8mm Forum: Talkies

This is topic Talkies in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Guy Taylor, Jr. (Member # 786) on October 14, 2013, 06:53 AM:

On this date today in 1927 The Jazz Singer made its premiere, marking the beginning of the talkies.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on October 14, 2013, 07:21 AM:

For me the Edison Lab sound test film from 1894 will always be the dawn of sound and pretty amazing using a 35mm Kinetograph camera and wax cylinder (off screen). The director also walks into shot also a first.

Up on YouTube Dickson Experimental Sound Film

Posted by Allan Broadfield (Member # 2298) on October 14, 2013, 07:50 AM:

On 11th Nov I'll be at the 100th birthday celebration of an old chap, George Barrow, in Marble Arch where he has a flat. He worked all his life in and around London as a projectionist and can recall quite clearly as a lad, the installation of sound equipment. What's most interesting is the little details such as the reactions of the staff (the chief projectionist was apparently an early 'technophobe', and couldn't cope with this new fangled gismo) and recollections of disc v optical sound, the disc being superior in quality at first.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on October 14, 2013, 09:39 AM:

The Warner Bros. 3-disc deluxe DVD edition of The Jazz Singer includes many hours of extras and special features about the invention of both optical sound and sound-on-disc movies. It is an absolute must have package for anyone even remotely interested in the science and historical development of talking pictures. Also included are hours of restored Vitaphone shorts, most of which have never been seen since the 1920's.
A nice touch is the DVD discs themselves, which look just like the original Vitaphone discs, complete with numbered blocks to tick off the number of times played ( the Vitaphone discs could only be played 20 times before they had to be replaced!)
This is an awesome DVD package, and an essential addition to any movie collectors library.

Posted by Guy Taylor, Jr. (Member # 786) on October 14, 2013, 07:07 PM:

I purchased that dvd set Paul; a wealth of early sound short subjects. Only recently did I notice those Vitaphone illustrations on the discs.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on October 15, 2013, 05:25 AM:

My Region 2 set only contains two discs, both having the looks of the Vitaphone disks, i.e. cross off up to 20 and then discard.

Perhaps the best extra is the ten minute tinted Vitaphone short "A Plantation Act" where Al sings in blackface. Remarkable sound and picture clarity.

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