Continued: The story of my best friend and mentor, Dave Hartman (who has been ill), which brings to mind all of the wonderful things that I have learned from him over our forty-eight year friendship…
So now the big moment arrives, with Dick Carty running all over, making sure everything and everyone is in place. Mr. J.B. Nethercutt arrives with his entourage. A very nervous and stressed Dick Carty greets them. There were about eight people with a very handsome and well dressed man who resembles Caesar Romero. This must be J.B. Nethercutt! (J.B. was the founder and CEO of Merle Norman Cosmetics. He aquired one of the finest antique automobile collections in the world and was an enthusiast of automated musical instruments. Visit NethercuttCollection.org.)
Dave is asked to show Mr. Nethercutt the Photoplayer. Now with his Pendelton flapping and his new Van’s tennis shoes gleaming, Dave proceeds to take off all of the front and rear covers of the Photoplayer. A very polite and quiet Mr. Nethercutt follows Dave around the Photoplayer, looking at all of Dave’s beautiful work. Now I see Carty watching Dave’s every move with the hope that some of those famous nuggets of wisdom and humor from Dave might not be misunderstood. As it turns out if there were any nuggets they were well received by Mr. Nethercutt.
Dave Hartman inspecting the “Popper,” one of the largest Orchestrions in the Nethercutt Collection.
Instead of going over to talk to Carty I see Mr. Nethercutt coming over to the projector to talk to me! I now notice the continued panic on Carty’s face. Mr. Nethercutt asked what type of projector I was using. I told him that it was an R.C.A. He then asked where did I get my film. I now notice a very worried-looking Carty making hand jesters to me which seemed like “cut it short!” Ignoring poor Carty, I told Mr. Nethercutt that I buy my 16mm prints from Blackhawk Films. I asked how he was going to use the Photoplayer. Now Carty is waving his hands wildly! Mr. Nethercutt said that he was building a Museum and it will have a silent movie theater in it and would I like to come and see it when it opens? I said “YES!” I then suggested that Mr. Carty was wanting to talk to him. With that he left to talk to a very relieved Carty.
As it turned out. I did go to the Museum and got a regular guided tour by Roger Morrison, the new curator of the Nethercutt Museum. I asked Roger if we will get to see the silent film theater and the Photoplayer. Roger told me no, that the theater was not on the tour, as it was not to be seen by the general public. Roger then made an announcement that Mr. Nethercutt will be greeting us from that door across the room. The door opens and out steps Mr. Nethercutt and waves to a thankful applause from my fellow tourists. Roger said that Mr. Nethercutt is a very busy man and had to get back to a meeting. As he was turning to leave (being young and stupid) I ran across the room to him and introduced myself as the projectionist from the Photoplayer demonstration a few years back at Carty Piano. I asked if we might see the Photoplayer. Mr. Nethercutt just smiled and bowed. As Roger ran up to us I realized that I might not have followed the correct procedure. Rather embarrassed, I took my place back across the room with the other tourists. Roger then made an announcement. As per Mr. Nethercutt’s special request we would be seeing the silent movie theater and get a demonstration of the newly restored Photoplayer—something that the other tours will never see! I said (under my breath) “Thank you Mr. Nethercutt!”
Later we got to see all of the beautiful mechanical musical instruments that Dave Hartman and the gang at Carty piano had restored so wonderfully. What a legacy Dave Hartman and Carty piano have left behind!
Little did I know that this guy Dave would eventually come back into my life and change it in a way that I could have never imagined.
To be continued…
— ANNOUNCEMENT —
Joe Rinaudo, founder of Silent Cinema Society, is currently forming a non-profit which he calls SCAT —Silent Cinema Art and Technology — to fund the restoration and preservation of the actual machines and media of the silent era.
Through Silent Cinema Society, which is comprised of you, the fans and supporters of silent cinema, Joe will continue to enlighten and entertain with The Newsreel newsletter; this Silent Cinema Society website; and hopefully soon, live shows where audiences are once again able to wear big hats that block the screen.
I recently found out that my best friend and mentor, Dave Hartman, has been ill, which brings to mind all of the wonderful things that I have learned from him over our forty-eight year friendship.
Chapter 1
I first met Dave in the late 1960’s when he was working for Dick Carty at the Carty Piano Company. Carty Piano was responsible for the rebuilding of over three thousand player pianos over the years.
At the time I first met Dave, he and the team at Carty Piano were in the midst of rebuilding many of the fantastic mechanical musical instruments for the famed Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar, California. I remember that Dave was very kind to me, and as a shy teenager I was very intimidated by this gentle giant they called Dave! When I told him I was there to buy piano rolls for my parents’ player piano he asked if it needed any thing done to it. When I told him that it was missing a small brass plate that protected the wooden spool box when the roll is rewound, he took me upstairs and pulled out a box of them and said “like this?” He then took it over to a polishing wheel and after polishing it he clear coated it for me with lacquer. He said “consider this a gift from me and Carty Piano but don’t tell Dick!” It amazed me to see how simple he made this process look. Little did I know that a few years later, when we would meet again, he would teach me all about polishing and clear coating!
