The Big Revue (1929)

Intro to "The Big Revue"
"The Big Revue" is a 1929 American Pre-Code movie, connected with the early noise period likewise called talkies. Provided the minimal scope for films from this duration-- lots of have been lost or just exist in fragments-- detailed records about "The Big Revue" can be limited, and it's frequently eclipsed by other more popular early talkies such as "The Jazz Vocalist" (1927). Let's delve into a summary based upon what is understood about this early noise film.

Plot and Format
"The Big Revue" is classified as a musical revue, a category popular at the time, which usually included a series of musical and comical acts with little to no narrative linking them. As with many movies from this era, the plot was not the central focus; rather, the showcase of new sound innovation and musical numbers took precedence. The movie was built as a series of vaudeville acts developed to capitalize on the novelty of integrated noise and show the capabilities of Warner Bros.' Vitaphone sound-on-disc technology, which was new at that time.

Production and Technical Aspects
Produced by Warner Bros., the studio that had originated the use of synchronized noise with "The Jazz Singer", "The Big Revue" used the Vitaphone system. This was a sound film process that post-synced audio from records with movie, instead of tape-recording sound directly onto the movie strip. The technology was groundbreaking, and "The Big Revue" worked as a car to display this brand-new audiovisual experience.

Cast and Musical Numbers
The film featured a range of entertainers, such as singers, dancers, and comedians, who were popular in the vaudeville circuit and on Broadway stages. While particular details of the cast might be insufficient, records reveal that the acts involved a selection of efficiencies such as singing, slapstick comedy, and dance ensembles.

Provided the period's limited recording and sound modifying innovation, these performances would have been thoroughly choreographed to line up with the Vitaphone noise recordings. This would have been an outstanding technical task at the time, considered that sound films were still in their infancy and synchronized noise was not yet refined.

Cultural Context and Reception
"The Big Revue" belonged to a wave of early talkies that followed the success of "The Jazz Singer". These films marked a fast shift in cinema as studios scrambled to embrace sound and profit from the talkie fad. The public's fascination with talking photos turned these movies into instant draws, despite frequently being basic displays of technological novelty instead of complex stories.

However, the historical reception of "The Big Revue" has actually been hard to evaluate. Criticism and audience reactions from the time would have been affected by the attraction of the new noise innovation as much as by the material of the movie itself. Still, the early talkies are recognized not necessarily for their artistic benefit but for their role in the transition from silent movie theater to sound.

Legacy and Preservation
The legacy of "The Big Revue" lies primarily in its contribution to this essential age in film history. As with numerous early sound movies, preservation has actually been a considerable challenge. The Vitaphone system, with its separate sound disc and film, led to circumstances where one element might endure while the other was lost.

It's unpredictable if a complete variation of "The Big Revue" exists today; many films from this duration have been lost to time. Nevertheless, it represents an essential chapter in the development of movie theater, highlighting the novelty of sound in movie and the entertainment industry's fast adjustment to brand-new technology.

In summary, "The Big Revue" stands as an emblem of the transformative period of late 1920s movie theater, where the magic of movie was redefined by the arrival of noise, ushering in a brand-new age of movie production and audience experience.

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