In 1919, Lee De Forest, inventor of the audion tube, filed his first patent on a sound-on-film process, DeForest Phonofilm, which recorded sound directly onto film as parallel lines. Lee De Forest, ( August 26, 1873 – June 30, 1961) was an American Inventor with over 300 patents to his credit The Audion is an electronic Amplifier device invented by Lee De Forest in 1906 Sound-on-film refers to a class of Sound film processes where the sound accompanying picture is physically recorded onto photographic film usually but not always the same 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 -- who was granted German patent 309. Eric Magnus Campbell Tigerstedt ( August 4, 1887 &ndash April 20, 1925) was one of the most significant inventors in Finland at the beginning 536 on 28 July 1914 for his sound-on-film work -- and on the Tri-Ergon process, patented in 1919 by German inventors Josef Engl, Hans Vogt, and Joseph Massole. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Tri-Ergon Sound-on-film system was patented from 1919 on by German inventors Josef Engl Hans Vogt and Joseph Massolle
The Phonofilm system, which 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 sound-on-film systems such as RCA Photophone or Fox Movietone. The term Sound-on-disc refers to a class of Sound film processes utilizing a Phonograph or other disc to record or playback Sound in sync with a motion Vitaphone was a Sound film process used on features and nearly 2000 Short subjects produced by Warner Bros Sound-on-film refers to a class of Sound film processes where the sound accompanying picture is physically recorded onto photographic film usually but not always the same RCA Photophone was the trade name given to one of four major competing technologies that emerged in the American film industry in the late 1920s for synchronizing electrically recorded The Movietone sound system is a Sound-on-film method of recording sound for motion pictures which guarantees synchronisation between the sound and the picture
The films DeForest made were short films made primarily as demonstration films to try to interest major studios in Phonofilm. Short subject is a format description originally coined in the North American Film industry in the early period of cinema. 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 acts which would otherwise have been forgotten. Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 Some of the films, such as Flying Jenny Airplane, Barking Dog, and a film of DeForest himself explaining the Phonofilm system (all 1921) were experimental films to test the system. The Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" is a series of Biplane aircraft built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane
Some of the people filmed included vaudevillians Joe Weber and Lew Fields, Eva Puck and Sammy White, Eddie Cantor, Ben Bernie, Oscar Levant, Phil Baker, Roy Smeck, jazz musicians Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, "all-girl" bandleader Helen Lewis, harmonicist Borrah Minnevitch, Nikita Balieff's company Chauve-Souris, opera singers Eva Leoni, Abbie Mitchell, and Marie Rappold, Broadway stars Helen Menken and Fannie Ward, folklorist Charles Ross Taggart, flamenco dancer Concha Piquer, and politicians Calvin Coolidge, Robert La Follette, Al Smith, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Joe Weber ( 11 August 1867, New York City - 10 May 1942, Los Angeles) born Joseph Morris Weber was a vaudevillian Lew Fields ( 1 January 1867, New York City - 20 July 1941, Beverly Hills California) born Moses Schoenfeld, Eva Puck (1892 - 1979 was a Vaudeville performer appearing with her husband Sammy White as Puck and White. Sammy White ( May 28, 1894 &ndash March 3, 1960) was an American Vaudeville song-and-dance comedian who appeared in a few Eddie Cantor ( January 31, 1892 - October 10, 1964) was an American Comedian, Singer, Actor, Ben Bernie ( May 30, 1891, Bayonne New Jersey - October 23, 1943) born Bernard Anzelevitz, was an American Jazz Oscar Levant ( December 27, 1906 &ndash August 14, 1972) was an American Pianist, Composer, Author Phil Baker ( August 26, 1896, Philadelphia Pennsylvania - November 30, 1963, Copenhagen) is best known as a popular American Roy Smeck (born Leroy Smeck, 6 February 1900 – 5 April 1994) was an American Musician. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Noble Sissle (b July 10 1889, Indianapolis Indiana - d December 17, 1975, Tampa Florida) was an American James Hubert Blake ( February 7, 1887 &ndash February 12 1983) was a Composer, Lyricist, and pianist of Ragtime Borrah Minnevitch ( November 5, 1902, Kiev &ndash 26 June, 1955, Paris) born Bora Minjevic was a notable Nikita Balieff (1876/ 1877 - September 3 1936) was an Armenian vaudevillian, stage performer writer Impresario, Abbie Mitchell ( 25 September 1884 &ndash 16 March 1960) also billed as Abbey Mitchell, was an American Soprano Marie Winterroth Rappold (1873 London – 12 May 1957, North Hollywood California) was an English -born American Soprano Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Helen Menken ( December 12, 1901 – March 27, 1966) was an American actress born Helen Meinken to a German-French father Frederick Fannie Ward ( June 22, 1872 - January 27, 1952) was both a famous Vaudeville and Silent film actress Charles Ross Taggart ( 19 March 1871, Topsham Vermont - 1953 Kents Hill Maine) was an American comedian and folklorist Flamenco is a Spanish term that refers both to a musical genre known for its intricate rapid passages and a dance genre characterized by its audible footwork Concha Piquer ( 8 December 1908 &ndash 11 December 1990) born María de la Concepción Piquer López, was a Spanish singer and actress John Calvin Coolidge Jr (July 4 1872 January 5 1933 was the thirtieth President of the United States (1923–1929 Robert M La Follette can refer to Robert M La Follette Sr (1855-1925 senator congressman governor of Wisconsin and candidate for President (1912 and Alfred Emanuel Smith Jr, known in private and public life as Al Smith, ( December 30, 1873 - October 4, 1944) was elected Governor Smith and Roosevelt were filmed during the 1924 Democratic National Convention, held June 24 to July 9 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The 1924 Democratic National Convention, also called the Klanbake, held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City from June Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. The City of New York
In November 1922, De Forest founded the De Forest Phonofilm Corporation with studios at 314 East 48th Street in New York City, but was unable to interest any of the major Hollywood movie studios in his invention. The City of New York A movie studio (aka film studio) is in the established sense of the term a company that distributes films.
