 The earliest sound film to place is the French "L'Atalante" (1934), directed by Jean Vigo; the earliest Hollywood sound film to qualify is "Bringing Up Baby" (1938), directed by Howard Hawks.The first sound feature film to receive near-universal critical approbation was "Der Blaue Engel" ("The Blue Angel"); premiering on April 1, 1930, it was directed by Josef von Sternberg in both German and English versions for Berlin's UFA studio.The first American talkie to be widely honored was "All Quiet on the Western Front", directed by Lewis Milestone, which premiered April 21.