Thanks, Mike, but while you were pulling troll posts I was writing a short history of sound-on-film motion pictures shown on Broadway in New York City beginning in 1923 at the Rivoli Theatre. That post disappeared when I attempted to upload it. It's now late in the evening in New York and I didn't write any attacks on others, but am too tired to redo the post now.
So here are some clips of films using the widely-accepted first successful (by scholars of the sound-on-film art-form) Phonofilm process as shown in a major New York City theatre. And Phonofilm was co-invented and promoted by the owner of that process -- Dr. Lee de Forest, and a surprise for those who care about such things:
Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle as shown in 1923 at the Rivoli (Blake on the piano):
https://youtu.be/rnUhaMWs4MwEddie Cantor performing, with the De Forest (capitalized D) corporate logo:
https://youtu.be/5uRwyGNqlMoA photo of the Rivoli Theatre, on Broadway, with over 2,000 seats at the time:
http://photos.cinematreasures.org/produ ... 1310676002And here's the aged Dr. de Forest himself in 1957 in a portion of a "This Is Your Life" episode:
https://youtu.be/LnlMUZfPdlgI own a Kindle and a far superior Amazon Fire 8, and I would never take my machinery with me on the subways of New York City, where I live, or into the parks, where, in retirement, I like to sit and read in warmer weather.
(At a meeting of the New York Press Club once, I asked the then editor-in-chief of the New York Times if he read the Times via Kindle on the subway when he commuted to work every day, and he told me, in front of a packed room, "No" He said he didn't want to risk losing his Kindle, which is the same reason I don't carry one with me, but do sometimes carry books. I don't want to be a target for thieves... No one steals newspapers or a book but some will steal cell phones and tablets. He said he read the paper version on the subways. Smart man.)
More than I can say for the inept, in my opinion, author of the new Fox bio, and not just for the inaccurate sound issues. She missed the significance of Fox's development of Grandeur 70 -- which, although a failure in 1930, has led to the adoption of the widescreen format in movies and television, and of the creation of CinemaScope, 3-strip Cinerama, Todd-AO, Panavision, Super Panavision. etc.
Had she ever even seen the only known feature-film created and originally released in Grandeur that survives today in widescreen (a reduction print in 35 MM CinemaScope): "The Big Trail," one of the at least five versions filmed by Raoul Walsh? The author seems fixated on Mr. Fox being a faithful husband. How would she know and how would the answer affect the history of William Fox in the movies business? I've seen images of Mrs. Fox and she, at the time the film was shot, looked like my grandmother -- but with a lovely smile.
I will buy a Kindle-software version of the Fox tome to replace the hardcover version, but I won't be able to throw darts at it (kidding).
Ken