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Was Scottish film Till the Bell Rings the first ever 'talkie'?

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www.bbc.co.uk

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A black and white film scene with a man in a three-piece suit with a large shirt collar smiling down at a woman, who is wearing a large frilly bonnet.

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Was Scottish film Till the Bell Rings the first ever 'talkie'?

Overview

Researcher Marc David Jacobs has uncovered evidence that the 1926 Scottish film Till the Bells Ring, written by Glaswegian playwright Graham Moffat and created using De Forest Phonofilm, may have been the world's first-ever talking feature film, preceding Hollywood's The Jazz Singer by a year. The 45-minute feature was screened in Edinburgh in October 1926 and received positive reviews for its synchronised sound, but later fell into obscurity after legal disputes and has not been publicly shown in over 50 years, with a surviving copy believed to be held in the BFI National Archive.

Key points

  • Researcher Marc David Jacobs uncovered evidence suggesting the 1926 film Till the Bells Ring was the world's first talking feature film.
  • The 45-minute film was written by Glaswegian playwright Graham Moffat and used De Forest Phonofilm technology for synchronised sound.
  • It was screened on 11 October 1926 at Poole's Synod Hall in Edinburgh, a full year before Hollywood's The Jazz Singer.
  • Reviews from contemporary newspapers like The Scotsman praised the synchronised movement and sound.
  • The film fell into obscurity after an unscrupulous exhibitor re-released it in 1933, prompting a successful lawsuit by Moffat in 1935 after which all copies were returned to him.
  • Jacobs believes the only surviving copy of the film is held in the BFI National Archive in Hertfordshire, where it has remained unshown for over 50 years.
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