Silent Screen Body Language

Just as some languages are beautiful to the ear, the language of silent film is beautiful to the eye.

Silent film is especially known for the emotions transmitted via the eyes, but the rest of the body was an equally important communication instrument when unspoken cinema was the universal language. A gesture, a glance, a movement, the placement of a hand, all had to be understood by various cultures wherever there was a movie palace. People around the world knew love, hate, joy, passion and fear when they saw it - no Rosetta Stone required.

The Eyes

The eyes are the window to the soul, right? So, any silent film performer worth his or her salt had to have expressive eyes.

Theda Bara's black-smudged eyes were synonymous with smoldering passion.

Gloria Swanson's gaze was intense. Here icy blue eyes were her trademark.

Buster Keaton may have been known as "The Great Stone Face," 

but his eyes spoke volumes.

The Hands
The elegant and delicate placement of the hand was a trademark silent film must.

Mary Miles Minter knew just how to gesture with her digits.

Mary Pickford's hands were an encyclopedia of expressions.

Lillian Gish often let her hands do the talking.

Charlie Chaplin's leading lady, Edna Purviance, 

had extremely expressive hands.

The Body
Some actors and actresses moved with a signature grace and purpose that was closer to dance than acting.

Douglas Fairbanks moved with a grace and athleticism 

that will never be equaled.

Chaplin moved with such grace and precision that 

W.C. Fields called him a ballet dancer.

Valentino's movements projected danger, passion and allure.

Lovely Clara Bow was always in motion. Only sound could slow her down.

They Had Faces
A gallery of fabulous faces:

The one and only Garbo

The great Norma Talmadge

The face of John Gilbert

The timeless beauty of Louise Brooks

The haunting face of Maria Falconetti

In all its variations, the face of Lon Chaney is unforgettable.

Above all, the silent cinema is a celebration of the human face and form. Its language speaks not only to the eyes, but also to the universal heart of mankind.

Constance Talmadge - LIVE in "Her Night of Romance" and Shouting Out About Silents

Ronald Colman and Constance Talmadge
flirt and skirt boundaries of propriety

I went to see a silent film last night.. in a theater! The accompanist and composer fired up the "organ" (actually Mr. Ben Model on his Miditzer Virtual Theatre Organ), the lights were dimmed and the audience was served a glass of sparkling cinematic champagne of a very rare vintage. It was all very heady stuff.

"Her Night of Romance" stars Constance Talmadge and Ronald Colman. We are all familiar with Mr. Colman as the sound star ("'tis a far, far better thing...") with the beautiful British accent. As a silent star he was equally appealing, maybe even more so, as he was so young, so handsome and, at least in this film, so seemingly good-natured. Funny that he payed an English Lord (impoverished) and it seemed so right, knowing how his voice sounded. When audience first saw this in 1924, they could only guess.

Constance Talmadge was, at the time and throughout the silent era, a huge star who is now largely forgotten. She and her sister, Norma, were the queens of comedy and tragedy, respectively. While Norma's name still rings a faraway bell to some, Constance is rarely mentioned, her films rarely screened. So, imagine my delight when this bubbly, effervescent, intoxicating (did I say she was like a glass of champagne?) woman appeared on the screen and took over the film. She is fresh, funny, natural and feminine. Lovely and frisky, but slightly screwball, she is a precursor to Carole Lombard. The racy bedroom scenes between the two stars do raise an eyebrow, but they are put across in such a charming manner that the censors must have looked the other way. Ronnie and Connie were adorable (and pretty sexy).

All in all, the film is a delicious trifle given weight by two powerful star personalities and talents. Aiding the light-as-a-feather story is a first class production where no expense appeared to have been spared (after all, Connie's brother-in-law was  Joseph Schenck, powerful mogul and husband of Norma).

After seeing "A Night of Romance" I want more Connie Talmadge! Some of her films that are available on DVD include "Her Sister From Paris" and "The Duchess of Buffalo."

