The Talkies

American Cinema's Transition to Sound, 1926-1931

Author: Donald Crafton Series: History of the American Cinema

Offers readers a look at the time when sound was a vexing challenge for filmmakers and the source of contentious debate for audiences and critics. Donald Crafton presents a panoramic view of the talkies' reception as well as an in-depth look at sound design in selected films, amongst other issues.

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Summary

Description

The Talkies offers readers a rare look at the time when sound was a vexing challenge for filmmakers and the source of contentious debate for audiences and critics. Donald Crafton presents a panoramic view of the talkies' reception as well as in-depth looks at sound design in selected films, filmmaking practices, censorship, issues of race, and the furious debate over cinema aesthetics that erupted once the movies began to speak.

Critic Reviews

"[A] masterful delineation of the cultural-intellectual climate into which the sound film was inserted. . . . Crafton's analysis contributes not just to film history but to cultural studies more generally with its concern with the way ordinary consumers make use of their culture. . . . "The Talkies is quite simply a wonderful book. It takes its place among the very top works of American film history."--Dana Polan, "Film Quarterly

About the Author

Donald Crafton is Chair of the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of Before Mickey: The Animated Film, 1898-1928 (1993) and Emile Cohl, Caricature, and Film (1990).

More on this Book

The Talkies offers readers a rare look at the time when sound was a vexing challenge for filmmakers and the source of contentious debate for audiences and critics. Donald Crafton presents a panoramic view of the talkies' reception as well as in-depth looks at sound design in selected films, filmmaking practices, censorship, issues of race, and the furious debate over cinema aesthetics that erupted once the movies began to speak.