Until 1927 films had no soundtrack, they were totally silent. If the characters had things to say they would move their lips, then the picture would cut to a card with the dialogue written out. That would stay up usually long enough for people to read it, then they would go back to the live action. If the movie had a music score, that was played live by someone in the theatre, usually on piano or organ. And that's how movies were during the silent era....Silent. That all changed with the movie "The Jazz Singer", and the age of the "Talkies" was about to begin.
Silent film was popular from around the turn of the 20th century until around the 1930s. The first movies with sound started coming out in the mid-to-late 1920s.
Silent films were popular because movies with sound hadn't been invented yet. Silent films were the first movies ever; the "moving pictures" were a brand-new invention. Since people hadn't yet experienced movies with sound, let alone color and special effects of any kind, silent movies were very exciting to them.
1920's
Felix the Cat .
The difference between silent film and sound film is because that silent film has no sound whatsoever and a sound film has sounds in it
They could not overlay words digitally atop a frame of film so they inserted dialogue frames separately after action scenes. Basically because during the era of silent film, they lacked digital technology.
The Silent Enemy - film - was created in 1958.
1920's
Miming refers to the use of pantomiming, whereas silent clowns were the actors of the silent film era. Pantomiming was originally used in the theatre of Ancient Greece. Silent clowns came about during the silent film era, which began around the year 1900.
Felix the Cat .
kohinoor talkies
Count Dracula was in the habit of saying 'Good Evening' Count Orlock didn't speak at all (silent film era)
Patrick Keating has written: 'Hollywood lighting from the silent era to film noir'
The difference between silent film and sound film is because that silent film has no sound whatsoever and a sound film has sounds in it
Poverty row
a silent film is 'un film muet' in French.
They could not overlay words digitally atop a frame of film so they inserted dialogue frames separately after action scenes. Basically because during the era of silent film, they lacked digital technology.
Singin' in the Rain
Silent Cry - film - was created in 2002.