Year

Country

Home

People

Films

Articles

Store

The History of American Cinema: 1929

May - August

The first annual Academy Awards are held at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.   13 prizes are awarded, and the event is attended by 200 members of the movie industry. [ADD]

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy’s Double Whoopee, featuring an 18-year-old Jean Harlow in an eye-catching role, is released. [ADD]

Paul Fejos’s Broadway, starring Evelyn Brent, is released.   The film is the first to be lit entirely by tungsten lamps, and features unusually mobile camera work for an early talking picture thanks to the use of a special crane capable of moving the camera 600 feet per minute. [ADD]

On With the Show, Warner’s full-length colour musical directed by Alan Crosland and starring Arthur Lake and Betty Compson, premieres in New York. [ADD]

Walt Disney’s trademark application for Mickey Mouse’s image is filed with the US Patent Office.   The trademark is granted on 12^th August 1929. [ADD]

Thunderbolt, Josef von Sternberg’s first talking picture, is released.   It stars George Bancroft and Fay Wray. [ADD]

The actor’s union Equity calls for a strike against the studios.   Their demands are for a 48-hour working week, the exclusion of non-union actors, and a guarantee that no dubbing will be undertaken without an actor’s permission. [ADD]

Street Girl, RKO’s first official release premieres in New York.   The musical stars Betty Compson and Jackie Oakie. [ADD]

Mickey Mouse speaks his first words – “hot dog!” – in the animated short The Karnival Kid. [ADD]

Paramount release The Cocoanuts, featuring the Marx Brothers – Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo – in their movie debut, an adaptation of their hit Broadway musical. [ADD]

Ratskin, Charles Mintz’s first sound Krazy Kat animation for Columbia/Screen Gems is released. [ADD]

Hallejulah, director King Vidor’s first sound film is released.   The film features an all-black cast. [ADD]

The Skeleton Dance, the first of Walt Disney’s Silly Symphonies, is released.   The entire film is animated by Disney’s partner Ub Iwerks. [ADD]