A 1929 Cartoon Explains How 'Talkies' Work

Once upon a time, synchronized sound in movies was still new and exciting. Finding His Voice, a cartoon starring two rolls of film named Talkie and Mutie, illustrates that process. In the course of Mutie's quest to get a voice, Dr. Western, a "film surgeon," leads the pair through the whole process, from sound stage to screen. Courtesy of the Prelinger Archive, the film was created by Western Electric to promote their sound-on-film recording system. Max Fleischer, the co-director of the film, went on to create Betty Boop, Popeye, and Superman. 

 

For more films from the Prelinger Archive, visit http://www.archive.org/details/prelinger.