Silent Movie: Difference between revisions

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[[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|A film with no soundtrack]]. Until the 1920s or so, this was a technological limitation, though filmmakers certainly [[Serendipity Writes the Plot|made the most of it]]. After the mid-1930s, it was as much an [[Silence Is Golden|artistic decision]] as [[Deliberately Monochrome]] became after the introduction of color.
[[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|A film with no soundtrack]]. Until the 1920s or so, this was a technological limitation, though filmmakers certainly [[Serendipity Writes the Plot|made the most of it]]. After the mid-1930s, it was as much an [[Silence Is Golden|artistic decision]] as [[Deliberately Monochrome]] became after the introduction of color.


Note, however, that many silent movies (especially the big-budget ones) did have custom musical scores, for the entire movie or just a few key scenes, intended to be performed by live musicians in the theatre. Some scores even called for sound effects, also performed live, and a few called for important bits of dialog to be read out by live actors. Unfortunately, most of the scores have been lost.
Note, however, that many silent movies (especially the big-budget ones) did have custom musical scores, for the entire movie or just a few key scenes, intended to be performed by live musicians in the theatre. Some scores even called for sound effects, also performed live, and a few called for important bits of dialog to be read out by live actors. Unfortunately, most of the scores have been lost.
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* Most of the movies listed in [[Early Films]]
* Most of the movies listed in [[Early Films]]
** Shorts
** Shorts
*** ''[[A Trip to The Moon (Film)|A Trip to The Moon]]''
*** ''[[A Trip to the Moon]]''
*** ''[[The Great Train Robbery]]''
*** ''[[The Great Train Robbery]]''
** Features
** Features
*** ''[[The Birth of a Nation (Film)|The Birth of a Nation]]''
*** ''[[The Birth of a Nation]]''
*** ''[[The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari]]''
*** ''[[The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari]]''
*** ''[[The General (Film)|The General]]''
*** ''[[The General (film)|The General]]''
*** ''[[The Gold Rush]]''
*** ''[[The Gold Rush]]''
*** ''[[Intolerance (Film)|Intolerance]]''
*** ''[[Intolerance]]''
*** ''[[Metropolis]]''
*** ''[[Metropolis]]''
*** ''[[Sunrise (Film)|Sunrise]]''
*** ''[[Sunrise (film)|Sunrise]]''
*** ''[[Underworld 1927 (Film)|Underworld]]''
*** ''[[Underworld (1927 film)|Underworld]]''
*** ''[[The Thief of Bagdad 1924 (Film)|The Thief of Bagdad]]''
*** ''[[The Thief of Bagdad (1924 film)|The Thief of Bagdad]]''


* Notable silents from the talkie era:
* Notable silents from the talkie era:
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** ''[[Modern Times]]'' (1936) -- [[Charlie Chaplin]]'s second refusal to acknowledge talkies
** ''[[Modern Times]]'' (1936) -- [[Charlie Chaplin]]'s second refusal to acknowledge talkies
** ''The Thief'' (1952) -- spy thriller starring Ray Milland, told without any dialogue
** ''The Thief'' (1952) -- spy thriller starring Ray Milland, told without any dialogue
** ''[[Silent Movie (Film)|Silent Movie]]'' (1976) -- [[Mel Brooks]] makes a tribute to silent slapstick
** ''[[Silent Movie (film)|Silent Movie]]'' (1976) -- [[Mel Brooks]] makes a tribute to silent slapstick
** ''[[Koyaanisqatsi]]'' (1983) -- Kind of a documentary, but really more of a film collage portraying the state of modern civilization, told without any dialogue or narration
** ''[[Koyaanisqatsi]]'' (1983) -- Kind of a documentary, but really more of a film collage portraying the state of modern civilization, told without any dialogue or narration
** ''[[The Triplets of Belleville]]'' (2003) -- animated film with songs but almost no spoken dialogue
** ''[[The Triplets of Belleville]]'' (2003) -- animated film with songs but almost no spoken dialogue
** ''[[The Artist (Film)|The Artist]]'' (2011) -- A deliberately [[Retraux]] romantic comedy about, appropriately enough, a silent movie star who struggles to adjust to talkies
** ''[[The Artist]]'' (2011) -- A deliberately [[Retraux]] romantic comedy about, appropriately enough, a silent movie star who struggles to adjust to talkies
=== Notable talkies about the silent film era: ===
=== Notable talkies about the silent film era: ===
* ''[[Sunset Blvd]]''
* ''[[Sunset Blvd]]''
* ''[[Singin in The Rain]]''
* ''[[Singin' in the Rain]]''
* ''[[Hugo]]''
* ''[[Hugo]]''
=== Notable silent film stars: ===
=== Notable silent film stars: ===
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* John Gilbert
* John Gilbert
* Greta Garbo
* Greta Garbo
* [[Fatty Arbuckle (Creator)|Fatty Arbuckle]]
* [[Fatty Arbuckle]]
* [[Charlie Chaplin]]
* [[Charlie Chaplin]]
* [[Lon Chaney]]
* [[Lon Chaney]]

Revision as of 10:46, 8 April 2014

A film with no soundtrack. Until the 1920s or so, this was a technological limitation, though filmmakers certainly made the most of it. After the mid-1930s, it was as much an artistic decision as Deliberately Monochrome became after the introduction of color.

Note, however, that many silent movies (especially the big-budget ones) did have custom musical scores, for the entire movie or just a few key scenes, intended to be performed by live musicians in the theatre. Some scores even called for sound effects, also performed live, and a few called for important bits of dialog to be read out by live actors. Unfortunately, most of the scores have been lost.

In America, this was the beginning of the Golden Age of Hollywood. See also: Early Films, Films of the 1920s

A bit of trivia: Did you know that the first four Academy Awards for Best Cinematography all went to silent films? Because of the cumbersome sound-synchronization cameras and recording equipment of the early talkie era, they were rarely shot on location, giving silent film cinematographers a distinct advantage. Those first four winners were:

  • Sunrise (1927/28) -- Charles Rosher and Karl Struss
  • White Shadows in the South Seas (1928/29) -- Clyde De Vinna
  • With Byrd at the South Pole (1929/30) -- Joseph T. Rucker and Willard Van Der Veer
  • Tabu (1930/31) -- Floyd Crosby

Lee Garmes won the first Best Cinematography Oscar to go to a talkie for Shanghai Express (1931/32).

Notable silent films:

  • Notable silents from the talkie era:
    • City Lights (1931) -- Charlie Chaplin's first refusal to acknowledge talkies
    • Tabu (1931)--the last film of F.W. Murnau, about a forbidden romance between two Pacific Islanders
    • Modern Times (1936) -- Charlie Chaplin's second refusal to acknowledge talkies
    • The Thief (1952) -- spy thriller starring Ray Milland, told without any dialogue
    • Silent Movie (1976) -- Mel Brooks makes a tribute to silent slapstick
    • Koyaanisqatsi (1983) -- Kind of a documentary, but really more of a film collage portraying the state of modern civilization, told without any dialogue or narration
    • The Triplets of Belleville (2003) -- animated film with songs but almost no spoken dialogue
    • The Artist (2011) -- A deliberately Retraux romantic comedy about, appropriately enough, a silent movie star who struggles to adjust to talkies

Notable talkies about the silent film era:

Notable silent film stars:

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