query: date_of_birth thomas bentley
supports: Lee de Forest (August 26, 1873  June 30, 1961) was an American inventor, self-described "Father of Radio", and a pioneer in the development of sound-on-film recording used for motion pictures. He had over 180 patents, but also a tumultuous careerhe boasted that he made, then lost, four fortunes. He was also involved in several major patent lawsuits, spent a substantial part of his income on legal bills, and was even tried (and acquitted) for mail fraud. His most famous invention, in 1906, was the three-element "Audion" (triode) vacuum tube, the first practical amplification device. Although De Forest had only a limited understanding of how it worked, it was the foundation of the field of electronics, making possible radio broadcasting, long distance telephone lines, and talking motion pictures, among countless other applications. Phonofilm is an optical sound-on-film system developed by inventors Lee de Forest and Theodore Case in the 1920s. Theodore Willard Case (December 12, 1888  May 13, 1944) was an American chemist, physicist and inventor known for the invention of the Movietone sound-on-film sound film system. Thomas Bentley ( 1880 -- 1950 ) was a British film director . He directed 68 films between 1912 and 1941 . He directed three films in the early DeForest Phonofilm sound - on - film process , The Man in the Street ( 1926 ) , The Antidote ( 1927 ) , and Acci - Dental Treatment ( 1928 ) . Bentley was born in London and originally trained as an engineer , but went on to become a vaudeville performer well known for impersonating the characters from the novels of Charles Dickens on stage . His directing career in silent films began in 1910 with his adaptations of a number of Dickens ' novels to film . After his retirement from directing in 1941 he became technical advisor to the British Film Council .
candidates: 12 1888 1944 1961 30 august 26
answer: 1888