Phototone For Cueing Pictures

The Phototone Co. was founded in New York City in 1927 as The Phototone Talking Corp., with numerous sales offices across the United States. It marketed Phototone Disc Reproducers, which were phonograph systems specially designed for movie theaters that facilitated playing music and sound effects during film projection. The firm was a contractual partner to companies located in North Vernon, Indiana and apparently associated with Gennett Records (which supplied the records). These include The Platter Cabinet Co./North Vernon Lumber Mills (which manufactured and serviced the Phototone Disc Reproducers) and United Cue Service (which offered cue sheets and libraries of records). Gennett Sound Effects records are sometimes found with partial label paste-overs that read "Phototone for Cueing Pictures" and cover the Gannett Record identification. Do not confuse with British Phototone Synchronised Record or RCA Photophone Recording.