The Malta Independent on Sunday
Celebrating ‘Talkies Day’
Nothing could have introduced sound to the movies better than Al Jolson’s catchphrase: “Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet!”
The first talking picture, “The Jazz Singer“was a Warner Brothers Vitaphone Corporation creation. The film premiered at Warner Brothers’ flagship theatre in New York, Warner, on Thursday night of October 6, 1927.
The first dialog that Al Jolson, known as The King of Broadway, spontaneously said. As the shooting was going on just before Jolson sang, “Toot, Toot, Tootsie Goodbye“. Caused a sensation among moviegoers and moviemakers alike that night at the Warner theatre.
Using the newly perfected Vitaphone sound-on-disc system,
which for the first time enabled recorded sound to be synchronized with the action on screen. The Jazz Singer had another sequence of spoken dialogue as well
as another song,
Blue Skies, written by the well known composer Irving Berlin.
Anxious to score a hit with their innovative use of the new sound system, Warner Brothers engaged Al Jolson to play the leading role in The Jazz Singer.
Other entertainers for various reasons refused to play the part. As they were afraid of the new sound system which, according to them could ruin their career. If the first talkies would be a flop.
The impact of the introduction of sound may be gauged by the fact that within a year, most movie theatres had been wired for sound around the USA.
It is appropriate that the filming industry and the picturegoers, locally and around the world, celebrate October 6 as Talkies Day.
To celebrate the 95th anniversary of the making of the first talking picture. The Malta branch of the International Al Jolson Society will be holding an exhibition.
On the top floor facing the ticket booths at the cinema complex (Galleria Cinema Fgura) in Ħaż-Żabbar Road, Fgura. Between Sunday, 2nd and Tuesday, 11 October from 9am till 10pm. For more info call 99880489.