Scenery art from Fritz Lang's Metropolis (Germany, 1927)One of the most enduring images of the silent era: Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (USA, 1925)A 1927 poster advertising Aelita: Queen of Mars (1924).

Discover great deals on the many hard to find and one of a kind items available only on ebay!


This site contains sponsored affiliate links.

Classics

A silent film is a film with no accompanying, synchronized recorded spoken dialogue. more...

HomeHome
ActionAction
Art FilmsArt Films
ClassicsClassics
12 Angry Men12 Angry Men
All About EveAll About Eve
Ben-HurBen-Hur
Butch Cassidy and the...Butch Cassidy and the...
CasablancaCasablanca
Citizen KaneCitizen Kane
City LightsCity Lights
Double IndemnityDouble Indemnity
Dr. StrangeloveDr. Strangelove
Duck SoupDuck Soup
For a Few Dollars MoreFor a Few Dollars More
Gone with the WindGone with the Wind
High NoonHigh Noon
It Happened One NightIt Happened One Night
It's a Wonderful LifeIt's a Wonderful Life
Kind Hearts and CoronetsKind Hearts and Coronets
Lawrence of ArabiaLawrence of Arabia
Metropolis movieMetropolis movie
Modern TimesModern Times
Mr. Smith Goes to WashingtonMr. Smith Goes to Washington
Nights of CabiriaNights of Cabiria
North by NorthwestNorth by Northwest
NotoriousNotorious
On the WaterfrontOn the Waterfront
Once Upon a Time in the WestOnce Upon a Time in the West
Paths of GloryPaths of Glory
PsychoPsycho
RashomonRashomon
Rear WindowRear Window
RebeccaRebecca
Shadow of a DoubtShadow of a Doubt
Shichinin no samuraiShichinin no samurai
Singin' in the RainSingin' in the Rain
Some Like It Hot Some Like It Hot
Stalag 17Stalag 17
Strangers on a TrainStrangers on a Train
Sunset BoulevardSunset Boulevard
The Adventures of Robin HoodThe Adventures of Robin Hood
The African QueenThe African Queen
The Best Years of Our LivesThe Best Years of Our Lives
The Bicycle ThiefThe Bicycle Thief
The Big SleepThe Big Sleep
The Bridge on the River KwaiThe Bridge on the River Kwai
The Gold RushThe Gold Rush
The Good, the Bad and the...The Good, the Bad and the...
The Grapes of WrathThe Grapes of Wrath
The Great DictatorThe Great Dictator
The Great EscapeThe Great Escape
The Maltese FalconThe Maltese Falcon
The Night of the HunterThe Night of the Hunter
The Philadelphia StoryThe Philadelphia Story
The Seven SamuraiThe Seven Samurai
The Seventh SealThe Seventh Seal
The Third ManThe Third Man
The Treasure of the...The Treasure of the...
The Wages of FearThe Wages of Fear
The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz
To Kill a MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird
Touch of EvilTouch of Evil
VertigoVertigo
Witness for the ProsecutionWitness for the Prosecution
YojimboYojimbo
ComedyComedy
DocumentaryDocumentary
DramaDrama
HorrorHorror
Movie PropsMovie Props
Sci-Fi / FantasySci-Fi / Fantasy

The idea of combining motion pictures with recorded sound is nearly as old as the motion picture itself, but because of the technical challenges involved, most films were silent before the late 1920s.

History

The years before sound came to the movies are known as the silent era among film scholars and historians. The art of motion pictures grew into full maturity before silent films were replaced by talking pictures or talkies and many film buffs believe the esthetic quality of cinema actually decreased for several years as the new medium of sound was adapted to the movies. The visual quality of silent movies (especially those produced during the 1920s) was often extremely high but later televised presentations of poor, second or even third generation copies made from already damaged and neglected stock (usually played back at incorrect speeds and with inappropriate music) led to the widely held misconception that these films were primitive and barely watchable by modern standards.

