Regarding the use of mechanical musical instruments in films, over the weekend I watched a 1954 film entitled "Beat the Devil", with Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Gina Lollobridgida, and, I believe, Jennifer Jones.

A player piano was actually part of the action:  The scene was a ship bound for Africa with a bunch of con artists who hoped to get control of a uranium mine there.  A fellow passenger learned of the scheme, so the bad guys decided to do away with him.

As a front, the perpetrator was entertaining the passengers in the ship's lounge by playing a piano in a nook just off the bar.  He stole away to do the killing, leaving the player piano going so his absence would be unnoticed.  Humphrey Bogart came to the rescue after asking the pianist to play something softer, and thereby learning the player was mechanical.

Also, among the most acclaimed and famous mechanical instruments seen in shows in recent years is the monkey music box that plays such a prominent role in John Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera".  Has anyone ever seen a replica of that music box, which plays the tune "Masquerade"???

Cheers,

Dan McGrath

[ I suppose Bogart said, "Pump it again, Sam !"  :-)   -- Robbie ]