S4E09a - The Merry Widow [1934] and Sound Recording Technology with Eric Dienstfrey

Photo Courtesy the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Eric Dienstfrey joins us to discuss the sound technology behind early talkies, and in particular THE MERRY WIDOW. We cover the ways in which recording and exhibition technology changed and fluctuated throughout the 1930s, the sordid tale of both the innovation and skullduggery engaged in by Electrical Research Products, Inc, the institution of the uniform-but-limiting Academy Mono standard, Jeanette Macdonald’s vocal stylings, and much more!

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Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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NEXT WEEK:

Tim Brayton returns to discuss THE MERRY WIDOW in our season finale. For details as to where to find this film, check out our resources page.

WORKS CITED:

Under the Standard: MGM, AT&T, and the Academy’s Regulation of Power by Eric Dienstfrey

Making Stereo Fit: The History of a Disquieting Film Technology by Eric Dienstfrey