Charlie Chaplin and Silent Films: Sound Effects

Sound effects began in extremely primitive forms, such as the clanking of chains and the clacking of coconut shells. Soon however, the demand for a more varied selection of effects lead to the creation of complex machines containing up to fifty different noises. They had names such as the Allefex, the Kinematophone, the Excelsior Sound Effects Cabinet, and the Deagan Electric Bells (twenty-five bells that covered a range of two octaves).

The problem with sound effects machines was their inaccuracy. They were either too loud, obliterating the voices of the actors and singers accompanying the film, or they came in at the wrong time. As the editor of Moving Picture World stated, "inaccuracy is worse than nothing. It creates wrong impressions and often it wrongly interprets the pictures." One man, Lyman Howe, was able to overcome these problems and successfully utilize sound effects to perfection. His sound effects were of such high quality, that he repeatedly stole business from other movie houses showing the same picture. As sound technology developed and talkies became common, sound effects were placed on the film itself, eliminating the problems of timing and volume. [Back]