National Silent Movie Day

Today we celebrate the first annual National Silent Movie Day. It's a day to celebrate, and bring attention to preserving and creating access to silent movies." Fans of this forgotten art form are thrilled for the recognition, but for many of us, everyday is silent movie day. My hope for this date, and for the future, is that September 29th will peak the curiosity of those who are not aware of the beauty and wonderment that is silent film. And hopefully, we'll get a few converts today, and the through years to come.

It's been a frustrating journey attempting to get viewers on board the silent movie train. There seems to be this preconceived notion that all films made before 1930 were pie throwing comedies full of wild chases and knockabout humor. And while true, the comedies of the the 1910's were often outlandish slapstick extravaganza's, they did become more sophisticated over the years. By the 1920's all styles of comedy, from romantic to satire and everything in between, were being viewed and enjoyed by the movie going public. In fact, some of the best comedies and comic performances I've seen have been from the silent era.

I won't go into the genius of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, or Harold Lloyd. Their films are readily available as well as numerous books on their lives and their impact on modern film. They each had their own unique style that developed and grew from their early years of physical comedy. What so many people are not aware of, though, are the volume of really good comedy films and actors from the silent era that did not rely on physical humor to carry a film

Silent movie fans are very familiar with the work of Marion Davies, but to the casual movie goer she was nothing more than the long time mistress of William Randolph Hearst. His newspapers may have given her glowing reviews and built up her career, but a look back at her films will prove that she didn't need a sugar daddy to become a star. If anything, I believe the impact Hearst had on her career actually held her back from meeting her true potential. Her comic work in The Patsy is quite impressive, but it's the movie, Show People, alongside her co-star, William Haines, that is proof that many of the comedies of the silent era were much more than just pratfalls.

And speaking of William Haines, there's a reason he was one of the top box office draws by the end of the 1920's. Today he is more well known as the man who left a thriving Hollywood career to live his life as an openly gay man, becoming one of the country's top interior designers. But in his early years he was one of the most charming actors upon the screen. Haines's silent films, especially his wonderful work in Brown of Harvard, Go Tell the Marines, and the aforementioned Show People are perfect examples of the quality of acting in the silent era.

The "IT Girl," Clara Bow

Throughout the years, many people have heard the term, "IT Girl" and think of the '70's and '80's models, Marisa Berenson or Grace Jones. However, they weren't the first. One of the earliest "IT Girls" was the famed model of the early 1900's, Evelyn Nesbit. She would soon be forever replaced by silent film star, Clara Bow. And Bow's staring vehicle, appropriately titled, IT, proved then, and still today, the appeal this winning actress had over both men and women. I can't imagine anyone watching that movie today and not believing that Clara Bow had "IT."

The list of non-physical comic stars and movies of the 1920's are way too numerous to be included here, but I feel the need to mention Colleen Moore, Neil Hamilton, Gloria Swanson, Wallace Reid, Bebe Daniels, and Beatrice Lillie, who in the film Exit Smiling, is celluloid proof of an actress matching Charlie Chaplin in her equal mixture of comedy and pathos. However, I feel the true master of silent comedy without relying on slapstick was Constance Talmadge.

Unfortunately, many of her films are either lost or in private collections unattainable to the public. The ones that are available, though, are a gold mine of light-hearted fun and romance. I would recommend starting with what I consider to be Constance Talmadge's best film, Her Sister From Paris, co-staring a very young Ronald Coleman. She plays twin sisters - one married to her husband, and the other, the object of his desires. Other actors have played twins before, but one can usually tell them apart by a wig or some character trait. Not here. The transformation from one sister to the other is done with no change in make-up or hairstyle, and yet the audience has no problem knowing who is who at all times - a true sign of the talent and charm of Constance Talmadge.

But enough of the comedies. Now on to the dramas. Another misconception of the silent era is that all the serious films are laughable because of melodramatic cartoonish overacting. This is simply not true. When the sound era took over, the studios were, for some reason, embarrassed by their earlier efforts. If the old silent films weren't destroyed they were often recut and rereleased with the film being sped up while adding silly narration that would not only change the plots, but severely cheapen the movies as well. This, along with popular sound films like Singing in the Rain, which poked fun at the silent era, helped destroy the beauty and art that is the silent film.

The movie, The Crowd often makes many film scholars top 50 list. The direction and vision of director King Vidor is one of the reasons, but it's the realistic, heartbreaking portrayal of dreams shattered by marriage, from actors James Murray and Eleanor Boardman that etch itself into the memories of those who have seen the film. And considering there is not one spoken word of dialogue, this classic releases a powerhouse of emotions.

Another excellent movie from that same year, 1927, was Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, which gave Janet Gaynor the very first Oscar for Best Actress. Unfortunately, her co-star, George O'Brien, wasn't even nominated. That's a shame for he gives an equally compelling performance as a man who rediscovers his love of his wife while in the process of plotting her murder. There's nothing laughable here - only top notch acting that can easily stand beside the best performances of today.

Paul Robeson in Body and Soul

Unfortunately, there were great films and performances in the early days of moviemaking that were not seen by all. Sadly, segregation was alive and thriving in the 1920's and because of that, films with all black casts featuring stories for black audiences by black filmmakers, like Oscar Micheaux, were shown only in black movie theatres. These were called at the time, "race films" and they tackled all subjects their audience could relate to while at the same time giving them encouragement to "further the race" in a positive direction.

One of the best performances of the silent era, or any era, came from Paul Robeson in the "race film" Body and Soul. His ultra realistic portrayal of a man impersonating a minister in a small town is a powerful look at trust, religion, and greed, which to this day is still relevant. Less then 100 of the silent films made for black audiences survive today, but thanks to the work of the Library of Congress they are slowly being saved from oblivion. And the good news is that many are available on DVD.

Renee Falconetti in The Passion of Joan of Arc

In talking about the excellent acting that can be found in the silent era, it would be a crime not to mention Renee Falconetti. Many modern day film critics, including Roger Ebert, have said that her work in The Passion of Joan of Arc is one of the greatest performances in the history of film. And I don't know anyone who has seen this film that would disagree with that statement.

I have not even touched the surface on the many great movies and actors of the silent era. I didn't get into the wonderfully realistic performances that can be found by Louise Brooks in Pandora's Box, Lillian Gish in both Broken Blossoms and Way Down East and of course just about anything that featured Lon Chaney. My hope here, is that on this, the first annual Silent Movie Day, those of you who may not be familiar with the silent era, will not only give these films a thought, but give them your attention as well. I'm confident you will find many that will impress you.