Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on October 20, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on October 20, 2014 in Video The suffragette has not been treated very well by the motion pictures. Even in movies written by women, she is treated as obnoxious and more than a little unhinged. This attitude persisted well into the 1960s and is, frankly, offensive. Sometimes,...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on October 18, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on October 18, 2014 in Blog, Silent Movie Trivia Click to view in lightbox This time, we are going to be enjoying trivia from one of Gloria Swanson and Cecil B. DeMille’s decadent collaborations. Together, director and actress did much to make the post-war movie world an...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on October 17, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on October 17, 2014 in Blog, Humor, Silent Movie Rules Thomas Meighan tries to spice up his marriage with Gloria Swanson. His methods? A little music, a little dancing, a new negligee and then… romance, right? Well, Gloria stops him right there. Music? To dance to? Must...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on October 14, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on October 14, 2014 in Video I just wanted to clear up a little misunderstanding that has cropped up about The Kiss. One of THE iconic moments in early film, I think most of us have seen at least some of the picture. It was actually a...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on October 13, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on October 13, 2014 in Blog, Humor, Silent Movie Rules Leatrice Joy and William Boyd show Walter Long what’s what in Eve’s Leaves. Poor Bill was kidnapped by pirates but Leatrice was on hand to save the day. The pair fell in love over a mutual love...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on October 11, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on October 11, 2014 in Blog, Silent Movie Trivia Click to view in lightbox This time, we have some trivia from one of D.W. Griffith’s more obscure films. The White Rose was a return to themes that he held dear: spiritual crises, single motherhood, poverty, Southern gentility   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on October 7, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on October 7, 2014 in Video Okay, I couldn’t resist. The Roundhay Garden Scene is the earliest known surviving film sequence. That’s pretty amazing. And it lasts… 2 seconds. That’s where the fun really comes in. Put on your best know-it-all voice and procla   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on October 6, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on October 6, 2014 in Blog, Humor, Silent Movie Rules As John Barrymore shows in The Beloved Rogue, the conclusion to a successful escape would be incomplete without a little bit of gloating. Thumbing one’s nose and giving a Bronx cheer is most definitely in order. If...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on October 4, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on October 4, 2014 in Blog, Silent Movie Trivia click to see in lightbox. This Silent Movie Trivia Card is about the movie that changed Douglas Fairbanks’ career. He had been charming audiences with his modern adventure comedies but this was the first time he had stepped...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on October 2, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on October 2, 2014 in Blog, Books Anyone even slightly interested in classic film knows that this year marks the centenary of Charlie Chaplin’s motion picture debut. In the history of cinema, he enjoys recognition almost without equal. People who have never seen a second of h   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on September 24, 2014

You know those school movies and their stock characters? The jock, the clown, the bully… Well, who in the world of silent movie stars would fill those roles? Dell on Movies came up with a movie classroom for a blogathon. The original version calls for your class to be populated...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on September 23, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on September 23, 2014 in Article, Blog, Feature, Silent Movie Myths Welcome. We are about to descend into the realm of scandal-mongering, myths, gossip, innuendo, with a side helping of just plain mean. It doesn’t get worse than this. We are dealing with a rumor that sullies...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on September 15, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on September 15, 2014 in Blog, Humor, Silent Movie Rules Asking countesses (particularly if they are played by Pola Negri) to see their tattoo is never a good idea. First of all, Pola is perfectly capable of walloping you. Second, it’s none of your darn business. (If...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on September 13, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on September 13, 2014 in Blog, Silent Movie Trivia Click to see in lightbox This Silent Movie Trivia Card is about Mary Pickford’s last silent film, the 1927 romantic comedy My Best Girl, which was set in a dime store. Just as silent leading men were expected...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on September 5, 2014

What would happen if you asked a room full of silent movie stars to share what they consider to be their best performance and film? Well, that’s exactly what Motion Picture Magazine did in 1926. You know what I found the most interesting about this article? How many of these...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on September 1, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on September 1, 2014 in Blog, GIF, Humor Sometimes, I feel like a mother with a particularly picky child. “Just try a few minutes of a silent movie.” “No! I’ll hate it! It’s icky!” “Just a little.” “No, no, no!!!!” If you   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on August 30, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on August 30, 2014 in Blog, Silent Movie Trivia Click to view in lightbox This Silent Movie Trivia Card concerns the 1926 romantic swashbuckler, Don Juan. It’s most famous for the epic duel between John Barrymore and Montagu Love and the fact that it was one of...   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on August 27, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on August 27, 2014 in Blog, Humor, Silent Movie Rules Life lessons from the people of silent film. Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any consequences you might suffer from actually following this advice. So you are a princess and the peasants are revolting (and they’re reb   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on August 26, 2014

I have always said that silent Hollywood is an absolute treasure trove for mystery writers. In addition to the actual murders (William Desmond Taylor), there were also quite a few accidents, shady deaths and disappearances. The Hollywood mystery has become a popular sub-genre and the latest entry i   read more

Movies Silently Posted by Fritzi Kramer on August 25, 2014

By Fritzi Kramer on August 25, 2014 in Video This is a common question. There are hundreds of amateur silent films online and more are uploaded every day. What do most of them have in common? They are awful. What’s most irritating is that many of the mistakes that these...   read more