Chatting With Ben and Dylan 

at the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre

Not only does the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre provide great movies and programs (click here for a peek), but they also provide great ambiance. Before the show, I got a chance to speak with Ben Model, accompanist, composer, and silent film champion, and Dylan Skolnick, the Co-Director of the theater. Both were kind enough to take a few minutes in the theater's wonderful cafe (that has both red velvet cake and coconut cake, but I digress....) to talk about the evening's program and getting the word out about silent films to a larger audience.

Ben Model and Dylan Skolnick

Ben, who has been playing piano and organ and composing for silents at the Museum of Modern Art for over 20 years, said that he has played at several screenings of Constance Talmadge's films over the last few years that she is always a hit. However, the treat of our being able to see and enjoy Connie   is largely due to the efforts of the Library of Congress and various collectors who have recognized the value of these films and have saved them - just for us!  And thanks to these efforts, Connie's reputation is starting to come back. Ben acknowledges, however, that getting more than just the core group of fans out to see a silent film is a challenge.

Huntington Cinema Arts Centre Co-Director Dylan Skolnick agreed. The theater, which has been championing silent films for decades, faces the challenge of reaching out to a wider audience with each showing. "Silent films," he said, "are very far away from most people's experience of film. But once they have the experience, they fall in love with it. It's really about the experience. There is a  different feel to these films which have a visual, poetic quality."

Dylan summed it up, I think, perfectly:" If you love movies, this is the heart." 

It was fun just to listen to two people who really love what they do and want to share their passion with a larger audience.

Ben and Dylan also opened up about the rest of the 2011 Silent Film Series at the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre. Check out this lineup:

Library of Congress Rare Comedy Shorts (hand picked by Ben) that he promises are "hilarious."

"The Freshman" with Harold Lloyd

William S. Hart in "Sand"

"He Who Gets Slapped" starring Lon Chaney

"Upstream" - directed by John Ford (a film that was considered to be lost until a copy was discovered in 2009 in New Zealand)

Buster Keaton's "Seven Chances"


All on the big screen, all with live organ accompaniment...I am so there.

After our chat and before the show, I had a cool drink (and some coconut cake, I confess) in their luscious garden patio while listening to some live music. An evening's entertainment, indeed!


Make Some Noise About Silent Film!


The joy of classic films, and silents in particular, can only be spread by those who love them. 

This means you!

Next time you go to see a classic film, silent or sound, pop in a DVD or even watch one on TCM, invite a friend or family member. Wouldn't it be nice to spread the wonder of these treasures (and have someone to share them with, too)? As Ben says, "if you come once, you'll get what it's all about." 


It's "Mission Possible" - are you in?

Chicago - 1927 Style - and an interview with Ben Model

I recently had the good fortune to be able to attend a screening of the 1927 version of "Chicago" with live accompaniment by silent film composer extraordinaire, Ben Model. Yes - this is the same story that most of us know because of the musical. But "Chicago" has been around for quite some time.

"Chicago" - the story of one Roxie Hart, a 1920s gal who shoots her lover, gains notoriety and gets away with murder, was originally a play  by Maurine Dallas Watkins that ran on Broadway from 1926-1927. First filmed in 1927, it was remade in 1944 as "Roxie Hart" (starring Ginger Rogers). It was then reworked as the musical we are all familiar with (the original Broadway show premiered in 1975 and ran for 936 performances. The current revival has been running for 15 years), culminating in the Academy Award winning film starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere.

The original 1927 film has been recently been made available by the UCLA Film Archive and it is as pristine and vivid as though it were made yesterday. The film is purportedly directed by Frank Urson, but the buzz is that it was really directed by C.B. DeMille (who had his name removed from this sin-soaked trifle because his "King of Kings," a story of Christ, was playing at the same time). DeMille retained producer credits and whether he directed it or not, it sure looks like he had a big influence on the production.

The Cast

Phyllis Haver stars as Roxie. I am not very familiar with Phyllis Haver's work, so it was great fun to see her. As Roxie, she was bleached, brassy, sassy and crude (but cute). Roxie was not a classy gal by any means, and Phyllis portrays her as a hard-boiled dame who uses her feminine bag of tricks to get what she wants (lots of silk teddies and underwear, it seems).

