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!]

Suspense (1962) Classic Tv Dvd 35 EpisodesSuspense (1962) Classic Tv Dvd 35 Episodes $22.87 Best Silent Movies Collection – 15 Classic Films on Dvd | Vintage FilmsBest Silent Movies Collection – 15 Classic Films on Dvd | Vintage Films $15.39
Columbia Classics Vol 5: Bonus Disc_ 5 Films from the 1920s! Free ShippingColumbia Classics Vol 5: Bonus Disc_ 5 Films from the 1920s! Free Shipping $15.99 The Golden Age of Musicals (17 Classic Films) [New Dvd]The Golden Age of Musicals (17 Classic Films) [New Dvd] $14.53
Tcm Greatest Classic Film Collection: GangstersTcm Greatest Classic Film Collection: Gangsters $7.47 Film ClassicsFilm Classics $11.25
Movie Classics #1 The Creature Photocopy Comic BookMovie Classics #1 The Creature Photocopy Comic Book $10.00 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
#1 Old Classic Movies 1930-1975 Dvd Lot Pick & Choose $5 Flat CombinedShip#1 Old Classic Movies 1930-1975 Dvd Lot Pick & Choose $5 Flat CombinedShip $2.00 to This Man Dawson (1959) Classic Tv 26 Episodes On DvdThis Man Dawson (1959) Classic Tv 26 Episodes On Dvd $23.09
4 Film Favorites: Classic Horse Films4 Film Favorites: Classic Horse Films $5.54 Classic Movie Dvds~Free Shipping w/ purchase of 4~#4AClassic Movie Dvds~Free Shipping w/ purchase of 4~#4A $5.00
John Wayne Screen Legend Collection 3 Dvd 5 Movies Brand New Sealed Tcm ClassicsJohn Wayne Screen Legend Collection 3 Dvd 5 Movies Brand New Sealed Tcm Classics $3.95 New ListingMoguls & Movie Stars A History Of Hollywood Tcm Turner Classic Movies DvdNew ListingMoguls & Movie Stars A History Of Hollywood Tcm Turner Classic Movies Dvd $14.98
Tcm Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-NighTcm Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Nigh $8.49 Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30-Film Collection Blu-ray Edgar Barrier NewUniversal Classic Monsters Complete 30-Film Collection Blu-ray Edgar Barrier New $62.03
Captain Courageous 1937 - 1080P Bluray Film ClassicCaptain Courageous 1937 - 1080P Bluray Film Classic $12.75 Milton Berle Movie Collection (1932-1937) – 12 Classic Films On DvdMilton Berle Movie Collection (1932-1937) – 12 Classic Films On Dvd $17.99
New Listing4 Film Favorites: Classic Horse Films (Black Beauty, National Velvet, Intern.New Listing4 Film Favorites: Classic Horse Films (Black Beauty, National Velvet, Intern. $4.46 New ListingGreat Cinema: 15 Classic Films [4 Disc Set] [Dvd]New ListingGreat Cinema: 15 Classic Films [4 Disc Set] [Dvd] $9.95
Tcm Greatest Classic Films: Musicals Double Feature, Brand New Sealed*Tcm Greatest Classic Films: Musicals Double Feature, Brand New Sealed* $14.99 This Was Hollywood: Forgotten Stars & Stories (Turner Classic Movies, Tcm) [NewThis Was Hollywood: Forgotten Stars & Stories (Turner Classic Movies, Tcm) [New $23.41
True Blood: Complete Sookie Stackhouse Collection 13 Books Boxset - Fiction- PbTrue Blood: Complete Sookie Stackhouse Collection 13 Books Boxset - Fiction- Pb $40.49 Walt Disney Classics 24-Movies Animation Collection (Dvd Box Set )Region 1 &NewWalt Disney Classics 24-Movies Animation Collection (Dvd Box Set )Region 1 &New $16.89
Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 19 - Very GoodLeonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 19 - Very Good $6.08 Steve McQueen Action Dvds 50 Classic FilmsSteve McQueen Action Dvds 50 Classic Films $8.25
New Listing50 x Film Classics Cd Oct 2014 3 Discs, Decca.New.Factory Sealed!New Listing50 x Film Classics Cd Oct 2014 3 Discs, Decca.New.Factory Sealed! $12.45 Llumar FormulaOne Classic Carbon-Ceramic 20% Vlt 40" In x 20' Ft Window TintLlumar FormulaOne Classic Carbon-Ceramic 20% Vlt 40" In x 20' Ft Window Tint $57.36
