Alan Crosland (August 10, 1894 â€" July 16, 1936) was an American
stage actor and film director. He is noted for having directed the
first film using spoken dialogue, The Jazz Singer (1927).Born in New
York City, New York to a well-to-do Jewish family, Crosland attended
Dartmouth College. After graduation, he took a job as a writer with
the New York Globe magazine. Interested in the theatre, he began
acting on stage, appearing in several productions with Shakespearian
actress Annie Russell.Crosland began his career in the motion picture
industry in 1912 at Edison Studios in The Bronx, New York, where he
worked at various jobs for two years until he had learned the business
sufficiently well to begin directing short films. By 1917, he was
directing feature-length films and in 1920 directed Olive Thomas in
The Flapper, one of her final films before her death in September of
that year.In 1925, Crosland was working for Jesse L. Lasky's film
production company Famous Players-Lasky (later Paramount Pictures)
when he was hired by Warner Bros. to work at their Hollywood studios.
He had directed several silent films for Warner's including directing
Don Juan starring John Barrymore in 1926. It was the first
feature-length film with synchronized Vitaphone sound effects and
musical soundtrack, though it has no spoken dialogue. He was chosen to
direct Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer (1927). The film would make him
famous as the first of the new talkies that changed the course of
motion pictures.
stage actor and film director. He is noted for having directed the
first film using spoken dialogue, The Jazz Singer (1927).Born in New
York City, New York to a well-to-do Jewish family, Crosland attended
Dartmouth College. After graduation, he took a job as a writer with
the New York Globe magazine. Interested in the theatre, he began
acting on stage, appearing in several productions with Shakespearian
actress Annie Russell.Crosland began his career in the motion picture
industry in 1912 at Edison Studios in The Bronx, New York, where he
worked at various jobs for two years until he had learned the business
sufficiently well to begin directing short films. By 1917, he was
directing feature-length films and in 1920 directed Olive Thomas in
The Flapper, one of her final films before her death in September of
that year.In 1925, Crosland was working for Jesse L. Lasky's film
production company Famous Players-Lasky (later Paramount Pictures)
when he was hired by Warner Bros. to work at their Hollywood studios.
He had directed several silent films for Warner's including directing
Don Juan starring John Barrymore in 1926. It was the first
feature-length film with synchronized Vitaphone sound effects and
musical soundtrack, though it has no spoken dialogue. He was chosen to
direct Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer (1927). The film would make him
famous as the first of the new talkies that changed the course of
motion pictures.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.