Thus, the silent film negotiated a space for illiterates. As an intensely visual medium, the silent film was accessible to all audiences and in areas where there were large immigrant populations and English was not the first language, the intertitles would be translated into Yiddish, Russian or Italian as the live music accompanied the film (Miller n.d.). Without dialogue, the actors had only body language and expression to tell the story. Full symphonic orchestras accompanied some silent films, while others had sound effects added by organ, and smaller movie houses used the piano to add sound. They went to enjoy the “silent” film, which is not an entirely accurate statement considering that all silent films were accompanied by live music, and were therefore not silent at all. “Going to the picture show” was a wondrous experience that for 25 cents, gave Americans in large cities an escape from their tedious lives and offered an evening of “crystal chandeliers, marble fountains, gilt inlay and richly upholstered seats” (Miller n.d.). The transition from silent film to the “talkies” in the mid 1920s transformed the face of the American film industry and of mass entertainment. The End of an Era: From Silent Film to Talkies
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