The Advent of Sound

Friday, July 13 – Sunday, July 15, 2012

The birth of motion picture sound will be the focus of the third festival, to be held July 13 to 15, with Singin’ In The Rain (celebrating its 60th anniversary), The Jazz Singer,The Broadway Melody and Don Juan. 
 

The Jazz Singer
Saturday, July 14; 2 p.m.

(Dir: Alan Crosland, 1927, 88 min) The son (Al Jolson) of a Jewish Cantor must defy his father in order to pursue his dream of becoming a jazz singer. The Jazz Singerwas the first feature-length motion picture with talking sequences.
 

The Broadway Melody
Saturday, July 15; 7 p.m.

(Dir: Harry Beaumont, 1929, 100 min) Harriet (Bessie Love) and Queenie (Anita Page) Mahoney, a vaudeville act, come to Broadway, where their friend Eddie Kerns (Charles King) needs them for his number in one of Francis Zanfield's shows. The Broadway Melody was the first sound film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.
 

Don Juan
Sunday, July 16; 2 p.m.

(Dir: Alan Crosland, 1926, 110 min) John Barrymore plays the legendary lover Don Juan, raised by his cynical father (also played by Barrymore) to "love 'em and leave 'em", and to never trust any woman. All of this changes when he meets the beautiful Adriana Della Varnese (Mary Astor).

Don Juan was the first feature-length film with synchronized Vitaphone sound effects and musical soundtrack, though it has no spoken dialogue.