30.4.07

MANIC MONDAY-SILENT

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The word silent is rather a sad word because it often discribes negative situations. If you are a silent witness, you probably have seen somebody killed. The expression "silent as a grave" means that deads don't speak. If you are silent about something, that means that you have something to hide. A priest has the duty to remain silent whatever he hears, even crimes. Therefore quite a lot were murdered by torture during the middle age because they remained silent. At court too you have the right to remain silent and that's also probably something bad you can't speak about. Silent minutes are observed to honor a tragedy etc.

The only positive "silent" is the silent movie. It must have been quite an event when the first films were shown. It usually took place in all kind of places wherever they could put a screen. Movie theatres came later. The movie was always accompagnied by a piano player on an old piano and the more it sounded false the more it was fun.

Especially in dramatic scenes he hammered on the piano as if he wanted to brake it. The actors had to overact and express their feelings or fear by exaggerated mimic. To us today it really looks too funny. There were a lot of famous actors and they were all adored. But when the sound film came out, most of them didn't find any role anymore because they had an awful voice ! What a disappointment.

Here are a few pictures and how the actors where categorized.

This Lady was considered a "Vamp" I think there are a lot of "vamps" running around today which is probably not the case anymore for "Virgin". Charly Chaplin with a virgin (I have my doubts)

A nude was represented like this and made already a big scandal. If the producers would see the "nudes" today .....
Buster Keaton also "posed" nude. Today a topless torse is not considered as a nude but at this time it was.
Believe it or not, but this is Gary Cooper, he also was an actor in silent movies but could switch over to sound films. He filled in the category "Cowboy".
The famous Valentino played "Sheiks"
The movies of Laurel and Hardy are still liked to be seen.
movie posters
Animals played in the silent movies too and probably the piano player hammered some notes to make the piano bark.

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For those who are silent today I just repeat a comment I have got from an American woman :

"I don't think anyone should have a gun. The founding fathers wrote that into the constitution so people could protect themselves against the indians and against insurgents by the goverment. There was no thought given at that time to assault rifles that could fire 1000 bullets per minute!!!! Good lord already!!!"

13 comments:

Callie Ann said...

well done!!!!

MaR said...

Another positive "silent" I can think of is a silent pc... :)
My granny loved going to the movies, I didn't know they showed "naked" men in the 20's, lol!
Oh, Valentino! he was handsome!
happy monday :)

Unknown said...

Nice touch on the weekly word, "silence"!

Anonymous said...

Sometimes silent is good. Better than saying all the wrong things.
Love the old silent movie stuff. Great theme.

Melli said...

Ahhhhhh ... you know -- those "nudes" are sO much more enticing than today's nudes, I think! Just MY opinion - but I think a little something to the imagination is much better than the the whole picture right away!

As for the silence... I happen to LOVE silence and find it to be a very positive thing! Simon & Garfunkel sang of The Sound Of Silence ... and it is one of my very favorite sounds!

Durward Discussion said...

At the rate our government is going we might still need the guns for that one.

Great post on all the aspects of silence.

Crazy Working Mom said...

Very nicely done. :)

Pamela said...

Killers silence guns, too.

What we really need to do is silence killers.

Barb said...

Very good post about silence! I loved seeing all the pictures of the movie stars!

Lisa Ryan said...

I love the silent movies! and think about how much was understood even while nothing was said!

Sandee said...

Very enjoyable walk through silent. Hadn't even thought of this angle.

Guns...I love the idea of silencing the killers... Now we are talking. Happy MM :)

Anonymous said...

Hello Gattina
Super billet on the silence!
You have the right vision of things!
We know the low of the silence in Corse!
Very nice rétrospective of the cinéma and a nostalgic vision on all this famous actors!
Gattina, you can go on my new blog if you want.
www.lazaza83.fr
have a beautiful evening!

Anonymous said...

well thought out post--nicly done. Looking forward to Cats on Tuesday!