Transition to TalkiesAmerican Film Study

E. Niemi + D. Summerlee

Silent films were never truly silent◦ Musical accompaniment

Piano player in smaller movie theaters Full orchestras or giant organs in more opulent movie

palaces, including sound effects

Silent Films

1922, developed a method of recording sound on the upper ridge of the film itself◦ Tri-Ergon ◦ Developed by German

inventors◦ Fox Films acquired the rights

a few year later and called it Moviephone

◦ Simplified the editing of a sound film

Sound Development

1926-1928 , sound-on-disc system◦ Vitaphone◦ Like a record◦ Developed by Bell

Telephone Technologies + Western Electric

◦ Warner Bros.◦ Don Juan◦ Jazz Singer◦ Steamboat Willie

Sound Development

1929, a need for more natural sounds

1933, altering speed◦ King Kong used lion’s roar, slowed down 1 octave

1935, stereo

1940, surround system + multiple tracks

Sound Development

Warner Brothers in financial difficulties◦ Looking for a “gimmick”

1st talking picture, though still basically silent Contained snatches of dialogue + 4 singing

numbers Actor Al Jolson Saved WB studios and the film industry as a

whole 1st full length, all talking motion picture: The

Lights of New York (1928)

The Jazz Singer

1927The Jazz Singer

With the release of The Jazz Singer, all silent films in production were converted to talkies

Smaller, independent studios buckled◦ Control in industry left to: Paramount, Metro-

Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Twentieth Century-Fox, WB & RKO (The Big 5)

Microphones Talkies meant success for new people, but

ended the careers of others End of title writers, new type of writers needed,

plot + dialogue matter even more now

Problems

Steamboat Willie (1928) ◦ 1st film to have a completely synchronized

soundtrack including sound effects, music, + “dialogue”

Flowers and Trees (1933)◦ Disney’s 1st three-color Technicolor film

The Three Little Pigs (1933)◦ gave hope for the nation during the GD

Other animated features had a similar effect making audiences feel young and happy.

Walt Disney

1928Steamboat Willie

Films used as an escape People could momentarily forget their

troubles Other things to remember

◦ Musicals very popular 1930’s-1950’s◦ Experiments with 2 & 3 color films◦ First full length, full color film Wizard of Oz, then

Gone With the Wind

The Great Depression

1928◦ ENORMOUS popular demand for talkies◦ Tacky talkies earned more $ than good silent films◦ Theaters w/ silent films played to empty houses

1929◦ All studios stop producing silent films◦ Chaplin had one more in 1931

Death of Silent Films

Shared experience changes◦ Talking during movies is frowned upon.

Studio contract stars started to guarantee box office success for any motion picture in which they appeared.

Success of a particular type of movie at any one studio would result in a cycle of similar movies from other studios.

Public started demanding a greater degree of realism.◦ (A manner of treating subject matter that presents

a careful description of everyday life, usually of the lower and middle classes.)

Long Term Effects

Are any of these

relevant today?