DOUBLE BILL! Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't heard nothin' yet! Damien Chazelle traces the invention of sound and rapid development in early American cinema with Hollywood epic Babylon – so for this weekend’s double feature, we thought we’d dive into the transition from silence to sound.

The first full-length ‘talkie’ to grace the screen, Alan Crosland’s THE JAZZ SINGER (1927) tells the story of young Jewish-American Jakie Rabinowitz, who dreams of being a singer despite the wishes of his devout family. After running away and renaming himself Jack Robin, he manages to build a career as a talented jazz singer - but his professional ambitions soon come into conflict with the demands of his home and heritage. Celebrated at the first Academy Awards in 1927, Crosland’s film represents a legendary milestone in Hollywood history and a presciently poignant exploration of race, identity, and assimilation in early 20th century America.

Meanwhile, Hollywood’s sound shakeup gets an exuberant retelling with beloved 1952 musical SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN! Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor star in what is often regarded as the greatest movie musical of all time – the lightly satirical, song-and-dance-packed tale of a silent film star who falls for a chorus girl just as he and his screechy screen partner are attempting the jump into talking pictures.

Content Warning: Please be aware that THE JAZZ SINGER is presented as originally created and contains some scenes involving the use of blackface.