Phyllis Haver, who early on earned a living as a silent film accompanist, is primarily known as a Mack Sennett Bathing Beauty, as well as a Buster Keaton's co-star in his short film, "The Ballonatic." She had a robust career in the silents before her marriage and retirement.

Victor Varconi stars as her betrayed (and stupid) husband, Amos. Victor was a revelation to me, as I had only seen him in "Roberta"  and didn't know how popular he had been in silents. Isn't he quite the heart throb?

Before coming to Hollywood, Varconi was successful film actor in his native Hungary.

Robert Edeson plays lawyer Billy Flynn. Hmmm.... no Richard Gere here, but very believable as a shifty and slimy mouthpiece.

Richard Edeson appeared in many of Cecil B. DeMille's films, lending further credence that this film was actually directed by CB himself.

In a smaller role, Eugene Pallette appears as the lover who is shot by Roxie.

You can't hear his famous froggy voice, but he is still fun to watch!

The part of Velma Kelly, very prominent in the musical, is almost a throw-away in the film and was played by Julia Faye. While the part was small, she did get to have a fun jail house cat-fight and hair-pulling contest with Roxie.

The Film

"Chicago" was a fun film. While the story deals with a lot of unsavory characters, it makes sport the notion of the public's thirst for notorious scandals. Roxie's fame is brief, and while she does lose her dumbbell husband and ends up seemingly homeless and friendless, she does get away with murder (and you know she'll land on her feet - or back). The pace zipped along, all of the acting was top-notch and it was a well-made entertaining film. Not a classic, but an example of what kind of fare a viewer could expect on a typical Saturday night at the movies in 1927. 

A Night at the Theater and the Silent Film "Experience"

The pure joy of watching a beautifully restored film on a big screen with others is a rare treat. Viewing a silent film is a deeply personal experience. Every viewer interprets the action and emotion as the story unfolds in a unique, individualized manner. Even rarer is watching the action and listening to live accompaniment by a superb musician. As anyone who loves silents knows, without music the film is incomplete. Like a dance, the movement lacks real meaning without the music.

An Interview with Ben Model

Any music is good, but the right music is best. Ben Model is one the foremost composers of music for silent films. He has been the silent film pianist for the Museum of Modern Art in New York and is the co-founder of the Silent Clown series. Ben travels the country and the world sharing his talent and his passion for the art of the silent film. I was most fortunate to be able to chat with Ben about his work and his love for silents, which are one in the same.

FC: As a movie goer, it is such a magical experience to view a silent film with live accompaniment and a live audience.  As the accompanist, what  do you get from the audience?

Ben: What I get is satisfaction and excitement. I feel that I am representing the filmmaker in wanting to entertain the audience. If I can help bring the film to life that is very exciting. It is me, the film and the audience in those 3 overlapping circles. That's where silent film "happens." It is a personal yet shared experience that involves the audience in a much greater way than (current) films.

FC: While the silents represented a stylized version of reality, the emotions they evoke seem more honest than films that are supposedly realistic. Can you share some memorable audience  experiences that touched you or tickled you?

Ben: I've played DeMille's "King of Kings" in churches during Lent and you can hear the audience sniffling. And I don't know why this is, but Harold Lloyd's films don't work if you view them by yourself if you've never seen them before. We recently did a screening of "Safety Last" for a group of 'tweens and the reaction was tremendous. There is something about his films that is designed to work with an audience.  Watching silent films is not a passive experience, like watching current films.  Every year I see more and more silent film shows and events taking place. Interest in silent films is growing.

FC: I was very interested in the instrument you play. What is it?

Ben: Glad you asked! The instrument I played for "Chicago" is called a Miditzer Virtual Theatre Organ. The most prevalent sound in silent movies was either a live orchestra or a theatre organ. Pianos were only used in small town theaters. 

Ben noted that there are very few theatre organs available and that the Miditzer emulates the sound of a Mighty Wurlitzer while being portable. I can attest that the sound from what looks like a keyboard and a laptop is amazing and, if I didn't see Ben paying it, I would have sworn he was playing a theatre organ.

FC: You've played all around the country and all over the world. Are there any universal "truths" about silents that you've seen?

