Table of Contents
The shift from silent films to the introduction of talking pictures, known as “talkies,” marked a significant disruption in the film industry. This transition revolutionized various aspects of filmmaking, from production techniques to acting methods. The incorporation of sound and voice capture technology necessitated new procedures, including the use of microphones that actors had to wear, a departure from the accustomed practice of directors giving instructions audibly during filming.
Wearing sound equipment under costumes proved uncomfortable and limiting for many actors. The shift away from directors shouting instructions and the reduced need for exaggerated facial expressions challenged established acting norms. Talkies diminished the reliance on facial expressions and body language, as actors could now convey emotions through spoken dialogue.
The adjustment to this new way of filmmaking posed a considerable challenge for former silent film stars. Some resisted the change, viewing spoken dialogue as unnecessary and restrictive to their performances. Despite being a minor inconvenience in contemporary times, the shift was unprecedented back then.
For many actors, learning dialogue and adopting accents became a significant undertaking, as these were skills not previously required in Hollywood. The success of transitioning to talkies varied among silent film stars. Figures like Joan Crawford and Boris Karloff adapted well, while others struggled to find success in this new era. Some attempted a career in talkies without much achievement, while others opted not to make the transition at all. The challenges faced by silent movie stars during this period are a testament to the profound impact the advent of talkies had on the film industry.
Sponsered English Shortfilm Playlist
10 Silent Movie Stars Who Didn’t Make It in the Talkies
Mary Pickford
Born as Gladys Louise Smith in Toronto, Mary Pickford emerged as a prominent figure in the silent film era. Her theatrical journey began at the age of seven, touring with her family in various theater companies. By 1907, she had adopted the name Pickford and joined the David Belasco troupe before venturing into films and collaborating with D.W. Griffith. In 1919, she played a key role in founding United Artists alongside Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, and her future husband, Douglas Fairbanks.
A pivotal figure in the early days of the film industry, Pickford was among the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She earned the distinction of being the first actress to sign a million-dollar deal and was affectionately known as “America’s sweetheart” during the silent film era. Her legacy is recognized in AFI’s list of the top 100 female stars from the Classical Hollywood cinema era, where she holds the 24th position.
Despite winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in her first talking picture role, “Coquette” (1929), Pickford faced challenges in transitioning to the talkies. Her miscalculation of the importance of sound in films during the 1920s contributed to a decline in her career. The controversy surrounding her Oscar win stemmed from audience dissatisfaction with her shift to more mature roles, as she could no longer convincingly portray teenagers or young women in her 30s.
Encountering financial setbacks with three unsuccessful films, Pickford made the decision to retire from acting in 1933. Nevertheless, she remained active in the film industry by continuing her role as a producer for United Artists.
Pola Negri
Pola Negri, originally named Barbara Apolonia Chalupiec, achieved significant success as a Polish stage and film actress, particularly in the silent film era in both Europe and Hollywood. Renowned for her roles as a tragedienne and femme fatale, she holds the distinction of being the first European to be invited to Hollywood, solidifying her status as one of the most popular actresses of the American silent film era.
However, Negri faced challenges transitioning to the talkies. Her initial venture into sound film with “A Woman Commands” in 1932 proved unsuccessful, leading to financial failure and a detrimental impact on her Hollywood career. Despite this setback, the film caught the attention of a vaudeville tour, prompting Negri to join. Following her stint in vaudeville, she had an opportunity to work on a film in Berlin. Unfortunately, her time in Germany was cut short by the outbreak of World War II.
Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish, born in October 1893, had an extensive career in both stage and silent films, often collaborating with her sister Dorothy. After joining the film industry in 1912, she worked on 12 films with D.W. Griffith that year and quickly became a prominent star alongside Mary Pickford.
In the following years, Gish’s popularity allowed her to be more selective with her projects. However, as the talkies emerged in the 1920s, her film output decreased. Notably, she didn’t appear in films in 1922, 1925, and 1929, marking the transition to sound in Hollywood. Although she made a film in 1933, “His Double Life,” Gish took a nine-year hiatus before returning to the screen in 1943 with “Commandos Strike at Dawn” and “Top Man.”
Despite not reaching the same level of success she enjoyed during the silent film era, Gish continued to sporadically act in movies until 1987, showcasing her enduring talent in the film industry.
Mae Murray
Born as Marie Adrienne Koenig in 1889 in New York City, Mae Murray initially gained fame on Broadway, featuring in numerous successful productions. As her popularity soared, she transitioned to performances at prestigious clubs in the United States and France. In 1916, she entered the film industry, making her mark with the silent film “To Have and To Hold.” Murray’s silent film career flourished, with Universal Pictures even creating dance sequences tailored for her.
However, her success took a downturn with the arrival of sound in movies. Her first talkie, “Peacock Alley,” received negative reviews and flopped at the box office. At the age of over 40, audiences felt that her voice and mannerisms were not suitable for the new era of talking pictures. Unfortunately, her fourth husband, Prince David Mdvani, advised her to leave MGM, where she had been transferred, leading to a decline in her career. Subsequently, she only made two more films.
Karl Dane
Karl Dane, originally named Rasmus Karl Therkelsen Gottlieb, was born in Copenhagen in 1886. His challenging childhood, marked by divorced parents and an alcoholic father, led him to seek solace in the arts. In 1910, he married and started a family, but the economic impact of World War I in Denmark prompted him to immigrate to the U.S. for a better life. However, his marriage faltered, leading to a divorce request from his wife.
In Hollywood, Dane found success in silent films, including notable roles in movies like “To Hell with the Kaiser!” Yet, by 1918, he grew weary of Hollywood and retired, engaging in chicken farming. Tragedy struck when his second wife died in childbirth along with their child. A brief third marriage ended, and a friend eventually lured him back into acting, leading to a prosperous stint with MGM until around 1930.
Although Dane fared reasonably well in the transition to talkies, grappling with shaky English and a slight accent, he fell ill due to overwork. After a recovery, he made one more film, “The Whispering Shadow,” and embarked on a vaudeville tour. However, a hiatus from acting and unsuccessful business ventures took a toll. Dane attempted to return to MGM, but they refused to rehire him. Facing challenges, he tragically took his own life in 1934.
OTT Certificates and Censor E-Certificate boosts viewability of your short films. With Shortfundly get your film’s E-Certificates and release your creations now. Click here to get them now.
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks commenced his acting journey at the age of 12 in amateur theater and entered Broadway in 1902, just two years after relocating from Colorado to New York. In 1915, he transitioned to Hollywood, collaborating with D.W. Griffith despite initial reluctance from Griffith. Fairbanks, a co-founder of United Artists with Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford, achieved fame for social comedies and swashbuckler films in the ’20s, earning the moniker “King of Hollywood” during the silent film era.
However, like many silent film stars, Fairbanks faced challenges with the advent of sound in the talkies. He, along with other silent stars, believed that sound restricted artistic expression, diminishing his passion for acting. Concurrently, his athleticism and health declined, possibly due to years of chain-smoking. Despite efforts to prove his adaptability to the talkies by appearing on the radio show The Dodge Brothers Hour with Norma Talmadge, his talkie films from 1929-1934 received poor reviews. Fairbanks retired after completing The Private Life of Don Juan.
Norma Talmadge
Norma Talmadge, born in Jersey City in 1895, faced financial struggles growing up with her single mother after her father’s departure. At the age of 14, she turned to modeling to make ends meet and caught the attention of Vitagraph Studios. With her mother’s support, she secured roles in five films by 1913, becoming Vitagraph’s most promising young actress. Talmadge and her mother later moved to California, where her sister Constance worked with director D.W. Griffith, leading to Norma’s contract with Griffith’s studio.
