The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before sound motion pictures became commercially practical. Reliable synchronization was difficult to achieve with the early sound-on-disc systems, and amplification and recording quality were also inadequate.
Early sound films were very static because the actors had to speak through a static mic. One of the non-technological problems they had was that some actors did not sound the way they looked on the silent screen. It was also difficult for silent scene writers to find the correct balance in sound scripts and dialogue.
Silent films reigned for nearly four decades before sound was added to movies in the late 1920s. Technical challenges discouraged filmmakers from wanting to synchronize sound until convenient devices like the Audion amplifier tube completely changed the way film was perceived.
The term "silent film" is something of a misnomer, as these films were almost always accompanied by live sounds. During the silent era that existed from the mid-1890s to the late 1920s, a pianist, theater organist—or even, in large cities, a small orchestra—would often play music to accompany the films.
The gradual transition from silent films to talkies took place between 1926 and 1930 and included many small steps — both technological developments and adjustments to audience expectations — before it was complete.
The technology to capture and record sound on film along with the images was not mastered until the mid-1920s, and it wasn't in common use until later in that decade. That means that for most of the first 35 years of motion pictures, theaters had to provide their own accompaniment with the films.
What problem did Hollywood face in the early years of the sound era?
Much of the equipment used on set was loud and had to be fitted with sound-dampening devices so the noise wouldn't be picked up during filming. Since early microphones were stationary, actors had to limit the way they moved throughout a scene to ensure they were always close to the mic.
The largest cause of silent film loss was intentional destruction. Before the eras of home cinema, television, and home video, films were viewed as having little future value when their theatrical runs ended. Similarly, silent films were perceived as worthless after the end of the silent era.
Many Hollywood accents were based on an old, artificial theatrical accent used on the live stage from the 19th century, entitled “Mid-Atlantic" accent. It was taught in theatrical circles and at elite East Coast boarding schools. As such, it was not a natural accent which anyone had from their upbringing.
The old tape machines had a high noise floor, so recording engineers ran the microphone preamps hot, to get a clear signal on the tape. Sometimes the voltage was too high, and it caused a type of distortion called tape saturation, which is generally pleasing to human ears.
Why do you think that these silent films were so popular in the early 1900's?
From 1900 to 1910, about nine or ten million immigrants poured in, and because nickelodeon movies were new, cheap, silent and set up no language difficulties, they became a popular pastime." Filmmakers soon realized the potential to incorporate simple plots and humor into their craft, and immigrants delighted in the ...
The Jazz Singer was released in 1927, and marked the major turning point when talking pictures (or “talkies” began to slowly overtake silent films). The very first film to have recorded sound, however, came out a little bit before The Jazz Singer. How much earlier? Try around 1894.
Made from the 1890s through the late 1920s, silent films are movies without synchronized sound and dialogue. Instead, music was often played live in theaters to accompany and punctuate the action that took place on the screen, and dialogue was conveyed through intertitles, or shots of printed text.
Other studios, again fearing the cost that the conversion to sound would entail, as well as anticipating the loss of revenue from silent films that had already been produced, banded together to resist the move to sound films, or to create a competing sound system of their own.
On October 6, 1927, Warner Bros. released The Jazz Singer, the first feature-length film to incorporate synchronized sound for sequences of dialogue. Though these sequences were limited and brief, hearing the voices of the film's stars was a revelation for audiences.
During the silent film era, live music accompanied screenings to provide emotional context and enhance the overall experience. Music played a vital role in setting the mood, narrating the story, and keeping the audience engaged.
But it was The Jazz Singer that really spelled the end of an era. Even though the movie was still only part-talkie and was largely silent with intertitles, it showed exhibitors and producers that audiences craved talking and singing and crying and laughing. They wanted sound pictures.
A silent movie is a movie made without sound. Silent movies were made from the late 1880s to the early 1930s. They used early cameras that could not record sound.
What silent film stars didn t transition to talkies?
Those who failed to make the transition to sound included Vilma Banky, Mae Murray and Norma Talmadge. Comic legend Charlie Chaplin had yet to talk on film. Roles for Rudolph Valentino's romantic rival John Gilbert dried up, Douglas Fairbanks became disillusioned and audiences avoided director D.W. Griffith's talkies.
The first feature film originally presented as a talkie (although it had only limited sound sequences) was The Jazz Singer, which premiered on October 6, 1927. A major hit, it was made with Vitaphone, which was at the time the leading brand of sound-on-disc technology.
Why did Hollywood movies after World War II generally take on a darker tone?
The darkness of these films reflected the disenchantment of the times. Pessimism and disillusionment became increasingly present in the American psyche during the Great Depression of the 1930s and the world war that followed.
“The Jazz Singer” from 1927 was not the first-ever motion picture with sound, but it was the first feature-length movie with synchronized dialogue and marked the end of the silent film era.