Ben: Kids love silents. It's fun to see their reaction and what's more fun is the parents expect them not to like the silents. Kids respond to the humor because it is something they've never seen before.

Ben said that it is especially gratifying for him to see how "first-timers" enjoy the silent films.

FC: How many times do you watch a film in order to complete a score?
Ben: Usually once, and sometimes it is improvised, but it is something that is constantly evolving based on audience reaction and the things I learn about the film. I am going on a journey with that film.

Finally, I asked Ben if he has any personal favorite silent films

Ben: "Modern Times," although that's a film I'll never get to play to and don't need to. There are new things I'm discovering, especially rare comedy shorts by comedians such artists as Lloyd Hamilton, Hank Mann and Marcel Perez. It's rare to see these films, so it's fun to discover them.

Audiences, he said, are longing for silents to be a part of the movie landscape. Amen to that!

"Chicago" was shown at the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre, an oasis of film culture and variety located in the suburbs of Long Island. Next month, as part of their "Anything But Silent" series, The Huntington Cinema Arts Centre will be showing "Her Night of Romance," starring Constance Talmadge and Ronald Colman. Ben will again be on the keyboard. I can't wait to see it! I will be talking more with Ben and about the wonderful place that is the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre. They are a blessing for all of us wonderful people out there in the dark!

Douglas Fairbanks: The Greatest Romantic

When we consider the word "romance" or "romantic" we usually think of romantic, sexual love. In the silent era, the great  romantic male lovers were Valentino, Gilbert and other smoldering latin lover types. We usually don't think of Douglas Fairbanks, high-spirited, happy-go-lucky adventurer, as a romantic star. However, if we think of romance as:

"a fictitious tale of wonderful and extraordinary events, characterized by a nonrealistic and idealizing use of the imagination," (a definition from a web-based dictionary)

then I make the case for Douglas Fairbanks as the most romantic movie star. Ever. 

How fortunate for Doug and for filmgoers that his exuberant spirit and the silent film collided. How lucky for silent films, this most personal form of entertainment that speaks directly to the child in us and the child's love of make believe, that they and this joyful man-child found one another at just the right moment.

In Doug's hands, the romance of adventure, high spirits, of heroes and damsels of old, were tales that were lovingly told with an open heart and a sweeping vision that could only have found a voice in silent films. His youthful view of the world and the youth of the medium, combined with the giddy, youth-worshiping twenties, produced films that spoke to the hours curled up with Robin Hood or The Arabian Nights, alone with nothing but a book and an innocent imagination of a world where anything is possible; a world of beauty where good always triumphs,the hero is dashing (always) and the damsel is beautiful and in distress. It is a world of action and possibilities, of chaste kisses, full hearts and happy endings.

Who better than Doug to sweep us away on a magic carpet ride?

Douglas Fairbanks was a great artist who knew exactly what he was doing. He infused his work with enthusiasm, joy and romance, all with the sole purpose of creating magic and enchantment. He loved the movies. When faced with the dreary, mechanical vision of a sound stage for talking pictures, Fairbanks tuned to his colleague, Art Director Laurence Irving, and said "Laurence, the romance of motion picture making ends here." Limits, the sad reality that ushers in maturity, had been set. Things would never be the same.

The world moves on, we age and the little child in us moves ever farther away. Even Doug grew older and lost Mary, Pickfair and stardom. Nevertheless, he, and the great silents, gave us a portal to that eternal child. What a relief to find a way back to romance and innocence through Doug's pure artistry, athleticism, vision and joy. For those of us that think this is what the movies are all about, there is no greater star than Douglas Fairbanks.

President-Elect Keaton Unveils His Cabinet: Welcome Team ASS-Backwards ! (Part I)

President-Elect Keaton, or Buster as he prefers to be called, has named one half of his cabinet. "I am proud to introduce the first members of Team ASS-Backwards (short for America's Simple Solutions-Backwards) to the nation. Together I know we can get America back on the  right track!"

Here are Buster's hand-picked selections:

Vice-President: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle

Roscoe has always supported Buster in more ways than one. Buster has full confidence in Roscoe and states "Roscoe Arbuckle personifies the ASS-Backwards American!"

