Adding sound to movies would be like putting lipstick on the Venus de Milo.

Mary Pickford

We look back on this quote by Ms. Pickford (Bacon number: 3) and laugh. Who could imagine movies without sound?

Of course we have 20/20 hindsight. We can see how obviously this was wrong, that we are so much better off with sound in movies (5.1, 7.1. AC3, ProLogic, DTS, TrueHD for home theater and Atmos, THX, etc. for cinematic sound).

Let us be fair, however, and look at things from Mary's perspective: The first moves with sound were quite crude while silent movies had the benefit of years of technological development and actors who had honed their craft for the medium. Many silent film stars were terrified of the "talkies". Who can forget "Singin' In The Rain", a film who's plot involves that very transition?

Now, think about changes that are happening today. Smell-O-Vision didn't seem to go anywhere, but is 3D going to be the talkies of the future? It certainly is rather crude today and I personally don't find it compelling enough to spend the extra money. The picture quality is lower than a standard film and the glasses are an annoyance, especially for a bespectacled person like me.

What about computers? Will people look back at the era of the keyboard and mouse as crude? Read the book "Rainbow's End", is that where things are going?

It is good to have 20/20 hindsight, even better is 20/20 foresight. That can make you rich!