MONDAY, JULY 6: FIRST FULL SOUND MOVIE WAS 'THE JAZZ SINGER'!

LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts) - Monday, July 6th. Most movie buffs know the first film with a partial soundtrack was "The Jazz Singer," with superstar Al Jolson. But not too many can name the first movie with a full-length soundtrack, which opened on this date in New York in 1928.

It was "The Lights of New York," about the murder of a crime boss, a film which has faded into obscurity.

After "The Jazz Singer" stunned the country, movie studios scrambled to change over from silent films to what were then called the "talkies." It was a technical revolution that completely changed the making and viewing of movies.

In 1928, Americans went to the movies an average of about twice a week. Now, we each take in about 5 films a year in a theater. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.