Phonofilm short films
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Phonofilm is an optical sound-on-film system developed by inventors
Lee de Forest Lee de Forest (August 26, 1873 – June 30, 1961) was an American inventor and a fundamentally important early pioneer in electronics. He invented the first electronic device for controlling current flow; the three-element "Audion" triode va ...
and Theodore Case in the early 1920s.


Introduction

In 1919 and 1920, Lee De Forest, inventor of the audion tube, filed his first patents on a sound-on-film process, DeForest Phonofilm, which recorded sound directly onto film as parallel lines. These parallel lines photographically recorded electrical waveforms from a microphone, which were translated back into sound waves when the movie was projected. Some sources say that DeForest improved on the work of Finnish inventor
Eric Tigerstedt Eric Magnus Campbell Tigerstedt (August 14, 1887 – April 20, 1925) was one of the most significant inventors in Finland at the beginning of the 20th century and has been called the "Thomas Edison of Finland". He was a pioneer of sound-on- ...
— who was granted German patent 309.536 on 28 July 1914 for his sound-on-film work — and on the Tri-Ergon Exchange, patented in 1919 by German inventors Josef Engl, Hans Vogt, and Joseph Massole. The Phonofilm system, which recorded synchronized sound directly onto film, was used to record vaudeville acts, musical numbers, political speeches, and opera singers. The quality of Phonofilm was poor at first, improved somewhat in later years, but was never able to match the fidelity of sound-on-disc systems such as Vitaphone, or later sound-on-film systems such as RCA Photophone or
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
Movietone. The films of DeForest were short films made primarily as demonstrations to try to interest major studios in Phonofilm. These films are particularly valuable to entertainment historians, as they include recordings of a wide variety of both well-known and less famous American vaudeville and British
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
acts which would otherwise have been forgotten. Some of the films, such as '' Flying Jenny Airplane'', ''Barking Dog'', and a film of DeForest himself explaining the Phonofilm system (all 1922) were experimental films to test the system. Some of the people filmed included vaudevillians Joe Weber and Lew Fields,
Eva Puck Eva Puck (November 25, 1892 – October 25, 1979) was an American entertainer, a vaudeville headliner who later found success performing in Broadway musical comedies and film. Early life She was born in New York City, the middle of three ...
and Sammy White,
Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...
, Ben Bernie, Oscar Levant, Phil Baker, Frank McHugh, Roy Smeck, jazz musicians
Noble Sissle Noble Lee Sissle (July 10, 1889 – December 17, 1975) was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer, and playwright, best known for the Broadway musical ''Shuffle Along'' (1921), and its hit song "I'm Just Wild About Harry". Ea ...
and Eubie Blake, " all-female" bandleader Helen Lewis, harmonicist
Borrah Minevitch Borrah Minevitch (sometimes spelled Minnevitch; 5 November 1902, Borovin, Minsk, Russian Empire – 26 June 1955, Paris, France), born Boruch Minewitz, was a notable harmonica player, actor, and leader of his group The Harmonica Rascals. The ...
,
Nikita Balieff Nikita F. Balieff (c.1873– 3 September 1936), was a Russian Armenian born vaudevillian, stage performer, writer, impresario, and director. He is best known as the creator and master of ceremonies of ''La Chauve-Souris'' theater group. Theatric ...
's company
La Chauve-Souris ''La Chauve-Souris'' (French: ''The Bat'') was the name of a touring revue during the early 1900s. Originating in Moscow and then Paris, and directed by Nikita Balieff, the revue toured the United States, Europe, and South Africa. The show consist ...
, opera singers Eva Leoni, Abbie Mitchell, and
Marie Rappold Marie Rappold, née Winterrath (17 August 1872 – 12 May 1957) was a German-born American operatic soprano. She sang with the Metropolitan Opera from 1905 to 1920. Early life She was born in Barmen, Germany on 17 August 1872. She appeared o ...
, Broadway stars Helen Menken and Fannie Ward, folklorist Charles Ross Taggart, copla singer
Concha Piquer María de la Concepción Piquer López (13 December 190612 December 1990), better known as Concha Piquer (and sometimes billed as Conchita Piquer), was a Spanish singer and actress. She was known for her work in the '' copla'' form, and she perfor ...
(first Spanish sound film), and politicians
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
,
Robert La Follette Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette Sr. (June 14, 1855June 18, 1925), was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Wisconsin in both chambers of Congress and served as the 20th Governor of Wisconsin. A Republican for most of his l ...
,
Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a C ...
, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Smith and Roosevelt were filmed during the
1924 Democratic National Convention The 1924 Democratic National Convention, held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City from June 24 to July 9, 1924, was the longest continuously running convention in United States political history. It took a record 103 ballots to nominate ...
, held June 24 to July 9 at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
in New York City. Coolidge became the first U. S. President to appear in a sound motion picture when DeForest filmed him at the White House on 11 August 1924. In November 1922, De Forest founded the De Forest Phonofilm Corporation with studios at 314 East 48th Street in New York City, and offices at 220 West 42nd Street in the Candler Building. However, DeForest was unable to interest any of the major
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
movie studios A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...
in his invention.


Premiere of Phonofilm

From October 1921 to September 1922, DeForest lived in Berlin, meeting with the Tri-Ergon developers and investigating other European sound film systems. He announced to the press in April 1922 that he would soon have a workable sound-on-film system. On 12 March 1923, DeForest presented a demonstration of Phonofilm to the press. On 12 April 1923, DeForest gave a private demonstration of the process to electrical engineers at the Engineering Society Building's Auditorium at 33 West 39th Street in New York City. On 15 April 1923, DeForest premiered 18 short films made in Phonofilm — including vaudeville acts, musical performers, opera, and ballet — at the Rivoli Theater at 1620 Broadway in New York City. The Rivoli's music director Hugo Riesenfeld co-hosted the presentation. The printed program gave credit to the "DeForest-Case Patents", but according to a letter Theodore Case wrote to DeForest immediately after the event, no credit was given to Case during the presentation itself. Case also expressed his displeasure that the program credited only the "DeForest-Case Patents", as Phonofilm's success was fully due to the work of Case and his Case Research Lab. DeForest later took his show on the road, pitching Phonofilm directly to the general public at a series of special engagements across the country. The shorts shown at one such demonstration (from an original program at History San Jose, which holds DeForest's papers), exact date unknown but circa 1925, were as follows: *(Overture) *What the Phonofilm Means (Bart Doyle *A Study in Contrasts (comparing sound and silent film segments) *From Far Seville (
Concha Piquer María de la Concepción Piquer López (13 December 190612 December 1990), better known as Concha Piquer (and sometimes billed as Conchita Piquer), was a Spanish singer and actress. She was known for her work in the '' copla'' form, and she perfor ...
) *Old Melodies ( Charles Ross Taggart) *The Harlequin's Serenade o other identification, adaptation of ''Harlequinade'' by Riccardo Drigo (d. 1930)">Riccardo_Drigo.html" ;"title="o other identification, adaptation of ''Harlequinade'' by Riccardo Drigo">o other identification, adaptation of ''Harlequinade'' by Riccardo Drigo (d. 1930) *Stringed Harmony ( Roy Smeck) *Parade of the Wooden Soldiers [Franco-Russian ballet troupe Le Chauve Souris] * A Few Moments With Eddie Cantor, Star of "Kid Boots" *A Musical Monologue (with Phil Baker) *President
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
Taken on the White House Lawn (11 August 1924) *(Intermission—Five Minutes) * Ben Bernie's Orchestra ("
Ben Bernie and All the Lads ''Ben Bernie and All the Lads'' is a short film made by Lee de Forest in the De Forest Phonofilm sound-on-film process. The film features Ben Bernie conducting his band All The Lads, and features pianist Oscar Levant and saxophonist Jack Pettis ...
") *'' Rigoletto'', Act Two (Eva Leoni 895-1972and Company) *The Bubble Dance ( Lillian Powell) *
Weber and Fields Weber (, or ; German: ) is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning " weaver". In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English surname 'Webber' or even 'Weaver'. Notable pe ...
(their famous poolhall skit) *A Boston Star (
Borrah Minevitch Borrah Minevitch (sometimes spelled Minnevitch; 5 November 1902, Borovin, Minsk, Russian Empire – 26 June 1955, Paris, France), born Boruch Minewitz, was a notable harmonica player, actor, and leader of his group The Harmonica Rascals. The ...
) * DeWolfe icHopper (reciting " Casey at the Bat") *Negro Folk Songs (
Noble Sissle Noble Lee Sissle (July 10, 1889 – December 17, 1975) was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer, and playwright, best known for the Broadway musical ''Shuffle Along'' (1921), and its hit song "I'm Just Wild About Harry". Ea ...
and Eubie Blake) *Opera Versus Jazz (
Eva Puck Eva Puck (November 25, 1892 – October 25, 1979) was an American entertainer, a vaudeville headliner who later found success performing in Broadway musical comedies and film. Early life She was born in New York City, the middle of three ...
and Sammy White) *(Exit March—by the Phonofilm) 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 films limited the appeal of his process. All or part of the
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
features '' Bella Donna'' (premiered 1 April 1923) and '' The Covered Wagon'' (premiered 16 March 1923) were filmed with Phonofilm as an experiment. (In the case of ''The Covered Wagon'', Hugo Riesenfeld composed the music for the film.) However, the Phonofilm versions were only shown at the premiere engagements, also at the Rivoli. "Siegfried", the first part of the 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 "Love's Old Sweet Song" is a Victorian parlour song published in 1884 by composer James Lynam Molloy and lyricist Graham Clifton Bingham. The first line of the chorus is "Just a song at twilight", and its title is sometimes misidentified as su ...
'' (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.


