talking picture
1
7.2
- noun
- /ˈtɔːkɪŋ ˈpɪktʃər/
- Archaic
:
película sonora
- Many cinemas began converting to talking pictures to attract larger audiences.
- the first talking picture
Examples
-
In the 1920s, the popularity of talking pictures revolutionized the film industry.
-
The Jazz Singer is considered one of the first successful talking pictures.
-
1927- talking pictures are born.
-
In 1937, talking pictures were introduced, and the cinema audience increased greatly.
Academic text (1991) -
You mean an all-talking picture?
-
The Terror is the first all-talking picture to show in Britain.
-
Warner Bros. started talking pictures, now they're gonna finish them too.
-
Or talking pictures.
-
- Talking pictures.
-
Significantly, the circuit would screen the new talking picture, dating from late 1927 (Balio, 127), featuring the product of no studio at the exclusion of others.
Academic text (2006)
Synonyms
691
7.7
A movie shown on a screen in a theatre or at home
83
3.0
A story that uses moving images and sound, like a movie
47
8.1
A movie with recorded people talking and sound, not silent
10
2.5
A film shown in a cinema for people to watch
8
3.5
A movie shown on a screen that tells a story
1
5.5
A show that tells a story with moving images and sound like a movie
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'talking' (having speech/sound) + 'picture' (a film), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer it refers to a film with synchronized sound. This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common pattern (used to contrast with silent films), making the meaning accessible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The noun talking picture comes from early movies that had recorded voices and music. Before, films were 'silent films', so when the talking part was heard with the moving picture, people called the new films talking pictures, so today the term means a film with recorded speech and sound.