2,204 views

Watch
- Search Videos
  
  Advanced search »
- Submit a New Video
Discuss
About
- Try clicking on the various channels to see videos posted to that channel - if you're into music you can click the Music channel to get more music sifts - go on and explore! Use the "hotness" when you have opened the channel link to get videos that have gotten a lot of votes, or use "newness" to have a look at the new sifts.
  When browsing sifts you like, have a look at the Related Posts list to see other related videos, click the tags under the video title to see more sifts tagged with the same tags or have a look at other sifts from the same user in the More Posts By list. If the sifted video is in a play list, have a look at the play list to see other interesting videos the Sift users have linked together.
  Enter the Sift Lounge to chat with online sifters about anything and everything, or read interesting posts in the Sift Talk forum.
  The Top New Videos list is always full of interesting, current videos. It is always recommended that you have a look through the Top New Videos, but also have a look at these:
  - Upcoming Unsifted Videos - active video submissions that neither are published to the front page nor archived to the submitter's personal queue
- Have you seen a really funny, surprising, scary, interesting, cute or in any other way extra good quality video?
  Post and share it here - VideoSift is the best video aggregator on the Web, where we share, discuss, promote, and interact with the best videos out there on the web. Post it here, and share it with the large community of video-interested users. And - you are guaranteed to find more very good videos here already!
  Mind you, we only share videos you discover that someone else has made; if you "self link," by posting a video you have made, have posted or have interests in, you risk the ban hammer - read the posting guidelines before posting. The sift is NOT for promoting your own videos - it is for sharing videos others have made.
  Submit a Video Now »
Login

AURORATONE

submitted by shagen454

1 decade 4 years 11 months 1 week ago

Taken from youtube:

This film is an AURORATONE created by Cecil Stokes (1910-1956) in collaboration with Bing Crosby. Mr. Stokes intended his Auroratones to serve as a visual therapy for patients with mental disorders and chronic migraines. This print was owned by my Grandfather, who probably acquired it during the 1940's while he was working as a film projectionist for various mental health institutions in the New York City area.

"When the Organ Played Oh Promise Me" is one of several titles, including "Ave Maria" and "Would You Like to Swing on a Star" that Mr. Stokes produced with Mr. Crosby and the organist Eddie Dunstedter in the early 1940s.

Although written descriptions of Auroratones can be found on the internet, I believe this clip, which I uploaded back in 2007, is so far the only visual example of an Auroratone that exists online! (Please correct me if I'm wrong).

My special thanks to Dad, who joggled his memory and provided the insight on how Grandpa got this print, and many thanks to all of you who provided the informative commentary that helped to clear the mystery of this odd film.

Whatever its original purpose, this film will always be enjoyable in its own right!

MY ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION - from 2007:
If you think this "video" is from a 1960's light show, or a New Age meditation tape, think again. These animated patterns were filmed in the late 1930's to accompany a song by BING CROSBY. No credits exist except for the song title "When the Organ Played Oh Promise Me" which was recorded by Bing in 1937. Could this have been influenced by the work of Oskar Fischinger? How was it made? And how was it meant to be shown -in a movie theater, or projected onto a dance floor? Your feedback is welcome! From my late grandfather's movie collection - to see more curious films, visit "GRANDPA'S PICTURE PARTY" at http://www.webnik.com/homemovies .