Silent-ology

Welcome! Silent-ology is lovingly devoted to exploring the silent era. I specialize in vintage photos, ads, and more, and you can find even more goodies at my blog, silentology.wordpress.com.

[silent-ology]

A cheery yellow lobby card for that great classic, Wings (1927).

[the1920sinpictures]

1920′s publicity shot of Vilma Banky.

[busterkeatonsociety]

busterkeaton.org/busterbinge

If you haven’t got round to watching ‘One Week’ yet as part of our #BusterBinge, here’s a question for ya?

How did they do this scene?

[twixnmix]

Happy Birthday Rudolph Valentino!

(May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926)

Born in Castellaneta, Italy, Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella, immigrated to the United States in 1913. He worked as a dancer in New York then eventually relocated to Hollywood, taking up small film roles until he landed his breakout role in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921). He became idolized as the “Great Lover” of the 1920s Hollywood silent movie era. He also helped to define stardom and represented the screen’s first “Latin lover.”  He starred in several romantic dramas, including The Sheik (1921), Blood and Sand (1922),  The Eagle (1925), and one of cinema’s first sequels The Son Of The Sheik (1926). His premature death, at the age of 31, increased his legendary status, especially among his large female following. 

[silent-ology]

Probably my favorite portrait of Pola Negri. Fabulous!

[silent-ology]

A colorful lobby card from Coney Island (1928), an Ince film starring Lois Wilson. It’s thought to be a lost film.

[redhairclara]

Clara Bow photographed by George P. Hommel for Dangerous Curves, 1929

[silent-ology]

How To Set Up A DIY At-Home Silent Film Festival!

Good heavens, what a lot of changes there’s been since the blogathon! I’m sure many of you are either homebound or staying in as much as possible, and are probably already wondering&#82…

Need a little something to look forward to during this unprecedented time? Why not put together your very own at-home silent film festival? (Or just “film festival” in general, of course. :-D ) And I’m not talking just binge-watching whatever pops up on YouTube. ;-) You never know, this could be the start of your own annual tradition, too! 

[silent-ology]

The Sixth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon

Aaaaand we’re back! Welcome, my friends, to: I feel like the past year really flew by, didn’t it? And now our ‘thon is on year 6–I can hardly believe it, folks! A hearty &#8…

I’m happy to announce that the annual Buster Keaton Blogathon on my blog, Silent-ology, is back for a 6th year in a row! Stop by throughout today and tomorrow to enjoy all the great posts. :-)

[mizworldofrandom]

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927)

[silent-ology]

Saw a nice print of this at the Kansas Silent Film Festival recently!

[rustedshutter]

Laura La Plante | 1927

[silent-ology]

Thoughts On: “Battleship Potemkin” (1925)

Think back to the last time you were at a movie theater, sitting through all the previews. We’re all familiar with the style of those previews: montages introduce the main characters, show pi…

It wouldn't be Soviet Silents Month on my blog without a look at one of the most famous films of all time.

[silent-ology]

Poster for the Soviet light comedy A Kiss From Mary Pickford (1927). This film was built around brief footage of a Soviet actor clowning with Mary Pickford, taken during Pickford’s 1925 tour of Russia with Douglas Fairbanks.

[silent-ology]

One of countless dramatic stills from BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN (1925).

[silent-ology]

“Art Into Life”–The Radical History Of Soviet Silent Cinema

Post #1 of Soviet Silents Month is here! I hope you enjoy reading about this fascinating (and rather intense) area of film history! Few things summarize our idea of Soviet silent films better than …

My first post for Soviet Silents Month, running all February long on my Silent-ology blog! 

[saturdaynightmovie]

Clarine Seymour and Robert Harron in

True Heart Susie (1919)

Director: D.W. Griffith

It is really sad to know that both Clarine and Robert would be dead by Sept 1920, she after an operation,  and he from an accidental gun shot wound. Two great talents, lost. 

[silent-ology]

I couldn’t agree more--and Robert Harron happens to be one of my all-time favorite silent era actors, too.

[busterkeatonsociety]

#WIPWednesday Behind the scenes of ‘The Balloonatic’ released 97 years ago today!

busterkeaton.org/balloonatic