Carty Piano team, 1962, l to r: John Murera, Dave Hartman, Ramsey Carter, Jim Braun, Dick Carty.
He took me into another room and showed me a huge pile of parts and a piano with no strings. He said that this belongs to Mr. J.B. Nethercutt and it is something called a Photoplayer! Dick Carty put Dave in charge of figuring out what all the jumble of parts did and how they went together. What a puzzle! When I asked Dave what a Photoplayer is, he told me that it was a mechanical piano-organ with sound effects used as the music for silent films! I told Dave that I love and collect silent films and I would like to come back to hear it play. Dave said to ask Dick Carty (but there would be no problem).
Later when I was paying Dick Carty for the piano rolls that I had purchased, I asked if I might hear the Photoplayer when finished, as I collect silent films and have never heard of such a machine. Dick said how would you like to show one of your silent films when we demonstrate it for Mr. Nethercutt? When Dick asked how much I might charge for my services (still feeling guilty for the reroll plate in my pocket) I said that I would love to do it. No charge!
Well, the big day came. I had an older friend drive me down as I was too young to drive by myself. When I was setting up the projector Dick Carty told me not to speak to Mr. Nethercutt as he was their biggest client and didn’t want anything to go wrong. I saw Dave setting up the Photoplayer. Dressed in, what I would later come to find out, his finest attire: tennis shoes, blue jeans and an un. tucked Pendelton shirt. They brought in a man from a neighboring music store to play the Photoplayer. Dave said queue up the film and let’s give it a run through! When I started the 16mm projector with a short but very wild Mack Sennett comedy, this thing called a Photoplayer burst forth with powerful music like I have never heard before! I was swept away to another world and had a greater appreciation for the Sennett film.
To be continued…
— ANNOUNCEMENT —
Joe Rinaudo, founder of Silent Cinema Society, is currently forming a non-profit which he calls SCAT —Silent Cinema Art and Technology — to fund the restoration and preservation of the actual machines and media of the silent era.
Through Silent Cinema Society, which is comprised of you, the fans and supporters of silent cinema, Joe will continue to enlighten and entertain with The Newsreel newsletter; this Silent Cinema Society website; and hopefully soon, live shows where audiences are once again able to wear big hats that block the screen.
If you’re stuck at home during the global pandemic, Joe invites you into his home for some good old-fashioned entertainment. Right in the middle of his living room stands his Model 20 American Fotoplayer (customized with extra bells and whistles—and horns and glockenspiel and earthquake and sirens and on and on) which he restored a few years out of high school. You can hear this thing for blocks! The neighbors actually enjoy the sound, as many of Joe’s Facebook and YouTube followers do, too. Here are some of the hundreds of comments that were pouring in during the live concert:
Hi Joe! Thank you for performing this for us tonight.
This is unbelievable. I have never seen anything like this. I love it.
I never knew I could 23 skidoo til I heard this snazzy tune!
Thanks for the performances and history lesson!
Smiling from ear to ear! Thank you Joe!
How do you find or make parts for this?
MORE COWBELL!!!!
do you ever get complaints from your neighbors lol
Amazing Joe! Simply amazing!
Joe, where’s your virtual tip jar? 😊
Thank you so so so much! This was so needed and wonderful! We sat huddled around the lap top as if it were an old style radio, as we leaned in as close so as to soak up every moment. !
Thanks Joe! That was so much fun to watch!
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
He just makes my heart happy
💞
If you’ve never seen or heard a Fotoplayer, you are in for a treat.
The fotoplayer (“foto” from photoplay and “player” from player piano) is a wonderful contraption that was built to provide music and sound effects for silent movies. These machines appeared around 1912 and were used in medium sized theaters. Fotoplayers were in expensive to operate because you didn’t have to be a musician to play them as they were also playable by way of player piano rolls.
The fotoplayer used a fascinating combination of piano, organ pipes, drums, and various sound effects designed to narrate the action of any silent film.
Pedals, levers, switches, buttons, and pull cords were all used to turn on the xylophone, beat a drum, ring a bell, create the sound of thunder, or chirp like a bird.
When sound films came into being in the late 1920’s, the fotoplayer became passé. Of the thousands of American fotoplayers made during their heyday, sadly less than 50 survive, and of those only 12 are known to be in playing condition. One of those 12 is in Joe’s living room.
