Not too long ago my fellow blogger Crystal, who runs the fine site In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood, contacted me with an idea: How about we cohost a blogathon in honor of Silent Movie Day? Well well well, that sure sounds right up my alley.
“Wait, ‘Silent Movie Day’? Is that a real thing>” you ask. Why yes, it certainly IS a real thing! Just this past January, Chad Hunter, executive director of Video Trust and director of the Pittsburgh Silent Film Society, archivist Brandee B. Cox of the Academy Film Archive, and archivist Steven K. Hill of the UCLA Film & Television Archive all put their heads together and decided to create a National Silent Movie Day. Described simply as “a day to celebrate and enjoy silent movies,” it will be held on September 29. And it won’t be celebrated just this year, but every year! As its founders wrote:
Anyone can participate! Ask your local cinema to show a silent picture with live music; watch a silent movie on a streaming platform or on disc; write a blog or an article for your local newspaper; read a book about your favorite silent movie star; or create a podcast. Use your imagination and post on your social media on September 29 to show how you celebrate the day. This is our moment as silent movie fans, academics, programmers, and newcomers to share our mutual love and appreciation for this unique period in motion picture history. It is also an opportunity to rally around surviving silent pictures that are still in need of preservation.
So in honor of this brand-new rival of Easter and Christmas, Crystal and I are hosting a one-day Silent Movie Day Blogathon–and all bloggers are invited!
When: September 29, 2021
Where: In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood and right here on Silent-ology!
How: To participate, please choose any silent film-related topic you desire. You could cover a favorite actor, an esteemed director, an obscure film, a unique genre, a scholarly analysis of Chaplin’s mustache–the sky’s pretty much the limit! Then, leave a comment below or on Crystal’s blog. Don’t forget to include your blog address! On the day of the blogathon itself, please send me the link to your post (or send it to Crystal, depending on which blog you used to sign up) whenever it’s ready. Pretty easy!
Details:
- Duplicates are 100% allowed!
- No more than two posts per participant, por favor (in case you’re feeling ambitious!).
- This is a celebration of silent film, so let’s keep things respectful and informative. No Hollywood Babylon-wannabes necessary. *wink*
- New posts only, my friends!
- Please mention our blogathon in your post, and consider adding a little info about Silent Movie Day too.
- And if you please, choose one of our festive banners below and help spread the word about this event!
Banners:
Sound good? Me and Crystal are excited, too! Happy writing, everyone!
The Roster:
In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood | TBA
Silent-ology | TBA
Grace Kingsley’s Hollywood | Covering the lost film The Legend of Hollywood (1924)
Wild About Houdini | The silent films of Harry Houdini
Cinematic Scribblings | Tokyo Chorus (1931) and That Night’s Wife (1930)
Taking Up Room | Show People (1928)
ReelWeegieMidgetReviews | Peter Pan (1924)
Nitrateglow | Top grossing movies of 1921
Critica Retro | Souls for Sale (1923)
Caftan Woman | The Last of the Mohicans (1920)
The Thoughts of One Truly Loved | The Circus (1928)
All About Rudolph Valentino | Rudy’s influence on silents
The Story Enthusiast | The Scarlet Letter (1926)
Hometowns to Hollywood | Girl Shy (1924)
Cinematica | Coney Island (1917)
LA Daily Mirror | TBA
The Classic Movie Muse | Hot Water (1924)
MovieMovieBlogBlogII | The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez (1991)
Strictly Vintage Hollywood | Lost film Uncharted Seas (1921)
Silver Screenings | The Hoodlum (1924)
Silent Locations | The Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd Alley campaign
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Silent-ology 
Sure! As long as it can be Buster-centric. 😜
Great idea, thanks!
Yup, it can be whatever silent-related topic you desire! 🙂
Lea, I believe I will tackle Comique’s Coney Island. Thanks!
I love that short, great choice!
Thank you and Crystal for organizing this! For Grace Kingsley’s Hollywood I’ve written a post about a lost film called “The Legend of Hollywood.” The post is called “What Does Hollywood Think of Herself,” and I’ll send a link when in publishes on 9/29.
Sounds good, Lisle! Thanks for joining!
I would love to contribute a post about the silent cinema of Harry Houdini (exact nature of post TBD).
Great topic, John!
Could I write about Tokyo Chorus? It’s a silent, despite being from 1931. My blog is Cinematic Scribblings: https://cinematicscribblings.wordpress.com/ Thank you!
Absolutely! Welcome to the blogathon!
I think I’m actually going to write about Tokyo Chorus in conjunction with another Yasujirô Ozu silent, That Night’s Wife (1930), though it will just be one post.
Okay, sounds good to me!
Will enjoy reading all these articles. What a nice initiative. I do not have blog depsite I follow some on silent movie. I hope it can become a World day of silent movie.
Glad to have you as a reader, Michael!
Ooh, I’m totally in! Not sure what I’ll review yet, but it sounds great.
Wonderful, let me know what you decide!
I think I’d like to review “Show People”–it’s been a while since I’ve seen it. 🙂
Great choice, I love that movie!
Hi, can you please add me with Peter Pan (1924)? Great idea for a blogathon.
Absolutely! That’s a lovely movie.
