Gaylord Carter
Encyclopedia
Gaylord Carter was an American organist and the composer of many film score
s that were added to silent movie
s released on video tape or disks.
, Germany
, the son of Charles Davis Carter(1857–1940) & Olive Athena Beach(1873–1964)-both musicians themselves. His father was a church organist and taught music, while his mother taught voice. They met in Europe and were married at Litchfield cathedral in England, eventually spending time in Wiesbaden, where Gaylord was born. Actually, Gaylord was originally to be called Mortimer Preston Carter, and the name Gaylord came about later. His family soon emigrated to the United States
, settling in Wichita, Kansas
, where his father opened a conservatory of music and also served as a church organist.
Young Gaylord displayed the family talent for music and became a soloist in a church choir, until his voice changed. He also played the organ in another church from the age of ten. As the "Jazz Age" evolved, Gaylord found himself drawn to the new musical form and dared to try jazz on the church organ. On one occasion this transgression was discovered by the pastor, who then chastised him: "Gaylord, stop playing that high-falutin' music in church!". By the time he was fourteen he was playing at a local movie theater, accompanying the silent films at children's matinees.
, where 16 year old Gaylord was enrolled at Lincoln High School in the Lincoln Heights
district. Gaylord found employment at a local theater accompanying movies on the piano and then, as the theater prospered, a new Estey organ. After graduating from Lincoln High, he attended UCLA where, by 1926, he was engaged in pre-law studies. He continued playing in theaters to finance his education.
Carter was playing accompaniment to a Harold Lloyd
movie at the Seville Theater in suburban Inglewood
when he was spotted by an agent of the Harold Lloyd Company, who had dropped in to see how the movie was doing at the box office. Gaylord would later tell audiences that the agent was there to "see that Lloyd got his proper cut from the box office". Impressed by the description of Carter's playing, Lloyd recommended him to Sid Grauman
, who offered the 21 year old $110 dollars a week to be the full time organist at his downtown Los Angeles movie palace, the Million Dollar Theatre. Carter accepted the offer and left school. Though he later paid for the college educations of his brother and sister, he never completed college himself. Carter was summoned to the UCLA deans' office and asked if his reason for leaving his law studies was financial. Carter replied, "Yes! I'm making too much money to stay!".
, the most capacious movie palace ever built in Los Angeles. The introduction of sound films, and then the onset of the depression, led to a declining demand for theater organists, and by the mid-1930s Carter had launched a career in the booming new medium of radio. He played on several network shows and also had his own local music show on Los Angeles station KHJ
. In 1936 Carter became the staff organist for the hugely popular Amos N Andy radio show, a position he maintained until entering the Navy in 1942. He also made a film appearance in 1937, as himself, in the MGM short "Sunday Night at the Trocadero". The 18 minute short contained a sequence with singer Connie Boswell performing "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", with Carter providing accompaniment on the Hammond organ. When, at age 90, he was asked about the making of this short and if there had been any further film appearances he responded (with mock incredulity), "I don't remember making THIS one!".
He spent the war years
serving in the Navy as a film officer in Alaska. Following the war he resumed his radio career, playing for such shows as Bride and Groom, The Whistler
and Suspense
. He then moved on to television in the 1950s where he was the musical accompanist on the Pinky Lee
Show, the association with which produced a 78rpm children's record on the Decca label that included Carter's rousing "Pinky Lee" theme on the Hammond. And in 1961-1962 Carter had another local show of his own, "Everybody Sing with Gaylord" on Los Angeles channel 13 KCOP-TV
. No known videotapes or kinescopes exist of this program. In 1959 Carter spearheaded a revival of silent movies, beginning at the Rialto Theater in South Pasadena, California with Douglas Fairbanks' "The Mark of Zorro". During these years he also continued to perform occasional live organ concerts, both at those few theatres which had maintained their silent era organs, such as South Pasadena
's Rialto Theatre and Seattle's
Paramount Theatre, as well as public venues with theatre organs, such as the Pasadena Civic Auditorium
. He also made recordings on several of these vintage instruments, releasing numerous albums on the Artisan, RCA Victor, Malar, Pelican, New World, Win Mil, Delos and FTC labels. Carter had previously recorded pipe organ and Hammond organ singles during the 1940s on the Capitol, Black & White, and Imperial labels. Also, the pioneer "program music" impresario C.P. MacGregor made recordings of Carter in the 1940s. MacGregor had a recording studio located on Western Ave. in Los Angeles. These were Hammond organ solos, and are astonishing upon the listening as regards the musical styles and technique Carter displays in them.
