1927 ..... U.S.A ..... the FIRST film to have dialogue spoken from the screen was Alan Crosland’s The Jazz Singer which premiered at the Warner Theatre on Broadway. 354 words were spoken in total - 340 by Al Jolson, the star of the film, 13 by Eugenie Besserer (playing his mother) and one by Warner Oland (as his father) who said ‘Stop’. Mother O’Mine was also the FIRST record of a song from a movie ( see also Aug.6th) 

1930 ..... U.K .....  the Odeon Cinema, Manchester FIRST opened. It was known as The Paramount and became the Odeon in 1939. In 2004 news came that it was to close

1985  ….. Nigel Mansell won his FIRST Grand Prix

Back to top of page ** Next page ** Previous page