Vitaphone
E1974
Vitaphone was an early sound-on-disc motion picture system developed by Warner Bros. that played a key role in the transition from silent films to “talkies” in the late 1920s.
Observed surface forms (4)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Vitaphone sound films | 1 |
| Vitaphone sound system | 1 |
| Vitaphone sound-on-disc | 1 |
| Vitaphone sound-on-disc system | 1 |
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
film sound system
ⓘ
sound-on-disc motion picture system ⓘ |
| associatedWithCompany | Western Electric ⓘ |
| associatedWithStudio | Warner Bros. Pictures ⓘ |
| associatedWithTerm | talkies ⓘ |
| basedOnTechnologyFrom | Western Electric ⓘ |
| commercialPeak | late 1920s ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| declineBeganInDecade | 1930s ⓘ |
| developedBy |
Warner Bros. Pictures
ⓘ
surface form:
Warner Bros.
|
| era |
early sound era
ⓘ
late silent era ⓘ |
| firstFeatureFilm | Don Juan (1926 film) ⓘ |
| firstFeatureFilmWithRecordedScore | Don Juan (1926 film) ⓘ |
| historicalSignificance |
helped establish audience acceptance of sound films
ⓘ
major milestone in film sound technology ⓘ |
| introducedBy |
Warner Bros. Pictures
ⓘ
surface form:
Warner Bros.
|
| introducedInDecade | 1920s ⓘ |
| introducedInYear | 1926 ⓘ |
| limitation |
discs could wear out or be damaged
ⓘ
risk of loss of synchronization between disc and film ⓘ |
| mediumType | sound-on-disc ⓘ |
| notableFor |
being one of the last major sound-on-disc systems
ⓘ
commercially successful early sound film system ⓘ |
| playedKeyRoleIn |
transition from silent films to sound films
ⓘ
transition from silent films to talkies ⓘ |
| replacedBy |
optical sound-on-film
ⓘ
sound-on-film systems ⓘ |
| requiredEquipment |
amplifier and loudspeakers in theater
ⓘ
special turntable attached to projector ⓘ |
| soundCarrier |
16-inch disc
ⓘ
phonograph disc ⓘ |
| soundFormat | monophonic sound ⓘ |
| soundRecordingSpeed | 33 1⁄3 rpm ⓘ |
| soundReproductionMethod | mechanical reproduction of sound from disc ⓘ |
| synchronizationMethod | interlocked projector and phonograph turntable ⓘ |
| usedByExhibitorType | first-run urban theaters ⓘ |
| usedFor |
feature films with synchronized dialogue
ⓘ
feature films with synchronized music and effects ⓘ musical shorts ⓘ orchestral performance films ⓘ short subjects with synchronized sound ⓘ synchronizing recorded sound with motion pictures ⓘ vaudeville performance films ⓘ |
| usedInFilm |
Lights of New York (1928 film)
ⓘ
The Jazz Singer (1927 film) ⓘ The Singing Fool (1928 film) ⓘ |
| usedInterlockSystem | projector and turntable mechanically linked ⓘ |
Referenced by (9)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Vitaphone sound-on-disc system
this entity surface form:
Vitaphone sound-on-disc
this entity surface form:
Vitaphone sound films
subject surface form:
The Singing Fool
this entity surface form:
Vitaphone sound system