movies. With the arrival of home video players, recorded versions of classic silent movies became available and Carter recorded scores, many of his own composition, for a variety of these films. Among them were many movies made by his early benefactor and old friend Harold Lloyd. Carter often told the story of scoring a Harold Lloyd picture with Lloyd present during the recording session; during the sequence from "Safety Last" in which Lloyd is scaling the side of a building, he loses his grip. As Lloyd catches hold of the hands of an enormous clock, Carter at the organ swings into the song "Time on My Hands"-which prompted Harold Lloyd to give Carter a mock stern glance and declare, "Gaylord, I'LL do the jokes!". Starting in 1975, Carter began recording Wurlitzer organ scores to classic silent films for Blackhawk Films, which distributed 8mm and 16mm film prints for the home movie market. In the 1980s, he scored a dozen silent classics for home video release by Paramount Pictures
. Owing to the efforts of noted film historian and preservationist David Shephard, several of the Blackhawk films were later issued onto Laserdisc and then DVD through Image Entertainment. During the late 1960s, he also performed as the organist at Los Angeles Lakers
games at the Forum, including at the 1969 NBA Finals
. . He is known to have performed the manic organ part of "Grim Grinning Ghosts
" for the Haunted Mansion
ride soundtrack.
in that city's Broadway Historic Theatre District, a few blocks from the Million Dollar Theatre which had been the scene of his first great success. In his last years he also performed occasionally at the Warner Grand Theatre
, which was fairly near his home in San Pedro, California.
Carter began experiencing T.I.A.s (transient ischemic attack
s, or mini-strokes) at age 87 in 1992, but recovered sufficiently to continue performing. His last major performances were a pair of concerts on the occasion of his 90th birthday, at the Avalon Theater on Santa Catalina Island and the Paramount Theater
in Oakland, California
. After living in Hollywood for thirty years, he spent his final years in his home in the Los Angeles district of San Pedro
, where he had resided since 1968 in a house designed by architect Richard Neutra
. In 1996, he suffered a massive stroke at age 91, from which he recovered mentally but not physically. For the next four years he held court in San Pedro, unable to play but ever the witty survivor still receiving his many friends and admirers-who basked warmly in his company. After a second stroke in 2000, Gaylord Carter died peacefully in his home overlooking the Pacific ocean at the age of 95.
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
s that were added to silent movie
Silent Movie
Silent Movie is a 1976 satirical comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976...
s released on video tape or disks.
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Gaylord Beach Carter was born in WiesbadenWiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the son of Charles Davis Carter(1857–1940) & Olive Athena Beach(1873–1964)-both musicians themselves. His father was a church organist and taught music, while his mother taught voice. They met in Europe and were married at Litchfield cathedral in England, eventually spending time in Wiesbaden, where Gaylord was born. Actually, Gaylord was originally to be called Mortimer Preston Carter, and the name Gaylord came about later. His family soon emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, settling in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, where his father opened a conservatory of music and also served as a church organist.
Young Gaylord displayed the family talent for music and became a soloist in a church choir, until his voice changed. He also played the organ in another church from the age of ten. As the "Jazz Age" evolved, Gaylord found himself drawn to the new musical form and dared to try jazz on the church organ. On one occasion this transgression was discovered by the pastor, who then chastised him: "Gaylord, stop playing that high-falutin' music in church!". By the time he was fourteen he was playing at a local movie theater, accompanying the silent films at children's matinees.
Silent Movie Era Career
The family remained in Wichita until 1922 and then made the long drive in the family's Chandler touring car to Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where 16 year old Gaylord was enrolled at Lincoln High School in the Lincoln Heights
Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles, California
-Geography and transportation:Lincoln Heights is bounded by the Los Angeles River on the west, the San Bernardino Freeway on the south, and Indiana Street on the east; the district's Eastern border is unclear due to the area's uneven terrain...
district. Gaylord found employment at a local theater accompanying movies on the piano and then, as the theater prospered, a new Estey organ. After graduating from Lincoln High, he attended UCLA where, by 1926, he was engaged in pre-law studies. He continued playing in theaters to finance his education.
Carter was playing accompaniment to a Harold Lloyd
Harold Lloyd
Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. was an American film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies....
movie at the Seville Theater in suburban Inglewood
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
when he was spotted by an agent of the Harold Lloyd Company, who had dropped in to see how the movie was doing at the box office. Gaylord would later tell audiences that the agent was there to "see that Lloyd got his proper cut from the box office". Impressed by the description of Carter's playing, Lloyd recommended him to Sid Grauman
Sid Grauman
Sidney Patrick Grauman was an American showman who created one of Southern California's most recognizable and visited landmarks, Grauman's Chinese Theater. He was the son of David Grauman who died in 1921 in Los Angeles, California and Rosa Goldsmith...