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Premiere of Phonofilm
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. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Ballet is a formalized form of Dance with its origins in the French court further developed in France and Russia as a Concert dance 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. Theodore Willard Case (1888 Auburn New York &ndash 1944 known for the invention of the Movietone Sound-on-film Sound film system was born 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, not features, 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. Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. Bella Donna or Belladonna (from the Italian expression "bella donna" beautiful woman is a name or alias used by two Fictional characters in the Marvel Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Covered Wagon ( 1923) is a American silent Western Feature film released by Paramount Pictures Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Development of Phonofilm
Max Fleischer and Dave Fleischer used the Phonofilm process for their Song Car-Tunes series of cartoons -- all featuring the "Follow the Bouncing Ball" gimmick -- starting in May 1924. Max Fleischer ( July 19, 1883 – September 11, 1972) was an important Austrian American pioneer in the development of the David Fleischer ( July 14 1894 – June 25 1979) was an Austrian-American Animator of Jewish ancestry Film director Ko-Ko Song Car-Tunes (some sources erroneously say Sound Car-Tunes) is a series of short three minute Animation films produced by Max Fleischer For the Mac OS program see Bouncing Ball Simulation System. For the extinct computer virus see Bouncing Ball (computer virus. The Fleischers stopped releasing the Song Car-Tune films in Phonofilm in September 1926, and later re-released some of these titles 1929-1932 with new soundtracks using the RCA Photophone process, under the name Screen Songs. RCA Photophone was the trade name given to one of four major competing technologies that emerged in the American film industry in the late 1920s for synchronizing electrically recorded Screen Songs is the name of a series of animated cartoons produced by the Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures between 1929
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. Freeman Harrison Owens ( July 20, 1890 - December 9, 1979) born in Pine Bluff Arkansas, the only child of Charles H 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. William Fox ( January 1, 1879 &ndash May 8, 1952) was a pioneering American Motion picture executive who founded the The Tri-Ergon Sound-on-film system was patented from 1919 on by German inventors Josef Engl Hans Vogt and Joseph Massolle The Movietone sound system is a Sound-on-film method of recording sound for motion pictures which guarantees synchronisation between the sound and the picture
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. Auburn ( Áhsku•ˀ in Tuscarora) is a City in Cayuga County, New York, United States of America. To record film, DeForest tried using a standard light bulb to expose amplified sound onto film. The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is a source of electric Light that works by Incandescence, (a general These bulbs quickly burned out, and, even while functioning, never produced a clear recording. To reproduce his nearly inaudible soundtracks, DeForest used a vacuum tube that could not react quickly enough to the varying light coming to it as the soundtrack passed through the sound gate, causing an incomplete reproduction of sound from an essentially inaudible recording -- a dual failure. This article is about the electronic device not an evacuated pipe used for experiments in Free-fall. 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 system of recording sound onto film by 1921, DeForest contacted Case to inquire about using the Case Research Lab's invention of the Thallofide (thallium oxysulfide) Cell, for use in reproducing his recorded sound. Thallium (ˈθæliəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Tl and Atomic number 81 Case provided DeForest with that invention from his lab, and later provided DeForest with the AEO Light, another Case Research Lab invention, used for reading the soundtrack of a finished film. 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 record President Coolidge on 11 August 1924, which was one of the films shown by DeForest and claimed by him to be the product of "his" inventions. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
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. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
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. Patrick Anthony Powers ( 8 October 1870 - 30 July 1948) was an Irish-American Businessman, involved in the Animation 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 a former DeForest technician, William Garrity, to produce a cloned version of the Phonofilm system, which Powers dubbed Powers Cinephone. By now, DeForest was in too weak a financial position to mount a legal challenge against Powers for patent infringement. Powers convinced Walt Disney to use Cinephone for a few sound cartoons such as Steamboat Willie (1928) before Powers and Disney had a falling-out over money -- and over Powers hiring away Disney animator Ub Iwerks -- in 1930. Walter Elias Disney (December 5 1901 – December 15 1966 was a multiple Academy Award -winning American Film producer, director, Screenwriter Steamboat Willie ( 1928) is an Animated cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse released on November 18, 1928. Events Although some movies released in 1928 had sound, most were still silent. Ub Iwerks, ASC ( Ubbe Ert Iwwerks) ( 24 March 1901 &ndash 7 July 1971) was a two-time Academy Award winning
