Silent Movie Trivia

• In Steven Jay Schneider’s , 49 titles are silent films.

• Harold Lloyd (famous for hanging off of the minute hand of a large clock tower in  1923) was once handed what he thought was a prop bomb. He lit his cigarette with it only to discover it was a real one. It exploded and blew off his index finger and thumb. In future projects he would wear a white glove to hide this.

• You may have heard of (1927), the German silent film that went on to inspire , and the trilogy. Hitler and Goebbels were both admirers of the movie and told the Jewish director, Fritz Lang, that he could be an honourary Aryan, despite his race. Goebbels said to him, “Mr. Lang, we decide who is Jewish and who is not.” Lang left for Paris that night.

• has a famous scene were the front face of a building falls down on Buster Keaton, but he miraculously is untouched as a window opening is situated just perfectly to miss him (If this doesn’t make sense, look up “house falls on Buster Keaton” on YouTube.). It’s a real house wall, so it was a dangerous stunt. Half the crew walked out refusing to participate in something that could kill Keaton. It all worked out fine, of course, though Keaton had just received word that his studio was being shut down. He said that at the time he was so depressed about it, that inside he didn’t care if it killed him or not.

• Only two silent films have won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The first was the first ever winner of the award: (1927). The second came 84 years later: (2011).
  

• In 1928, Director Carl Dreyer discovered that the final cut of his film was accidentally destroyed. So he made the movie again using footage he had cut from the film. It went on to be one of the most revered and celebrated silent movie’s in history. 

• The first star to officially put their hand and foot prints in cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theater is Mary Pickford, Canadian silent movie actress.

• Lon Cheney was a very successful and skilled silent movie actor. He was excellent at using his hands to express, which came from having both parents being deaf and mute.

• If the old 1922 film looks scary or even “demonic,” consider this: In 1995 the Vatican compiled a list of 45 great movies, and was included.

• Rudolph Valentino is considered to be the first male sex symbol of the silent film era. When his popularity waned, his publicist shared with him an idea: grow a beard. The purpose was that people would be upset, then he would publicly have it shaved, and the attention would get him back in the limelight. It worked! The most outrage came from two groups: female fans and barber shop owners.

• The longest complete cut of the historic film short was found in a barn in France in 2002.

• Charlie Chaplin re-released (1925) in 1942 adding a musical score and sound effects. It was the only re-release to be nominated at the Oscars. And it won for best score and best sound. That’s right. A silent movie won the Best Sound award.

Congratulations This is your week.

Best Actress: Verna Felton as Fairy Godmother in

Best Actor: Russell Crowe as Maximus in

Best Quote: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” – Roy Scheider as Brody in

City Light (1931)

My top 10 favourite silent movies:

1. Seven Chances (1925)

2. Nosferatu (1922)

3. City Lights (1931)

4. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)

5. The General (1926)

6. Nanook of the North (1922, documentary)

7. The Gold Rush (1925)

8. Sherlock, Jr. (1924)

9. The Kid (1921)

10. The Phantom Carriage (1921)

Honourable Mentions: The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928); (1927)