, who offered the 21 year old $110 dollars a week to be the full time organist at his downtown Los Angeles movie palace, the Million Dollar Theatre. Carter accepted the offer and left school. Though he later paid for the college educations of his brother and sister, he never completed college himself. Carter was summoned to the UCLA deans' office and asked if his reason for leaving his law studies was financial. Carter replied, "Yes! I'm making too much money to stay!".
Radio, Television, and Post-War Career
Through the remainder of the 1920s, Carter played at the Million Dollar and other theaters, including Sid Grauman's larger downtown venue, Grauman's MetropolitanParamount Theatre (Los Angeles)
The Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles was a movie palace opened in January 1923 as Grauman's Metropolitan Theatre. It was built by impresario Sid Grauman, who had already built the Million Dollar Theatre a few blocks away, but who is best remembered today for his two Hollywood movie palaces,...
, the most capacious movie palace ever built in Los Angeles. The introduction of sound films, and then the onset of the depression, led to a declining demand for theater organists, and by the mid-1930s Carter had launched a career in the booming new medium of radio. He played on several network shows and also had his own local music show on Los Angeles station KHJ
KHJ (AM)
KHJ Radio in Los Angeles, California broadcasts Spanish-language entertainment programming as La Ranchera. It was also one of America's most formidable Top 40 radio stations in the 1960s and 1970s as 93 KHJ before changing its format in 1980....
. In 1936 Carter became the staff organist for the hugely popular Amos N Andy radio show, a position he maintained until entering the Navy in 1942. He also made a film appearance in 1937, as himself, in the MGM short "Sunday Night at the Trocadero". The 18 minute short contained a sequence with singer Connie Boswell performing "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", with Carter providing accompaniment on the Hammond organ. When, at age 90, he was asked about the making of this short and if there had been any further film appearances he responded (with mock incredulity), "I don't remember making THIS one!".
He spent the war years
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
serving in the Navy as a film officer in Alaska. Following the war he resumed his radio career, playing for such shows as Bride and Groom, The Whistler
The Whistler
The Whistler was an American radio mystery drama which ran from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955. It was sponsored by the Signal Oil Company: "That whistle is your signal for the Signal Oil program, The Whistler." The program was adapted into a film noir series by Columbia Pictures in...
and Suspense
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
. He then moved on to television in the 1950s where he was the musical accompanist on the Pinky Lee
Pinky Lee
Pincus Leff , better known as Pinky Lee, was an American burlesque comic and host of a children's television program, The Pinky Lee Show, in the early 1950s.-Biography:...
Show, the association with which produced a 78rpm children's record on the Decca label that included Carter's rousing "Pinky Lee" theme on the Hammond. And in 1961-1962 Carter had another local show of his own, "Everybody Sing with Gaylord" on Los Angeles channel 13 KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV, channel 13, is a television station in Los Angeles, California. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, KCOP is a sister station to Fox network outlet KTTV , and is affiliated with the MyNetworkTV programming service...
. No known videotapes or kinescopes exist of this program. In 1959 Carter spearheaded a revival of silent movies, beginning at the Rialto Theater in South Pasadena, California with Douglas Fairbanks' "The Mark of Zorro". During these years he also continued to perform occasional live organ concerts, both at those few theatres which had maintained their silent era organs, such as South Pasadena
South Pasadena, California
South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,619, up from 24,292 at the 2000 census. It is located in in the West San Gabriel Valley...
's Rialto Theatre and Seattle's
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
Paramount Theatre, as well as public venues with theatre organs, such as the Pasadena Civic Auditorium
Pasadena Conference Center
The Pasadena Conference Center is a convention center in Pasadena, California, near Los Angeles, owned by the City of Pasadena. It consists of three buildings.-Pasadena Civic Auditorium:...
. He also made recordings on several of these vintage instruments, releasing numerous albums on the Artisan, RCA Victor, Malar, Pelican, New World, Win Mil, Delos and FTC labels. Carter had previously recorded pipe organ and Hammond organ singles during the 1940s on the Capitol, Black & White, and Imperial labels. Also, the pioneer "program music" impresario C.P. MacGregor made recordings of Carter in the 1940s. MacGregor had a recording studio located on Western Ave. in Los Angeles. These were Hammond organ solos, and are astonishing upon the listening as regards the musical styles and technique Carter displays in them.