Development of Phonofilm

Max Fleischer and Dave Fleischer used the Phonofilm process for their
Song Car-Tunes '' Ko-Ko Song Car-Tunes'', ''Song Car-Tunes'', or (some sources erroneously say) ''Sound Car-Tunes'', is a series of short three-minute animated films produced by Max Fleischer and Dave Fleischer between May 1924 and September 1927, pioneering t ...
series of cartoons—all featuring the " Follow the Bouncing Ball" gimmick—starting in May 1924. Of the 36 titles in the Song Car-Tunes series, 19 used Phonofilm. Also in 1924, the Fleischer brothers partnered with DeForest, Edwin Miles Fadiman, and Hugo Riesenfeld to form Red Seal Pictures Corporation, which owned 36 theaters on the East Coast, extending as far west as
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
. Red Seal Pictures and DeForest Phonofilm filed for bankruptcy in September 1926, and the Fleischers stopped releasing the Song Car-Tune films in Phonofilm shortly thereafter. Alfred Weiss acquired several of the silent Song Car-tunes including "My Old Kentucky Home" and "Tramp-Tram--Tramp, the Boys are Marching" and re-released them independently between 1929 to 1932 with new animation added using what sounds like the Powers Cinephone process. DeForest also worked with Theodore Case, using Case's patents to make the Phonofilm system workable. However, the two men had a falling out, shortly after DeForest filed suit in June 1923 against Freeman Harrison Owens, another former collaborator of DeForest's. Case later went to movie mogul William Fox of Fox Film Corporation, who bought Case's patents, the American rights to the German Tri-Ergon patents, and the work of Owens to create Fox Movietone.


DeForest's use of Case patents

Case's falling out with DeForest was due to DeForest taking full credit for the work of Case and Earl I. Sponable (1895–1977) at the Case Research Lab in Auburn, New York. To record on film, DeForest tried using a standard
light bulb An electric light, lamp, or light bulb is an electrical component that produces light. It is the most common form of artificial lighting. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic, which secures the lamp in the soc ...
to expose amplified sound onto film. The bulbs quickly burned out, and, even while functioning, never produced a clear recording. To reproduce his nearly inaudible soundtracks, DeForest used a photocell that could not react quickly enough to the varying light coming to it as the soundtrack passed through the sound gate, resulting in an incomplete reproduction of sound from an inadequate recording—a dual failure. DeForest's attempts to record and reproduce sound failed at every turn until he used inventions provided by Case. Having failed to create a workable sound-on-film system by 1921, DeForest contacted Case to inquire about using a Case Research Lab invention, the Thallofide ( thallium oxysulfide) Cell, for reproducing the recorded sound. Case provided DeForest with that major upgrade and later provided him with another Case Research Lab creation, the AEO Light, to use for recording the soundtrack. Due to DeForest's continuing misuse of these inventions, the Case Research Lab proceeded to build its own camera. That camera was used by Case and Sponable to film President Coolidge on 11 August 1924, creating one of the films shown by DeForest and claimed by him to be the product of "his" inventions. Seeing that DeForest was more concerned with his own fame and recognition than he was with actually creating a workable system of sound film, and because of DeForest's continuing attempts to downplay the contributions of the Case Research Lab in the creation of Phonofilm, Case severed his ties with DeForest in the fall of 1925. On 23 July 1926, William Fox of Fox Film Corporation bought Case's patents. In 1924,
Western Electric The Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering and manufacturing company officially founded in 1869. A wholly owned subsidiary of American Telephone & Telegraph for most of its lifespan, it served as the primary equipment ma ...
had settled on 24 frames per second (90 feet per minute) as the standard film speed for both the sound-on-disc and optical sound systems it was developing. Western Electric's ERPI division dominated the theater hardware market when the sound revolution finally got underway, so its new standard speed was universally adopted by Fox and all the other studios as each began making sound films. (See the Fleischer cartoon ''Finding His Voice'' (1929), credited to Mr. W. E. Erpi.) As a consequence, Case's tests and DeForest's early Phonofilms, shot at about 21 frames per second, gave speakers and singers laughably high-pitched "helium voices" if they were run on a standard sound projector. The Library of Congress and other film archives have printed new copies of some early Phonofilms, modifying them by periodically duplicating frames and correspondingly "stretching" the soundtracks to make them compatible with standard projectors and telecine equipment.


Producer Pat Powers attempts takeover of Phonofilm

By 1926, DeForest gave up on trying to exploit the process—at least in the U.S. (see UK section below) -- and his company declared bankruptcy in September 1926. Without access to Case's inventions, DeForest was left with an incomplete system of sound film. Even so, producer Pat Powers invested in what remained of Phonofilm in the spring of 1927. DeForest was in financial difficulty due to his lawsuits against former associates Case and Owens. At this time, DeForest was selling cut-rate sound equipment to second-run movie theaters wanting to convert to sound on the cheap. In June 1927, Powers made an unsuccessful takeover bid for DeForest's company. In the aftermath, Powers hired former DeForest technician
William Garity William E. Garity (April 2, 1899 – September 16, 1971) was an American inventor and audio engineer who attended the Pratt Institute before going to work for Lee De Forest around 1921. Garity worked with DeForest on the Phonofilm sound-on-film ...
to produce a cloned version of the Phonofilm system.


Hollywood chooses other sound systems

While shunning Phonofilm, Hollywood studios introduced different systems for talkies. First up was the sound-on-disc process introduced by Warner Brothers as Vitaphone—which used a record disc synchronized with the film for sound. Warner Brothers released the feature film '' Don Juan'' starring John Barrymore on 6 August 1926 in Vitaphone, with music and sound effects only. On 6 October 1927, Warner Brothers released '' The Jazz Singer'' with Al Jolson in Vitaphone. The film is often incorrectly credited as the first talking picture. ''The Jazz Singer'' was the first feature film to use synchronized sound for talking sequences rather than just for music and sound effects, and thus launched the talkie era, but DeForest's sound-on-film system was in fact the basis for modern sound movies. The Fox Movietone system was first demonstrated to the public at the
Sam H. Harris Theatre The Sam H. Harris Theatre, originally the Candler Theatre, was a theater within the Candler Building, at 226 West 42nd Street, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1914, the 1,200-seat theater was designed b ...
in New York City on 21 January 1927, with a short film of
Raquel Meller Francisca Romana Marqués López (9 March 1888 – 26 July 1962), better known as Raquel Meller, was a Spanish diseuse, cuplé, and tonadilla singer and actress. She was an international star in the 1920s and 1930s, appearing in several films a ...
preceding the feature film '' What Price Glory?'', originally released in November 1926. Later in 1927, producer William Fox introduced sound-on-film with the feature film '' Sunrise'' by
F. W. Murnau Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe; December 28, 1888March 11, 1931) was a German film director, producer and screenwriter. He was greatly influenced by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Shakespeare and Ibsen plays he had seen at t ...
. In 1928, the sound-on-film process RCA Photophone was adopted by newly created studio RKO Radio Pictures and by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
.


Phonofilm in the UK

In 1926, the owner of a UK cinema chain, M. B. Schlesinger, acquired the UK rights to Phonofilm. DeForest and Schlesinger filmed short films of British
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
performers such as
Marie Lloyd Jr. Marie Lloyd Jr. (born Marie Matilda Victoria Courtenay; 19 May 1888 – 27 December 1967) was a British entertainer, composer and actress notable for her performances impersonating her mother, the music hall performer Marie Lloyd. Early ...
and Billy Merson—along with famous stage actors such as
Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...
and
Bransby Williams Bransby Williams (born Bransby William Pharez; 14 August 1870 – 3 December 1961) was a British actor, comedian and monologist. He became known as "The Irving of the music halls". Early years Born in Hackney, London, the son of William Me ...
performing excerpts of works by Shakespeare,
Shaw Shaw may refer to: Places Australia *Shaw, Queensland Canada *Shaw Street, a street in Toronto England *Shaw, Berkshire, a village *Shaw, Greater Manchester, a location in the parish of Shaw and Crompton *Shaw, Swindon, a List of United Kingdom ...
, and Dickens—from September 1926 to May 1929. (In July 1925, ''The Gentleman'', a comedy short film excerpt of ''The 9 to 11 Revue'', directed by William J. Elliott in Phonofilm, was the first sound-on-film production made in England.) On 4 October 1926, Phonofilm made its UK premiere with a program of short films presented at the
Empire Cinema Empire Cinemas Limited is a multiplex cinema chain in the UK. There are 14 Empire Cinemas across the country, with 131 screens in total. Ownership and management The ultimate beneficial owner of Empire Cinemas Ltd is Irish entrepreneur Thomas ...
in London, including a short film with Sidney Bernstein welcoming Phonofilm to the UK. According to the British Film Institute website, the UK division of DeForest Phonofilm was taken over in August 1928 by British Talking Pictures and its subsidiary, British Sound Film Productions, which was formed in September 1928, it is believed British Talking Pictures acquired DeForests primary assets, including patents and designs for theatre audio equipment. In March 1929, a feature film '' The Clue of the New Pin'', a part-talkie based on an Edgar Wallace novel, was trade-shown with '' The Crimson Circle'', a German-UK coproduction which was also based on a Wallace novel. ''Crimson'' was filmed in DeForest Phonofilm, and ''Pin'' was made in British Phototone, a sound-on-disc process using 12-inch phonograph records synchronized with the film. However, the UK divisions of both Phonofilm and British Phototone soon closed. The last films made in the UK in Phonofilm were released in early 1929, due to competition from Vitaphone, and sound-on-film systems such as Fox Movietone and RCA Photophone. The release of
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
's sound feature film ''
Blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...
'' in June 1929, made in RCA Photophone, sealed the fate of Phonofilm in the UK.


