Jazz Record Collectors’ Bash

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2016 Vitaphone Program

A special program in recognition of the 25th Anniversary of The Vitaphone Project. Details to be announced.

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About Vitaphone

Between 1926 and 1930, the Vitaphone short subjects division of Warner Brothers produced over 1000 one and two-reel sound shorts with the sound-on-disc process. By March, 1930, even Warners switched to the simpler, more mobile and editable sound-on-film “Movietone” process still used today. The majority of the one-reel "Vitaphone Varieties" produced during this period were straight recordings, without cuts, of vaudeville, operatic, comedy and band performers. As such, surviving shorts offer a rare glimpse into exactly how an act appeared on stage during its heyday. Such performers as Burns & Allen, Ruth Etting, Spencer Tracy, Lyda Roberti and Jack Benny made their screen debut in this series.

THE VITAPHONE PROJECT was founded in 1991 and seeks out lost 16" soundtrack discs and mute film elements of 1926-30 sound-on-disk talkie shorts and features for restorations. To date, over 4000 disks have been found, and over 100 shorts and 10 features have been restored, in cooperation with UCLA, Warner Brothers, BFI, The Library Of Congress, and private collectors.

VitaphoneProject.com

Contact co-founder Ron Hutchinson at ron@vitaphoneproject.com

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