Turner Classic Movies – The Silent Stars of the Month
This month Turner Classic Movies is shaking up their ‘Star of the Month” programming. Instead of focusing on just one star, TCM is focusing on a whole slew of stars – the silent stars. Yes, for the entire month of November, the quiet giants of the ‘pre-talkies’ will be back in the spotlight as TCM celebrates Hollywood’s earliest of stars — and I couldn’t be happier. Despite still being part of the Classic Hollywood era, silent movies sit in their own niche within that realm and any added exposure to the great films of the silent era is music to my ears. You see, silent films, no matter how dramatic or serious, are akin to watching fantasy. Without the sound of a voice, the rustling of the winds, or the crunching of the snow — without any sound connecting us to the “real world” we all know and occupy — we must suspend our belief in the same way we do when watching fantasy.
Much like with fantasy, the world of silent film is detached from our own. It is written in the language of sepia tinted dreams, extending far beyond our world and into the heavens. The stars, then, become something bigger and almost separate from the mere mortals inhabiting the earth. Instead of the spoken word to express their love or their desires, they use the intensity of their eyes and exaggerated body language. Is it realistic? No, it isn’t. But to me, that’s the point. I don’t enjoy silent films because they keep me attune with reality – it’s the exact opposite. I enjoy silent films because they allow me to expand my thoughts on the bounds on reality in art and how that can be achieved on the silver screen. So please, join me this month in celebrating TCM’s ode to the silent stars. If you’re not sure what to watch, I have some suggestions.
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Watch Louis Brooks in Pandora’s Box (1929, Georg Wilhelm Pabst director) on Monday, November 4th at 2:15AM. You might need to TiVO this one but you can also check out this clip.
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Watch Douglas Fairbanks in The Thief of Bagdad (1924, Raoul Walsh director) on Monday, November 10th at 9:30PM. You can also watch the movie here.
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Watch George O’Brien and Janet Gaynor in Sunrise (1927, F.W Murnau director) on Monday, November 17th at 10:00PM. You can also check out a clip here.
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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub
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If it weren’t for all these wonderful people and all the greats who followed..just where would we be today?? Keeping their memories and movies alive is so very, very important for our culture. Keep ‘the lamp lit and the flame going’..keep passing it on.