Silent Era: The silent film website

It was a different era.

Movie theaters were known as havens of comfort in the hot summertime, since most had some form of refrigerated air. They were well worth the five cent investment to get in.

The theater staff included a piano player. Vaudeville shows were frequently put on between movie showings.

And the films, of course, were silent.

My grandparents enjoyed silent movies. So did my parents. And in this age of ultra-surround sound, I do too.

Today's FamilyFirst site pays homage to the days when it really WAS a silver screen. It's called Silent Era: The silent film website.

They don't have a mission statement, as such. However, their aims are clear: to gather as much information about silent films as is possible.

Silent films have a sad undercurrent: a large portion of them were produced on nitrate films that have deteriorated, or have even spontaneously burst into flames. The result is that many great films no longer exist, or are only available in fragmented scenes.

The site is a clearinghouse for gathering information and actual prints of rare films. And it's much more.

For instance, I found the Top 100 Silent Era films a fun read. My favorites did well. 1927's Metropolis came in third, and Lon Chaney Sr.'s unbelievably frightening portrayal of the Phantom of the Opera was twentieth.

The poignant list of films presumed to be lost is fascinating to read, too. What a large legacy is gone.

If you're a fan of the silents, or are seeking information about a particular film, today's site is for you.

http://www.silentera.com

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