New ListingFilm Noir Classics Collection Vol 4. (Dvd) Timeless Suspense Thrillers Pre-OwnedNew ListingFilm Noir Classics Collection Vol 4. (Dvd) Timeless Suspense Thrillers Pre-Owned $34.95 Crime Classics 50 Movie Pack Dvd New SealedCrime Classics 50 Movie Pack Dvd New Sealed $12.40
And Then There Were None 1945 2-Dvd Color B&W Classic Film Noir Murder MysteryAnd Then There Were None 1945 2-Dvd Color B&W Classic Film Noir Murder Mystery $10.89 Film Noir Classic Collection: Volume Five [New Dvd] Full Frame, Mono Sound, AmFilm Noir Classic Collection: Volume Five [New Dvd] Full Frame, Mono Sound, Am $39.40
Must-See Sci-fi: 50 Movies That Are Out of This World (Turner Classic Movies) bMust-See Sci-fi: 50 Movies That Are Out of This World (Turner Classic Movies) b $8.49 New ListingGullivers Travels Dvd. 1939 New SealedNew ListingGullivers Travels Dvd. 1939 New Sealed $5.00
New ListingTom Cruise 25 Years Box Set of 25 Classic Films on Dvd. This was an exclusive OpNew ListingTom Cruise 25 Years Box Set of 25 Classic Films on Dvd. This was an exclusive Op $100.00 Tcm Turner Classic Movies: Greatest Classic Films Brand New DvdTcm Turner Classic Movies: Greatest Classic Films Brand New Dvd $9.99
Sci-Fi Classics 50 Movie Pack [ ]Sci-Fi Classics 50 Movie Pack [ ] $6.85 Hong Kong (1960) – Rare Classic Adventure Tv Series On Dvd – 27 EpisodesHong Kong (1960) – Rare Classic Adventure Tv Series On Dvd – 27 Episodes $20.29
Tcm Greatest Classic Legends Film Collection: Humphrey Bogart (Dvd)NewTcm Greatest Classic Legends Film Collection: Humphrey Bogart (Dvd)New $18.99 Great Cinema: 15 Classic Films (4 Disc Set) - Dvd - GoodGreat Cinema: 15 Classic Films (4 Disc Set) - Dvd - Good $191.96
Thriller movies: Classic films of suspense and mystery (The Movie treasury)Thriller movies: Classic films of suspense and mystery (The Movie treasury) $5.62 Subspecies Collection - The First Three Classic Films - Blu-Ray - Rare - New!Subspecies Collection - The First Three Classic Films - Blu-Ray - Rare - New! $35.00
Tcm Classic Movie Trivia: Featuring More Than 4,000 Questions to Test You - GoodTcm Classic Movie Trivia: Featuring More Than 4,000 Questions to Test You - Good $4.92 Universal Horror: Classic Movie Archive Used Dvd Terror Classics Like NewUniversal Horror: Classic Movie Archive Used Dvd Terror Classics Like New $4.99
Bus Stop (1961) Rare Classic Tv Dvd 8 EpisodesBus Stop (1961) Rare Classic Tv Dvd 8 Episodes $13.87 New ListingTcm Greatest Classic Films Collection Lot Of 6 Dvd Sets Musicals War Ww2 WesternNew ListingTcm Greatest Classic Films Collection Lot Of 6 Dvd Sets Musicals War Ww2 Western $50.00
Tightrope 1959 Tv Series Dvd – 30 Episodes – Classic Crime Drama – RareTightrope 1959 Tv Series Dvd – 30 Episodes – Classic Crime Drama – Rare $22.50 New ListingCary Grant Dvd 4 Movie Set Tcm Greatest Classic Movies Collection New Sealed<!-F/->New ListingCary Grant Dvd 4 Movie Set Tcm Greatest Classic Movies Collection New Sealed $15.95
This Man Dawson (1959)Classic Tv Dvd 26 EpisodesThis Man Dawson (1959)Classic Tv Dvd 26 Episodes $17.62 New ListingTcm Greatest Classic Films Collection: Horror (Dvd)New ListingTcm Greatest Classic Films Collection: Horror (Dvd) $5.99
📀 Eleanor Powell Classic Movie Collection – 10 Full-Length Films on Dvd📀 Eleanor Powell Classic Movie Collection – 10 Full-Length Films on Dvd $12.59 1960s Classic Movies, Titles added, You Pick, Spend $10 for Free Shipping1960s Classic Movies, Titles added, You Pick, Spend $10 for Free Shipping $3.99 to
Classic Westerns: 10 Movie CollectionClassic Westerns: 10 Movie Collection $6.66
Click to see more Classics items at www.ebay.com
Prices current as of last update, 07/12/25 8:31pm.

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay