Silent Magic: Rediscovering the Silent Film Era

by Ivan Butler, Kevin Brownlow (Foreword)

Hard cover book with dust jacket. History of silent film era, first edition.

Genres: Media Tie In, Film, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Graceann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Butler actually saw the films he discusses, at the time they were originally released. This is a review of those films as he remembers them, year by year. Interesting reading on an era which is sadly long gone.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most charming bit comes at the end of each chapter, where the author gives a list of all of the other things that happened that year in the world.
I will be keeping this for research purposes, however this book is rather dry. It will be good for a general overview of the films of the 1920s, but so much is covered in so little space, not to mention it is the recollection of one person, it feels rushed. While it is charming to see his account of these films, many of which are lost films, I have to wonder why he chose to write a survey rather than diving deeper. Unfortunately “Silent Magic” isn’t all that magical and it doesn’t help newer audiences rediscover much.

[Greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming book of the author’s memories of the films of his youth, with many nice appreciations of character actors. He remembers his sister bursting into tears in The Claw, Nazimova’s Camille being more lively than Norma Talmadge’s, people duly dabbing their eyes in Secrets. He liked Kiki, didn’t think much of Smilin Through (bet his sister liked it, though)