I’d forgotten about this scene in Singin in the Rain 😄 It’s hard to imagine the list of problem-solving they must have been doing in those early days as the equipment was catching up with the needs!
It's worth noting that film studio bosses used the transition to sound to drive down the wages of their stars. They went to all lengths... crying poor about the transition to sound, threatening to end their careers. Those who played ball had their career continue into sound. Those who didn't were defamed with their fans being told they had a terrible voice which people would find ridiculous in the talkies. It's no secret the studio bosses were tight fisted bastards, but sadly a number of the silent stars have had to live with an undeserved reputation because of the way the studio bosses were. This far down the track there is no way to resurrect their reputations unfortunately.
Thanks Mark. Yes it sounds like it was another way to get their stars under control in a world where the stars were bigger than the studios in some cases. There always seems a dark underbelly to Hollywood
I thoroughly enjoyed this article about cinema's evolution to talkies. Your writing captured the technical intricacies and human stories behind the transition. The mix of historical facts and personal reflections made the article informative and a pleasure to read.
I’d forgotten about this scene in Singin in the Rain 😄 It’s hard to imagine the list of problem-solving they must have been doing in those early days as the equipment was catching up with the needs!
It's worth noting that film studio bosses used the transition to sound to drive down the wages of their stars. They went to all lengths... crying poor about the transition to sound, threatening to end their careers. Those who played ball had their career continue into sound. Those who didn't were defamed with their fans being told they had a terrible voice which people would find ridiculous in the talkies. It's no secret the studio bosses were tight fisted bastards, but sadly a number of the silent stars have had to live with an undeserved reputation because of the way the studio bosses were. This far down the track there is no way to resurrect their reputations unfortunately.
Thanks Mark. Yes it sounds like it was another way to get their stars under control in a world where the stars were bigger than the studios in some cases. There always seems a dark underbelly to Hollywood
I thoroughly enjoyed this article about cinema's evolution to talkies. Your writing captured the technical intricacies and human stories behind the transition. The mix of historical facts and personal reflections made the article informative and a pleasure to read.
Thank you Jon