Billy Mayerl And His Claviers (1938)

Titles read: ’Pathetone - Another famous Variety and Radio Entertainer - BILLY MAYERL AND HIS CLAVIERS’ Pathe Studio, London. Billy Mayerl introduces his “New Multitone Piano Orchestra“, three white upright pianos played by two women and a man, and an upright and ’Challen’ grand piano, played by Billy Mayerl himself. The pianos can change their tone, as Billy proceeds to explain how they can “take you back a hundred years, show you modern times, even give you a glimpse of the future“. The Orchestra then play three pieces. A minuet (Chopin? Boccherini?), a ’modern’ piece with a Latin feel and beat called ’Bunch of Roses’, then ’a glimpse of the future’, with a fairly jolly number called ’Bats in the Belfry’, that does not seem very futuristic. On this last number Billy plays two pianos simultaneously. Pathetone ’The End’ title at finish. This is duplicate of item in Pathetone PT 449 - see separate record for details. FILM ID: A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRIT