tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post8559095301206309948..comments2024-01-31T21:11:53.545-05:00Comments on Michael J. Hayde's BETTER LIVING THROUGH TELEVISION: September 29 is National Silent Movie Day! Michael J. Haydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08072544837488259305noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-901528438390333072022-10-05T10:22:52.481-04:002022-10-05T10:22:52.481-04:00In Philly, we had lots of access to The Three Stoo...In Philly, we had lots of access to The Three Stooges( whom I love), but I don't recall any broadcasts of silent films( though we only had one television for quite a while and my mother was very restrictive and only gave you very short time to watch television, so maybe I just didn't know). Our local PBS station started showing Shakespeare plays on the first Monday of the month, but I don't remember any silent film broadcast. I discovered them because my uncle said that my grandfather like Greta Garbo and when cable came around I watched some garbo, and then branched into silent garbo, and then started exploding into silent films realizing how amazing and expressive they were. I guess if I had grown up a hundred miles north I would have had more exposure earlier, but I was happy to play catch upAgneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16213043769073683587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-68013792376540189142021-10-17T19:17:07.021-04:002021-10-17T19:17:07.021-04:00I discovered silent films through those PBS progra...I discovered silent films through those PBS programs in the 1970s and have loved them ever since. I still remember the thrill of seeing them for the first time. Until then I had assumed that the more "lifelike" something was, the better it was. Thus color and sound over black and white and silent. It has been my pleasure to bring friends to their first silent movie showing (when it's a really good one, with suitable accompaniment) and see their reaction. People just don't believe how powerful these films can be until they have experienced them. Orang Basikalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14203645555067210941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-29196792666347863802021-10-14T09:23:26.264-04:002021-10-14T09:23:26.264-04:00Thank you, Silver Screenings; I'm glad you enj...Thank you, Silver Screenings; I'm glad you enjoyed it! Your own blog is very well done... highly recommended! Michael J. Haydehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08072544837488259305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-79495702620432146832021-10-14T09:19:21.059-04:002021-10-14T09:19:21.059-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Michael J. Haydehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08072544837488259305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-52980881548421756762021-10-03T22:15:08.961-04:002021-10-03T22:15:08.961-04:00Great topic for the blogathon. It was interesting ...Great topic for the blogathon. It was interesting to see the relationship between silent films and television, and I feel like a real Smarty Pants after reading your fab essay. Thanks!Silver Screeningshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955048716754142299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-10922936348794103252021-10-01T15:22:06.281-04:002021-10-01T15:22:06.281-04:00Thank you, Lea, and thanks for co-hosting the Blog...Thank you, Lea, and thanks for co-hosting the Blogathon! As far as keeping the silents alive, I think what television did most of all was stimulating an entire generation to seek out more information and especially to get involved in keeping alive interest in those films. Those of us who work in film preservation, writing, scoring... catching a silent (or several) on TV as children and teenagers went beyond being entertained. It turned into a life-changing experience.Michael J. Haydehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08072544837488259305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-47044086776755605112021-10-01T14:41:27.744-04:002021-10-01T14:41:27.744-04:00Thank you so much for this detailed article, Micha...Thank you so much for this detailed article, Michael! Great addition to the blogathon. It does seem that television played a major role in keeping silents "alive," although not usually in the best condition.Lea S. https://www.blogger.com/profile/10437500748454930362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-25520610591053725222021-10-01T09:36:41.812-04:002021-10-01T09:36:41.812-04:00Michaelm, your observations are correct... but I t...Michaelm, your observations are correct... but I think more and more people are getting away from the idea of "appointment television" where a handful of shows are seen by a vast majority of TV viewers at a specific time. The kind of numbers drawn weekly by the most popular network series (whatever that is at the moment) would've meant cancellation 40 years ago... maybe less. As you noted in your initial comment: Chaplin is the only 'name' big enough to draw viewers to a silent movie, and even then it's only good for one a year. Here in the US, variety shows are extinct, unless they're wrapped up in a competition for fame and riches, like "America's Got Talent." No longer does anyone get to sample something new and unexpected because "it's the only thing on right now" or "it caught my eye as I was flipping channels."Michael J. Haydehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08072544837488259305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-36494431810208354122021-10-01T09:26:37.591-04:002021-10-01T09:26:37.591-04:00Thanks for commenting, Caftan Woman! Do you know ...Thanks for commenting, Caftan Woman! Do you know if those scores exist, or if the CBC has kept those shows in an archive? It'd be wonderful to hear them with the films on some future release.Michael J. Haydehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08072544837488259305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-977131684760800922021-09-30T14:00:20.533-04:002021-09-30T14:00:20.533-04:00I can take some advantage of the streaming platfor...I can take some advantage of the streaming platform or DVD, but I think television is different from them: when you subscribe to such a platform or connect to youtube, you need to search for what you will watch (apart from the few proposals they give you). On television, you can choose your program, but your choice is more limited and what is shown is more easily accessible. At least in my view.Michaelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09375975440614187659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-77133177005893916252021-09-30T07:38:43.938-04:002021-09-30T07:38:43.938-04:00All hail those intrepid programmers!
The Canadian...All hail those intrepid programmers!<br /><br />The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation brightened our lives with a series of Laurel and Hardy silent shorts with new scores by composer Horace Lapp. The network would re-run the series well into the 1970s. Of course, it only made me want more and thank goodness for PBS across the border.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-17951613344463433782021-09-29T20:14:13.494-04:002021-09-29T20:14:13.494-04:00Thank you, Michaelm. I guess you're unable to ...Thank you, Michaelm. I guess you're unable to take advantage of streaming options or DVD/Blu-ray releases?Michael J. Haydenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-27058061837718364292021-09-29T20:11:30.994-04:002021-09-29T20:11:30.994-04:00Thank you, Brittaney. You're right: the films ...Thank you, Brittaney. You're right: the films are easier to access nowadays. But there's very little chance that future generations will stumble across them while flipping channels. (Do people do 'channel flipping' anymore?)Michael J. Haydenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-54515252052081842362021-09-29T03:22:11.464-04:002021-09-29T03:22:11.464-04:00Thank you for this post. It is nice to see televis...Thank you for this post. It is nice to see television has kept those films alive.<br /><br />I leave in Europe (Belgium), and from the end of the 90th until 2 years ago, we had only one silent film per month, around midnight. I remember programming the recording with my VHS and being very sad when film was delayed and so not fully recorded.<br /><br />Today, we have one Chaplin a year and stop. I would really love to see more of them.Michaelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09375975440614187659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-52981280203599184752021-09-28T19:37:46.212-04:002021-09-28T19:37:46.212-04:00I mentioned it, right at the top!I mentioned it, right at the top!Michael J. Haydenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-53268054386581357122021-09-28T18:13:57.084-04:002021-09-28T18:13:57.084-04:00Ok, hold on... this blog has been dead for 6 years...Ok, hold on... this blog has been dead for 6 years, suddenly come to life - and no one is going to mention it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22637089.post-47180586410628461652021-09-28T18:02:05.294-04:002021-09-28T18:02:05.294-04:00How interesting. I'm glad to hear public telev...How interesting. I'm glad to hear public television did it's part to help keep silent films alive. I'm even happier that silent films are more readily available today through streaming platforms!Brittaneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13766658979578139012noreply@blogger.com