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Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture
A gorgeous, lavish history of silent movies - with more than 400 amazing images - captures the birth of film and icons like Chaplin, Garbo, Clara Bow, and Valentino.
Drawing on the extraordinary collection of The Library of Congress, one of the greatest repositories for silent film and memorabilia, Peter Kobel has created the definitive visual history of silent film. From its birth in the 1890s, with the earliest narrative shorts, through the brilliant full-length features of the 1920s, SILENT MOVIES captures the greatest directors and actors and their immortal films. SILENT MOVIES also looks at the technology of early film, the use of color photography, and the restoration work being spearheaded by some of Hollywood's most important directors, such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola.
Richly illustrated from the Library of Congress's extensive collection of posters, paper prints, film stills, and memorabilia-most of which have never been in print-SILENT MOVIES is an important work of history that will also be a sought-after gift book for all lovers of film.
Drawing on the extraordinary collection of The Library of Congress, one of the greatest repositories for silent film and memorabilia, Peter Kobel has created the definitive visual history of silent film. From its birth in the 1890s, with the earliest narrative shorts, through the brilliant full-length features of the 1920s, SILENT MOVIES captures the greatest directors and actors and their immortal films. SILENT MOVIES also looks at the technology of early film, the use of color photography, and the restoration work being spearheaded by some of Hollywood's most important directors, such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola.
Richly illustrated from the Library of Congress's extensive collection of posters, paper prints, film stills, and memorabilia-most of which have never been in print-SILENT MOVIES is an important work of history that will also be a sought-after gift book for all lovers of film.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2007
29 people are currently reading
972 people want to read
About the author
Peter Kobel
3 books9 followersPeter Kobel has worked as an editor at Entertainment Weekly, ARTnews, and Premiere and has contributed articles to The New York Times and Chicago Tribune, among many other publications.
His critically acclaimed book Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture (Little, Brown) was published in collaboration with the Library of Congress. His biography of the controversial physical anthropologist John Buettner-Janusch will be published by Globe Pequot Press in July.
Kobel has also served as an advocate for conservation and social justice at several nonprofit organizations.
His critically acclaimed book Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture (Little, Brown) was published in collaboration with the Library of Congress. His biography of the controversial physical anthropologist John Buettner-Janusch will be published by Globe Pequot Press in July.
Kobel has also served as an advocate for conservation and social justice at several nonprofit organizations.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 5, 2008
This book is full of gorgeous photos, but if you are only going to write 3 paragraphs about Louise Brooks, don't make sure to mention that she worked for an escort service after she quit making movies.
I guess I just broke my own rule, but that really burnt my toast. Respect, people.
I guess I just broke my own rule, but that really burnt my toast. Respect, people.
August 20, 2016
This book is the perfect introduction to the world of silent motion pictures. I say that having read many books about silent film history.
I frequently encounter people who have a skewed perception of silent movies. Without having seen them (or after only seeing brief clips frequently speeded up for comedic effect), they believe that all of them are ridiculously over-acted with minimal production values and the simplest of storylines. The writer, Peter Kobel, helps to set the record straight.
If a university wanted to create an engaging course on the development of the film business (not just in the United States, but internationally), I would strongly advise using this one as the primary resource for the entry point. Very readable and accessible, it is lavishly illustrated. The chapter titles readily describe the detail almost as if it was a syllabus:
From Magic Lantern to Moving Pictures
The Early Years
The Business of Film
Genres
The Art of Film
The Stars
Promotion and the Press
The Directors
International Cinema
Sound and Color (After all, they did have musical accompaniment)
Again, I want to emphasize that this is not only an American film perspective. Although many countries are mentioned, there is a great deal of information regarding films from Germany, France, Russia, Italy and the Netherlands. Some countries receive minimal mention because their films were seldom released outside of their borders.
The greatest testament is how much it makes the reader want to seek out the films mentioned. Although I have seen a large number of them, I'll be screening some of them again very soon.
If you are new to silent movies and are wondering where to begin, here are some of the titles covered in the book that I find to be a great introduction (and personal favorites):
BIG BUSINESS (Laurel and Hardy)
THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI
DIARY OF A LOST GIRL
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (Barrymore)
THE GENERAL (Keaton)
THE GOLD RUSH
HULA (Clara Bow)
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (Chaney)
THE LAST LAUGH (Jennings)
THE LOST WORLD
THE MAN WHO LAUGHS
METROPOLIS
NOSFERATU
ORPHANS OF THE STORM
PANDORA'S BOX
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Chaney)
SHOW PEOPLE
SUNRISE
Any of these would be an excellent introduction depending on your genre preference ... and will lead to many more wonderful discoveries.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in film.
I frequently encounter people who have a skewed perception of silent movies. Without having seen them (or after only seeing brief clips frequently speeded up for comedic effect), they believe that all of them are ridiculously over-acted with minimal production values and the simplest of storylines. The writer, Peter Kobel, helps to set the record straight.
If a university wanted to create an engaging course on the development of the film business (not just in the United States, but internationally), I would strongly advise using this one as the primary resource for the entry point. Very readable and accessible, it is lavishly illustrated. The chapter titles readily describe the detail almost as if it was a syllabus:
From Magic Lantern to Moving Pictures
The Early Years
The Business of Film
Genres
The Art of Film
The Stars
Promotion and the Press
The Directors
International Cinema
Sound and Color (After all, they did have musical accompaniment)
Again, I want to emphasize that this is not only an American film perspective. Although many countries are mentioned, there is a great deal of information regarding films from Germany, France, Russia, Italy and the Netherlands. Some countries receive minimal mention because their films were seldom released outside of their borders.
The greatest testament is how much it makes the reader want to seek out the films mentioned. Although I have seen a large number of them, I'll be screening some of them again very soon.
If you are new to silent movies and are wondering where to begin, here are some of the titles covered in the book that I find to be a great introduction (and personal favorites):
BIG BUSINESS (Laurel and Hardy)
THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI
DIARY OF A LOST GIRL
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (Barrymore)
THE GENERAL (Keaton)
THE GOLD RUSH
HULA (Clara Bow)
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (Chaney)
THE LAST LAUGH (Jennings)
THE LOST WORLD
THE MAN WHO LAUGHS
METROPOLIS
NOSFERATU
ORPHANS OF THE STORM
PANDORA'S BOX
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Chaney)
SHOW PEOPLE
SUNRISE
Any of these would be an excellent introduction depending on your genre preference ... and will lead to many more wonderful discoveries.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in film.
July 18, 2008
Fascinating book, really well done. Illustrations and over-size format incredible. If you like early Hollywood -- it's a must.
May 25, 2024
A rarity of nonfiction for me, I took no notes, nor highlighted anything. When everything is interesting and informative...
Kobel presents a sweeping, if not super deep, coverage of everything from the early history, the inventions, the studios, the players - actors, directors, producers, countries, marketing, and the films, of course. So much is lost but efforts to preserve what remains are still ongoing.
If you're a fan, you'll like this. If not, but like movies, you might consider giving this a go. Everything today came from these.
Kobel presents a sweeping, if not super deep, coverage of everything from the early history, the inventions, the studios, the players - actors, directors, producers, countries, marketing, and the films, of course. So much is lost but efforts to preserve what remains are still ongoing.
If you're a fan, you'll like this. If not, but like movies, you might consider giving this a go. Everything today came from these.
May 30, 2012
Utterly stunning and beautiful coffee table book on silent film. Had tons of information (most of it is pretty well known to buffs but great for newbies to silent film) and large sections on some of the most important stars. The photos alone make it worth owning in my opinion and my only complaint is some repeating of Hollywood gossip that has long since been proven incorrect. It definitely has tons more info than the average film book though, and current works on silent film can be hard to find. While I was reading this I was lamenting that I had to return it to the library as it's a total must have for me, for the photos alone and then my bookstore working boyfriend came home a few days in and gave me a copy that had come in to work! Sometimes dreams do come true kiddies....
March 22, 2011
A beautifully illustrated, big coffee table book, with an interesting text, but it's the pictures that make this book so enjoyable. To put it mildly "Silent Movies" are a big subject spanning over 30 years of film history. If you thought all there was to this period of cinema were jerky, badly scratched grainy black and white films of Charlie Chaplin falling over, you may be in for something of a surprise! If however like me you think that the silent era was actually cinemas finest, this book can only reaffirm it and perhaps suggest some wonderful films not previously considered.
May 19, 2012
This was an entertaining overview of the history of film from its origins in the late 19th century throughout the silent era, which lasted until the late 1920's in the United States. The book covers the major inventors, directors, and stars of the period, and the author is just opinionated enough to add some spice.
One of the book's main strengths is the photos and poster art illustrations. I may have missed out on some of the impact of these by reading this as an ebook.
One of the book's main strengths is the photos and poster art illustrations. I may have missed out on some of the impact of these by reading this as an ebook.
July 17, 2008
A piece of delightful eye candy for silent film fans. It's not the most comprehensive book on silent films, but completely worth buying just for the beautiful pictures. I can't get enough of looking at all the pictures.
June 17, 2013
An absolutely fantastic introduction to silent movies, released in cooperation with the Library of Congress. A must for any silent movie fan!
November 6, 2017
Una storia concisa del cinema muto.
La prefazione è di Martin Scorsese, noto appassionato della storia del cinema.
L'autore, forse incerto sull'approccio da scegliere, dedica un capitolo a un racconto sequenziale, cronologico, che segue l'evoluzione di questo mezzo di comunicazione, un'altro ad una panoramica sui generi, ed altri ancora ad una rassegna delle figure più importanti (attori, registi).
Così facendo, inevitabilmente, il materiale è trattato solo superficialmente, ma serve bene allo scopo di fornire un'introduzione al profano, fornendo almeno i nomi dei grandi mostri sacri.
Per note di colore da un lato, e filmografie complete e ragionate dall'altro meglio rivolgersi a testi più completi. Comunque il libro si lascia leggere. Anche l'apparato di immagini è abbastanza ricco, anche se la mia versione in ebook ne faceva un po' scempio.
La prefazione è di Martin Scorsese, noto appassionato della storia del cinema.
L'autore, forse incerto sull'approccio da scegliere, dedica un capitolo a un racconto sequenziale, cronologico, che segue l'evoluzione di questo mezzo di comunicazione, un'altro ad una panoramica sui generi, ed altri ancora ad una rassegna delle figure più importanti (attori, registi).
Così facendo, inevitabilmente, il materiale è trattato solo superficialmente, ma serve bene allo scopo di fornire un'introduzione al profano, fornendo almeno i nomi dei grandi mostri sacri.
Per note di colore da un lato, e filmografie complete e ragionate dall'altro meglio rivolgersi a testi più completi. Comunque il libro si lascia leggere. Anche l'apparato di immagini è abbastanza ricco, anche se la mia versione in ebook ne faceva un po' scempio.
December 17, 2023
I don't know who this book is for. On one hand, it is for film students and the strange film based 'cultural elite' who love silents because they aren't loved by anyone else and so are preferable to classics of lit and art which are actual elite works. On the other hand, some parts of the book, especially the stuff about the actors, reads like poorly written Wiki entries. The whole thing feels like a fan trying to produce a work of art about works of art. So it fails on several levels which is amusing.
There are decent facts to be had if you can filter through the fanish elements.
There are decent facts to be had if you can filter through the fanish elements.
June 12, 2025
An interesting book that serves as an introduction to the silent film era. The book covers various aspects: the authors, directors, actors, sets, images, and so on. The author is honest and careful in mentioning films and cinematography from France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Denmark, and Sweden.
I missed a critical analysis of some works mentioned and a coverage of the different genres of documentaries produced during this period.
I missed a critical analysis of some works mentioned and a coverage of the different genres of documentaries produced during this period.
September 19, 2021
I wish I had read this earlier in my 1001 movies project, because I'm now in 1948 so have been long done with silents. But I enjoyed them so much - and still watch some on occasion - that this book was still interesting. There are tons of great illustrations, and I'm a sucker for the old posters, so that was definitely a treat.
December 23, 2021
This large, heavy coffee table book is for the very dedicated silent film student. The research and detail are impressive but quite overwhelming for the layperson. The book is well organized by film genre, studios, directors, film stars, and technologies of the era and each page contains photos and graphics.
January 12, 2022
Very informative. Since this is my first film book I've read, I don't have much to compare to haha, but my first impressions, are that this is really well written, I like the way each section was broken down, and it was easy to follow along. Also I simply enjoyed reading the content.
January 6, 2018
Simple wasn’t in-depth enough to be a good book in an interesting period in film history
May 6, 2018
An excellent reference. Chock full of great information and supplemented by wonderful images. Great for any fan of the silents.
How often does one actually read a coffee table book?
How often does one actually read a coffee table book?
August 27, 2020
beautiful.
March 14, 2022
very interesting
An easy, yet informative read . I definitely enjoyed the author inviting me into the world of early cinema This author made it a very easy to understand subject
An easy, yet informative read . I definitely enjoyed the author inviting me into the world of early cinema This author made it a very easy to understand subject
November 17, 2023
Great insights. Loved the nostalgia of old Hollywood.
March 23, 2024
Thoroughly researched.
March 3, 2013
This is a beautiful, lushly illustrated, coffee table book that is better for browsing than for reading. Peter Kobel covers a lot of the same material that William K. Everson did in his much earlier American Silent Film, but with not as much depth. Kobel does cover some aspects more deeply than Everson did: the early technology of color film, the musical scores of the silents, and silent films from Europe and the Soviet Union. And there's a good chapter that gets us up-to-date (as of 2007, anyway) on the effort to preserve and restore silent movies.
Reading this book is kind of like visiting a museum and reading all of the text that is on the panels alongside the displays, especially in the middle part of the book which consists of one-page mini-biographies of a couple of dozen stars of the teens and 20's.
Reading this book is kind of like visiting a museum and reading all of the text that is on the panels alongside the displays, especially in the middle part of the book which consists of one-page mini-biographies of a couple of dozen stars of the teens and 20's.
March 29, 2008
I've set this book aside for a while. I've read about a quarter of it. The author crams in a lot of detail and history about silent film and its stars, but his writing comes off workmanlike. His prose can't compete with the images contained within his book--the luscious star photographs like the Clara Bow that graces the cover, the colorful posters and other ephemera, and the photographs of the mechanical aspects of filmmaking like the original cameras. I would recommend this book mainly for its pictorial content. A lot of the other content can be found elsewhere written in a more engaging style.
February 16, 2010
I should have stopped at the subtitle: "the triumph of movie culture"?!? What does that even mean? Some really great illustrations (including some great reproductions of trade and fan magazines from the 20s), but other than that, what can you say about a book about "silent movies" that deigns to include "international" (read: non-English language) cinema in a single chapter?
July 9, 2013
Great as a coffee table book to glance through and admire the pretty pictures, but that's about all. Very shallow and disjointed. For the extremely casual observer only. NOT for the true film student or historical researcher.
October 22, 2018
A truly great overview of American Silent films, filled with gorgeous photographs. It's quite big in size. I remember buying it around the time it came out and was surprised by how excellent the quality is, overall. Still recommend.
July 25, 2009
Fabulous!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews