In 1891 the Edison Company successfully demonstrated a prototype of the Kinetoscope, which enabled one person at a time to view moving pictures. The first to present projected moving pictures to a paying audience were the Lumière brothers in December 1895 in Paris, France.

The first feature-length movie incorporating synchronized dialogue was The Jazz Singer in 1927.

A 20-year stretch, from 1927 to 1948, is considered the Golden Age in the history of Hollywood.