Editing Mervyn LeRoy (section)

== First National Pictures: transition to sound, 1927–1930 ==
[[File:Oh, Kay! (1928 film), First National Pictures. Publicity still. L to R, Mervyn LeRoy (director), actor Colleen Moore.jpg|thumb|LeRoy on the set of ''[[Oh, Kay! (film)|Oh, Kay!]]'' (1928) alongside [[Colleen Moore]]]]
His success with [[No Place to Go (1927 film)|''No Place to Go'']] (1927), was followed by "a string of comedies and [[Jazz Age|jazz-baby]] dramas" that served as vehicles for actress [[Alice White]] and allowed LeRoy to hone his skills as director. His prolific output in the final years of the silent film era included the box-office successes [[Harold Teen (1928 film)|''Harold Teen'']] with [[Arthur Lake (actor)|Arthur Lake]] and ''[[Oh, Kay!]]'' with Colleen Moore.<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 p. 76-77: LeRoy's first film as a director. And p. 167: Also released as "Her Primitive Mate" And p. 83: "Harold Teen turned out to be my first big box-office hit."</ref><ref>Canham, 1976 p. 135: "...slender content but successive contemporary reviews pointed out [LeRoy's] growing skill in developing his material."</ref><ref>Barson, 2020: "he commenced this most-important phase [yet] of his career with such low-budget efforts as Harold Teen (1928) and ''Oh Kay!'' (1928). ''Hot Stuff'' (1929), a comedy with Alice White, was his first sound picture, and White also starred in ''Broadway Babies'' (1929) and ''Show Girl in Hollywood'' (1930)..."</ref>

[[Warner Bros.|Warner Brothers]] acquired First National in 1925 as a subsidiary studio and producer Jack Warner became a mentor and in-law to LeRoy in subsequent years.<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1976 p. 89: Jack Warner offered LeRoy his first chance to make sound pictures. And p. 113: Marries Doris Warner, Jack Warner's niece, Leroy becomes Jack Warner's nephew-in-law.</ref><ref>Sarris, 1998: Warner Brothers "swallowed up Vitagraph and First National Pictures in 1925...<br />Georgaris, 2020: Quoted in TSPDT: "LeRoy established his reputation in the 30s when he directed for Warner Bros. and their subsidiary First National several powerful social dramas..."</ref>

LeRoy eagerly anticipated his first sound picture assignment, [[Naughty Baby (film)|''Naughty Baby'']] (1929):

{{blockquote | My fifth picture, in 1929, was my first with sound. I had been watching the experiments with talkies with tremendous excitement...As a veteran of stage and vaudeville, I knew the value of the spoken and sung word. I understood dialogue, because I had been an actor...I couldn't wait until I had a change to direct a talking picture.<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1976 p. 89</ref>|author=|title=|source=}}

LeRoy's early directing efforts at First National were largely limited to comedies. His movies from this period include ''[[Gentleman's Fate]]'' (1931) with [[John Gilbert (actor)|John Gilbert]] (filmed at M-G-M studios), [[Tonight or Never (1931 film)|''Tonight or Never'']] (1931), with [[Gloria Swanson]], [[High Pressure (film)|''High Pressure'']], a proto-[[screwball comedy]] with [[William Powell]] and [[Evelyn Brent]], and [[The Heart of New York (film)|''The Heart of New York'']] (1932) with [[Joe Smith (comedian)|Joe Smith]].