Intertitles

Since silent films had no synchronized sound for dialogue, onscreen intertitles were used to narrate story points, present key dialogue and sometimes even comment on the action for the cinema audience. The title writer became a key professional in silent film and was often separate from the scenario writer who created the story. Intertitles (or titles as they were generally called at the time) often became graphic elements themselves, featuring illustrations or abstract decorations that commented on the action of the film or enhanced its atmosphere.

Live music and sound

Showings of silent films almost always featured live music, starting with the pianist at the first public projection of movies by the Lumière Brothers on December 28, 1895 in Paris (Cook, 1990). From the beginning, music was recognized as essential, contributing to the atmosphere and giving the audience vital emotional cues (musicians sometimes played on film sets during shooting for similar reasons). Small town and neighborhood movie theaters usually had a pianist. From the mid-teens onward, large city theaters tended to have organists or entire orchestras. Massive theatrical organs such as the famous "mighty Wurlitzer" could simulate some orchestral sounds along with a number of sound effects.

The scores for silents were often more or less improvised early in the medium's history. Once full features became commonplace, however, music compiled from Photoplay music by the pianist, organist, orchestra conductor or the movie studio itself, which would send out a cue sheet with the film. Starting with Joseph Carl Breil's score for D.W. Griffith's groundbreaking epic The Birth of a Nation (USA, 1915) it became relatively common for films to arrive at the exhibiting theater with original, specially composed scores (Eyman, 1997).

By the height of the silent era, movies were the single largest source of employment for instrumental musicians (at least in America) and the introduction of talkies, which happened simultaneously with the onset of the Great Depression, was devastating.

Film industries in some countries devised other ways of bringing sound to silents. The early cinema of Brazil featured fitas cantatas, filmed operettas with singers lip-synching behind the screen (Parkinson, 1995, p. 69). In Japan, films had not only live music, but the benshi, a live narrator who provided commentary and character voices. The benshi became a central element in Japanese film form, as well as providing translation for foreign (mostly American) movies (Standish, 2005). Their popularity was one reason why silents persisted well into the 1930s in Japan.

Acting techniques

The medium of silent film required a greater emphasis on body language and facial expression so the audience could better understand what an actor was feeling and portraying on screen. Combined with cultural differences arising from the passage of time, modern-day audiences may be disoriented watching some films from the silent era. Silent comedies tend to be more popular in the modern era than drama, partly because overacting is more natural in comedy. However, some silent films were quite subtly acted, depending on the director and the skill of the actors. Overacting in silent films was sometimes a habit actors transferred from their stage experience and directors who understood the intimacy of the new medium discouraged it.

Projection speed

Up until around 1925, most silent films were shot at slower speeds (or "frame rates") than sound films, typically at 16 to 23 frames per second depending on the year and studio, rather than 24 frames per second. Unless carefully shown at their original speeds they can appear unnaturally fast and jerky, which reinforces their alien appearance to modern viewers. At the same time, some scenes were intentionally undercranked during shooting in order to accelerate the action, particularly in the case of slapstick comedies. The intended frame rate of a silent film can be ambiguous and since they were usually hand cranked there can even be variation within one film. Film speed is often a vexed issue among scholars and film buffs in the presentation of silents today, especially when it comes to DVD releases of "restored" films; the 2002 restoration of Metropolis (Germany, 1927) may be the most fiercely debated example.

Most films seem to have been shown at 18 fps or higher - some even faster than what would become sound film speed (24 fps). Even if shot at 16 fps (often cited as "silent speed"), the projection of a nitrate base 35mm film at such a slow speed carried a considerable risk of fire. Oftentimes projectionists would receive instructions from the distributors as to how fast particular reels or scenes should be projected on the musical director's cue sheet. Theaters also sometimes varied their projection speeds depending on the time of day or popularity of a film in order to maximize profit.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]

