Why did silent films have music but no dialogue?

Silent films did not have the technology to record dialogue, as sound recording was not developed until the late 1920s. When you watch silent films on TV or DVD then the soundtracks were recorded some time later. In the early days of cinema movies had live/instrumental accompaniment (piano, or even an orchestra etc.).
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Why was music used in silent films?

The original function of music in silent film was to drown out the noise of the projector as well as talkative audiences. Music for silent films was usually played live in the cinema, but the musical contact varied from country to country and culture to culture.
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Why did silent films not have sound?

The technology to capture and record sound on film along with the images was not mastered until the mid-1920s, and it wasn't in common use until later in that decade. That means that for most of the first 35 years of motion pictures, theaters had to provide their own accompaniment with the films.
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Did silent films have dialogue?

A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when necessary, be conveyed by the use of inter-title cards.
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How were silent films able to entertain audiences without dialogue?

Made from the 1890s through the late 1920s, silent films are movies without synchronized sound and dialogue. Instead, music was often played live in theaters to accompany and punctuate the action that took place on the screen, and dialogue was conveyed through intertitles, or shots of printed text.
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Sound in Silent Movies: A History | Video Essay

How did music affect silent movies?

During the silent film era, live music accompanied screenings to provide emotional context and enhance the overall experience. Music played a vital role in setting the mood, narrating the story, and keeping the audience engaged.
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Why did deaf people enjoy silent movies?

During the silent film era (1893–1929), Deaf and hard of hearing moviegoers did not need subtitles or other accessibility tools to enjoy the latest new film.
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Was there music in silent films?

Silent films were never silent. From their earliest days as an exhibition attraction, motion pictures were accompanied by some form of music–typically a piano, a musical combo in more modest sized houses, and sometimes an entire orchestra in movie palaces.
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What silent film stars didn t transition to talkies?

Those who failed to make the transition to sound included Vilma Banky, Mae Murray and Norma Talmadge. Comic legend Charlie Chaplin had yet to talk on film. Roles for Rudolph Valentino's romantic rival John Gilbert dried up, Douglas Fairbanks became disillusioned and audiences avoided director D.W. Griffith's talkies.
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Why is dialogue so quiet in movies?

Some movies deliberately mix spoken conversations at a lower level than loud explosions so that the booms have more of an impact in a theater, where the sound system is better and you don't have neighbors to disturb.
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What is the oldest silent movie?

The oldest surviving silent film is known as the Roundhay Garden Scene. It was recorded on October 14, 1888, by inventor Louis Le Prince in Roundhay, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.
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What is the only word spoken in silent movie?

Marcel Marceau reprises his "walking into the wind" routine while trying to lift a phone. He then shouts his, and the film's only spoken word: "Non!".
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What was the first silent film with sound?

“The Jazz Singer” from 1927 was not the first-ever motion picture with sound, but it was the first feature-length movie with synchronized dialogue and marked the end of the silent film era.
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What did silent films use to show dialogue?

Intertitles. Since silent films had no synchronized sound for dialogue, onscreen intertitles were used to narrate story points, present key dialogue and sometimes even comment on the action for the cinema audience.
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When did silent movies get sound?

The gradual transition from silent films to talkies took place between 1926 and 1930 and included many small steps — both technological developments and adjustments to audience expectations — before it was complete.
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What was the first film with music?

The first musical film, The Jazz Singer (1927), starring Al Jolson, introduced the sound era of motion pictures. It was followed by a series of musicals hastily made to capitalize on the novelty of sound.
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What year did movies stop being silent?

The movie business has very humble beginnings. In the 1800's, many inventors, such as Thomas Edison and the Lumiere Brothers worked on machines that projected images. This led to the silent movie era which ranged from 1894 to 1929.
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Who is the most well known star of the silent film era?

03Charlie Chaplin is the most famous silent film star of all time, spanning a career of more than 75 years until his death in 1977. 04Silent film actor William S. Hart was Hollywood's first cowboy. 05The last surviving silent movie star, Baby Peggy, died in 2020 at 101 years old.
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Are silent films totally without sound?

Silent Films are films with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialog. Most silent films were created between 1895 and 1936. In 1927, George Valentin is a silent movie superstar. However, the advent of the talkies will kill his career and he will sink into oblivion.
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Why can the deaf girl in the silence talk?

Ally's rudimentary signing skills and her preference for speaking aloud fit in well enough with the storyline, since it is mentioned that only three years have passed since she became deaf, but it's more apparently related to the fact that her actress, Kiernan Shipka, is hearing.
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Is deaf mute appropriate?

However, some terms such as hearing impaired, deaf-mute, deaf and dumb, hearing deficient, and disabled are considered offensive and should NOT be used.
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What did they call movies with sound that followed the silent age?

Talkies get their name from the recorded dialogue that played in sync with the images on screen. Movies from the Silent Film Era (1894-1929), were largely recorded and played without sound.
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How did silent movie actors show audiences their emotions?

It can be likened to the art of miming, where actors utilize exaggerated physical movements and comical facial expressions to convey emotions and tell stories to the audience of a silent movie.
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Why did some actors not make it from silent films to those with sound?

A lot of silent film stars disappeared from the movie industry, because they didn't possess the right kind of voice for talkies. There were other reasons: failure to understand the mechanics of sound and also not taking the new medium seriously. The musical Singin' in the Rain highlights all this. Douglas Fairbanks Sr.
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