The Jazz Singer introduces sound to cinema

On 6 October 1927, Warner Brothers released The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, at the Warner Theatre in New York. It was not the first film with a soundtrack, but it was the first feature to include synchronised singing and speech, as Jolson says 'Wait a minute, you ain't heard nothin' yet!'. The Vitaphone system recorded sound on discs played in sync with the projector. The film was a huge hit, and within two years almost all Hollywood studios converted to sound, ending the silent era and the careers of many silent stars. The first Academy Awards were held in 1929.

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