A few days ago, the cable TV channel American Movie Classics was
showing the Doris Day movie "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" (early
1950s?).  It is supposed to be set in 1917 America, and is in many
ways, a remake of Judy Garland's "Meet Me in St. Louis" (even using the
same actor to play the father!).  Anyway, the family in the film has a
player grand piano in their parlor, which is "played" as song
accompaniment several times during the movie.

I was unable to figure out what type of player or reproducer it was; no
one is shown loading a roll, so I couldn't see if it had an Ampico-type
drawer, or an above-the-keyboard roll chamber like a Duo-Art or Welte.
In fact, I was beginning to think that the film-makers were simply using
a plain ol' non-player grand, until in one shot, I could see the open
keyslip, with various levers.

In any case, it's an enjoyable film, and one more to add to the list
of "mechanical music in the movies!"

Jim Canavan
cybrflash@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/cybrflash