The advent of the studio system with Hollywood as its base took shape in the 1920s. The German expressionist films of the Weimar Republic were hugely influential as well, and would continue to be well into the 20th Century. 1927 witnessed a watershed moment in artistic and technological history with the release of the jazz singer, often cited as the first "talking film". The end of the decade, 1929, marked the year that the first academy awards were held, taking place on May 16, a mere five months before the stock market crashes that marked the start of the Great Depression. Douglas Fairbanks acted as host, and the best picture award was given to the World War I drama "Wings". Key players in this list (and in 1920s cinema in general) include: film comedians Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, & Harold Lloyd; directors FW Murnau, Fritz Lane, & King Vidor; film's first matinee idol Rudolph Valentino; and Lon Chaney, cinema's first character actor.
How many of these marvels have you seen?
