S4E09a - The Merry Widow [1934] and Sound Recording Technology with Eric Dienstfrey

Eric Dienstfrey joins us to discuss the sound technology behind early talkies, and in particular THE MERRY WIDOW. We cover the ways in which recording and exhibition technology changed and fluctuated throughout the 1930s, the sordid tale of both the innovation and skullduggery engaged in by Electrical Research Products, Inc, the institution of the uniform-but-limiting Academy Mono standard, Jeanette Macdonald’s vocal stylings, and much more! We have a Discord! Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify NEXT WEEK: Tim Brayton returns to discuss THE MERRY WIDOW in our season finale. For details as to where to find this film, check out our resources page. WORKS CITED: Under the Standard: MGM, AT&T, and the Academy’s Regulation of Power by Eric Dienstfrey

Om Podcasten

HOW WOULD LUBITSCH DO IT? is a journey through the life and works of Ernst Lubitsch in chronological order, one film at a time. In this limited podcast series, host Devan Scott will facilitate a series of discussions about all 43 of Ernst Lubitsch’s surviving films, from Wo ist mein Schatz to Cluny Brown. Each episode will consist of a mix of historical background and a discussion with a rotating slate of guests - critics, academics, and filmmakers - about one of Lubitsch’s films.