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In recent months we have been watching quite a few 8mm and 9.5mm silent films. It dawned on me we rarely see a silent film included in film event programme. Ealing UK was always very diverse of course so perhaps we can see a welcome return of a silent on screen where it all started.
Lee - Can you clarify if you are referring to what we would call "Silent Classics" (EG. The Hunchback of Notre Dame / Intolerence etc) or just the silent package movie versions of what are otherwise sound films?....................or both ?
I would think it would be more the silent shorts Chaplin, L&H, Keaton etc as well as extracts of longer films, also early BFCC shows included some projected on very old (in one case hand cranked) projectors and some "flick book" type movies for viewers that had been transferred to film. We have lost a bit of that variety recently.
I rarely watch silent films these days of any kind, much prefer sound titles, a musical accomplement helps but I'd rather watch something more modern, Mark
Yes Melvin films that were produced silent. We've been watching some Chaplin and my wife particularly was roaring with laughter, also It's a gift is another favourite here which I stereo striped and added a music sound track.
The French stencil colour films that Perrys released on S8 over here are also a wonderful watch as are many of the 9-5 films and usually great quality as Dom mentioned.
We may have to mention to young Simon Blackpool projectionist a special request for a silent 9.5 short and a Super 8 one. He would be welcome to loan my music track added It's a Gift Snub Pollard if needed.
The reason I asked is because depending on your reply, my answer could have gone either way. As I suspected, you WERE referring to proper silent films to which my answer would be "Yes.....nice idea for Blackpool etc"
However, had you also been referring to the silent package movie versions of sound films, my answer would have been "No.....what is the point?"
I was always of the opinion that these black and white silent (or sometimes colour) 200' and 400' ers were only produced so that teenagers like me in the 1970's who were only on pocket money income, could take part in the hobby with their silent projector to be able to play cinema but was really financially out of their depth at the time to be able to do it properly with colour and sound and on more than 1 reel. Even though it would be a curiosity today, I don't think I would particularly want to see valuable Blackpool screen time taken up with showing, for example, the 200' black and white silent Star Wars reel regardless of the fact that at the time it was a god send to be able to own it as it was doing its first round in the cinema's.
It never ceases to amaze me, though, that these type of silents are still selling on Ebay. I know some of you are buying them as some titles weren't released as sound versions, having them sound striped and adding the sound yourself. Good luck with that! But the rest.......????
I'm glad you mentioned It's a Gift. That's one of my favorites.
At CineSea, we try to work at least one silent era film (normally a comedy) into the mix. Since it is a group of cinema enthusiasts, those films go over well. For the recently postponed show, Shorty and I were going to screen a collection of Mack Sennett chases. I've been hunting for a scored Super 8mm print of Harold Lloyd's Haunted Spooks to show.
I first saw It's A Gift when I was about 16 years old, having rented it on 9,5mm from the local photo shop. It's one of those silent films that you never forget, and it is Snub Pollard's most remembered appearance. It's always a hit with people who have never seen it before.
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