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Memoirs of the Movies: Hollywood Personalities on the Coming of Sound
Joan S. Franklin
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| Seminar Introduction |
 | | Culver Pictures | | Lila Lee and Jack Holt in Flight, an early "talkie." |
During the 1920s, the American motion-picture industry proliferated dramatically: audiences gathered at thousands of movie theatres across the country to watch action-packed slapstick comedies typical of this period of silent films. From late 1927 through 1929, the medium of film was transformed dramatically with the adoption of sound. Directors could no longer talk to performers while shooting; "sound men" had to work with clunky microphones that often stunted on-set movement; and several silent-film stars were replaced with theatre actors trained for the stage. Meanwhile, "talkies" created new opportunities for editors, novelists and screenwriters, who were eager to transform physical comedy into scripted wit. The "Popular Arts" and "Hollywood Film Industry" oral-history projects housed at Columbia University's Oral History Research Office consist of interviews with producers, directors, writers, actors and cinematographers. These interviews provide first-hand accounts and insights on the coming of sound, and other developments of the motion picture industry throughout the twentieth century. In this seminar, Joan Franklin, who worked with her husband to conduct a series of interviews that form the "Memoirs of the Movies" collection, recounts her fondest memories from the interviews they conducted. In addition, excerpts from interviews with Hollywood performers Buster Keaton and Lila Lee (right) and with writer Anita Loos offer intimate accounts of the wide-ranging effects that "talkies" had on three Hollywood personalities during the 1930s. This seminar addresses how mechanical and technical innovations can dramatically transform the film industry from pre- to post-production. These issues are particularly applicable for the current shift from traditional editing methods to the digital realm, as part of the ongoing evolution of filmmaking practice.
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| Learning Objectives |
- Describe how the advent of sound changed movie production.
- Recognize how comedy changed when silent films gave way to "talkies."
- Contrast Keaton and Lee's experiences with the advent of "talkies."
- Identify new opportunities that were created for both actors and writers, with the use of sound in films.
- List examples of how the use of sound negatively impacted silent-film stars.
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| Sessions |
| Session 1 | The Popular Arts Oral History Project |
| Session 2 | Whispering Like Mad: Lila Lee on Filming Talkies With Frank Capra |
| Session 3 | "Talking Their Heads Off": Buster Keaton on the End of Silent Films |
| Session 4 | Anita Loos Recounts the Early Use of Sound in Film |
| Contributors |
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| Credits |
Copyright 2001 by The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. Unabridged transcripts of the oral-history interviews with Buster Keaton, Lila Lee and Anita Loos can be found in the Popular Arts collection of the Columbia University Oral History Research Office (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/oral/).
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| Technical Requirements |
To appreciate this seminar experience, it is critical that you have the appropriate software, plug-ins, and network connections. Please take the time to download the latest versions of the plug-ins mentioned below if you do not already have them.
Browser: Netscape versions 4.x up to 4.76, or Internet Explorer versions 4.x or later. Your browser must have JavaScript enabled and must be set to accept cookies.
Network Connection: The recommended minimum connection is 56K modem with throughput of 34Kbps or more. A faster connection is encouraged to take better advantage of the media elements in the seminar. Plug-ins: If you do not have RealPlayer and Flash Player already installed, please download them from the following sites:
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