1929 in film
This is an overview of 1929 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.
February 18 – The first , or Oscars, are announced for the year ended August 1, 1928.
Academy Awards
March 3 – announces that he has taken control of Loews Inc., including its subsidiary Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, buying shares from Marcus Loew's widow and sons and Nicholas Schenck for $50 million. The acquisition eventually falls through.
William Fox
May 16 – The first Academy Awards are distributed at in Los Angeles.
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
July 13 – The first all color talkie (in ), On with the Show, is released by Warner Bros. who lead the way in a new color revolution just as they had ushered in that of the talkies.
Technicolor
July 17 – is badly injured in a car accident which kills his chauffeur.
William Fox
August 3 – beats every known gross for any box office attraction throughout the world with a reported first week gross of $173,391 at the Roxy Theatre (New York City).[6]
The Cock-Eyed World
August 20 – is the first Hollywood film to contain an entire black cast.
Hallelujah!
August 22 – First in the ' animated short Silly Symphony series, The Skeleton Dance, is released.
Walt Disney Productions
October 30 – Entertainment newspaper report that Wall Street Lays An Egg leading to many prominent showman and film stars losing money on their investments.
Variety
November – gain complete control of First National Pictures buying Fox Film's 36% stake for $10 million[7]
Warner Bros.
November 10 – Première of 's documentary film Drifters about North Sea herring fishermen, made for the Empire Marketing Board, effectively inaugurating the British Documentary Film Movement. (It debuts at the private Film Society in London on a double-bill with the U.K. première of Eisenstein's The Battleship Potemkin.)[8]
John Grierson
November 15 – U.K. release of , a film about the sinking of the RMS Titanic which is one of the first British sound-on-film movies and, in its simultaneously-shot German-language version, the first to be released in Germany; also the first Titanic movie with sound.
Atlantic
December – suits are filed against William Fox and Warner Bros. by the US Department of Justice for Fox's acquisition of Loews and Warners' acquisition of the Stanley Corporation of America and First National.
Anti-trust
The days of the silent film are numbered. A mad scramble to provide synchronized sound is on.
The 2nd Academy Awards honored the best films released between August 1, 1928, and July 31, 1929. They took place on April 3, 1930, at an awards banquet in the Cocoanut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
Most nominations: In Old Arizona (Fox Film Corporation) – 5
Most awards – no film won more than 1 award
Note: Prior to 1933, awards were not based on calendar years. Best Picture, Actress and Director went to 1930 films.
, directed by Roland West, starring Chester Morris and Mae Busch, based on the 1927 stage play Nightstick by Elaine Sterne Carrington
Alibi
, directed by Thomas Bentley, starring Carl Brisson and Madeleine Carroll – (GB)
The American Prisoner
, 10 chapters (215 minutes)
The Ace of Scotland Yard
, 10 chapters
The Black Book
, 10 chapters
The Diamond Master
, 10 chapters (200 min)
The Fatal Warning
, 10 chapters
The Fire Detective
, 10 chapters (213 min)
The King of the Kongo
, 12 chapters
The Pirate of Panama
, 10 chapters
Queen of the Northwoods
, 15 chapters (266 min)
Tarzan the Tiger
(1917–1941)
Buster Keaton
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Mickey Mouse
Silly Symphonies
February 4 – , American actor
Jerry Adler
Roman Kłosowski
James Hong
March 23 – , American actor, director and producer
Mark Rydell
Barbara Bryne
Liz Sheridan
April 17 – , American actor
Michael Forest
May 11 - , American actress and director
Margaret Kerry
May 25 – , American actress
Ann Robinson
Menahem Golan
June 19 - , English actress and writer
Thelma Barlow
June 20 – , American actress
Bonnie Bartlett
Asta Vihandi
July 30 - , Canadian puppeteer and film producer
Sid Krofft
Pat Cooper
August 12 - , Australian actor and comedian (died 2018)
John Bluthal
August 15 – , American actor (died 2010)
George Martin
Vija Artmane
August 23 – , American actress
Vera Miles
Edward S. Feldman
Kurt Kren
September 25 – , American broadcast journalist and television personality (died 2022)
Barbara Walters
October 4 - , American actor (died 1968)
Scotty Beckett
Jane Griffiths
Jack Hedley
November 6 – , American actress
June Squibb
Etchika Choureau
November 20 – , American actor
Jerry Hardin
November 28 – , American producer
Berry Gordy
Dick Clark
January 5 – , Australian actor (born 1881)
Marc McDermott
Hardee Kirkland
February 24 – , American actor (born 1858)
Frank Keenan
May 9 – Fred C. Truesdell, stage & film actor (born 1870)
May 12 – , German-American director and actor (born 1861)
Charles Swickard
July 2 – , American actress (born 1894)
Gladys Brockwell
July 3 – , American stage & silent screen star (born 1874)
Dustin Farnum
July 6 – , American comedian (born 1894)
Cliff Bowes
August 2 – , American actress (born 1882)
Mae Costello
September 2 – , German film and art director (born 1885)
Paul Leni
October 3 – , American actress (born 1890)
Jeanne Eagels
October 31 – , actor, Olympic athlete (born 1877)
Norman Pritchard
November 2 – , actor and director (born 1888)
Leo D. Maloney
November 24 – , American actor (born 1865)
Raymond Hitchcock
– The Sophomore
Lew Ayres
– Fox Movietone Follies of 1929
Jackie Cooper
- In the Nick of Time
James Dunn
– Gentlemen of the Press
Kay Francis
– The Great Power
Minna Gombell
- The Medicine Men
Gavin Gordon
– Words and Music
Dorothy Granger
– Gentlemen of the Press
Walter Huston
– Sally
Pert Kelton
– Speakeasy
Lola Lane
– Piccadilly
Charles Laughton
- If Men Played Cards as Women Do
Frank McHugh
- Sally
Marilyn Miller
– High Treason
Rene Ray
- A Day of a Man of Affairs
Ginger Rogers
- Rudy Vallée and His Connecticut Yankees
Rudy Vallée
– Tanned Legs