Lonesome is considered by the critics to be Paul Fejos’s masterpiece. Even though it was ideated as a silent film, it became Universal’s first ‘talkie’ after Carl Laemmle managed to borrow the sound equipment from Fox-Movietone. Laemmle told the Fox studios that he wanted to shoot some takes for Show Boat. Actually, as soon as he got a hold of the equipment he shot as fast as possible the all-talking Melody of Love and several sound scenes for insertion in three silent films, one of which was Lonesome.
In spite of the critics revealing the self-serving nature of the dialogue insertion and the furious reaction of William Fox, Universal Pictures was able to announce its first ‘talkie’.