Dear Lou,

Back in the day, we avidly enjoyed the silent films (we thought that the piano or organ accompaniment was way cool)...and when the talkies came out, we were blown away!! :grinning:

Seriously, though, I have always enjoyed watching silent films. I think that Buster Keaton hosted a TV show called "Silents, Please!" that featured silent movies. I also used to watch "Fractured Flickers" (1963 or '64), hosted by Hans Conried, that turned even what were originally dramatic films into comedy! Then there was a show called "Mischief Makers" (1963-ish) that added children's narration to the original Hal Roach silent Our Gang shorts. Another outlet was via local Los Angeles TV (Channel 9) children's host, "Uncle Johnny" Coons (early '60s) who would show silent comedies which he narrated for us kids (He had a funny shtick where he had a "projector" with a funnel on top into which, as the movie was about to start, he pretended to stuff a handful of 16mm film similar to a meat grinder!) Moving to 1970 or '71, Lillian Gish hosted a silent movie presentation on PBS. I loved seeing how the films were often tinted in places (early "color," for mood enhancement). Occasionally I catch a silent film on TCM, and, as old as these movies are, I admit, while watching a dramatic, emotional moment, that at times a tear can come to my eyes (I recall "The Toll of the Sea," an early two-color Technicolor film starring Anna May Wong)!

And, besides, the first Charlie Chan cinematic attempts were silent, and there are some nice Warner Oland films that shown on occasion ("Old San Francisco" is one, with Anna May Wong, to boot!). So, yes, I am "guilty as charged"!:worried:

Take care...

Sincerely,
Rush

Rush, very eloquently put! My thoughts go back to the words of Henry Chan (Charlie's first born) in "The House Without a Key" (1925), Chapter 19:

"Quoting an old Chinese saying, a picture is a voiceless poem"

Thanks for the link...use to be available at Grapevine Video years ago. And the link below is to a coll site that was very big back years ago Archives.org


Have all of the films oft this book enjoy the Richard Dix version and it's my favorite book by Mr Biggers



Bill Sprague Collection


TYSM

OldMovieFan