Phonofilm in Australia

In June 1925, Phonofilm opened its first Australian office at 129 Bathurst Street in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. On 6 July 1925, the first program of Phonofilms in Australia were shown at the Piccadilly Theatre in Sydney. A program was also shown at the Prince Edward Theatre in November and December 1925. On 6 April 1927, Minister for Trade Herbert Pratten appeared in a DeForest film to celebrate the opening of a Phonofilm studio in Rushcutters Bay in Sydney. On 12 May 1927, a Phonofilm of the Duke and Dutchess of York arriving at Farm Cove, New South Wales was shown at the Lyceum Theater in Sydney. Unfortunately, Phonofilm had to close all of its operations in Australia by October 1927, and sold its remaining studio facilities to an Australian company in October 1928.


Phonofilm in Spain

In 1928, Spanish producer Feliciano Manuel Vitores bought the Spanish rights to Phonofilm from DeForest and dubbed it "Fonofilm". He produced four films in the process, ''Cuando fui león'' (1928), ''En confesionario'' (1928), ''Va usted en punto con el banco'' (1928), and ''El misterio de la Puerta del Sol'' (1929). The first three were short films directed by Manuel Marín starring Spanish comedian Ramper, and the last was the first sound feature film made in Spain. The feature film was released in Spain by Divina Home Video in 2005, after years of being thought a lost film.


Phonofilm in Latin America

The Maurice Zouary collection at the Library of Congress holds approximately 45 films made in Phonofilm. A DVD produced by Zouary about the history of Phonofilm says that a short film of opera singers performing the Sextet from '' Lucia di Lammermoor'' was made by the "Latin American division" of Phonofilm. No further information is known about this division of Phonofilm. In 1926, DeForest released a short film referred to as ''Cuban Sound Documentary'' which included the
Cuban national anthem "" (, ) is the national anthem of Cuba. It was first performed in 1868, during the . Perucho Figueredo, who took part in the battle, wrote and composed the song. The melody, also called "" (), was composed by Figueredo in 1867. Overview On Oc ...
and excerpts from ''
The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...
''. However, little else is known of this film or whether other Phonofilms were made in Cuba.


Legacy of Phonofilm

More than 200 short films were made in the Phonofilm process, with many preserved in the collections of the Library of Congress (45 titles) and the British Film Institute (98 titles). In 1976, five Phonofilm titles were discovered in a trunk in Australia, and these films have been restored by Australia's
National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...
.


