First Installment: History of Sound Motion Pictures

Metadata

Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY, USA
Doc Type: Journal Article
Content Type: Original Research
Abbreviated Title: SMPTE J
Volume: 64, No. 6, pp. 291–302
Abstract: Excellent accounts of the history of the development of sound motion pictures have been published in this Journal by Theisen5 in 1941 and by Sponable5 in 1947. The present paper restates some of the information given in those papers, supplementing it with some hitherto unpublished material, and discusses some of the important advances after 1930. One of the numerous omissions of topics which undeniably deserve discussion at length, is that, except for some early work, no attempt is made to cover developments abroad. The subject of 16mm developments is discussed with a brevity altogether out-of-keeping with its importance. This has been on the theory that basically the problems are similar to those of 35mm sound, and that whatever has brought improvement to one has been applied to both. Edison invented the motion pictures as a supplement to his phonograph, in the belief that sound plus a moving picture would provide better entertainment than sound alone. But in a short time the movies proved to be good enough entertainment without sound. It has been said that although the motion picture and the phonograph were intended to be partners, they grew up separately. And it might be added that the motion picture held the phonograph in such low esteem that for years it would not speak. Throughout the long history of efforts to add sound, the success of the silent movie was the great obstacle to commercialization of talking pictures.
Publication Date: 1955-06-01
DOI: 10.5594/J12156
ISSN: Print: 0898-0438
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/J12156
Author(s): Edward W. KelloggConsulting Engineer, 276 Merion Ave., Haddonfield, N.J.
Copyright: © 1955 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Inc.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

