THE FILM SOUND TRACK

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 October 1946, Page 4

THE FILM SOUND TRACK

IT is now twenty years since the talking film made its appearance The date fixed for this important event is now assigned to August 6, 1926, when the Warner Brothers exhibited “Don Juan” at their theatre in New York. Twenty years is a long time in the amusement world. People are always looking forward seeking something new and the amusement caterers must strive to be ahead of public taste and demand. The sound picture, i.c., the “talkie.” and the film track exhibit are not precisely the same thing or they were not at the beginning of the present era. The sound picture was well established before the talkie, was adopted. Al Jolson’s '.‘Jazz Singer’ is popularly supposed to have introduced the speech nto motion picture. Since then the talkie has become universal and r silent film would be a novelty. Behind this accomplishment is the usual trail of trial and error, of continuous experimentation and discouragement, 01. striving lor a result which seemed always to elude. After the discovery was made and the technique perfected the 'result was soon lightly accepted. Gone the story of Ihe laboratory workers who toiled for an elusive result, gone the trepidation of the first adventurers who had the courage against the many “authoritative” opinions that talkies wouldn’t work and if they did would not be profitable. Now they are commonplace. Every step forward means success for some. For the whole industry the advent, of the talkie nearly meant, bankruptcy. The haste to instal the new machinery was essential if established theatres were to retain their public. But the outlay was very great indeed and it caused many an exhibitor io worry for a long lime over the money end of his business and he felt that he was being financially butchered to make a Homan holiday. Other developments in the exhibition industry are like’v to present themselves in the future. The stagewide film with the talking coming from that part of the film where the character stands are probable developments for the future, but the cost of the necessary machinery will probably be tremendous. The future of the film industry is by no means like an open road : it is more like a tropical jungle with unknown terrors lurking in the darkness.