" (Eyman 76). The lively exuberance of Al Jolson was truly what made this film an instant classic and demanded the continuation of Warner Brothers and the talkies. For the first time, music had a face to accompany the voice. By January of 1928, an increasing number of theaters were wiring for sound and making way for "They Jazz Singer," which by that time was playing to a million customers a week (Eyman 77). The powerful appeal of audible dialogue was made manifest by the success of the first 'all talking' feature, 'Lights of New York' (1928)." (Sklar 172). The draw of this picture was neither compelling acting, writing, directing, nor dialogue; it was the mere fact that the dialogue could be heard. "But by midsummer of 1928, the handwriting was on the wall: mediocre films with talking sequences were out grossing the finest silent films." (Eyman 77). This fact made production of talkies not just a necessity for Warner Brothers and other ailing production companies, but for every actor, director, and producer who wanted to earn a piece of the industry. public. Ultimately, sound prevailed because business circumstances made it necessary, and because it allowed the art form to evolve in a new and fertile direction.

Works Cited

Basinger, Jeanine. Silent Stars. New York: Alfred a. Knopf, 1999.

Ellis, Jack C.A History of Film: Third Edition. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1990.

Eyman, Giannetti. Flashback: A Brief History of Film. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1991.

Parkinson, David. History of Film. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1995.

Sklar, Robert. A…