This machine was originally built in 1926 in Van Nuys Calif. and shipped to a theater in Saskatchewan Canada. It was meticulously restored by Joe Rinaudo in 1976…after being shipped back to California.
More About the Fotoplayer
Visit this page to learn more about the Fotoplayer and see close-up photos, right here on SilentCinemaSociety.org
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A FEW MORE COMMENTS…
He’s so cute, thanks for doing this Joe!
I’m a filmmaker that is so disappointed they never taught us about these amazing instruments in our film 101 classes. we learned about silent film but they never taught us much about the live music played during the shows
My grandmother played one of these in Tulsa Ok, during the silent movie era. I have never actually seen one live. So cool!
Would love to get a move tracked with this cool machine!
Love the suspenders!
Omg I love his positivity
Fantastic, thanks for the closeup of the rolls. Fascinating how they encoded the musical data in hole punches. So thoughtful of you to do this for us, buddy😃👍
Wish it wasn’t 2:30 AM over here right now. Could watch this for hours. Thanks and good night.
Joe does hand-crank films at Two-Strike Park the last Saturday in July for the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley. He doesn’t bring this, though. The sound is excellent. The bass is real deep!
I just love you so much Joe!!
thanks so much for this concert, this is so fun to learn about and watch. so grateful theres people out there like joe doing this!
This is so amazing!!!!
Why does he twist his left hand when pulling on those chains on the left?
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
What a fantastic format – Q&A between songs. This show is SO WELL DONE. Kudos to Gary and Nina!
Joe your passion for this so palpable, thank you for sharing this with us youngins who may never have found it otherwise.
Thank you! This is a treasure. Amazing talent and instrument.
He’s a treasure
What a spectacular wonderful way to bring joy and love to the world in such craziness. Joe, you’re generosity and kindness is amazing This is unbelievable. I have never seen anything like this. I love it.
Hi Joe! Thank you for performing this for us tonight.
I never knew I could 23 skidoo til I heard this snazzy tune!
Thanks for the performances and history lesson!
Smiling from ear to ear! Thank you Joe!
My grandmother played one of these in Tulsa Ok, during the silent movie era. I have never actually seen one live. So cool!
He’s so cute, thanks for doing this Joe!
I’m a filmmaker that is so disappointed they never taught us about these amazing instruments in our film 101 classes. we learned about silent film but they never taught us much about the live music played during the shows
Would love to get a move tracked with this cool machine!
Love the suspenders!
Omg I love his positivity
Fantastic, thanks for the closeup of the rolls. Fascinating how they encoded the musical data in hole punches.
How do you find or make parts for this?
MORE COWBELL!!!!
thanks so much for this concert, this is so fun to learn about and watch. so grateful theres people out there like joe doing this!
This is so amazing!!!!
The sound is excellent. The bass is real deep!
I just love you so much Joe!!
So thoughtful of you to do this for us, buddy😃👍
Wish it wasn’t 2:30 AM over here right now. Could watch this for hours. Thanks and good night.
any carpenters on here? 😁😁
Joe does hand-crank films at Two-Strike Park the last Saturday in July for the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley. He doesn’t bring this, though.
This is fantastic Joe! Thanks for doing the livestream.
Why does he twist his left hand when pulling on those chains on the left?
do you ever get worried you’ll pull too hard and bust it???
PhotoPlayer is so much more fun than Photoshop when in quarantine…and you get more of a workout!! Thank you, Joe!
do you ever get complaints from your neighbors lol
So much knowledge being shared
Joe, where’s your virtual tip jar? 😊
What a fantastic format – Q&A between songs. This show is SO WELL DONE. Kudos to Gary and Nina!
Joe your passion for this so palpable, thank you for sharing this with us youngins who may never have found it otherwise.
This just keeps getting better!
Do you have any modern songs cut?
Thank you! This is a treasure. Amazing talent and instrument.
this is so wholesome thank you
Joe needs his own PBS show I would totally watch!
So excited to see this!! That original video of Joe playing the fotoplayer is one of my favourites <3
All the more reason to get this documented. No one has more charm or passion for this than Joe, a phenominal font of fun and knowledge
Thanks to the camera and audio crew also! And everyone who organized it and got the word out. Made my day.
Honor our first responders who have to still go to work. Play To the Rescue!
Good job Joe…great performance and talk.
Thank you so much, Joe
What a spectacular wonderful way to bring joy and love to the world in such craziness. Joe, you’re generosity and kindness is amazing
Thanks a lot for this live Joe, this was so wholesome and interesting ♥
this is keeping me sane I do not want it to end
This has been amazing and would love it if there was another one again, since we’re going to be hunkered down for weeks and weeks. —We’re workin’ on it. Glad you had fun.
STAY SAFE ♥ STAY HEALTHY ♥ STAY TOGETHER (SORT OF)
