise that increased realism would help a theater’s box office. In Japan, benshi stood next to the screen and provided running commentary, dialog, and vocal sound effects; these versatile live performers often became more popular than the film stars they accompanied.
