“WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE WAY I TALK?” THE EFFECT OF SOUND MOTION PICTURES ON ACTOR CAREERS

Abstract

The development of sound motion pictures in the late 1920s provides one of history's most evocative examples of the effect of technological innovation on employment. I begin by exploring the transition to sound, which lasted several years. I then analyze transition's effect on actor employment, and find it to be associated with a substantial increase in career terminations, not only among major stars (which film scholars emphasize), but also among more minor actors. Furthermore, I find that sound raised hazard rates generally. Finally, I calculate that the number of actors employed in movies increased substantially in the sound era.