List of films produced in Phonofilm

# A. C. Astor with Sentimental Mac (1928) ventriloquist Astor (d. April 7, 1966) with his dummy Sentimental Mac # Acci-Dental Treatment (1929) directed by
Thomas Bentley Thomas Bentley (23 February 1884 – 23 December 1966) was a British film director. He directed 68 films between 1912 and 1941. He directed three films in the early DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, ''The Man in the Street'' (1926), '' ...
with
Ernie Lotinga Ernest Lotinga (19 March 1875 – 28 October 1951) was a British comedian and film actor. Lotinga became known for the Josser character whom he portrayed in a series of comedy films during the 1930s. Biography Lotinga was born in Sunderland into ...
as Jimmy Josser # The Actors' Squad (1927) short with Lawrence Anderson # Abraham Lincoln (1924) portrayal of Lincoln by actor
Frank McGlynn Sr. Frank McGlynn Sr. (October 26, 1866 – May 18, 1951) was an American stage and screen actor who, in a career that spanned more than half a century, is best known for his convincing impersonations and performances as Abraham Lincoln in both ...
in excerpt of 1918 play by John Drinkwater #
Adolph Zukor Adolph Zukor (; hu, Zukor Adolf; January 7, 1873 – June 10, 1976) was a Hungarian-American film producer best known as one of the three founders of Paramount Pictures.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'' (June 16, 1976), p. 76. He produ ...
Introduces Phonofilm (1923) for release of '' The Covered Wagon'' and '' Bella Donna'', two
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
feature films with soundtracks filmed in Phonofilm # Ag and Bert (1929) with Mabel Constanduros and Michael Hogan, directed by
Bertram Phillips Bertram Phillips was a British film director of the silent era. In 1927–29, he directed several short films in the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, including ''Arthur Roberts (comedian), Arthur Roberts Sings "Topsey-Turvey"'' (April 192 ...
# Ain't She Sweet (1928) with Chili Bouchier and Dick Henderson; see also Mark Griver and Pilbeam and His Band entries (below) # Al Herman (1926) comedian Herman (1887-1967) performing a comedy sketch # Alexander's Ragtime Band (1926) Fleischer cartoon** # Alma Barnes the Internationally Famous Mimic (1926) # Almost a Gentleman (1928) comedy short with Billy Bennett # Alvin and
Kelvin Keech Kelvin Kirkwood Keech (June 28, 1895 – May 22, 1977) was an American actor, producer and old-time radio announcer. Keech was known for being the announcer for several popular old-time radio programs including ''The Eveready Hour'', ''Bill and ...
(1926) brothers who are credited with the invention of the banjolele (banjo and ukulele) # America's Flyers (1927) filmed at Roosevelt Field (29 June 1927) with Richard E. Byrd, George Noville, and Bert Acosta, with speech given by
Grover Whalen Grover Aloysius Whalen (1886–1962) was a prominent politician, businessman, and public relations guru in New York City during the 1930s and 1940s. Early years Whalen was born on July 2, 1886, in New York City, the son of an Irish immigrant fath ...
(listed in BFI database) # Anna Pavlova Swan Dance (1925) # Annie Laurie (1926)** # The Antidote (1927) dramatic short directed by
Thomas Bentley Thomas Bentley (23 February 1884 – 23 December 1966) was a British film director. He directed 68 films between 1912 and 1941. He directed three films in the early DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, ''The Man in the Street'' (1926), '' ...
, with Primrose Morgan, Walter Sondes, and Jameson Thomas*** # Armistice Day of 1928 (1928) produced by Phonofilms (Singapore) and released by British Sound Film Corporation # Arthur Roberts Sings "Topsey-Turvey" (April 1927) musical short with Arthur Roberts singing "Topsey-Turvey", directed by
Bertram Phillips Bertram Phillips was a British film director of the silent era. In 1927–29, he directed several short films in the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, including ''Arthur Roberts (comedian), Arthur Roberts Sings "Topsey-Turvey"'' (April 192 ...
# As We Lie (1927) comedy short with
Lillian Hall-Davis Lillian Hall-Davis (23 June 1898 – 25 October 1933) was an English actress during the silent film era, featured in major roles in English film and a number of German, French and Italian films. Born Lilian Hall Davis, the daughter of a London ...
and Miles Mander, directed by Mander; also known as ''Lost One Wife'' # Ashton and Rawson (May 1928) Doris Ashton and Billy Rawson; Ashton sings and Rawson plays piano (BFI Database) # At the Photographer's (1929) comedy short released by Ellbee Pictures # An Attempted Duet (1928) comedy short with Beryl Beresford and Leslie Hinton # Barber and Jackson in ''The Long and the Short of It'' (1922) with Barber and Jackson, male and female duo (first names unknown) # Bard and Pearl (1923)
Wilkie Bard Wilkie Bard (born William August Smith) (19 March 1874 – 5 May 1944) was a popular British vaudeville and music hall entertainer and recording artist at the beginning of the 20th century. He is best known for his songs "I Want to Sing in Opera" ...
and Jack Pearl in early tests for Phonofilm (in UCLA Film and Television Archive database) # Barking Dog (1921) experimental film with barking dog # The Barrister (June 1928) with George Robey, directed by Hugh Croise # Being All Alone (1927) # Bella Donna (1923)
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
feature film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Pola Negri and
Conway Tearle Conway Tearle (born Frederick Conway Levy, May 17, 1878 – October 1, 1938) was an American stage actor who went on to perform in silent and early sound films. Early life Tearle was born on May 17, 1878, in New York City, the son of the ...
#
Ben Bernie and All the Lads ''Ben Bernie and All the Lads'' is a short film made by Lee de Forest in the De Forest Phonofilm sound-on-film process. The film features Ben Bernie conducting his band All The Lads, and features pianist Oscar Levant and saxophonist Jack Pettis ...
(1925) with Oscar Levant on piano # Bernice DePasquale (1922) Metropolitan Opera soprano # Betty Chester the Well-Known Star of '' The Co-Optimists'' (1926) Chester sings "Pig-Tail Alley" # Billy Merson Singing ''Desdemona'' (1926) # Billy Merson in ''Scotland's Whiskey'' (1927) parody of Sir Harry Lauder # Billy Merson in ''Russian Opera'' (1927) # Bleak House (1926) aka ''Grandfather Smallweed, the Miser'' (UK title) with
Bransby Williams Bransby Williams (born Bransby William Pharez; 14 August 1870 – 3 December 1961) was a British actor, comedian and monologist. He became known as "The Irving of the music halls". Early years Born in Hackney, London, the son of William Me ...
*** # Boat Race (1929)
The Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. There are separate men ...
of 23 March 1929 ("centenary year") listed in BFI Database # Boheme Blue (1927) musical short # A Boston Star:
Borrah Minnevitch Borrah Minevitch (sometimes spelled Minnevitch; 5 November 1902, Borovin, Minsk, Russian Empire – 26 June 1955, Paris, France), born Boruch Minewitz, was a notable harmonica player, actor, and leader of his group The Harmonica Rascals. The H ...
(1923) harmonicist* # The Bride (1929) comedy short with George Robey # Bring on the Bride (August 1929) comedy short, directed by Harry Delf, with Betty Lancaster, Cecil Holm, and Edward O'Connor # Brooke Johns and Goodee Montgomery (1925) Johns plays ukulele and Montgomery sings "I'm in Love Again" and dances*** # The Burglar and the Girl (1928) comedy short with Moore Marriott and
Dorothy Boyd Dorothy Boyd (14 April 1907 – 1996) was an English film actress. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1926 and 1940. She was born in Sanderstead, Surrey, England and died in England. Without any previous stage experience, she came ...
# By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1926) the last of the Fleischer "Song Car-Tunes" with Phonofilm, released August 1926 ** # Call Me Up Some Rainy Afternoon (1926)** # Calm as the Night (1927) sung by soprano Mary Cavanova (Marie Cavan) # Canoodling (1928) Hal Jones sings song "Canoodling" from stage review ''Splinters'' # Carrie From Lancasheer (October 1928) # Carson and Shean (1926) ?Carson and Al Shean (SilentEra and BFI Database) # Casey at the Bat (1922) famous poem read by actor DeWolf Hopper # Cellist and Pianist (1928) two women play Saint-Saëns' "The Swan" from '' Carnival of the Animals''; ?same as Jerome and France (see below) # Charles Lindbergh (1927) filmed at
Clapham Studios The Clapham Studios were a British film studios of the silent and early sound eras, located in Clapham in London. The studios were built at Cranmer Court under some railway arches, opening in 1913. Several companies used the studios during their ...
in London on Lindbergh's departure from the UK # Charles Lindbergh Reception (1927) Lindbergh receives Medal of Valor from NYC mayor Jimmy Walker on June 13, 1927 # Charles Ross Taggart (1923) "The Old Country Fiddler at the Singing School" * # Charles William Eliot (1924) former president of Harvard University gives speech (?at 1924 Democratic Convention) # Charles "Chic" Sale (1922) "famed monologist" # Charmaine (1928) musical short with Eric Marshall singing # Chorus Gentlemen (1926) or ''Chorus, Gentlemen!'' # Christmas Party (UK, December 1928) with Fred Elizalde and his Orchestra #
Clapham and Dwyer Clapham and Dwyer were a British comedy duo popular in the 1920s and 1930s, comprising Charlie Clapham (William Charles Conrad Clapham; 6 January 1894–27 July 1959) and Bill Dwyer (William Henry Dwyer; 7 May 1887–11 January 1943). Live ...
No. 1 (1929) Charles Clapham and Bill Dwyer #
Clapham and Dwyer Clapham and Dwyer were a British comedy duo popular in the 1920s and 1930s, comprising Charlie Clapham (William Charles Conrad Clapham; 6 January 1894–27 July 1959) and Bill Dwyer (William Henry Dwyer; 7 May 1887–11 January 1943). Live ...
No. 2 (1929) Charles Clapham and Bill Dwyer # The Cleaner (1928) comedy short with
Wilkie Bard Wilkie Bard (born William August Smith) (19 March 1874 – 5 May 1944) was a popular British vaudeville and music hall entertainer and recording artist at the beginning of the 20th century. He is best known for his songs "I Want to Sing in Opera" ...
# Clonk! (1928) musical short with Arty Ash and Leslie Sarony, directed by Widgey R. Newman # Clyde Doerr and His Sax-o-Phone Sextet (1923) # The Coffee Stall (1927) Mark Lupino (c. 1894-4 April 1930) and Company, directed by
George A. Cooper George Alphonsus Cooper (7 March 1925 – 16 November 2018) was an English actor and voice artist. He died in November 2018 at the age of 93. Early life Cooper was born in Leeds, the son of William and Eleanor (née Dobson) Cooper. His father ...
# Cohen on the Telephone (1923) also known as ''Monroe Silver, Famed Monologist'' with monologist
Monroe Silver Monroe Silver (December 21, 1875 – May 3, 1947) was an American actor and singer who was also a comedian and monologist using a Jewish dialect-accent in his performances. Career For various record labels, he recorded 78rpm discs of parodies ...
* # Come Take a Trip in My Airship (1924) one of the first in the Fleischer "Song Car-Tune" series** #
Comin' Thro' the Rye "Comin' Thro' the Rye" is a poem written in 1782 by Robert Burns (1759–1796). The words are put to the melody of the Scottish Minstrel "Common' Frae The Town". This is a variant of the tune to which " Auld Lang Syne" is usually sung—the melodi ...
(1926)** # Conchita Piquer (1923) in dance sketch "From Far Seville"* # The Covered Wagon (1923) Paramount Pictures feature directed by James Cruze # Cuando fui león (1928) Spanish producer purchased rights from DeForest for "Fonofilm" # Cuban Sound Documentary (1926) with the
Cuban national anthem "" (, ) is the national anthem of Cuba. It was first performed in 1868, during the . Perucho Figueredo, who took part in the battle, wrote and composed the song. The melody, also called "" (), was composed by Figueredo in 1867. Overview On Oc ...
and excerpts of ''
The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...
'' # Daisy Bell (1925)** # Dandy George and Rosie (1927) Dandy George (Albert George Spink) and his dog Rosie #
Darling Nelly Gray "Darling Nelly Gray" is a 19th century anti-slavery ballad written and composed by Benjamin Hanby in 1856. It is written as from the point of view of an African-American male slave in Kentucky whose sweetheart has been taken away by slave-owners. ...
(1926)** # David Gusikoff (1924) vibraphonist # Der rote Kreis (1929) aka ''The Crimson Circle'', UK-German feature based on Edgar Wallace novel, trade-shown in March 1929 in the UK # Dick Henderson Sings "I Love Her All the More" (1926) # Dick Henderson Sings "Tripe" (1926) # Dick Henderson Sings "There Are More Heavens Than One" (1927) # Die Nibelungen (1924), part I, "Siegfried" (only at the U.S. premiere in NYC on August 23, 1925) # Dixie (1925)** # Doing His Duty (1929) comedy short of
