Technical quality was an important aspect of the production. Silent films had often been screened on television from poor-quality copies running at an inaccurate speed, usually accompanied by honky tonk piano music. Hollywood used silent film clips sourced from the best available material, shown at their original running speed via a polygonal prism telecine, and with an orchestral score, giving viewers a chance to see what they originally looked and sounded like. For instance, the first episode features a clip of Life of an American Fireman, produced in 1903 with the aforementioned stereotypical poor quality print and music and then compares that with a clip of The Fire Brigade, produced over two decades later in 1926, in a high quality print run at the proper speed with full orchestral accompaniment.
Nellie finds her way onto a motion picture set, and in a breathless sequence, Chazelle whips up a crazy quilt of action that showcases how he believes silent movies were made. Nellie is a natural, and a star is born. Manny works hard and decides that success for him means to keep on climbing the ladder of studio production. In one memorable and sublimely written scene, in a film filled with memorable scenes, Elinor has some strong advice for Jack about what audiences want and what fame really means.
hollywood a celebration of the american silent film download
Seen through a modern lens, Perry's "laziest man in the world" character can be painfully racist. Perry, a veteran of the vaudeville "Chitlin Circuit," got his break in Hollywood in 1927 when he was cast in the silent film In Old Kentucky. According to film historian Mel Watkins, Perry created the character to make himself stand out from other actors vying for the role.
One of the most beloved theaters in the country, the Silent Movie Theater is also the last of its kind. It was opened in 1942 by John and Dorothy Hampton, an Oklahoma couple, at a time when silent films had all but ceased to exist. During the next few decades, John Hampton was responsible for the restoration of countless silent films, protecting these treasures of cinema history.
Located in the heart of Hollywood, the theater currently holds screenings every week. It continues the tradition of silent films, with live organ accompaniment, on the first Wednesday and one floating Sunday afternoon of every month. In addition, the theater has been fully restored to its original, vintage 1940s art deco design; and also updated for the modern age with a larger screen, state-of-the-art sound, and nicer seating (including some very comfy sofas).
Chaplin stuck with the silents longer than any other Hollywood star but even he had to surrender to the talkies. He released The Great Dictator in 1940 and made sound films for the rest of his career. Soon, paternity suits and political woes would damage his popularity but the Chaplin brand was still going strong.
The Gold Rush had been a massive success for Chaplin in 1925 and only the coming of sound had ended its successful theatrical run. Chaplin hoped to revive the film and introduce his silent antics to a new generation but he knew that he could not release it as-is. So, he decided to turn his silent film into a semi-talkie by cutting out the title cards and adding new narration.
However, the version with narration can be helpful as an introduction to silent film. I have had pretty good success showing it to people who hesitated to see a full-blown silent with title cards. And once Chaplin hooks them, they are more likely to come back for a few Essanay shorts. 2ff7e9595c
Comments