Development of sound technology - 1920s

The transition to sound-on-film technology occurred mid-decade and developed in 1926 - 1927, following experimental techniques begun in the late 1910s. Fox Studios and the Warner Brothers were crucial in the development and acceptance of the technology of sound in motion pictures.The primary steps in the commercialization of sound cinema were taken in the mid- to late 1920s.

With sound, the concept of the musical appeared immediately, as in 'The Jazz Singer' (1927), because silent films had been accompanied by music for years when projected in theatres. Sound also greatly changed the Hollywood approach to storytelling, with more dependence on dialogue and less creative use of the visual element.