Silent Movie Revival and Beyond
In the 1960s and beyond, Carter helped fuel a revived public interest in silent movies with his production company Flicker Fingers Productions, which he had formed with business partner Jim Day. In the 1970s, Carter was hired to provide recorded scores for theatrical re-releases of several Mary PickfordMary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
movies. With the arrival of home video players, recorded versions of classic silent movies became available and Carter recorded scores, many of his own composition, for a variety of these films. Among them were many movies made by his early benefactor and old friend Harold Lloyd. Carter often told the story of scoring a Harold Lloyd picture with Lloyd present during the recording session; during the sequence from "Safety Last" in which Lloyd is scaling the side of a building, he loses his grip. As Lloyd catches hold of the hands of an enormous clock, Carter at the organ swings into the song "Time on My Hands"-which prompted Harold Lloyd to give Carter a mock stern glance and declare, "Gaylord, I'LL do the jokes!". Starting in 1975, Carter began recording Wurlitzer organ scores to classic silent films for Blackhawk Films, which distributed 8mm and 16mm film prints for the home movie market. In the 1980s, he scored a dozen silent classics for home video release by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. Owing to the efforts of noted film historian and preservationist David Shephard, several of the Blackhawk films were later issued onto Laserdisc and then DVD through Image Entertainment. During the late 1960s, he also performed as the organist at Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
games at the Forum, including at the 1969 NBA Finals
1969 NBA Finals
The 1969 NBA World Championship Series to determine the champion of the 1968-69 NBA season was played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, the Lakers being heavily favored due to the presence of three formidable stars: Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Jerry West...
. . He is known to have performed the manic organ part of "Grim Grinning Ghosts
Grim Grinning Ghosts
"Grim Grinning Ghosts" is the theme song for the Haunted Mansion attractions at Disney theme parks. It was composed by Buddy Baker, with lyrics written by X Atencio...
" for the Haunted Mansion
Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion is a dark ride located at Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland. A significantly re-imagined incarnation of the ride, known as Phantom Manor, is located in Disneyland Paris...
ride soundtrack.
Final Years
Gaylord Carter remained active into the 1990s. He made tours of North America, Europe, and Australia, performing on many of the world's surviving theater organs. In 1975 and 1994, he was inducted into the hall of fame of the American Theatre Organ Society. In 1987, he was the first organist to perform for the "Last Remaining Seats" program, which had been launched by the preservation organization, the Los Angeles Conservancy, playing the organ at the Orpheum TheatreOrpheum Theatre (Los Angeles)
The Orpheum Theatre on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, California, opened on February 15, 1926, as the fourth and final Los Angeles venue for the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. After a $3 million renovation, started in 1989, it is the most restored of the historical movie palaces in the city.The...
in that city's Broadway Historic Theatre District, a few blocks from the Million Dollar Theatre which had been the scene of his first great success. In his last years he also performed occasionally at the Warner Grand Theatre
Warner Grand Theatre
The Warner Grand Theatre is an historic movie palace which was opened on January 20, 1931. It is located in San Pedro, California, at 478 West 6th Street in the United States of America....
, which was fairly near his home in San Pedro, California.
Carter began experiencing T.I.A.s (transient ischemic attack
Transient ischemic attack
A transient ischemic attack is a transient episode of neurologic dysfunction caused by ischemia – either focal brain, spinal cord or retinal – without acute infarction...
s, or mini-strokes) at age 87 in 1992, but recovered sufficiently to continue performing. His last major performances were a pair of concerts on the occasion of his 90th birthday, at the Avalon Theater on Santa Catalina Island and the Paramount Theater
Paramount Theater (Oakland, California)
The Paramount Theatre is a massive Art Deco movie theater located in downtown Oakland, California, USA. When it was built in 1931, it was the largest multi-purpose theater on the West Coast, seating 3476 Today, the Paramount is the home of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and the Oakland Ballet, it...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. After living in Hollywood for thirty years, he spent his final years in his home in the Los Angeles district of San Pedro
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
San Pedro is a port district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area...
, where he had resided since 1968 in a house designed by architect Richard Neutra
Richard Neutra
Richard Joseph Neutra is considered one of modernism's most important architects.- Biography :Neutra was born in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Vienna, Austria Hungary, on April 8, 1892. He was born into both-Jewish wealthy family...
. In 1996, he suffered a massive stroke at age 91, from which he recovered mentally but not physically. For the next four years he held court in San Pedro, unable to play but ever the witty survivor still receiving his many friends and admirers-who basked warmly in his company. After a second stroke in 2000, Gaylord Carter died peacefully in his home overlooking the Pacific ocean at the age of 95.