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Video: Everything is clear without words: The most charming actresses in silent film history
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The era of silent films did not last long, but it had a huge impact on the development of the film industry as a whole. The stars of that time conveyed a whole gamut of feelings with just gestures and emotions. This review contains the most famous silent film actresses who conquered the hearts of viewers without further ado.
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford (née Gladys Louise Smith) found herself on the stage at the age of seven. When the father was gone, the mother, in order to somehow feed her family, began to play in the local theater with the children. For several years, the Smiths toured America performing.
Success came to Gladys in 1907, when she was already 15 years old. She starred in the play "The Warrens of Virginia" on Broadway, and a year later decided to try her hand at cinema. The audience immediately liked the girl. Then Gladys Smith took the pseudonym Mary Pickford. Although at first everyone recognized her as a "girl with golden curls."
Mary's popularity grew and her fees increased. Because of her "puppet" face, the actress mostly got the role of gullible "Cinderella". As the press wrote then, Mary Pickford expressed emotions not with gestures, but with a look.
Mary Pickford herself was far from being silly. A few years later, she co-founded the United Artists film distribution company and started producing films.
Vera Cold
Vera Kholodnaya ended up in the cinema by chance. When in the First World War her husband was sent to the front and the family lost their breadwinner, the woman went to the film studio. In 1914, Kholodnaya got a cameo role in Anna Karenina. The director of the film was skeptical that Kholodnaya had no acting talent, but he took pity on her and nevertheless wrote a letter of recommendation.
Evgeny Bauer saw charisma in Vera Kholodnaya. The very first film he shot with the participation of an aspiring actress was greeted with enthusiasm. A role was fixed for her, which was aptly characterized by art critic Semyon Ginzburg -.
For four years Vera Kholodnaya shone on the screens, until in 1918, while on the set in Odessa, she caught the Spanish flu. The actress died suddenly at the zenith of fame.
Paula Negri
Polish actress Pola Negri (real name Barbara Apolonia Chalupec) made her debut in 1914 in the film Slave of Passion, Slave of Vice. After several successful films, she was invited to act in Hollywood. The girl, without hesitation, agreed.
When the sound appeared in the movies, Polu Negri suffered the fate of most silent film actresses - she was left without a job. The actress's voice was wonderful, but she could not get rid of the Polish accent, which the Americans really did not like.
Alla Nazimova
Glory to Alla Nazimova came not in the Russian Empire, but overseas. At home, the actress could not break through the secondary roles of provincial theaters. Alla Nazimova achieved success on the theatrical stage of Broadway. The actress made her film debut at the age of 37, which was quite late for those standards. Nevertheless, this did not prevent Nazimova from being successful with the public.
In 1915, the actress produced Salome, which flopped at the box office. Alla Nazimova lost not only her funds, but also the following roles. In her place came new idols.
Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish joined the traveling theater troupe in search of work. In 1912, her friend Mary Pickford helped the girl get into the cinema. Lillian Gish also got the role of cuties offended by life. However, if Mary Pickford, because of her "doll face", conveyed emotions only with her eyes, then Lillian Gish became a wonderful tragic actress who managed to express the whole gamut of feelings.
When the films ceased to be dumb, the actress moved to the theater, but 18 years later she was again invited to the cinema. Lillian Gish even received an Oscar nomination.
The image of the luxurious "femme fatale" was exploited in silent films by another actress - Teda Bara. Mysterious image, evocative costumes, fascinating legend of the origin of the actress made her the first sex symbol on the movie screen.
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