The Introduction of Sound To The Cinema - A Brief Overview

During the mid 1920s, the cinema was under threat from radio. While such a thing may seem preposterous now, it still posed a threat to the film companies and were wondering how they would combat this problem that radio posed. All was saved however when scientists both in the US and elsewhere, managed to find a way in which to add sound into silent pictures. This was to prove a godsend for film companies as now they could tackle the emergence of radio and still provide films that could flourish at the box office.

The first movie which successfully incorporated sound to motion picture was Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer in 1927. It was a film that had enraptured film audiences for it was the first film of its kind to feature any dialogue whatsoever. This was due to Warner Brothers' invention of the vitaphone. This device allowed for the conversion of sound and motion picture to work seamlessly together to create something entirely new.

With The Jazz Singer's blazing success, the film industry was revitalized and it would continue to challenge itself with the many problems it had with the conversion of sound to film. This would be a challenge however that all film companies would relish as they were aware of the film-going audiences appetite for "talkies."