Hurdy-gurdy Hurdy-gurdy The hurdy-gurdy is a stringed instrument that produces sound by a hand crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses "tangents"—small wedges, typically made of wood—against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. Like most other acoustic stringed instruments, it has a sound board and hollow cavity to make the vibration of the strings audible. Most hurdy-gurdies have multiple drone strings, which give a constant pitch accompaniment
The Actor's Children Picture Arts and Sciences film archives. The back story in the published synopsis differs from the actual production in a few aspects. When the organ grinder takes the children back to his hovel, the inter-title states they are forced to dance. In the synopsis, it states the children are instructed to dance to the hurdy-gurdy. The organ grinder does not play a hurdy-gurdy. In the published synopsis the parents are named Eugenie Freeman and Paul Temple. However, the letter the father receives is addressed to Paul Tilden. The letter informs him of Joseph Tilden's death and of the $100,000 inheritance.