Ernie Lotinga Ernest Lotinga (19 March 1875 – 28 October 1951) was a British comedian and film actor. Lotinga became known for the Josser character whom he portrayed in a series of comedy films during the 1930s. Biography Lotinga was born in Sunderland into ...
playing "Jimmy Josser", directed by Hugh Croise # Dolly Gray (1926)** # Domen (1924) Swedish language version of ''Retribution'' (1924), directed by
Arthur Donaldson Arthur William Donaldson (13 December 1901 – 18 January 1993) was a Scottish journalist and Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was leader of the Scottish National Party from 1960 to 1969. Early years Donaldson was born in Dundee, ...
, Swedish actor and director #
Donald Brian Donald Brian (February 17, 1877 – December 22, 1948) was an actor, dancer and singer born in St. John's, Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada). In 1907, he starred in the hit operetta ''The Merry Widow''. Life and care ...
(1925) in ''Peggy O'Hooligan'' # Downey and Owens (1925) Morton Downey (Sr.) and ?Owens ("Two Boys and a Piano") sing " Show Me the Way to Go Home" and "There Is No One Like Myself" # The Duke and Duchess of York Arrive at Farm Cove (1927) film first shown 12 May 1927 at the Lyceum in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
# Dunio and Gegna (1927) instrumental comedians, play " Yes Sir, That's My Baby" on violin and cello (BFI Database) # Drink to Me Only (1926) Gwen Farrar (1899-1944) sings title song # East Side, West Side (1925) also known as " The Sidewalks of New York" ** # Edith Sitwell (1927) reads from her work # El misterio de la Puerta del Sol (1929) first sound feature film made in Spain # Elga Collins the Versatile Entertainer (1927) Collins sings "Ain't It Nice" and "Tonight You Belong to Me" # Emmie Joyce Sings "I Need Love" (1927) # Emmie Joyce Sings "Patience" (1927) # En confesionario (1928) # Ethel Hook (1926) song by contralto Ethel Hook, sister of classical singer Clara Butt # Eubie Blake Plays His "Fantasy on Swanee River" (1923) #
Eva Puck Eva Puck (November 25, 1892 – October 25, 1979) was an American entertainer, a vaudeville headliner who later found success performing in Broadway musical comedies and film. Early life She was born in New York City, the middle of three ...
and Sammy White (1923) doing their sketch "Opera vs. Jazz" * # Everybody's Doing It (1926) ** #
The Fair Maid of Perth ''The Fair Maid of Perth'' (or ''St. Valentine's Day'') is an 1828 novel by Sir Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels. Inspired by the strange, but historically true, story of the Battle of the North Inch, it is set in Perth (known at the ti ...
(1926) live-action UK film with Louise Maurel, directed by Miles Mander # False Colours (1927) dramatic short with Ursula Jeans and
A. B. Imeson A.B. Imeson (1875 – 28 February 1944) was an English stage and film actor. Filmography His first role was playing Satan in the silent film ''The Picture of Dorian Gray (1916 film), The Picture of Dorian Gray'' (1916). * ''Disraeli (1916 ...
, directed by Miles Mander # Fannie Ward (1924) Fannie Ward sings "Father Time" # Fannie Ward (1924) performs comedy sketch as the "Perennial Flapper" # Farewell Message of Mr. Levine and Captain Hinchcliffe, Just Before Their Departure on Their Return Flight to America (1927) with
Charles A. Levine Charles Albert Levine (March 17, 1897 – December 6, 1991) was the first passenger aboard a transatlantic flight. He was ready to cross the Atlantic to claim the Orteig prize but a court battle over who was going to be in the airplane allowed C ...
and Capt.
Walter G. R. Hinchliffe Captain Walter George Raymond Hinchliffe (10 June 1893 – 13 March 1928), also known as Hinch (the surname is often incorrectly given as Hinchcliffe) was a distinguished Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force flying ace in World War I who ...
# Femina Quartette Nr. 1 (1928) with Elizabeth Hyde (soprano), Brenda Hales (cellist), Yvonne Black (pianist) performing (BFI Database) # A Few Moments With Eddie Cantor, Star of "Kid Boots" (late 1923, early 1924) # The Fire Brigade (October 1928) with Robb Wilton # Five Minutes with
Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a C ...
(1924) Franklin D. Roosevelt introduces Smith at 1924 Democratic Convention # The Flat Charleston (1926) with Santos Casani and Josie Lennard # The 'Flu That Flew (May 1928) # Flying Jenny Airplane (1921) experimental film with Curtiss JN-4 ("Jenny") airplane # The Four Bachelors (1924) singing quartet # Franklin D. Roosevelt Speech (1924) filmed at
1924 Democratic National Convention The 1924 Democratic National Convention, held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City from June 24 to July 9, 1924, was the longest continuously running convention in United States political history. It took a record 103 ballots to nominate ...
in NYC # Frivolous Fragments (1927) comedy sketch with Alec Daimler and Dora Eadie # Futuritzy (24 June 1928) Felix the Cat short, directed by Otto Messmer, produced by Pat Sullivan, released by Educational Pictures; re-released in 1929 by Copley Pictures # The Gentleman (1925) first sound-on-film UK film, directed by William J. Elliott, excerpt of ''The 9 to 11 Revue'' b
Harold Simpson
and Morris Harvey # George Bernard Shaw (1927) one year before similar film ''Greeting by George Bernard Shaw'' released by Fox Movietone News in June 1928 # George Jackley (1885-1950), the Indignant Comedian in "A Doggy Ditty" (1927) # George Jessel (1924) comedy sketch by Jessel # Gilland Singer (1927) M. Gilland from France sings, dressed as wounded World War I soldier # Gimme the Hat (1927) # Gloria Swanson Dialogue (1925), Gloria Swanson,
Henri de la Falaise Henry de La Falaise, Marquis de La Coudraye (born James Henry Le Bailly de La Falaise, February 11, 1898 – April 10, 1972), was a French nobleman, translator, film director, film producer, sometime actor, and war hero who was best known for his ...
, and Thomas Meighan directed by
Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, was ...
, in film for The Lambs annual "Spring Gambol" presented at the Metropolitan Opera House, showing Swanson trying to crash the all-male club; Meighan also hosted the live Gambol event (26 April 1925) # Goodbye My Lady Love (1924)** # Gordon Freeman (1924) and his "crazy inventions" # Gorno's Italian Marionettes (1928) aka Die singenden Marionetten # Gwen Farrar (1899-1944) cellist Farrar performs "
Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes" is a popular old song, the lyrics of which are the poem "To Celia" by the English playwright Ben Jonson, first published in 1616. Lyrics After this song had been popular for almost two centuries, scholars bega ...
" (1926) # Gwen Farrar and songwriter
Billy Mayerl William Joseph Mayerl (31 May 1902 – 25 March 1959) was an English pianist and composer who built a career in music hall and musical theatre and became an acknowledged master of light music. Best known for his syncopated novelty piano solos, ...
perform "I've Got a Sweetie on the Radio" (1926) # Hal Brown Lancashire Comedian (1928) # The Harlequin's Serenade (no further identification of performer; in original April 15, 1923 program)* # Harrigan and Altworth (1922) early DeForest test film # Harry and Max Nesbitt (1927) film sometimes listed as "Yid Nesbitt" (Max's nickname), brothers from South Africa in "vocal, verbal, and terpsichorean tidbits" # Harry Shalson the Popular Entertainer (1927) Shalson sings "You Go Too Far" #
Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly? "Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?", with music and lyrics by C. W. Murphy and Will Letters (1908), is a British music hall song, originally titled "Kelly From the Isle of Man". The song concerns a Manx woman looking for her boyfriend during a visit ...
(1926) Fleischer cartoon originally with green and orange tinting ** # The Hawaiian Revellers (1928) with Kahola Marsh and His Hawaiian Orchestra # Hedicashun (1929) monologue by A. W. Goodwin # Helen Lewis and Her All-Girl Jazz Syncopators (1925) Lewis leads her all-female band # Helen Menken (1925) Broadway star Helen Menken # Henry Cass Demonstration Film (1923)* also at the Engineers Society Auditorium in NYC on April 12, 1923 # Her Unborn Child (1930) last feature film made in Phonofilm, directed by
Albert Ray Albert Ray (August 28, 1897 – February 5, 1944) was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He directed more than 70 films between 1920 and 1939. He also appeared in 18 films between 1915 and 1922. He was born in New Roche ...
(screen debut of
Elisha Cook Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr. (December 26, 1903 – May 18, 1995) was an American character actor famed for his work in films noir. According to Bill Georgaris of TSPDT: They Shoot Pictures, Don't They, Cook appeared in a total of 21 film n ...
) # His Night Out (1924) comedy short with Fred Ardath, Bob Albright, and The McCarthy Sisters # His Rest Day (1927) comedy short directed by
George A. Cooper George Alphonsus Cooper (7 March 1925 – 16 November 2018) was an English actor and voice artist. He died in November 2018 at the age of 93. Early life Cooper was born in Leeds, the son of William and Eleanor (née Dobson) Cooper. His father ...
with Matthew Boulton as Bill Gosling # Hot Tips (1929) comedy short released by Ellbee Pictures # Hot Water and Vegetabuel (1928) Leslie Sarony sings "When You're Up to Your Neck in Hot Water (Think of the Kettle and Sing)" # The Houston Sisters (1926) musical short with Billie and Renee Houston # The Hyde Sisters (1928) musical short with The Hyde Sisters # I Can't Take You Out of My Dreams (1926) Winnie Collins and Walter Williams sing title song # I Don't Believe You're in Love With Me (1926) Winnie Collins and Walter Williams sing title song # I Don't Care What You Used to Be (1927) Dick Henderson sings title song # I Don't Know (1928) Emmie Joyce sings title song # I Love a Lassie (1925) ** # I Want a Pie with a Plum In (1926) Dick Henderson sings title song by Wal Clifford # In the Good Old Summer Time (1926) ** # An Intimate Interlude (1928) comedy short with
Albert Whelan Albert Whelan (born Albert Waxman; 5 May 1875 – 19 February 1961) was an Australian popular singer and entertainer, who was prominent in English music halls during the first half of the 20th century. Biography The son of an immigrant Polish Jew ...
#
I've Never Seen a Straight Banana "I've Never Seen a Straight Banana" is a novelty song from 1926, written by Ted Waite. A short film was made in 1926 in the Phonofilm sound-on-film process with music hall comedian Dick Henderson Richard Henderson (20 March 1891 – 15 Octo ...
(1926) sung by Dick Henderson, song by Ted Waite # J. H. Squires' Celesta Octet (1928) aka "Memories of Tschaikovsky" w/The Squires Octet # Jack Pearl and
Ben Bard Ben Bard (January 26, 1893 – May 17, 1974) was an American movie actor, stage actor, and acting teacher. With comedian Jack Pearl, Bard worked in a comedy duo in vaudeville. In 1926, Bard, Pearl, and Sascha Beaumont appeared in a short fil ...
(1926) with Bard, Pearl, and Sascha Beaumont # Jerome and France (1928) cellist with pianist; ?same as "Cellist and Pianist" (see above) # Joe Termini the Somnolent Melodist (1926) specialty musician performs on violin and banjo # Joe Theiss Saxotette (1929) # John Citizen's Lament (1927)
Charles Paton Charles Ernest Paton (31 July 1874 – 10 April 1970) was an English film actor. He joined the circus at 14, and had early stage and music hall experience. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1927 and 1952, including ''Freedom of the ...
performs song "If Your Face Wants to Smile, We'll Let It In" from revue ''John Citizen's Lament'' # John W. Davis Campaign Speech (1924), Democratic candidate who lost to Coolidge #
Josephine Earle Josephine Earle (February 23, 1892 – April 26, 1960/1961) was an American silent film actress who worked in the United States and the United Kingdom. Born as Josephine MacEwan (sometimes listed as McEwan), she was of Scottish descent. ...
(UK, February 1929) musical short; re-released as part of compilation film ''Musical Medley No. 4'' (1932) # Josser, KC (1929) comedy short with
Ernie Lotinga Ernest Lotinga (19 March 1875 – 28 October 1951) was a British comedian and film actor. Lotinga became known for the Josser character whom he portrayed in a series of comedy films during the 1930s. Biography Lotinga was born in Sunderland into ...
playing "Jimmy Josser" (possible duplicate of ''Doing His Duty'') # The Jubilee Four (1924) gospel quartet #