Actually, just realised we have Mel Brooks excellent Silent Movie (1976) in our cupboard, can I do that… and if its not suitable do the Peter Pan film…
That would work too, or you can do both if you want. 🙂
Will just stick with Silent Movie, thanks
Been thinking about this, much as I love Silent Movie.. it is probably better that I look at the Peter Pan film as it fits in better with your guidelines. So going to switch back to that choice… (too many good choices).
Ok! Will be updating the roster this morning. 🙂
Thanks X sent the same message to Crystal
Actually Lea, I will just stick with Silent Movie. Sorry about the indecisiveness.
Ok, ha ha!
Thanks!
Lea not to worry keeping with Silent Movie but gotta know where you made your banners. They are lovely.
Why thank you! I made them on Paint, believe it or not. 😀 I normally just use Paint, and if I want a fancy photo effect or two I find a free online photo editor.
Thanks for the tip they really are lovely. Love you to join this if you can wangle it… https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2021/07/06/blogathon-announcing-the-no-true-scotsman-blogathon/
This is my kind of event! And also the perfect opportunity for me to watch and review Souls for Sale (1923).
I already marked the date in my calendar! Can’t wait!
Le from Critica Retro (www.criticaretro.blogspot.com)
You’re added to the roster! Sorry about the delay, I apparently skimmed through the comments too fast.
The whole idea of a Silent Film Day and your blogathon is thrilling. I would love to participate with a look at The Last of the Mohicans, 1920 directed by Clarence Brown and Maurice Tourneur.
Oops, almost forgot: https://www.caftanwoman.com/
Great choice Patricia! 🙂
Hello again!
I would love to do Chaplin’s The Circus!
Some of my favorite Charlie scenes are in that one!
Would love to contribute a blog piece about Rudolph Valentino contribution to the Art of Silent Film if allowed on my blog All About Rudolph Valentino. Also, I am hosting a virtual discussion Silent Film Star Discussion, 29 Sep on Eventbrite
Excellent, glad to have you onboard!
Can I claim Gish’s The Scarlet Letter?
I’m at http://www.storyenthusiast.com
Absolutely! Welcome to the blogathon.
Count me in for Girl Shy (1924)! –Annette, Hometowns to Hollywood
Wonderful! Glad to have you onboard, Annette!
I have two ideas on early Hollywood, trying to see which has more information at the moment.
Wonderful, let me know what you decide Mary!
For the LA Daily Mirror.
I’ve got my WordPress account running again. Can you change the URL to that blog please? I think a longer-form post will be more readable than on my tumblr. 🙂
Will do!
I am Brooksie of Brooksie At The Movies (https://brooksieatthemovies.weebly.com/). I’ve been working on a piece called ‘Who Taught Valentino How to Tango?’. It’s pretty lengthy so I was planning to divide it into 4 parts.
I could either post the whole lot on 29 September or, if that’s too much, just post the section analysing the ‘4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ tango on that day (it’s pretty self-contained).
Sounds good! You can definitely post all 4 if you like, I’ll make sure the links get put up.
Hello! I’ve recently discovered your excellent blog and really admire your writing style and friendly approach to the material. The silent world is pretty foreign to me, although I have been getting into some of the comedies these past few years. (Just watched Keaton’s Go West yesterday!) I know your blog will be a great resource on the road to discovery, so thank you in advance! I’d like to join the blogathon, but I’ll have to give some thought to my topic. I have informed Crystal, but thought I’d pop over here too!
Wonderful, let us know what you decide!
I’ve made my choice! May I write about Hot Water (1924), please?
Certainly, nice choice!
Lea: I wanted to do something unique (of course). Have you ever heard of a 1991 movie titled “The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez”? It’s theater director Peter Sellars’ conceit of doing a modern-day Wall Street story as a silent movie (not even any subtitles), though he made it a bit more accessible by adding stars such as Joan Cusack and Peter Gallagher. Would you mind if I did this one for your blogathon?
Yes, go right ahead! 🙂
My blogathon entry is now live at:
Thanks Steve!
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OK, now that we’re a bit closer, I think I can predict what I’ll have ready by Sept 29th! I would like to discuss Douglas Fairbanks in “The Nut.”
Nice choice! Thanks for joining. 🙂
Hi Lea, Could I do Mary Pickford’s The Hoodlum, if it’s not spoken for already?
Absolutely! That’s a great film.
Great way to celebrate the first Silent Movie Day! I’d love to join and write about pre-1920 silent cinema.
https://theeverydaycinephile.com/
Awesome! Happy to have you join in. 🙂
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I’d love to join this event – it sounds wonderful! Here’s the link to my blog article on Laurel & Hardy’s classic short, ‘The Battle of the Century’. https://laurel-and-hardy-blog.com/2018/10/20/the-battle-of-the-century-1927/
Sounds good! Thanks for joining. 🙂
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I didn’t realize we could do this in advance! My entry is now live here:
Couldn’t do anything fancy because evidently WP hates me. 😜
Thanks again!
Thank YOU!
Is it OK if my new content (“New posts only, my friends!”) is an entry that is part of a longer series? I’ve been doing a blog series about silent film’s visual storytelling language since January, and I expect have a new post tomorrow for it. Wasn’t sure if you were looking for a standalone post or not. Thanks.
Yup that’s fine with me!
Thanks! This will be post no. 55 in the series.
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