Phonofilm: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 01:53, 1 February 2010 edit Tjmayerinsf (talk \| contribs) Pending changes reviewers 58,637 edits m →‎List of Films Produced in Phonofilm ← Previous edit		Revision as of 15:30, 8 February 2010 edit undo Tjmayerinsf (talk \| contribs) Pending changes reviewers 58,637 edits m →‎Premiere of Phonofilm Next edit →
Line 13: On 15 April 1923, DeForest premiered 18 short films made in Phonofilm -- presenting vaudeville acts, musical performers, [[opera]], and [[ballet]] -- at the Rivoli Theater in New York City. The printed program for this presentation gave credit to the "DeForest-Case Patents". However, according to a letter written to DeForest immediately after the event by [[Theodore Case]], no credit was given to Case during DeForest's presentation. Case also states in the letter how displeased he is with DeForest crediting the "DeForest-Case Patents", as Phonofilm's success was fully due to the work of Case and his Case Research Lab. DeForest was forced to show these films in independent theaters such as the Rivoli, since Hollywood movie studios controlled all major U.S. movie theater chains at the time. De Forest's decision to film primarily short films (one reel), not [[feature film]]s, due to lack of Hollywood investment, limited the appeal of his process. All or part of the [[Paramount Pictures]] features ''[[Bella Donna]]'' (premiered 1 April 1923) and ''[[The Covered Wagon]]'' (premiered 16 March 1923) were reportedly filmed with Phonofilm as an experiment, but, if so, were only shown this way at the premiere engagements, also at the Rivoli Theater in New York City. "Siegfried", the first part of [[Fritz Lang]] film ''[[Die Nibelungen]]'' (1924) had a Phonofilm soundtrack, but only at the New York City premiere at the [[Century Theatre]] on 23 August 1925. One of the few two-reel films made by DeForest in the Phonofilm process was ''Love's Old Sweet Song'' (1923), starring [[Louis Wolheim]], [[Donald Gallaher]], and the 20-year-old [[Una Merkel]]. DeForest kept to one-reel films because he was unable to solve the problem of reel changes -- and the disruption in sound which would occur -- when a projectionist in a movie theater changed reels.