American Film Short Subjects and the Industry's Transition to Sound

Abstract

The first sections of this study will document and explain the development of sound motion pictures in Hollywood by such influential companies as Warner Bros, and Fox, with an emphasis on short subjects, leading up to the first few months when all of the major studios were capable of producing them. Then it will deal with specific aspects of the pre-1931 sound short subject -- its impact on vaudeville and other mass entertainments, the flowering of newsreels and other non-fiction shorts, and the development of sound animated subjects. The author has viewed a representative number of shorts, researched contemporary accounts such as trade publications and newspapers, and examined secondary sources such as books and magazine articles.