Tcm Greatest Classic Films Collection: Romantic Comedies (Adam's Rib / Wo - GoodTcm Greatest Classic Films Collection: Romantic Comedies (Adam's Rib / Wo - Good $7.72 Tcm Classic Films Collection - The Thin Man (Dvd, 2011) - ReadTcm Classic Films Collection - The Thin Man (Dvd, 2011) - Read $16.00
The Gorilla 1939 Dvd Movie Thriller Film classic Bela Lugosi The Ritz BrothersThe Gorilla 1939 Dvd Movie Thriller Film classic Bela Lugosi The Ritz Brothers $7.89 Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From - GoodTurner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From - Good $6.47
Silent Movie Mel Brooks Comedy Classic Dvd NewSilent Movie Mel Brooks Comedy Classic Dvd New $18.49 New ListingLot of 10 Classic Dvds - Iconic Movies, Famous Actors, Timeless ClassicsNew ListingLot of 10 Classic Dvds - Iconic Movies, Famous Actors, Timeless Classics $7.00
The.Two.Mrs.Carrolls.1947 1080P Bluray Film Noir ClassicThe.Two.Mrs.Carrolls.1947 1080P Bluray Film Noir Classic $12.75 Captain Courageous 1937 - 1080P Bluray Film ClassicCaptain Courageous 1937 - 1080P Bluray Film Classic $12.75
4 Film Favorites: Classic Horse Films4 Film Favorites: Classic Horse Films $4.58 Forbidden Planet (1956) Action, Adventure, Sci-fi Classic DvdForbidden Planet (1956) Action, Adventure, Sci-fi Classic Dvd $14.99
Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30-film Collection Dvd Region 1Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30-film Collection Dvd Region 1 $54.69 Tcm Greatest Classic Films Collection: M DvdTcm Greatest Classic Films Collection: M Dvd $9.80
Classic Monsters-The Hammer Dracula Films Brand NewClassic Monsters-The Hammer Dracula Films Brand New $33.00 It Came From Outer Space 1953 Classic DvdIt Came From Outer Space 1953 Classic Dvd $14.99
New ListingTcm Greatest Classic Films Collection War Factory Sealed Dvd John WayneOpens in a new window or tabBrand New · Dvd · SetNew ListingTcm Greatest Classic Films Collection War Factory Sealed Dvd John WayneOpens in a new window or tabBrand New · Dvd · Set $12.95 Hollywood Classics The Golden Age Movie - Dvd - Very GoodHollywood Classics The Golden Age Movie - Dvd - Very Good $7.93
Classic Westerns 10-Movie Collection Dvd Barbara Britton New<script type=el();Classic Westerns 10-Movie Collection Dvd Barbara Britton Newcript type="text/javascript">eb(16, 'price_link'); $9.99 Lot Of 20 Old School Classic Movies Dvd Vintage '40s '50s '60s Hepburn *As Is*Lot Of 20 Old School Classic Movies Dvd Vintage '40s '50s '60s Hepburn *As Is* $20.00
Classic Television Tv Commercials Volume 2 DvdClassic Television Tv Commercials Volume 2 Dvd $7.99 Mystery Classics DvdsMystery Classics Dvds $11.99
Brand New Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30-Film Collection Dvd Box SetBrand New Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30-Film Collection Dvd Box Set $54.69 Classic Mystery: Night Of Terror (1933)Classic Mystery: Night Of Terror (1933) $13.00
New ListingWestern Films of John Ford Movie History Classic Cinema 1974 First EditionNew ListingWestern Films of John Ford Movie History Classic Cinema 1974 First Edition $9.99 Tarzan Collection (12 Films) New Pal Classic 7-Dvd Set Weissmuller O'SullivanTarzan Collection (12 Films) New Pal Classic 7-Dvd Set Weissmuller O'Sullivan $68.99
5 Film Classic Comedy Collection Volume 2 Dvd New5 Film Classic Comedy Collection Volume 2 Dvd New $9.99 Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) Blu-ray - Rare Russ Meyer Cult Classic!Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) Blu-ray - Rare Russ Meyer Cult Classic! $49.99
Tcm Greatest Classic Films: Legends - Paul Newman (4Fe) - Dvd By Various - GoodTcm Greatest Classic Films: Legends - Paul Newman (4Fe) - Dvd By Various - Good $15.02 New ListingGreat Cinema ClassicsNew ListingGreat Cinema Classics $4.91
