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"You ain't heard nothin' yet!" With Al Jolson's words in "The Jazz Singer" (1927) the era of talkies is born. Early sound recording equipment was cumbersome and difficult to use on location, so studio-bound directors turned more frequently to special effects to create the illusion of shooting in exotic locales. The first Golden Age of visual effects begins. 1931 As head of special effects for Universal, John Fulton devises effects for "Frankenstein" (1931) and numerous horror films to follow, including "The Invisible Man" (1934), "The Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) and "The Mummy" (1935). 1933
1935 Howard Lydecker becomes head of special effects for Republic Pictures, home of 66 popular moviehouse serials including "King of the Rocketmen" and "G-Men Vs. the Black Dragon." Expert pyrotechnicians, Lydecker and his brother Theodore create explosions, infernos, conflagrations, and vehicle crashes on land, air, sea, and sky to inspire generations of "pyro guys" to come. 1939 The first Academy Award for Achievement in Special Effects is awarded to "The Rains Came," featuring a flood of Biblical proportions in India masterminded by Fred Sersen. The film bests such notable rivals as "Gone With the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz." Continue: 1940s Photos: Bison Archives Reel Timeline | 50-Foot Chicken | Wizards of Ahs | Be in Pixels Titanic: What's Real | Virtual Humans | Resources | Teacher's Guide Transcript | Site Map | Special Effects Home Editor's Picks | Previous Sites | Join Us/E-mail | TV/Web Schedule About NOVA | Teachers | Site Map | Shop | Jobs | Search | To print PBS Online | NOVA Online | WGBH © | Updated November 2000 |
Rear projection at Hal Roach Studios
Scale-size Kong bust, one of many sized models.