The Principles of the Light Valve [Active]
Recent Developments in Theater Loud Speakers of the Directional Baffle Type [Active]
On the Theory of Tone Reproduction, with a Graphic Method for the Solution of Problems [Active]
Resurrection of Early Motion Pictures [Active]
A Review of the Quest for Constant Speed [Active]
Kinematographic Experiences [Active]
SMPE Honor Roll Awards [Active]
Historical Development of Sound Films [Active]
Pioneering in the Talking Picture [Active]
A Brief History of the Kinetograph, the Kinetoscope and the Kineto-Phonograph [Active]
Recent Developments in RCA Photophone Portable Recording Equipment [Active]
Loudspeakers and Theater Sound Reproduction [Active]
The Photoelectric Cell and its Method of Operation [Active]
The Modern News Reel [Active]
Condenser and Carbon Microphones—Their Construction and use [Active]
1. Cowan Lester , Recording Sound for Motion Pictures , McGraw-Hill Book Co. , New York , 1931 ; H. G. Knox, “Ancestry of sound pictures,” Chap. 1. EXTERNAL
10. Ramsaye Terry , “Early history of sound pictures,” Trans. SMPE , No. 35, 597 – 602 , 1928 . EXTERNAL
11. Dickson A. Dickson W. K. L. , History of the Kinetograph, Kinetoscope and Kineto-Phonograph , Albert Bunn , N.Y. , 1895 . EXTERNAL
13. Hays Will H. , See and Hear , p. 40 , Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , New York , 1929 . EXTERNAL
14. Amet E. H. , U.S. Pat. 1,124,580 and 1,162,433, 1915 . EXTERNAL
15. Bristol W. H. , “An electrical synchronizing and rcsynchronizing system for sound motion picture apparatus,” Trans. SMPE , No. 35, 778 – 789 , 1928 ; and “New synchronizing apparatus for 16 mm films with disk records,” Jour. SMPE , 14: 361–365, Mar. 1930; also U.S. Pat. 1,234,127, 1917. EXTERNAL
16. Messter Oskar , Mein Weg Mit dem Film , Max Hesse Verlag , Berlin Schöneberg , 1936 ; Bk. Rev., Jour. SMPE , 332, Sept. 1937; also Brit. Pat. 22,563, 22,564, 22,565. EXTERNAL
17. Edison T. A. , U.S. Pat. 1,182,897, 1916 ; also Daniel Higham, U.S. Pat. 1,036,235, 1,054,203, 1,036,236 and 1,226,883. EXTERNAL
18. Blake E. W. , Am. J. of Science , No. 16, 54 , 1878 . EXTERNAL
19. Hardy A. C. Perrin F. H. , The Principles of Optics , McGraw-Hill Book Co. , New York , 1932 . EXTERNAL
2. Franklin H. B. , Sound Motion Pictures , Doubleday , Doran and Co. , 1929 . EXTERNAL
20. Zworykin V. K. Ramberg E. G. , Photoelectricity and Its Application , J. Wiley & Sons , New York , 1949 . EXTERNAL
21. Koller L. R. , “Characteristics of photoelectric cells,” Trans. SMPE , No. 36, 921 – 939 , 1928 . EXTERNAL
23. de Forest L. , U.S. Pat. 841,386, 841,387, 879, 532. EXTERNAL
24. See refs. 392–399. EXTERNAL
25. Hunt Frederick V. , Electroacoustics , J. Wiley & Sons , London and New York , 1954 . EXTERNAL
26. Edison T. A. , U.S. Pat. 307,031; and J. A. Fleming, U. S. Pat. 803,684. EXTERNAL
27. Poulsen V. , U.S. Pat. 661,619, 789,336,873,078, 873,083. “Der Telegraphon,” Annal. der Physik , 3 , 1900 . EXTERNAL
28. Sabine Wallace C. , Collected Papers on Acoustics , Harvard University Press , 1922 ; and Acoustics and Architecture , McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1932. EXTERNAL
29. See refs. 400 et seq. — on lamp developments. EXTERNAL
3. Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences , Motion Picture Sound Engineering , D. Van Nostrand & Co. , New York , 1938 . EXTERNAL
30. Mishima T. , “Nickel-aluminum steel for permanent magnets,” Stahl und Eisen , 53 : 79 , 1933 ; and U.S. Pats. 2,027,994 to 2,028,000 incl; also W. E. Ruder, “New magnetic alloys,” Proc. IRE , 30: 437, 1942. EXTERNAL
31. Ref. 6, also gives the references Annal. der Phys. , 103 , 1901 , and Phys. Zeit. , No. 34, 498, 1901; Ref. 5, p. 421, and Crawford, ref. 32, refer to an article by Rühmer in the Scientific American , July 29, 1901. EXTERNAL
32. Report of the Historical Committee , Jour. SMPE , 16 : 105 – 109 , Jan. 1931 ; Merritt Crawford, “Pioneer experiments of Eugene Lauste in recording sound,” Jour. SMPE , 17: 632–644, Oct. 1931. EXTERNAL
34. Tykociner J. T. , “Photographic recording and photo-electric reproduction of sound,” Trans. SMPE , No. 16, 90 – 119 , 1923 . EXTERNAL
35. Vogt Hans Massole Joseph Engl Josef , U.S. Tri-Ergon Pats. 1,512,681; 1,534,148; 1,555,301; 1,557,678; 1,558,032; 1,566,413; 1,590,185; 1,597,323; 1,608,261; 1,628,377; 1,634,201; 1,756,681; 1,825,598; 1,713,726; Re. 20,621; 2,140,003 and others. EXTERNAL
36. de Forest L. , “The Phonofilm,” Trans. SMPE , No. 16, 61 – 75 , May 1923 ; “Phono-film progress,” Trans. SMPE , No. 20, 17–19, 1924; “Recent developments in the Phonofilm,” Trans. SMPE , No. 27, 64–76, 1927; “Pioneering in talking pictures,” Jour. SMPE , 36: 41–49, Jan. 1941. EXTERNAL
38. Rice Chester W. Kellogg E. W. , “Notes on the development of a new type of hornless loud speaker,” Trans. AIEE , 44 : 461 , Apr. 1925 . EXTERNAL
4. Frayne J. G. Wolfe H. , Elements of Sound Recording , J. Wiley & Sons , New York , 1949 . EXTERNAL
40. Case Theodore W. , “Thalofide cell, a new photoelectric substance,” Phys. Rev. , Apr. 1920 , and J. Opt. Soc. Am. , No. 6, 398, 1922; U.S. Pats. 1,301,227 and 1,316,350. EXTERNAL
41. Case Theodore W. , “Aco-Light,” U.S. Pat. 1,816,825. EXTERNAL
42. Craft Edward B. , Honor Roll Award , Jour. SMPE , 48 : 440 – 443 , May 1947 . EXTERNAL
43. Crabtree J. I. , “The work of Edward Christopher Wente,” (1935 Progress Medal Award), Jour. SMPE , 25 : 478 – 482 , Dec. 1935 . EXTERNAL
44. Wente E. C. , “A condenser as a uniformly sensitive instrument for the absolute measurement of sound intensity,” Phys. Rev. , July 1917 ; U.S. Pat. 1,333,744. EXTERNAL
45. Crandall I. B. , “The air damped vibratory system: Theoretical calculation of the condenser transmitter,” Phys. Rev. , 449 , June 1918 . EXTERNAL
46. Wente E. C. , “Electrostatic transmitter,” Phys. Rev. , 498 , May 1922 . EXTERNAL
48. Lovette Frank H. Watkins Stanley , “Twenty years of talking movies, an Anniversary,” Bell Telephone Magazine , Summer, 1946 . EXTERNAL
49. Maxfield J. P. Harrison H. C. , “Methods of high quality recording and reproducing of music and speech based on telephone research,” Trans. AIEE , 45 , 334 , 1926 . EXTERNAL
50. Frederick H. A. , “Recent advances in wax recording,” Trans. SMPE , No. 35, 709 – 729 , 1928 . EXTERNAL
51. Kellogg E. W. , “Electrical reproduction from phonograph records,” Trans. AIEE , 46 : 903 , June 1927 . EXTERNAL
52. Scriven E. O. , “Western Electric sound projecting systems for use in motion picture theatres,” Trans. SMPE , No. 35, 666 – 678 , 1928 . EXTERNAL
53. Pfannenstiehl H. , “A reproducing machine for picture and sound,” Trans. SMPE , No. 38, 253 – 267 , 1929 . EXTERNAL
54. Stoller H. M. , “Synchronization and speed control of synchronized sound pictures,” Trans. SMPE , No. 35, 696 – 708 , 1928 . EXTERNAL
55. Green I. M. Maxfield J. P. , “Public address systems,” Trans. AIEE , 42 : 64 , 1923 . EXTERNAL
56. Wente E. C. , U.S. Pat. 1,812,389, “Acoustic device” (i.e. loudspeaker). EXTERNAL
57. Wente E. C. Thuras A. L. , “A high efficiency receiver of large power capacity for horn type loud speakers,” Bell Sys. Tech. J. , Jan. 1928 , p. 140 . EXTERNAL
58. Warner Samuel L. , Honor Roll Award , Jour. SMPE , 48 : 443 – 446 , May 1947 . EXTERNAL
59. Hardy A. C. , “Optical system of the oscillograph,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. 14 : 505 , June 1927 . EXTERNAL
60. Hardy A. C. , “The optics of sound recording systems,” Trans. SMPE , No. 35, 760 – 777 , 1928 . EXTERNAL
61. Hardy A. C. , “The rendering of tone values in photographic recording of sound,” Trans. SMPE , No. 31, 475 – 491 , 1927 . EXTERNAL
63. Wente E. C. , U.S. Pat. 1,638,555, “Translating devices” (light-valve). EXTERNAL
64. MacKenzie Donald , “Sound recording with the light valve,” Trans, SMPE , No. 35, 730 – 747 , 1928 . EXTERNAL
66. Hoxie C. A. , “A visual and photographic device for recording radio signals,” Proc. IRE , 9 : 506 , Dec. 1921 ; and U.S. Pat. 1,758,794 (filed Aug. 1927). EXTERNAL
67. Marvin H. B. , “A system of motion pictures with sound,” Trans. SMPE , No. 33, 86 – 102 , 1928 . EXTERNAL
68. Zworykin V. K. Lynn L. B. Hanna C. R. , “Kerr cell method of recording sound,” Trans. SMPE , No. 35, 748 – 759 , 1928 . EXTERNAL
69. Hanna C. R. , U.S. Pat. 2,003,048 (conditions for critical damping). EXTERNAL
7. Richardson F. H. , “What happened in the beginning,” Trans. SMPE , No. 22, 63 – 114 , 1925 . EXTERNAL
73. Olson H. F. Massa F. , Applied Acoustics , P. Blakiston & Son , Philadelphia , 1934 . EXTERNAL
74. Hanna C. R. , “The Mitchell Recording Camera, equipped interchangeably for variable area and variable density sound recording,” Trans. SMPE , No. 38, 312 – 317 , 1929 . EXTERNAL
8. Edison T. A. , U.S. Pat. 200, 521, 227, 679. EXTERNAL
9. Ramsaye Terry , History of the Motion Picture , Simon & Schuster , New York , 1925 . EXTERNAL