The Thin Man (1957) Classic Tv 36 Episodes Peter Lawford Crime DramaThe Thin Man (1957) Classic Tv 36 Episodes Peter Lawford Crime Drama $29.99 Hercules Widescreen Dvd 1958 original classic Film Action Steve Reeves MovieHercules Widescreen Dvd 1958 original classic Film Action Steve Reeves Movie $8.89
New ListingClassic Archive Collector’S Edition 4 Conductors Blu-Ray Concerti Symphony BbcNew ListingClassic Archive Collector’S Edition 4 Conductors Blu-Ray Concerti Symphony Bbc $59.99 Vintage films on Dvd from the 1930s, '40s, '50 & '60s Flat $5 combined shippingVintage films on Dvd from the 1930s, '40s, '50 & '60s Flat $5 combined shipping $1.99 to
Frankenstein Complete Legacy Collection (Dvd) New Sealed W/Slip 8 Classic FilmsFrankenstein Complete Legacy Collection (Dvd) New Sealed W/Slip 8 Classic Films $11.95 Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi Horror Classics Collection Dvd Boris Karloff NewBoris Karloff and Bela Lugosi Horror Classics Collection Dvd Boris Karloff New $8.99
4 Movie Marathon: Classic Western Collec Dvd4 Movie Marathon: Classic Western Collec Dvd $6.35 New ListingTcm Greatest Classic Legends Collection-Eleanor Powell (Dvd) Brand New Sealed!New ListingTcm Greatest Classic Legends Collection-Eleanor Powell (Dvd) Brand New Sealed! $60.00
Invisible Invaders 1959 Classic Sci-Fi/Horror DvdInvisible Invaders 1959 Classic Sci-Fi/Horror Dvd $14.99 British Horror Classic: Man Without A BodyBritish Horror Classic: Man Without A Body $15.00
Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers (Turner Classic Movies) bHollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers (Turner Classic Movies) b $12.72 4 Film Favorites: Classic Comedies (Dvd)New4 Film Favorites: Classic Comedies (Dvd)New $9.99
4 Film Favorites: Classic Comedies (The Man Who Knew Too Little, The Man with Tw4 Film Favorites: Classic Comedies (The Man Who Knew Too Little, The Man with Tw $6.99 Classic Movie Dvds~Free Shipping w/ purchase of 4~#6A</div>Opens in a new window or tabNew (Other)Classic Movie Dvds~Free Shipping w/ purchase of 4~#6AOpens in a new window or tabNew (Other) $5.00
Classic & Musical Tcm Dvd Movies Pick and Choose 1980's - Flat Rate ShippingClassic & Musical Tcm Dvd Movies Pick and Choose 1980's - Flat Rate Shipping $1.99 to Tcm Greatest Classic Films: American Musicals (Dvd, 2009, 2-Disc Set)Tcm Greatest Classic Films: American Musicals (Dvd, 2009, 2-Disc Set) $18.99
45 Titles added -1950s Classic Movies Dvd, You Pick, Spend $10 for Free Shipping45 Titles added -1950s Classic Movies Dvd, You Pick, Spend $10 for Free Shipping $4.99 to Tcm Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic . (paperback)Tcm Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic . (paperback) $4.79
Llumar FormulaOne Classic Carbon-Ceramic 20% Vlt 20" In x 20' Ft Window TintLlumar FormulaOne Classic Carbon-Ceramic 20% Vlt 20" In x 20' Ft Window Tint $40.96 Classic Monsters (Complete 30-Film Collection)Classic Monsters (Complete 30-Film Collection) $183.87
The Vincent Price Collection 1 Blu-Ray 6-Film SetThe Vincent Price Collection 1 Blu-Ray 6-Film Set $18.99 Classic Movie/Tv Dvds and Blu-rays R thru Z $2.95-$9.95 Buy More Save Up To 25%Classic Movie/Tv Dvds and Blu-rays R thru Z $2.95-$9.95 Buy More Save Up To 25% $2.95 to
Classic Movie Dvds~Free Shipping w/ purchase of 4~#B8Classic Movie Dvds~Free Shipping w/ purchase of 4~#B8 $5.00 Universal Studios Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film CollectionUniversal Studios Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection $76.50
Click to see more Classics items at www.ebay.com
Prices current as of last update, 05/15/25 4:01am.

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay