Coming soon to Family Flickers, kids will be able to color, play games and even create their own, home made, silent movie. Lots of fun for kids and trivia for adults—that’s all coming by summer 2007 to Family Flickers. Keep checking back and watch your email for the announcement.

Trivia and News

Test your knowledge of and learn a little about the history of silent film. Answers to the numbered questions are at the bottom of the page.

Mack Sennett

Mack Sennett was considered to be the “King Of Comedy”. Did you know that it was Sennett who signed Charlie Chaplin and first put him in the movies?

At his peak, Mack Sennett’s Keystone studios were creating one new two reel comedy each week.

Not only did Mack Sennett ‘discover’ timeless talents like Charles Chaplin, Mabel Normand, Ford Sterling and Ben Turpin, he created the  world famous Sennett Bathing Beauties (where Gloria Swanson got her start) along with the Keystone Cops.

Mack Sennett never won an Academy Award, but he received an honorary one.

Many of the silent film actors for Mack Sennett brought their own costumes and did their own make-up. They also did their own stunts.

1. Mack Sennett began his career as an actor and director at Biograph studios. Where did Biograph film their movies..?

Hal Roach:

Hal Roach was Mack Sennett’s chief rival. He began creating comedies with Harold Lloyd in 1915. He also produced some of the most memorable feature length films, including ‘Topper’ in 1937 and ‘Of Mice and Men’ in 1939.

Hal Roach Studio’s created Our Gang comedies, and unlike Sennett, made a successful transition to sound.

2.  In addition to Our Gang Comedies, what famous comedy team did Hal Roach Create?

Charlie Chaplin:

Charlie Chaplin first gained fame as a music hall actor with the Fred Karno British Music Hall Troupe.  His understudy on one tour was Stan Laurel, later to become a star in his own right as part of the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy.

Charlie Chaplin was also an accomplished composer who began to score his films with the advent of sound. His most memorable tune is the one he wrote for “Modern Times” in 1936--- that being the song, ‘Smile’. 

3. What is Charlie Chaplin’s middle name? It begins with an “S”.

4. Who was Charlie Chaplin’s favorite leading lady?

5. Charlie Chaplin’s first feature length silent movie was ‘The Kid’, released     in 1921. Jackie Coogan played the ‘kid’. How old was Coogan when he started filming the movie?

6.  Chaplin was referred to by a character he played.  What was the name of that character?

Buster Keaton:

7.  What nick name was Buster Keaton known by?

The silent film era changed forever in 1927, with the debut of ‘The Jazz Singer’ the first full length motion picture with a synchronized sound track.

 

 

ANSWERS:
1. New York City
2.  Laurel and Hardy.  Laurel and Hardy were, in later years dubbed “The Fiddle and the Bow” by author James Agee.
3. Spencer
4. Edna Purviance
5. Five years old
6. The Little Tramp
7. The Great Stone Face