Silent Movies
The oldest surviving motion picture in existence is generally considered to be "Roundhay Garden Scene" of 1888. How long is it?
2 seconds
Were silent movies ever in color?
Yes, they were tintied, toned, hand-painted and some were even shot on color film.
All good things have to come to an end, and in 1927 a motion picture was released that would spell the end of silent pictures. Starring Al Jolson, this early "talkie" would soon render silent movies obsolete. What was it?
"The Jazz Singer" is a fairly simple story: a young Jewish boy in New York wants to become an entertainer, while his father wants him to follow in his footsteps and become a cantor in the synagogue. "The Jazz Singer" wasn't the first motion picture with sound; short films with sound had been around for nearly a decade. They were something of a novelty, however, and many theatres were not equipped to show them. "The Jazz Singer" was, however, the first feature film with dialogue ("You ain't seen nothin' yet!") and extensive musical numbers. It might be best described as a silent movie with songs; there are less than two minutes of straight dialogue in the entire film, and it makes extensive use of title cards. It was made using the Vitaphone process, which used a record played in sync with the film. Within two years, every major studio in Hollywood was making "talkies." It took a while for many small theatres to be wired for sound, however, and up until the mid-1930s many motion pictures were made in both sound and silent versions.
Where did Charlie Chaplin spend his remaining years after being exiled from the U.S. in 1953?
Switzerland
Why did Charlie avoided seeing his mother as much as possible?
She was mentally ill.
The nickelodeon refers to which type of entertainment?
A selection of short films played in a small theater with a five-cent admission.
Silent movies used title cards in place of dialogue. What was the goal of an accomplished and acclaimed title card writer?
To include as few cards as possible and make sure that each one supplied the maximum amount of information.
Who was America's Little Sweetheart?
Mary Pickford
Having started in motion pictures in her late teens, Mary played teens and children into her thirties.
One main reason Charlie was exiled from the U.S. in 1953 was because he refused ______ ?
U.S. citizenship
Prior to making this film, Chaplin had sometimes been criticized for not enlisting in the war, especially by British newspapers. In fact he had registered for the draft, but didn’t pass his physical examination due to
being underweight. Even his hard work on behalf of the Liberty Loans program didn’t seem to satisfy some critics.
Who was the last major Hollywood star to make his/her talkie debut?
Charlie Chaplin
Photographers began experimenting with motion pictures as early as the 1870s. These very early films were regarded mainly as curiosities. It was not until the turn of the century that films became commercially viable. One of the first was a 1902 French film that was an international success. What was it?
A Trip to the Moon
What was the name of the character which Charlie portrayed in almost all of his movies?
The Tramp
When Chaplin decided in the spring of 1918 that the setting for his next comedy would be the trenches of the Great War, many of his friends and coworkers were concerned.
How could anyone insert slapstick routines into such a brutal conflict? How could that possibly be done in good taste?
Which silent era comedians are often referred to as "The Big Four"? (A massive oversimplification but, alas, very common.)
Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon
It was not long until Americans started making motion pictures. A 1903 film by Edwin S. Porter was one of the first American blockbusters. It is noted for its creative camera work, and the final scene where a cowboy fires a pistol directly at the audience. What was the name of this early cinema classic?
the Great Train Robbery
How many times was Charlie married?
4
Charlie was born to an actor Father and Mother. However his father died, and his mother became ill before he was 10, and Charlie was forced to work. He first won fame as an:
outstanding tap dancer.
Most early silent films were very short. An Australian film released in 1906 is regarded as the first "feature length" film ever produced. What was it called?
The Story of the Kelly Gang
"The Story of the Kelly Gang" is about Australia's famous bushranger, Ned Kelly. It is often considered to be the first full-length motion picture ever made. Its original running time was just over an hour, and it cost the huge sum of £1,000 to produce. It proved so popular, however, that it continued to be shown for the next 20 years, and is estimated to have earned over £25,000 at the box office. Unfortunately for modern moviegoers, most of the film has been lost; only 17 minutes of the original 60 minutes have been preserved.
n 1915, D. W. Griffith released a motion picture set in the Civil War era that would change motion pictures forever. What was it called?
"The Birth of a Nation" was based on a novel called "The Clansman" by Thomas Dixon, Jr. It deals with the efforts of the Ku Klux Klan to protect the interests white Southerners from scalawags and carpetbaggers during the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. Its innovative camera techniques and realistic battle scenes transformed the motion picture experience. The full-length film ran for three hours and ten minutes. The price of admission to view the film was $2 - a day's pay for many people in 1915. Despite this, the movie broke all existing box office records, with some sources claiming it grossed an incredible $60 million.
The film's treatment of African-Americans, and the use of white actors in black-face to portray them, caused widespread protests in many cities. The film was banned in Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and many other urban areas. But it was shown at the White House, in a private screening for President Woodrow Wilson. The lack of political correctness notwithstanding, "The Birth of a Nation" remains an incredibly entertaining movie. The American Film Institute ranks it as #44 on the list of the Top 100 American Films.
What company did Charlie co-found in 1919?
United Artists
After gaining fame as a vaudeville actor, he eventually made it to the big screen by the age of 24. However it was not until "Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914)" that Chaplin’s immortal screen alter ego, _______ was born.
the Little Tramp