| In the mid-1920s, the film industry had met | | | | directors were also rushed in from New York |
| its new rival: the radio. Because of it, a | | | | to direct the actors who mostly did not know |
| lot of people stopped going to the movies and | | | | how to talk in their roles. It turned out |
| the movie industry was threatened. Amazingly | | | | that many romantic leading men had squeaky |
| however, scientists in the United States and | | | | voices and their leading ladies did not have |
| abroad had simultaneously discovered a way to | | | | alluring voices. The rise of sound pictures |
| add sound to silent pictures. This discovery | | | | became the end of a lot a silent screen |
| would save the film industry. The first | | | | stars. It also led to the fall of the great |
| sound pictures made were short films of | | | | pantomime comics.Sound pictures were made |
| concert performances. The movie produced | | | | into musical comedies. The Coconut in 1929 |
| sounds and music of the performers which | | | | introduced the four Marx Brothers. They |
| thrilled the audience very much. The people | | | | brought a new kind of noisy farce. This |
| started returning to the movies.But it would | | | | brand of comedy depended much on the humor of |
| not be until October of 1927 with a film | | | | the dialogue and the art of pantomime. These |
| called The Jazz Singer that the possibilities | | | | madcap comedians however eventually faded. |
| of sound were revealed. The Jazz Singer | | | | A new kind of comedy was developed to fill |
| starred Al Jolson and had three song numbers | | | | the void left by the comedians. They |
| and a few lines of spoken dialogue. Aside | | | | introduced talking pictures known as |
| from these, it was a silent movie but the | | | | sophisticated comedy which placed wise guys |
| audiences were raving over it. The Jazz | | | | in unexpected situations. Memorable |
| Singer was known as the movie that "talked" | | | | performers in these roles were Carole |
| and was called a "talkie". The movie | | | | Lombard, Irene Dunne and William Powell.Soon |
| fascinated thousands and packed the theaters. | | | | after the production of sound films came the |
| The radio had met its match.With the success | | | | gangster pictures. The earliest gangster |
| of The Jazz Singer, the full transition from | | | | films were inspired by prohibition |
| silent to all-talking movies would take over | | | | racketeering. Movies like Little Caesar of |
| a year. The delay was due to many technical | | | | 1930 and Public Enemy in 1931 had violent |
| problems. The equipment had to be perfected | | | | melodramas that introduced a harsh reality to |
| and the sound projectors and soundtracks had | | | | the audience. These movies introduced a new |
| to be standardized so that films can be shown | | | | batch of masculine stars with the likes of |
| in all theaters. Then, the theaters had to | | | | James Cagney, Edward Robinson, Spencer Tracy |
| be installed with the sound projectors. | | | | and Clark Gable.After the gangster movies, |
| Also, talking movies introduced a new set of | | | | films in different genres were made. With |
| problems concerning writing, directing and | | | | this began the Golden Age of Sound. Shown on |
| acting. The writers had to write dialogs and | | | | the screens were fine dramas, comedies and |
| the actors had to learn how to say them. To | | | | action-adventure films. Also strong were the |
| solve this problem, stage playwrights and | | | | musicals with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson |
| top-of-the-line dramatic authors were | | | | Eddy operettas and the dancing team of Fred |
| recruited to write the dialogue. Stage | | | | Astaire and Ginger Rogers as the favorites. |