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
(1926) excerpt from the Shakespeare play, with
Basil Gill Basil Gill (10 March 1877 – 23 April 1955) was a British stage actor and film actor. His stage career included many roles in plays of Shakespeare. Life He was a son of the Rev. John Gill, of Cambridge.Obituary, ''The Glasgow Herald'', page 9, ...
as Brutus and Malcolm Keen as Cassius # Key and Heyworth (1927) duo sing a song (BFI Database) # Knee Deep in Daisies (1926) song "I'm Knee-Deep in Daisies (and Head Over Heels in Love)" sung by Paul England and
Dorothy Boyd Dorothy Boyd (14 April 1907 – 1996) was an English film actress. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1926 and 1940. She was born in Sanderstead, Surrey, England and died in England. Without any previous stage experience, she came ...
# Kollege Kapers (1929) comedy short written and directed by Bobby Harmon #
La Chauve-Souris ''La Chauve-Souris'' (French: ''The Bat'') was the name of a touring revue during the early 1900s. Originating in Moscow and then Paris, and directed by Nikita Balieff, the revue toured the United States, Europe, and South Africa. The show consist ...
(1923)
Nikita Balieff Nikita F. Balieff (c.1873– 3 September 1936), was a Russian Armenian born vaudevillian, stage performer, writer, impresario, and director. He is best known as the creator and master of ceremonies of ''La Chauve-Souris'' theater group. Theatric ...
's group La Chauve-Souris performing their sketch "
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers ''The Parade of the Tin Soldiers'' (''Die Parade der Zinnsoldaten''), also known as ''The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers'', is an instrumental musical character piece, in the form of a popular jaunty march, written by German composer Leon Jessel ...
" (? with Technicolor sequence)* # Lee DeForest (1922) DeForest sitting in a chair and explaining Phonofilm #
Léon Rothier Léon Rothier (December 26, 1874 – December 6, 1951) was a French operatic bass who enjoyed a long association with New York's Metropolitan Opera. Biography Rothier was born in 1874 in Reims, in the Champagne-Ardenne ''région'' of northern ...
(1923), operatic bass from the Metropolitan Opera # Lillian Powell Bubble Dance (1923)* Denishawn dancer Powell dances to a theme by Brahms; film also shown at the Engineers Society Auditorium in NYC April 12, 1923*** # Lincoln, Man of the People (1923) Edwin Markham reads his poem "Lincoln, Man of the People" # The London Four (1927) male voice quartet #
Love's Old Sweet Song "Love's Old Sweet Song" is a Victorian parlour song published in 1884 by composer James Lynam Molloy and lyricist Graham Clifton Bingham. The first line of the chorus is "Just a song at twilight", and its title is sometimes misidentified as su ...
(1923) two-reeler with Louis Wolheim, Donald Gallaher, and Una Merkel, cinematography by Freeman Harrison Owens # Luella Paikin (1922) early DeForest test film of singer # Lulu (1928) musical short # Luna-cy! (1925) 1922 experimental 3-D film by
Frederick Ives Frederic Eugene Ives (February 17, 1856 – May 27, 1937) was a United States of America, U.S. inventor who was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, Litchfield, Connecticut. In 1874–78 he had charge of the photographic laboratory at Cornell Universi ...
and Jacob Leventhal re-released with Phonofilm soundtrack 18 May 1925 # Madelon (1927) Camille Gillard in "Madelon", directed by Widgey Newman # Major Issues of the Campaign (1924) compilation of Al Smith, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John W. Davis short Phonofilms taken at the 1924 Democratic National Convention in NYC (see individual entries) # The Man in the Street (1926) short based on Louis N. Parker play, directed by
Thomas Bentley Thomas Bentley (23 February 1884 – 23 December 1966) was a British film director. He directed 68 films between 1912 and 1941. He directed three films in the early DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, ''The Man in the Street'' (1926), '' ...
, with Wilbur Lenton, John MacAndrews, and Bunty O'Nolan (UK title: ''Man of Mystery'') # Margie (1926)** # Marie Lloyd (1926) starring
Marie Lloyd Jr. Marie Lloyd Jr. (born Marie Matilda Victoria Courtenay; 19 May 1888 – 27 December 1967) was a British entertainer, composer and actress notable for her performances impersonating her mother, the music hall performer Marie Lloyd. Early ...
, daughter of music hall star Marie Lloyd #
Marie Rappold Marie Rappold, née Winterrath (17 August 1872 – 12 May 1957) was a German-born American operatic soprano. She sang with the Metropolitan Opera from 1905 to 1920. Early life She was born in Barmen, Germany on 17 August 1872. She appeared o ...
(1922) Metropolitan Opera star # Mark Griver and His Scottish Revellers (1927) perform "She Was Just a Sailor's Sweetheart" and "Ain't She Sweet"—see also Chili Bouchier entry (above) and Pilbeam and His Band entry (below) # Max Herzberg (1924) pianist # Medevedeff's Balalaika Orchestra (1929) # Meet the Family (1929) comedy short with Harry Delf, released by Ellbee Pictures # Memories of Lincoln (1925) 91-year-old former legislator Chauncey Depew recalls meeting Abraham Lincoln # The Merchant of Venice (1927) the trial scene, with Joyce Lyons and
Lewis Casson Sir Lewis Thomas Casson MC (26 October 187516 May 1969) was an English actor and theatre director, and the husband of actress Dame Sybil Thorndike.Devlin, DianaCasson, Sir Lewis Thomas (1875–1969) ''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biograph ...
, perhaps the first sound-on-film reproduction of a scene from a Shakespeare play # Mickey (1927) ** # Mira la Blanca Luna (UK/Czech, 1936) Rossini aria sung by tenor
Otakar Mařák Otakar Mařák (5 January 1872 Esztergom, Hungary – 2 July 1939 Prague) was a Czech opera singer (a tenor), and a nephew of Julius Mařák, who perfected his vocal skills at Prague's School of Applied Arts as well as at the Czech Academy of ...
and soprano Marie Cavan (Mary Cavanova) # Mirth and Magic (1928) unidentified magician performs his magic act # Miss Edith Kelly-Lange (1927) violin solo # Miss Lalla Dodd, the Modern Soubrette (1927) # Molly Picon (1924) famed Yiddish actress #
Mother, Mother, Mother Pin a Rose on Me ''Mother, Mother, Mother Pin a Rose on Me'' is a film, produced by Out of the Inkwell Studios in the Phonofilm sound-on-film system, and released on March 1, 1925, as part of the ''Song Car-Tunes'' series. The Fleischer brothers, Lee de Forest ...
(1924) ** # Mr. George Mozart the Famous Comedian (1928) comedy short # Mr. Smith Wakes Up (1929) comedy short with Elsa Lanchester # Mrs. Mephistopheles (1929) comedy short with George Robey as title character, directed by Hugh Croise #
A Musical Monologue ''A Musical Monologue'' is a 1923 American short film produced by Lee De Forest in his Phonofilm sound-on-film process. The film features Phil Baker, well-known vaudevillian, singing and playing the accordion. This film was one of the films ...
(1923) with Phil Baker and his accordion* # My Bonnie (1925) aka My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean ** # My Old Kentucky Home (1926) first to use " Follow the Bouncing Ball" ** # My Wife's Gone to the Country (1926)** #Nan Wild (November 1927) directed by
George A. Cooper George Alphonsus Cooper (7 March 1925 – 16 November 2018) was an English actor and voice artist. He died in November 2018 at the age of 93. Early life Cooper was born in Leeds, the son of William and Eleanor (née Dobson) Cooper. His father ...
# Nap (1928) with
Ernie Lotinga Ernest Lotinga (19 March 1875 – 28 October 1951) was a British comedian and film actor. Lotinga became known for the Josser character whom he portrayed in a series of comedy films during the 1930s. Biography Lotinga was born in Sunderland into ...
as Josser, directed by Hugh Croise #
Nervo and Knox Jimmy Nervo and Teddy Knox were part of the original Crazy Gang. They started their stage careers as an acrobatic dancing team. They used this ability in many of the earlier Crazy Gang shows. Among their many routines, a slow motion wrestling a ...
(1926) perform their song "The Love of Phtohtenese" (pronounced "Hot Knees") # The New Paris Lido Club Band (1928) directed by
Bertram Phillips Bertram Phillips was a British film director of the silent era. In 1927–29, he directed several short films in the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, including ''Arthur Roberts (comedian), Arthur Roberts Sings "Topsey-Turvey"'' (April 192 ...
#
A Night in Dixie ''A Night in Dixie'' is a Phonofilm musical short film from 1925. Performers in the film include The Club Alabama Revue with Billy Fowler's band with Abbie Mitchell, Jean Starr, and Johnny Hudgins (in blackface). It is part of the Maurice Zouary ...
(1925) musical short in Maurice Zouary collection ( Library of Congress # The Nightingale's Courtship (1927) French clowns, the Plattier Brothers # The Nightwatchman (1928) with
Wilkie Bard Wilkie Bard (born William August Smith) (19 March 1874 – 5 May 1944) was a popular British vaudeville and music hall entertainer and recording artist at the beginning of the 20th century. He is best known for his songs "I Want to Sing in Opera" ...
singing his song "The Night Watchman" #
Noble Sissle Noble Lee Sissle (July 10, 1889 – December 17, 1975) was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer, and playwright, best known for the Broadway musical ''Shuffle Along'' (1921), and its hit song "I'm Just Wild About Harry". Ea ...
and Eubie Blake (1923) perform their song "Affectionate Dan" and "All God's Chillen Got Shoes" # Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake Sing Snappy Songs (1923) sing "Sons of Old Black Joe" and "My Swanee Home" #
Norah Blaney Norah Blaney (16 July 18937 December 1983), born Norah Mignon Cordwell was a pianist, composer, comedienne and music hall performer. She recorded hundreds of songs between 1921 and 1935, many with her performing partner Gwen Farrar. Biography Bla ...
(1927) Blaney plays piano and sings "He's Funny That Way" and "How About Me" # Nutcracker Suite (1925) ** # Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning (1926) ** # Oh I Wish I Was in Michigan (1927) ** #
Oh Mabel ''Oh Mabel'' is a 1924 American animation, animated short film, part of the ''Song Car-Tunes'' film series. This film is the first sound film of the series, and used the Phonofilm sound-on-film system. The ''Song Car-Tunes'' series, before it en ...
(1924) early entry in the Fleischer "Sound Car-Tune" series ** # Oh What a Pal Was Mary (1926)** #
Oh Suzanna "Oh! Susanna" is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster (1826–1864), first published in 1848. It is among the most popular American songs ever written. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all tim ...
(1925)** #
Oh, You Beautiful Doll "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" is a ragtime love song published in 1911 with words by Seymour Brown and music by Nat D. Ayer. The song was one of the first with a twelve-bar opening. The tune has been recorded hundreds of times by many artists from ...
(1926) ** # Old Black Joe (1926) ** # Old Folks at Home (1925) ?dupe of "Swanee" entry below ** # Old Pal Why Don't You Answer Me (1926) also sometimes listed as "My Old Pal" of "Dear Old Pal"** # Olly Oakley (November 1927) directed by
George A. Cooper George Alphonsus Cooper (7 March 1925 – 16 November 2018) was an English actor and voice artist. He died in November 2018 at the age of 93. Early life Cooper was born in Leeds, the son of William and Eleanor (née Dobson) Cooper. His father ...
; banjoist Oakley was born Joseph Sharpe (b. Birmingham November 26, 1877; d. London January 4, 1943) # The Orderly Room (July 1928) comedy short with
Ernie Lotinga Ernest Lotinga (19 March 1875 – 28 October 1951) was a British comedian and film actor. Lotinga became known for the Josser character whom he portrayed in a series of comedy films during the 1930s. Biography Lotinga was born in Sunderland into ...
as Jimmy Josser, directed by Hugh Croise # Oscar Earlweiss (1924) "chorus and novelty concert" # Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag (1926) Fleischer cartoon ** # Packing Up (1927) dramatic short with Mary Clare and Malcolm Keen, directed by Miles Mander # Paul Specht Musical Number (1925) # Peace and Quiet (1929) with Ralph Lynn and Winifred Shotter, directed by Sinclair Hill, play by Ronald Jeans # Percival and Hill (1927) # The Percival Mackey Trio (1929) directed by
Bertram Phillips Bertram Phillips was a British film director of the silent era. In 1927–29, he directed several short films in the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, including ''Arthur Roberts (comedian), Arthur Roberts Sings "Topsey-Turvey"'' (April 192 ...
