April 4th @5:30pm we will watch 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) directed by Stuart Paton.

Silent Films are movies with no synchronized recorded sound. However, traditionally silent films were always accompanied by live sounds: a pianist, a theater organist, or even a special small orchestra. Early musical scores were improvised or composed of classical or theatrical repertory music. It was only around 1915 that it became relatively common for big-budget films to arrive at the exhibition theater with originally specially composed music.

The silent era (1894-1929) was the birthplace of movements such as Classical Hollywood, French impressionism, German expressionism, and Soviet montage. Silent Films pioneered the art of filmmaking to the extent that virtually every style and genre of the 20th and 21st century has its roots in the silent film era.

These films were often of very high quality, but time and neglect has affected the quality of the films we see today. Most silent films today are second of third generation copies already damaged and neglected due to poor handling and preservation by the industry itself.