Source Data (JSON)

Full registry record with provenance metadata. Open directly: /api/doc/10.5594-J12156.json

Reference Tree

Explore all references and references to this document, as a navigable tree.

Open Reference Tree

Reference this Doc

Plain text (ISO 690 compliant)

Preview:

Edward W. Kellogg; First Installment: History of Sound Motion Pictures, SMPTE Journal ( Volume: 64, Issue: 6, June 1955); SMPTE, 1955. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/J12156

Snippet:

Edward W. Kellogg; First Installment: History of Sound Motion Pictures, SMPTE Journal ( Volume: 64, Issue: 6, June 1955); SMPTE, 1955. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/J12156

HTML (ISO 690 compliant)

Preview:

Edward W. Kellogg; First Installment: History of Sound Motion Pictures, SMPTE Journal ( Volume: 64, Issue: 6, June 1955); SMPTE, 1955. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/J12156

Snippet:

<span class="citation">Edward W. Kellogg; <cite>First Installment: History of Sound Motion Pictures</cite>, SMPTE Journal ( Volume: 64, Issue: 6, June 1955); SMPTE, 1955. Available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5594/J12156" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5594/J12156</a></span>

SMPTE's HTML Pub

Preview:

Edward W. Kellogg; First Installment: History of Sound Motion Pictures, SMPTE Journal ( Volume: 64, Issue: 6, June 1955); SMPTE, 1955
doi: 10.5594/J12156
url: https://doi.org/10.5594/J12156

Snippet:

<li>
Edward W. Kellogg; <cite id="bib-10-5594-j12156">First Installment: History of Sound Motion Pictures</cite>, SMPTE Journal ( Volume: 64, Issue: 6, June 1955); SMPTE, 1955
<span class="doi">10.5594/J12156</span>
</li>