Bad Eagle Film

"Daughter of Dawn"

It's been a while since we looked in on Bad Eagle. Dr. David Yeagley, proudly of the Commanche Nation, was asked to compose a soundtrack for a silent film from 1920.

The film, Daughter of Dawn, was made by Norbert Miles, assisted by Charles Simone. It is based on legend and fiction put together in a story by R. E. Banks, who is identified as a person who “lived among the Indians” for twenty-five years. This implies that Banks knew the sons of the free warriors. The Oklahoma Historical Society purchased the film from a private owner. The movie was never released in Hollywood, but instead has remained obscure for a century now. Plans are to release a DVD with music sound track within a year.

The film is an Indian story, and the actors are all Indian. There are Comanche and Kiowa Indians alive today who are the descendents and family of actors in the movie. Saupitty, Lebarr, Toyebo, Cozad, Yellow Wolf, and Parker are among the names of the families represented in the film. It is the first full-length feature using all Indian actors, and portrays an Indian story. It was filmed in the Wichita Mountains, and includes an actual herd of buffalo and a hunt. The Indians ride bare-back, of course, and their clothing and mannerisms are surely authentic. 1920 is not far removed from the days of the free warriors.

This should be of interest to us, not only for the subject matter, but because of the question of the music. We've talked a lot lately about problems of modern music, and Eric has rightly mentioned the connection to the movie industry. Dr. Yeagley discusses what it is like to compose for a silent film:

Ted Turner has devised a way to get young composers to write movie scores for basically nothing.

He holds a contest for young composers to write music scores for silent movies. There is a special night, every week, during which Turner's silent movies are shown.

Most of these have newly composed scores. They are very creative and interesting. I was completely unaware of this new composer/movie fad until a few months after I had already composed many pages of my score.

I really am doing something different. I'm writing symphony music. I'm not depicting the movie image with imitative sounds.

It has been a strange and wonderful experience, to write music for a film. The silent film is not a modern thing, really. It movies generally very quickly, and this was part of the way interest was held.

To put rich, dramatic, romantic music to an old silent film is like putting a tuxedo on a skeleton. There are times when you can do it, but, generally, the old silent films don't allow it. It is inappropriate.

Now, you can use full orchestra, any time you want. It isn't the full orchestra, but the music, that determines propriety.

...

Very odd experience, actually.

It is not a sonata form, not a fugue, not a minuette, not scherzo, not a rondeau. What is it?

A continuum of symphonic expression. I've never written music before that is not in a form. I'm a great formalist. I love the invention of form, the shape, the construct, the architecture.

This is none of that. The movie is the form. I follow the movie. I should say, this is a most humble enterprise. Thus, the challenge!

I look forward to the opportunity to view the film, and hear the results.