Your Go-To Silent Feature

Anything and everything silent photoplay!
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Kitty
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Your Go-To Silent Feature

Post by Kitty »

When you think of silent film, what are your go-to features that your mind automatically conjures? That is, what are the ones that have you that really happy feeling and renewed your love of silent film once again?
Some of mine are in no particular order:

Snow White (1916)
Peter Pan (1924)
Greed (1924)
La Roue (1923)
The Scarlet Letter (1926)
Broken Blossoms (1919)
Suds (1920)
Sparrows (1926)
True Heart Susie (1919)

The Torrent (1926) I have to add that one, because it was my first silent film ever, therefore it lit the silent film flame of my heart.

That is just a partial list. I'll add more as I think of them!
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: Your Go-To Silent Feature

Post by donnie »

Wonderful question! There are several on your list I've not seen! I'll formulate my list post it later.

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donnie
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Re: Your Go-To Silent Feature

Post by donnie »

I've got to learn about some like Suds, The Torrent, and La Roue that I'm completely unfamiliar with.
Here is my list. It is from a comment I made on one of Lea's articles a couple of years ago, and it hasn't changed at this point.

The Blot (1921)
True Heart Susie (1919)
Miss Lulu Bett (1921) - Lois Wilson's acting is incredible in this one
Judex (1917) – technically cheating, since it’s a 13-part serial—but a must-see for sure
The Cheat (1915) – Sessue Hayakawa is unforgettable in this one
Nosferatu (1922)
Broken Blossoms (1919)
Man with a Movie Camera (1929) (Alloy Orchestra score a must)
Traffic in Souls (1913) – it’s primitiveness, sense of time and place fascinates me
La Souriante Madame Beudet (1922)

Runner-Ups:

Butcher Boy (1917) – a classic indeed. Buster, Fatty, Al all together!
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Mickey (1918) (tough choice between this and The Extra Girl)
The Freshman (1925) Harold Lloyd at his best
Matrimony’s Speed Limit (1913) – I’ve got an inexplicable affection for this little Alice Guy-Blaché gem
A House Divided (1913) – ditto
Female of the Species (1912) – a masterpiece, indeed—so many other Biographs I’d like to include
Hoodoo Ann (1916) – I first fell in love with Mae Marsh here
The Ocean Waif (1916) – damaged, but wonderful. The Jon Mirsalis score is a masterpiece.
Blind Husbands (1919) – von Stroheim, so fun to hate

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Kitty
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Re: Your Go-To Silent Feature

Post by Kitty »

Wow! Nice list. There are a bunch there what I have never even heard of!
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: Your Go-To Silent Feature

Post by donnie »

I was glad to see Broken Blossoms on your list. That was really my gateway drug. :) I happened to run across it one Sunday afternoon on the local PBS channel. I was mesmerized by it. And it had the Carl Davis orchestral score, which is hands-down the best score ever written for a silent film, in my opinion.

Having said that, it’s not actually something I prefer to watch too often, due to the disturbing subject matter. But what a poetic masterpiece it is!

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Kitty
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Re: Your Go-To Silent Feature

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donnie wrote:
Thu Mar 08, 2018 10:42 pm
I was glad to see Broken Blossoms on your list. That was really my gateway drug. :)
This is the movie that spurred my admiration of Lillian Gish. Her performance struck fear in my heart, as if I was truly scared for her.
donnie wrote:
Thu Mar 08, 2018 10:42 pm
Having said that, it’s not actually something I prefer to watch too often, due to the disturbing subject matter. But what a poetic masterpiece it is!
The subject matter is disturbing, of course, but the sheer beauty and quality of the film allows me to easily look past that. I could watch it every week for a year!
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: Your Go-To Silent Feature

Post by donnie »

Kitty wrote:
Thu Mar 08, 2018 11:12 pm
This is the movie that spurred my admiration of Lillian Gish. Her performance struck fear in my heart, as if I was truly scared for her.
Same here.
Kitty wrote:
Thu Mar 08, 2018 11:12 pm
The subject matter is disturbing, of course, but the sheer beauty and quality of the film allows me to easily look past that. I could watch it every week for a year!
I rewatch it in bits and pieces (as I seem to do a lot of things, for some reason) and just skip the ending. Many times I watch it for the Davis music.

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BettyLouSpence
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Re: Your Go-To Silent Feature

Post by BettyLouSpence »

Well these are the ones that immediately come to mind upon thinking of silent film:

It
Broken Blossoms
Wings
One Week
Poor Little Rich Girl
Sadie Thompson
Safety Last
The Gold Rush
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."
~ Cicero, Letters to Friends, Book IX Letter IV

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Kitty
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Re: Your Go-To Silent Feature

Post by Kitty »

That is a good list! There are three there that I have never seen.
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: Your Go-To Silent Feature

Post by donnie »

You know I've *still* yet to watch "It" all the way through. Got to remedy that!

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