Had a wonderful conversation this week with the daughter of pioneering sound and Vitaphone engineer Stanley A. Watkins. He had an incredible career starting in the late teens, developing electrical recording, loudspeakers and other early technology at Bell Laboratories. It was he who helped get Victor and Columbia records set up for electrical recording, and who actually made the first test films, as the director and on-camera star for the Vitaphone demonstrations to the generally disinterested studio reps. He was heavily involved with all aspects of Warner Brothers Vitaphone activities, through setting up the Brooklyn studios wired before going to England to do the same for studios there. He later was tasked with creating the 1939 Worlds Fair robot that spoke and understood commands. His daughter has much of his memorabilia and materials (her sister in Alaska has come original JAZZ SINGER disks and Jolsons vest). Among Watkins things is an extensive draft of his autobiography which publishers decades ago regarded as having little interest to the public. Needless to say, Ill be helping her on that front as happened 20 years ago when Vitaphone and silent director Joseph Henaberys effects turned up nearly 100 cassettes of his dictated autobiography which I helped his son get published. If any of you are near the Albuquerque, NM area and have an interest in assisting on this exciting effort, please private message me!
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 12:04:15 +0000
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