don juan was the first feature-length film to use vitaphone technology.
what was the first feature-length film to use vitaphone technology?
don juan
in 1923, inventor lee de forest at phonofilm released a number of short films with sound. meanwhile, inventor theodore case developed the movietone sound system and sold the rights to the film studio, fox film. in 1926, the vitaphone sound system was introduced. the feature film "don juan" (1926) was the first feature-length film to use the vitaphone sound system with a synchronized musical score and sound effects, though it had no spoken dialogue. the film was released by the film studio warner bros. in october 1927, the sound film "the jazz singer" (1927) turned out to be a smash box-office success. it was innovative for its use of sound. produced with the vitaphone system, most of the film does not contain live-recorded audio, relying on a score and effects. when the movie's star, al jolson, sings, however, the film shifts to sound recorded on the set, including both his musical performances and two scenes with ad-libbed speech—one of jolson's character, jakie rabinowitz (jack robin), addressing a cabaret audience; the other an exchange between him and his mother. the "natural" sounds of the settings were also audible. the film's profits were proof enough to the film industry that the technology was worth investing in.
roaring twenties
in 1925, the studio expanded its operations and acquired the brooklyn-based theater company vitagraph. later that year, sam warner urged his brother, harry, to sign an agreement with western electric to develop a series of talking "shorts" using the newly developed vitaphone technology. sam died of pneumonia in 1927 (just before the premiere of the first feature-length talking picture, "the jazz singer"), and jack became sole head of production. sam's death left jack inconsolable. one biographer writes, "throughout his life, jack had been warmed by sam's sunshiny optimism, his thirst for excitement, his inventive mind, his gambling nature. sam had also served as a buffer between jack and his stern eldest brother, harry. in the years to come, jack ran the warner bros. burbank studio with an iron hand. following his brother's death, he became increasingly difficult to deal with and inspired the resentment of many of his employees.
jack l. warner