Hollywood Chooses Other Sound Systems
While shunning Phonofilm, Hollywood studios introduced different systems for talkies. A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image as opposed to a Silent film. 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. The term Sound-on-disc refers to a class of Sound film processes utilizing a Phonograph or other disc to record or playback Sound in sync with a motion Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Vitaphone was a Sound film process used on features and nearly 2000 Short subjects produced by Warner Bros Warner Brothers released the feature film Don Juan starring John Barrymore on 6 August 1926 in Vitaphone, with music and sound effects only. Don Juan ( 1926) is a Warner Brothers film directed by Alan Crosland. John Sidney Blyth Barrymore ( February 15 1882 – May 29 1942) was an American Actor, frequently called the greatest Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
On 6 October 1927, Warner Brothers released The Jazz Singer with Al Jolson in Vitaphone and is often incorrectly credited as the first talking picture. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American Musical film. The first feature-length motion picture with synchronized Dialogue Al Jolson (May 26 1886 October 23 1950 born in Lithuania, Russian Empire, was a highly acclaimed American singer comedian and actor and the first openly 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. In the Film industry, a feature film is a Film made for initial distribution in theaters and being the "main attraction" of the screening A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image as opposed to a Silent film.
In 1927, producer William Fox introduced sound-on-film Fox Movietone with the film Sunrise by F. W. Murnau, and in 1928, the sound-on-film process RCA Photophone was adopted by newly created studio RKO Radio Pictures and by Paramount Pictures. Sunrise A Song of Two Humans (also known as Sunrise) is an American Film from 1927 directed by F Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, better known as F W Murnau ( December 28, 1888 &ndash March 11, 1931) was one of the most influential Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California.
Phonofilm in the UK
A cinema owner in the UK, M. B. Schlesinger acquired the UK rights to Phonofilm. DeForest and Schlesinger filmed short films of British music hall performers such as Marie Lloyd -- along with famous actors such as Sybil Thorndike reading excerpts of works by Shakespeare, Shaw, and Dickens -- from September 1926 to May 1929. Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 Matilda Alice Victoria Wood ( 12 February 1870 &ndash 7 October 1922) was an English Music-hall Singer, Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike CH DBE ( 24 October 1882 &ndash 9 June 1976) was a British actress. William Shakespeare ( baptised George Bernard Shaw ( (26 July 1856 &ndash 2 November 1950 was an Irish Playwright. (In July 1925, The Gentleman, a comedy short directed by William J. Elliott in Phonofilm, became 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 in London, including a short film with Sidney Bernstein welcoming Phonofilm to the UK. Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Empire is a large cinema on the north side of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Sidney Lewis Bernstein Baron Bernstein ( January 30, 1899 - February 5, 1993) was one of Britain's first television "barons" the least 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. The British Film Institute ( BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to encourage the development of the arts of film television
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. Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace ( April 1, 1875 &ndash February 10, 1932) was a prolific British Crime writer, Journalist 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 rival sound-on-film systems Fox Movietone and RCA Photophone. The release of Alfred Hitchcock's sound feature film Blackmail in June 1929, made in RCA Photophone, sealed the fate of Phonofilm in the UK. Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (13 Blackmail is a 1929 thriller / Drama film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Anny Ondra, John Longden and Cyril
Legacy of Phonofilm
Almost 200 short films were made in the Phonofilm process, and many are preserved in the collections of the Library of Congress (45 titles) and the British Film Institute (98 titles). The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress The British Film Institute ( BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to encourage the development of the arts of film television 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 (NFSA is Australia’s audiovisual archive responsible for developing preserving maintaining promoting and providing access to a national collection [1]
See Also
- Vitaphone
- Movietone
- RCA Photophone
- Photokinema
- Joseph Tykociński-Tykociner
- Sound film
- Sound-on-disc
- List of film formats
External Links
- Link to list of DeForest Phonofilm titles at IMDB
- History of DeForest inventions including Phonofilm
- Australian National Film Archive website
- Link to movie Ben Bernie and All the Lads (1924) with Oscar Levant on piano, made in Phonofilm
- President Coolidge, Taken on the White House Lawn (filmed 11 August 1924) at Archive.org
- A Few Minutes With Eddie Cantor (premiered 15 April 1923 in NYC) at Archive.org
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