Following this contract, Talmadge returned to the East Coast, marrying producer Joseph Schneck. Together, they established their production studio, and she starred in numerous successful films. However, by 1928, her star power waned, marked by the box office failure of “The Woman Disputed” and her last film, “Du Barry, Woman of Passion,” in 1930. The rise of talkies further contributed to her decline, as her voice did not suit the new sound technology. Talmadge divorced Schneck, marrying radio show host George Jessel.
In an attempt to revive her career, Talmadge joined a radio show, hoping to boost its ratings. Unfortunately, the show continued to decline, leading to its cancellation. Disheartened, she decided to retire from acting after this setback.
Clara Bow
Clara Bow, known as the “It Girl,” faced a challenging upbringing in poverty in Brooklyn, born in 1905 to an absent father and a mentally ill mother. Despite her difficult childhood, she gained recognition by winning a beauty contest, paving the way for a successful film career with 58 movies between 1922 and 1933. Her fame peaked with the silent film “It” in 1927.
However, the advent of talking pictures proved to be a hurdle for Bow. Despite receiving an impressive 45,000 fan letters per month, she struggled to adapt to the new era of cinema. Legal issues, including unpaid taxes and publicized divorce court battles, further tarnished her image. Despite a couple of attempts to re-enter show business in the early ’30s, these endeavors failed, leading Bow to retire in 1933 at the age of 28.
Vilma Banky
Vilma Banky, a Hungarian actress, launched her career in Budapest and later expanded to France, Austria, and Germany before making a move to Hollywood. Despite her Eastern European background, she successfully embraced an all-American girl image in Hollywood, earning praise for her beauty, even being dubbed “The Hungarian Rhapsody” by publications like the New York Times.
However, her transition to talkies in Hollywood faced challenges. Many attribute her struggle to the impact of her thick Hungarian accent on American audiences, which seemed to clash with the persona she had carefully crafted. As the film industry shifted from silent to talking pictures, Banky’s interest waned, and by 1928, she began expressing her intention to retire in the coming years. Her decision was influenced by a desire to settle down with her actor husband, Rod La Rocque.
John Gilbert
John Gilbert, a silent film star, hailed from a show-business family, with his father being a comic in the Pringle Stock Company. By 1917, he had secured a prominent role in the Thomas H. Ince company, juggling responsibilities as an actor, assistant director, and screenwriter. In 1921, he inked a three-year deal with Fox Films, marking a pivotal moment in his career as he transitioned from playing villains to becoming a leading man.
In the mid-1920s, Gilbert made a significant move to MGM, sharing the screen with luminaries like Lillian Gish and Greta Garbo. An off-screen romance with Garbo garnered attention, but their planned marriage fell through, leaving Gilbert at the altar. Subsequently, his performances waned, and he turned to heavy drinking. The advent of talkies presented a further challenge, as his voice, while not inherently problematic, didn’t align with the on-screen persona he had cultivated. Additionally, a fallout with MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer, stemming from his relationship with Garbo, soured his standing in the studio. Following the expiration of his MGM contract in 1933, which included his role in “Fast Workers,” Gilbert’s career spiraled downward, culminating in his death from a heart attack in 1936.
Note:
*Shortfundly is hiring for multiple roles in Chennai. Start referring your known connections to these openings*. Check it out – https://lnkd.in/erZm6rzh
About Shortfundly
Shortfundly is an OTT marketplace platform available to share the best short films and web series through global multi-platform network. Their editorial platform enables global audience to easily discover, watch, and share unique contents anywhere on their desktop, connected TV and mobile devices.
If you are planning to release and earn on an OTT platform, learn how to distribute your short film via Shortfundly.
For publishing an advertorial article about your digital news/product launch/ short film/web series/album song on our website, drop an email at [email protected]
Hey Cinephiles! We welcome guest blogging on our platform. Do share your article with us.
Check out our Shortfundly YouTube channel for other interesting podcasts & interviews with filmmakers.
To watch unlimited premium short films & web series, Download the Shortfundly mobile application now available on Google Play Store and Apple App store.
