Who put the "Silent" in Silent?

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Tue May 25, 2010 8:30 am

This may have been discussed before, but I wondered when the term "Silent" film was coined. Before the official advent of talkies, silent film was the only form, so the term obviously came later. But when and who decided there they needed different terms?

Danny

Harold Aherne · Post by **Harold Aherne** » Tue May 25, 2010 9:15 am

"Silent" was actually applied pretty early; the term "silent drama" (as opposed to "speaking stage") was definitely in use in mainstream newspapers by 1909-10. The earliest use of "silent films" that I've traced so far is in the New York Times of 25 Nov. 1918 in the article "Two Opera Stars in Silent Films", discussing Caruso and Geraldine Farrar's film careers. In general, though, "silent drama" was the preferred term until "silent film" took over in 1928-29.

-Harold

Hal Erickson · Post by **Hal Erickson** » Tue May 25, 2010 9:37 am

Robert E. Sherwood's weekly review in the old LIFE magazine was prominently titled "The Silent Drama." Also, movie trade magazines of the period referred to the Stage as "The Spoken Drama."

Bruce Long · Post by **Bruce Long** » Tue May 25, 2010 2:02 pm

I see a mention in the Los Angeles Times on Jan. 25, 1916, in contrast to experimental talking films:

"...So much is lost in the silent film featuring which might be given were the pictures accompanied with words, that the new device will fully double the scope of film playing, she said."