The speed of sound: Hollywood and the talkie revolution, 1926-1930

Abstract

A chronicle of the epic story of the transition from silent films to talkies. Debunking the myth that Hollywood was transformed overnight in the wake of the popularity of The Jazz Singer in 1927, Eyman shows how the industry at first resisted and then only reluctantly accepted the arrival of sound. For a long time after The Jazz Singer, in fact, there were still some actors, directors, and even filmgoers who refused to embrace the new technology. But the sense of wonder which sound inspired in audiences, causing them to abandon the visual dynamism of silent film in favour of the crudely recorded and stiffly filmed movies of sound's first wave, meant that change was irrevocable. This text explores the technology and politics behind the introduction of sound, how this innovation affected Hollywood, and how the talkie revolution led inexorably to the modern movie industry.

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