George Groves ( sound engineer ) George Robert Groves ( 13 December 1901 – 4 September 1976 ) was a film sound pioneer who played a significant role in developing the technology that brought sound to the silent screen . He is also credited as being Hollywood ’ s first ‘ sound man ’ ; he was the recording engineer on the seminal Al Jolson picture , " The Jazz Singer " ( 1927 ) , as well as many other early talkies . In a career with Warner Brothers that spanned 46 years , he rose to become their Director of Sound and won two Academy Awards . Early life . George was born on 13 December 1901 over a barber ’ s shop at 57 Duke Street , St Helens , Lancashire , England . His father , George Alfred Groves , was a master barber and talented musician who founded the first brass band in St Helens . His son George Jr . was proficient in a number of instruments and regularly played the cornet in the town ’ s Theatre Royal . He was also a lather boy in his father ' s two barber shops in Duke Street and Owen Street . George was educated at Nutgrove Junior School and Cowley Grammar School in St . Helens . After gaining a scholarship to Liverpool University , he graduated in 1922 with an honours degree in Engineering and Telephony . He spent a year in Coventry working for GEC developing early wireless receivers and then applied for employment in the United Ststes . On December 1 , 1923 , George sailed to New York on the SS Laconia for what he thought would be a two year engagement . Career . He obtained a position with the research team at Bell Laboratories who were developing film sound technology using the sound - on - disc process . In 1925 , Warner Brothers bought the Bell system and created the Vitaphone Corporation . In 1926 , George Groves was assigned to Vitaphone and was charged with recording the soundtrack to the John Barrymore picture , " Don Juan " ( 1926 ) . This was the first full - length film to have a synchronized soundtrack , provided by the New York Philharmonic . Groves devised an innovative , multi - microphone technique and performed a live mix of the 107 - strong orchestra . In doing so he became the first music mixer in film history . George Groves then recorded the sound for " The Jazz Singer " ( 1927 ) a ground - breaking motion picture which revolutionized the film industry . The star of the film , Al Jolson , dubbed George " The Quiet Little Englishman " and insisted that he alone record his pictures . In recording the sound for " The Jazz Singer " , Groves became the first ever production recordist . During World War II , Groves served with the First Motion Picture Unit of the Army Air Force . In his lengthy Warner Brothers career , George Groves pioneered numerous other sound techniques and practices that the film and television industries take for granted today , including ADR and the use of radio microphones . He won two Oscars for Best Sound for his work on the films " Sayonara " ( 1957 ) and " My Fair Lady " ( 1964 ) . His Oscar for the latter was presented to him on stage at the Academy Awards of 1965 by Steve McQueen and Claudia Cardinale . In total Groves worked on thirty - two films that received Academy Award nominations for best sound . In 1957 , George Groves became Director of Sound at Warner Brothers , and in 1972 , the year of his retirement , he was awarded the prestigious Samuel L . Warner memorial award by the Society of Motion Picture Engineers . George died of a heart attack on September 4 , 1976 . He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park ( Hollywood Hills ) . Academy Awards . Groves won two Academy Awards and was nominated for six more in the category Best Sound Campaign for recognition . In 1993 , George Groves ' 92 year - old sister , Hilda Barrow from Liverpool , began a campaign for official recognition in the United Kingdom of her brother ’ s pioneering work . As a result in 1996 two British Film Industry plaques were unveiled to commemorate his achievements . One was at Groves ' birthplace in Duke Street , St Helens . The other was in a prestigious Warners Cinema in London ’ s West End .