Silent Shorts

Anything and everything silent photoplay!
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donnie
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Re: Silent Shorts

Post by donnie »

Kitty wrote:
Tue Sep 19, 2017 3:22 pm
You're welcome I'm glad they were helpful! I know it can become too much work for most people to have to translate intertitles. I'll do that for now on!
:D Those Dutch ones do throw me!

One little detail I noticed in that film that seemed odd—the little boy shaking hands with his stepmother as she is lying in bed with the baby. Judging from what I've noticed in a lot of silents, handshaking was a different thing 100 years ago. People shook hands a lot more and in situations and with people that they wouldn't today. Have you noticed that?

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Kitty
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Re: Silent Shorts

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To answer your question---no, I haven't noticed that. But I'm going to notice it for now on, I'm sure!
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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donnie
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Re: Silent Shorts

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Also, holding hands. I've noticed that a lot of young women (friends) in films of the 30's and on back often hold hands as they are walking along the street, etc. Today that might be, er, misinterpreted I guess.

Online there is a film made at a small town near me in the 1930's, just showing life, various scenes on the streets, etc. One of the things the film featured was young people coming out of the school building at the end of the day. (It's actually the same building I went to grades 1-3 in.) I noticed several of the girls holding hands, and sometimes males, although it seemed to be older boys holding small boys' hands (probably brothers).

I wonder if physical contact in day-to-day friendly ways in general was once more common than it is now?

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Kitty
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Re: Silent Shorts

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I'd love to see that film! What's it called? I've noticed the holding hands thing and the kissing on the mouth.
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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donnie
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Re: Silent Shorts

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Gosh, I'm not sure. I'll see if I can find it. I think it was put online by the University of Georgia for its historical interest. It was filmed in Bowman, which is a really small little country town.

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donnie
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Re: Silent Shorts

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Here it is—don't know if it will be of interest to you or not. Yes, it is part of the UGA archive. One thing you will notice, too, if you watch it, is how much the adults horsed around and kidded each other. I think that's something maybe we have talked about before, (?) the evidence from old films of how much fun people seemed to have back then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ebAUMPQwdI

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Kitty
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Re: Silent Shorts

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Oh, man! I want to watch the rest of it!! That was interesting. Seems like a home video.
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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donnie
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Re: Silent Shorts

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Yes, I think that's essentially what it was. Somebody just figured they would take a camera to town and see what they could film. My grandparents lived in that area all their lives, and I'm sure they would have known who many of those people are—maybe most of them, it being a very small town where almost everyone knew each other, and each other's family history. My father might have been able to identify some as well. I wish I had them back to ask... :(

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Kitty
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Re: Silent Shorts

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Here is a very strange film called Mixed Babies (1905) about babies who are left outside in their bassinets while their parents go into a store and a mean man switches them. It's an incomplete film, but you get the idea of it.

http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/mixed-babies
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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donnie
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Re: Silent Shorts

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Man, what a weird one. I'm not sure I'd want to see what's coming next... :shock: :D

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