Silent-ology

Hello everyone, I hope you’ve been enjoying the ‘Merica themed posts so far this summer!

During the 1900s and 1910s there was one genre of American film that skyrocketed in popularity, becoming more prevalent in those few years than at any other time since.

Recently, I finished a piece for my Classic Movie Hub column that was supposed to be pretty straightforward: Civil War films in the silent era.

Wishing all my fellow countrymen a happy America 250!!

Time to bring this lightly-edited review out of the vaults!

When we examine what types of films were trendy in the silent film days, we’ll find the era well-stocked with Civil War films, WWI propagandistic adventures, tales from the pioneer days, and of course an abundance of Westerns.

In the days of nickelodeons and travelling shows when most films were under ten minutes long, audiences were typically treated to whole programs of travelogues, comedies, little dramas, and other early films.

…A new Silent-ology project for the summer of 2026.

As the 12th Buster Keaton blogathon comes to a close (although I’m still reading through your excellent posts, as I’m sure many people are!)

Day 2 of the 12th Annual Busterthon is in full swing, be sure to check out any new posts!