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The Coming of Sound

The Coming of Sound. THE INTRODUCTION OF SOUND. EARLY ATTEMPTS AT SOUND: EDISON 1895, combined phonograph & kinetoscope to create KINETOPHONE It was unsuccessful, mostly due to problems with synchronization OTHER ATTEMPTS AT SOUND IN THE SILENT ERA

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The Coming of Sound

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  1. The Coming of Sound

  2. THE INTRODUCTION OF SOUND • EARLY ATTEMPTS AT SOUND: EDISON • 1895, combined phonograph & kinetoscope to create KINETOPHONE • It was unsuccessful, mostly due to problems with synchronization • OTHER ATTEMPTS AT SOUND IN THE SILENT ERA • Other experiments provided sound with movies • Primary source of sound provided at theater; music, sound effects, etc.

  3. Kinetophone

  4. Kinetophone film, 1912

  5. SYNCHRONIZED SOUND(1927-28) • ECONOMICS OF THE TRANSITION • STUDIO CONSERVATISM • “Big 3”: Paramount, Loew's/MGM, & 1st National • All profitable, & resisted the transition to sound • All 3 had extensive chains of picture palaces • Radio & telephone companies researched sound, rejected by Big 3

  6. SYNCHRONIZED SOUND(1927-28) • WARNER BROS. & AT&T (Western Electric) • WARNER BROS. • 1 of the “2nd tier”, had mostly 2nd & 3rd run theaters • 1925, cooperated with AMERICAN TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE (AT&T) on sound development • WESTERN ELECTRIC • Subsidiary established by AT&T to research & manufacture technology • Developed 33 rpm turntables & records, amplifiers & loudspeakers

  7. SYNCHRONIZED SOUND(1927-28) • VITAPHONE • Both process & holding company created to exploit process • They began with musical shorts • 1st big feature film success The Jazz Singer (1927) • Had 4 Vitaphone segments, all primarily musical numbers • Rest was silent (with inter-titles) • PROBLEMS WITH SOUND ON DISC • Difficult to maintain consistent synchronization • Supposedly, because each disc was 10 min. long, each shot in the film also had to be 10 min. long

  8. John Gilbert with 33 1/3 rpm record

  9. Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer (1927)

  10. Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer (1927)

  11. SYNCHRONIZED SOUND(1927-28) • FOX MOVIE-TONE SYSTEM • Fox interested in sound after Warner's success • 1927, adopted OPTICAL sound system (sound recorded on film) • Developed by General Electric, still used today • Superior to Vitaphone system • Always in synchronization • Greater flexibility in editing • But required Western Electric amplifiers & speakers

  12. Fox Movie-Tone advertisement

  13. SYNCHRONIZED SOUND(1927-28) • THE PATENTS POOL • Big 3 waited to see which system would succeed • Formed a committee of Academy to choose a system • 1928, patents pool resulted in standard system: Fox's optical sound & Western Electric equipment • At this point, all important film companies committed to sound films using new system

  14. SYNCHRONIZED SOUND(1927-28) • RCA & RKO • RCA developed optical sound system in 1928 called RCA PHOTOPHONE • Created its own studio, RKO (RADIO-KEITH-ORPHEUM), to exploit its new sound system

  15. RCA Photophone

  16. PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS • TECHNICAL • MICROPHONES • Had to be hidden from view • Eventually, mounted on mobile booms • CAMERAS • Had to be electrically powered • Motors were noisy • 1st placed in sound-proof booths, later surrounded by sound-proof, mobile blimps • Finally, noiseless cameras were developed

  17. PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS • PERSONNEL • Many veterans of the silent era did not make the transition to sound • Had unpleasant voices, or voices that did not match screen images • Assumption that writers, directors, etc. did not "know how" to work with sound • New talent largely from Broadway stage

  18. The Marx Brothers

  19. Mae West

  20. SOUND-ON-FILM • An alternative to an existing option: dialog inter-titles • It had other functions as well • It helped define characters • It increased verisimilitude • Decreased costs of exhibition • 3 major changes in industry: • Fox became 1 of the Big 5 due to its success with sound • Warner joined Big 5 (bought 1st National & Stanley theater chain) • RKO completed Big 5 • Big 5 (Paramount, Loew's/MGM, Fox, Warner Bros., RKO) controlled industry until at least 1950s

  21. Self-Regulation in Hollywood Roscoe (“Fatty”) Arbuckle

  22. Movies seen as 1st real threat to cultural dominance of upper classes over lower classes • Created by lower class • Patronized by lower classes • Accepted by middle & upper classes • Groups sought to reestablish control primarily through censorship

  23. THE CREATION OF THE MPPDA • CENSORSHIP • Numerous state & local censorship boards • Each imposed different set of standards • THE HOLLYWOOD SCANDALS • FATTY ARBUCKLE CASE • DESMOND TAYLOR CASE • WALLACE REID CASE

  24. Fatty Arbuckle

  25. Fatty Arbuckle in drag

  26. William Desmond Taylor

  27. Mary Miles Minter

  28. Mabel Normand

  29. Love letter (in code) from Mary Miles Minter to Desmond Taylor

  30. Wallace Reid in Joan the Woman

  31. Wallace Reid in Carmen

  32. THE CREATION OF THE MPPDA • MPPDA set up by industry in 1922 • In theory, a self-regulatory body; in practice, a public relations body • Created to accomplish 2 goals • End spread of state & local censorship boards • Improve image of film industry • Will Hays served as head of MPPDA • Former Postmaster-General, ultra-conservative Republican from Indiana, a devout Presbyterian • Much later, it became clear that Hays was a crook

  33. Will Hays, head of the MPPDA

  34. THE PRODUCTION CODE& THE BREEN OFFICE • In early 1930s, 2 factors renewed the criticism • Box-office decline resulted in more violent & racier content • Sound added a new way for movies to be offensive • 1933, LEGION OF DECENCY, Catholic organization, led boycotts of Hollywood films

  35. THE PRODUCTION CODE& THE BREEN OFFICE • THE PRODUCTION CODE • 1929, production code drafted to codify suggestions made by MPPDA regarding content, & to deal with problems of sound • PRODUCTION CODE ADMINISTRATION (PCA) created in 1934 to enforce code • THE BREEN OFFICE • Joseph Breen appointed director of PCA • No film not approved by PCA would be shown in a theater owned by a member of MPPDA

  36. THE PRODUCTION CODE& THE BREEN OFFICE • STAGES IN APPROVAL • Preliminary story conference • Approval of the script; negotiations • Production conferences • Approval of scenes as produced during production • Approval of the completed film; negotiations • Appeal if not approved

  37. THE PRODUCTION CODE& THE BREEN OFFICE • RESTRICTIONS • CRIME • SEX • VULGARITY, OBSCENITY, & PROFANITY • RELIGION • GOVERNMENT • REPELLENT SUBJECTS IN GENERAL • END OF THE CODE • 1950s & 1960s, Church began to lose control over younger generation & TV threatened film industry • Code was abandoned • Replaced by RATINGS SYSTEM in 1968

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