Secretary of State: Mary Pickford

Mary is a woman loved by the world. If anyone can make everyone behave, it's Mary!

Secretary of the Treasury: Douglas Fairbanks

Buster saw "Robin Hood" and concurs with its fiscal policy.

Secretary of Education: Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

Here we get 2 for 1. The duo's experience in higher education makes them uniquely qualified to inspire American youth to greater heights.

Secretary of Transportation: Mabel Normand

Mabel knows how to get around in style.

Secretary of Energy: Ben Turpin

Ben is full of energy (real and manufactured)!

Secretary of Defense: Harry Houdini

Buster thinks Harry's unique skills might come in handy in a pinch.


Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Theda Bara

Buster figures that if any Vets want to have an affair, Theda is the woman for the job.

More Buster coming soon. Follow his first 100 days:

* Buster picks the rest of his cabinet
* Buster meets the media (and it ain't pretty)

* Buster and Brown Eyes move into the White House

* The First Lady as a fashion icon

* Buster deals with Congress

* Buster puts America back to work
*SCANDAL!

* And More!

***LATE BREAKING NEWS***

Buster reached across the aisle to Silent Society candidate Charlie Chaplin and offered him the position of Secretary of Labor.

At first, Mr. Chaplin was not in a conciliatory mood.

But Charlie is not a sore loser or the type to stay mad long. He considered the pros and cons of Buster's offer.

Pros: He has been a working man

and has long been a supporter of organized labor.

Cons: Charlie really hates to work

And so, Buster created a new position: Secretary of the Cinema. The Secretary of the Cinema will travel the nation and the globe promoting the universal language and love of all movies.

Mr. Chaplin eagerly accepted and can't wait to get started! In fact, many say this is the job he wanted all along.  Buster said, "I know I picked the right man for the job!"

The New Secretary of the Cinema: This is the job I was born for!

Clara Bow: I Want to Be Happy

Now you know I love the stars and like to have fun with them, but I can only gush about Clara Bow. Forgive me for being a little serious, but our Clara deserves respect!

A silent film viewer's response to Clara Bow is immediate and emotional. She, more than any other performer of the silent era, represents raw emotion. There is joy in her presence. She is young, healthy and full of fun, and really, really pretty. She has magical star quality. Clara makes me happy.


Was she a good actress? She was great, but it is her electric presence that grabs you. She was the essence of the flapper. According to Wikipedia,

“the term flappers in the 1920s referred to a "new breed" of young Western women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior. Flappers were seen as brash for wearing excessive makeup, drinking, treating sex in a casual manner, smoking, driving automobiles and otherwise flouting social and sexual norms.” 

That was Clara, but that was not all that she was.

Across the decades, Clara continues to cast a spell. She is the best girlfriend, the sexy sweetheart, the seductive minx. She is a regular person from Brooklyn. Even though Clara is gorgeous, we believe she is real, just like you and I, only more vibrant and vivacious. She has the qualities of the great ones who are set apart from the rest. There is a generosity in her spirit that translates to film. She wants to have fun. What makes Clara oh-so-special is that she wants you to have fun, too.

Clara was the original "It Girl," a term that is still with us today and one that is associated with sex appeal. She is excessively pretty and sexy, especially in sad photos, but I like to see her happy. Of course, the sadness of her life is legend and we don't have to dwell on all that. The sad Clara is gone, but the young, peppy flapper is still with us. Clara's biography, "Running Wild" by David Stenn,  tells all and it is a harrowing story much more dramatic than any film she ever made. I prefer to watch Clara on the screen where she is forever young, pretty and happy.

Let Clara's face speak for itself:

Clara Bow belongs totally to the 20s and the Jazz Age. If you look closely at Clara's pictures, you can always see a hint of sadness. Just like the 20s, there is desperation underneath and maybe a premonition of disaster around the corner. But let's not go there. Let's keep it light and skim along the surface. Like stones tossed out on dangerous waters, she skips lightly and joyously. She is a magnificent silent screen star.

Here is Clara having fun and just being Clara at Coney Island (with a most unworthy Antonio Moreno) in 1927's "It." Don't you just wish you could be there with her?

.