# Percy Pryde and His Phonofiddle on the Phonofilm (1928) # Philip Ritte and His Revellers (1927) # Phonofilm (1923) with Binnie Barnes # Pilbeam and His Band With Specialty Dance by the Misses Tosch (1927) jazzy version of "Ain't She Sweet?" (?Arnold Pilbeam, father of Nova Pilbeam). See Chili Bouchier entry and Mark Griver entry (above) which feature same song. # Pipe Down (1929) comedy short released by Ellbee Pictures # Plastigrams (1924) 1922 experimental 3-D film by Frederick Ives and Jacob Leventhal, re-released with Phonofilm soundtrack on 22 September 1924 # President
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
, Taken on the White House Grounds (1924) filmed 11 August 1924 # Punch and Judy (1928) # The Radio Bug (September 1926) comedy short, produced by Jack White, directed by
Stephen Roberts Stephen Roberts may refer to: * Stephen Roberts (footballer, born 1980), former Welsh football player * Stephen Roberts (Australian footballer) (born 1948), former Australian rules footballer * Stephen Roberts (darts player) (born 1957), English dar ...
, and co-starring Phil Dunham, Toy Gallagher and Clem Beauchamp, about delivery of a new radio, released in sound and silent versions by Educational Pictures # The Radio Franks (May 1926) NYC radio stars Frank Bessinger and Frank Wright sing "Remember" and "Hooray for Radio" *** # The Raw Recruit (July 1928) comedy short with
Ernie Lotinga Ernest Lotinga (19 March 1875 – 28 October 1951) was a British comedian and film actor. Lotinga became known for the Josser character whom he portrayed in a series of comedy films during the 1930s. Biography Lotinga was born in Sunderland into ...
as Jimmy Josser, directed by Hugh Croise # Raymond Hitchcock Sketch (1924) # Retribution (1924) directed by
Arthur Donaldson Arthur William Donaldson (13 December 1901 – 18 January 1993) was a Scottish journalist and Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was leader of the Scottish National Party from 1960 to 1969. Early years Donaldson was born in Dundee, ...
, Swedish actor and director, see also ''Domen'' (1924) # Rigoletto, Act Two (1923) with opera singer Eva Leoni (1895–1972) shown in NYC on 12 April and 15 April 1923; released in the UK in September 1926 * # Robert M. La Follette Sr. (1924) speech given during 1924 presidential campaign #
Rocky Road to Dublin "Rocky Road to Dublin" is a 19th-century Irish song written by Irish poet D. K. Gavan about a man's experiences as he travels to Liverpool, England from his home in Tuam, Ireland. Originally popularized by Harry Clifton, it has since been perf ...
(1927) ** #
Roger Wolfe Kahn Roger Wolfe Kahn (October 19, 1907 – July 12, 1962) was an American jazz and popular musician, composer, bandleader (Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra) and an aviator. Life and career Roger Wolfe Kahn (originally spelled "Wolff") was born in ...
Musical Number (1925) # Romeo et Juliette (1927) tenor
Otakar Mařák Otakar Mařák (5 January 1872 Esztergom, Hungary – 2 July 1939 Prague) was a Czech opera singer (a tenor), and a nephew of Julius Mařák, who perfected his vocal skills at Prague's School of Applied Arts as well as at the Czech Academy of ...
and soprano Mary Cavanova (Marie Cavan) # Safety First (1928) George Robey singing his song "Safety First", directed by Hugh Croise # Sailing, Sailing Over the Bounding Main (1925) ** # Saint Joan (1927) cathedral scene from
Shaw Shaw may refer to: Places Australia *Shaw, Queensland Canada *Shaw Street, a street in Toronto England *Shaw, Berkshire, a village *Shaw, Greater Manchester, a location in the parish of Shaw and Crompton *Shaw, Swindon, a List of United Kingdom ...
's play, with
Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...
# The Samehtini Trio (1927) two ballads and Hungarian dance (possibly
Csárdás (Monti) "Csárdás" (or "Czardas") is a rhapsodical concert piece by the Italian composer Vittorio Monti. Written in 1904, the well-known folkloric piece is based on a Hungarian csárdás. It was originally composed for violin, mandolin, or piano. There ...
) performed by male trio (pianist, cellist, and vocalist) #
Sammy Fain Sammy Fain (born Samuel E. Feinberg; June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music. In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatre. ...
and Artie Dunn (1923) before Fain quit to become full-time songwriter # Santa Claus (1926) with
Basil Gill Basil Gill (10 March 1877 – 23 April 1955) was a British stage actor and film actor. His stage career included many roles in plays of Shakespeare. Life He was a son of the Rev. John Gill, of Cambridge.Obituary, ''The Glasgow Herald'', page 9, ...
as Santa Claus # Scovell and Wheldon (1927) UK radio stars (male duo) sing "Ukulele Lullaby" and "Fresh Milk Comes From Cows" # Scrooge (1928), a monologue from Dickens's ''A Christmas Carol'', with
Bransby Williams Bransby Williams (born Bransby William Pharez; 14 August 1870 – 3 December 1961) was a British actor, comedian and monologist. He became known as "The Irving of the music halls". Early years Born in Hackney, London, the son of William Me ...
as Scrooge # Sensations of 1927 (1927) Thorpe Bates in excerpt of Lawrence Wright's ''Sensations of 1927''; full title ''A Few Melodious Moments From Lawrence Wright's "Sensations of 1927" at Onchan Head Pavilion Douglas, I.O.M.'' (BFI Database) # The Sentence of Death (1927) dramatic short directed by Miles Mander and starring
Dorothy Boyd Dorothy Boyd (14 April 1907 – 1996) was an English film actress. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1926 and 1940. She was born in Sanderstead, Surrey, England and died in England. Without any previous stage experience, she came ...
(US title: ''His Great Moment'') # Sextet from Lucia di Lammermoor (1923) DVD by Zouary shows it to be produced by the ?"Latin American division" of Phonofilm # The Sheik of Araby (US, September 1926) Fleischer cartoon ** # The Sheik of Araby (UK, December 1926) live-action short directed in the UK by Miles Mander # Sidney Bernstein Welcomes Phonofilm (1926) shown 4 October 1926 at the
Empire Cinema Empire Cinemas Limited is a multiplex cinema chain in the UK. There are 14 Empire Cinemas across the country, with 131 screens in total. Ownership and management The ultimate beneficial owner of Empire Cinemas Ltd is Irish entrepreneur Thomas ...
in London # So Blue (1927) with ?Delys and Clark # Songs of Yesterday (1922) spirituals sung by Abbie (Abbey) Mitchell # Sonia Serova Dancers (1924) modern dance group performs to Edvard Grieg's "Song of Spring" # Spirits (1929) comedy short with
Ernie Lotinga Ernest Lotinga (19 March 1875 – 28 October 1951) was a British comedian and film actor. Lotinga became known for the Josser character whom he portrayed in a series of comedy films during the 1930s. Biography Lotinga was born in Sunderland into ...
as Jimmy Josser # The Stage Hands (1928) comedy short # Stringed Harmony (1923) with ukulele and banjo player Roy Smeck* # The Sugar Step (1928) # The Superior Sex (1928) comedy short with John Henry # Swanee River (1925)** # Sweet Adeline (1926) ** # Syncopation and Song (1927) with The Coney Island Six # The Tale-Teller Phone (1928) comedy short with Nita Alvarez, Athalie Davis, and Philip Desborough # Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-Dee-Aye (1926)** #
Teddy Brown Teddy is an English language given name, usually a hypocorism of Edward or Theodore. It may refer to: People Nickname * Teddy Atlas (born 1956), boxing trainer and fight commentator * Teddy Bourne (born 1948), British Olympic epee fencer * Ted ...
(1927) # Teddy Brown, Xylophonist (1929) # That Brute Simmons (1928) comedy short with Frank Stanmore, Forrester Harvey, and Barbara Gott # The Third Gun (1929) three-reel short directed by
Geoffrey Barkas Geoffrey Barkas (born Geoffrey de Gruchy Barkas, 27 August 1896 – 3 September 1979) was an English film maker active between the world wars. Barkas led the British Middle East Command Camouflage Directorate in the Second World War. His larges ...
# Thorpe Bates (1926) # The Three Rascals and a Piano (1927) # To See If My Dreams Come True (1927) Jack Hodges sings title song #
Tommy Lorne Tommy Lorne (7 December 1890 – 17 April 1935) was a Scottish music hall comedian of the 1920s. Life Born Hugh Gallagher Corcoran in Kirkintilloch, he grew up in Glasgow. Lorne famously wore white make-up, boots that were too large, a jacket th ...
and "Dumplings" (1927) # Tommy Lorne (1927) sings "The Lard Song" # Toot Toot (1926) Fleischer cartoon ("Toot Toot Tootsie"?)** # Topsey-Turvey (1927) comedian Arthur Roberts sings "Topsey-Turvey", directed by
Bertram Phillips Bertram Phillips was a British film director of the silent era. In 1927–29, he directed several short films in the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, including ''Arthur Roberts (comedian), Arthur Roberts Sings "Topsey-Turvey"'' (April 192 ...
# The Toy Shop (1928) # The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1927) ** # Tramp, Tramp, Tramp the Boys Are Marching (1926) ** # The Trial Turn (1928) comedy short with Horace Kenney # Troy Fassett (1924) comedy short # Tulipsky (1924) pianist (famed "peonyist") # Tumbledown Shack in Athlone (1927) ** # Two Sisters (1929) with Rex Lease and Viola Dana # Unmasked (1929) mystery feature film directed by Edgar Lewis (released by Weiss Brothers-Artclass Films) # The Unwritten Law (UK, 1929) two-reel short directed by Sinclair Hill at
Wembley Studios Fountain Studios was an independently owned television studio in Wembley Park, northwest London. The company was last part of the Avesco Group plc. Several companies owned the site before it was bought by Fountain in 1993. Originally a film st ...
# Va usted en punto con el banco (1928) # Ventriloquist (1927) with William Frawley as peddler hawking "Hoak" patent medicine and girl (real-life wife Edna Frawley) who becomes the dummy (BFI database) # Vicarage Trio—Kerbstone Entertainment (1928) # The Victoria Girls (1928) perform "The Doll Dance", their "famous dancing medley" #
Violet Heming Violet Heming (27 January 1895 – 4 July 1981) was an English stage and screen actress. Her name sometimes appeared as Violet Hemming in newspapers. Biography Born Violet Hemming in Leeds, Yorkshire, she was the daughter of Alfred Hemming w ...
(1925) appeared in "playlet" filmed in Phonofilm (''Variety'', September 1925) # Waiting for the Robert E. Lee (1927) ** #
Weber Weber (, or ; German: ) is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning " weaver". In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English surname 'Webber' or even 'Weaver'. Notable pe ...
and Fields (1923) doing their pool hall sketch * # Westminster Glee Singers (1927) group directed by Edward Branscombe # What the Phonofilm Means (introduced by ?Bart Doyle; in original April 15, 1923 program)* # When I Leave This World Behind (1926) ** # When I Lost You (1926) ** # When That Yiddisher Band Played an Irish Tune (1926) with Teddy Elben and His Irish Jewzaleers # When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabam' (1926)** # The Whistler (1926) dramatic short with Louise Maurel,
John F. Hamilton John F. Hamilton (November 7, 1893 – July 11, 1967) was an American-born actor who worked for many years in the theatre but only occasionally on film. He is probably best-remembered as Pops, father of Eva Marie Saint's character, in Elia Kaz ...
, and
Reginald Fox Reginald Fox (22 December 1881, in Stoke Newington, London – 3 May 1943, in Harefield, Middlesex) was a British actor. He appeared with Louise Maurel and John Hamilton in a dramatic short film, ''The Whistler'' (released December 1926), direct ...
, directed by Miles Mander # Why Bananas? (1926) with Teddy Elben # Wyn Gladwyn, One Person Two Personalities (1928) # Yak-A-Hula-Hick-A-Doola (1926) ** # Yorke and Adams (1927) Augustus Yorke (1860-1939) and Nicholas Adams perform '' Potash and Perlmutter''SilentEra entry
/ref> # You and I and My Gondola (1927) # Yvette Darnac (1929) radio star Darnac sings Gershwin tune " The Man I Love" (*) Included in program of Phonofilms at the Rivoli Theater in NYC on 15 April 1923
(**) Fleischer "
Song Car-Tunes '' Ko-Ko Song Car-Tunes'', ''Song Car-Tunes'', or (some sources erroneously say) ''Sound Car-Tunes'', is a series of short three-minute animated films produced by Max Fleischer and Dave Fleischer between May 1924 and September 1927, pioneering t ...
" series (some titles later re-released by the Fleischers in their " Screen Songs" series, through Paramount Pictures, with new soundtracks recorded in RCA Photophone)
(***) Found in a trunk in Windsor, New South Wales, Australia in early 1976, and restored by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia


See also

* Vitaphone * Movietone * RCA Photophone * Photokinema * '' A Few Moments With Eddie Cantor, Star of "Kid Boots" * '' Cohen on the Telephone'' * '' Theodore Case Sound Test: Gus Visser and his Singing Duck'' *
Eric Tigerstedt Eric Magnus Campbell Tigerstedt (August 14, 1887 – April 20, 1925) was one of the most significant inventors in Finland at the beginning of the 20th century and has been called the "Thomas Edison of Finland". He was a pioneer of sound-on- ...
* Tri-Ergon * Joseph Tykociński-Tykociner * Sound film * Sound-on-disc * List of film formats * List of film sound systems


References

{{reflist, 30em


External links


List of DeForest Phonofilm titles at IMDB

List of Cinephone films (includes earlier Cinephone system not related to Powers Cinephone) at IMDB

List of DeForest Phonofilm titles at BFI Database


* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071005153050/http://www.scripophily.net/defophcode19.html Copy of DeForest Phonofilm Corporation stock certificate with section of film from ''The Covered Wagon'' (1923) showing soundtrack]
Australian National Film Archive website


* ttps://archive.org/details/coolidge_1924 ''President Coolidge, Taken on the White House Lawn'' (filmed on 11 August 1924) at Archive.org
''A Few Moments With Eddie Cantor, Star of "Kid Boots"'' (premiere of Broadway show ''Kid Boots'' in late 1923 or early 1924 in NYC) at Archive.org

''Sissle and Blake Sing Snappy Songs'' (1923)

''The Victoria Girls'' (1928) performing "The Doll Dance" at YouTube (clip has incorrect date of 1930) filmed at Phonofilm Clapham Studios in London

''Mark Griver and His Scottish Revellers'' (1927) filmed at the Phonofilm Clapham Studios in London

''Dick Henderson Sings I Love Her All the More'' (1926) filmed at the Phonofilm Clapham Studios in London

''Billy Merson Sings Desdemona'' (1927) filmed at Clapham Studios in London


at Silent Era website Film sound production Film and video technology History of film Motion picture film formats Phonofilm short films