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Silent comedy is a style offilm, related to but distinct frommime, developed to bringcomedy into the medium of film during thesilent film era (1900s–1920s), before synchronized soundtracks that could include dialogue were technologically available for the majority of films. While silent comedy is still practiced today, albeit much less frequently, it has significantly influenced modern comedic media.
Many techniques used in silent comedy were borrowed fromvaudeville traditions, with many silent comedy stars, such asBuster Keaton andCharlie Chaplin, getting their start in vaudeville. Silent comedies often place a strong emphasis on visual and physical humor, frequently utilizing "sight gags" to convey stories and entertain audiences. These gags often involved exaggerated forms of violence, a style that became known as "slapstick". Classic examples ofslapstick comedy devices include the "pratfall," slipping on abanana peel, getting soaked with water, and having a pie thrown in one's face.
The first silent comedy film is generally regarded asL'Arroseur Arrosé, directed and produced byLouis Lumière. Shown to the public on June 10, 1895, the film ran for 49 seconds and featured a gardener being sprayed in the face with a hose. Most likely based on a popular comic strip of the time,[1]L'Arroseur Arrosé created a new genre and inspired its audiences.[1]
As film transitioned from a novelty medium, initially focused on capturing exotic locations and everyday actions, into an established industry in the early 1900s,[2] filmmakers began to tell fictional stories, written and shot in studios. Before 1902, these films typically ran no longer than a couple of minutes and consisted of a single shot. By 1902, filmmakers such asGeorges Méliès began producing films closer to one reel in length (about 10 minutes of runtime), utilizing multiple shots.[3] During this period, comedy emerged as a genre of its own.
The first international silent comedy star wasMax Linder,[4] a French comedian who worked for thePathé Film Company.[4] His character, a mustachioed, top hat-wearing, high-class gentleman, excelled in taking simple scenarios and everyday tasks and turning them into chaotic events. His style of comedy was widely imitated by the silent comedians who followed in his footsteps.
Intertitles in silent films almost always served the purpose of introducing characters and setting. They also frequently conveyed dialogue. Occasionally, these intertitles included illustrations, though they were most often black with white text. Conversation could also be depicted throughbody language andmouthing, allowing actors to convey meaning without spoken words.
Color silent films are quite rare, as affordable color film was not invented until the late 1930s. As a result, the vast majority of silent comedies are in black and white. One notable exception isSeven Chances, which features opening scenes filmed in earlyTechnicolor.
Hal Roach andMack Sennett were two of the most renowned producers of silent comedies. Famous actors and comedic teams from this era have since become legendary figures:Ben Turpin,Keystone Cops,Mabel Normand,Edna Purviance,Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle,Charlie Chaplin,Buster Keaton,Harold Lloyd,Larry Semon,Harry Langdon,Charley Chase,Laurel and Hardy (who successfully transitioned into talking pictures), among many others. These actors and producers helped shape the golden age of silent comedy, leaving a lasting impact on the genre.
In the early years of "talkie" films (beginning in 1927, withThe Jazz Singer), a few actors continued to perform silently for comedic effect. Most famously, Charlie Chaplin maintained his silent style in the sound era, with his last great "silent" comedies,City Lights (1931) andModern Times (1936), both made after sound films had become the standard. Another notable example wasHarpo Marx, who always portrayed amute in theMarx Brothers' films. An early television series that featured exaggerated visual humor wasTheErnie Kovacs Show.
An important legacy of silent film comedy can be seen in the humor of animated cartoons. While live-action comedy moved toward a focus on verbal humor, such as the witty exchanges ofAbbott and Costello andGroucho Marx, animated cartoons embraced the full range of slapstick gags, frenetic chase scenes, visual puns, and exaggerated facial expressions characteristic of silent comedies. These elements were especially prominent in theLooney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons fromWarner Bros., directed byBob Clampett,Chuck Jones andFriz Freleng, as well as in theMGM Cartoons ofTex Avery, theTom and Jerry cartoons byWilliam Hanna andJoseph Barbera, and ofHarman and Ising.
During the 1960s and 1970s, several films paid homage to or referenced the silent era of film comedy.It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World featured performers and gags from the era, whileBlake Edwards'The Great Race andMel Brooks'Silent Movie were full-length tributes.Peter Bogdanovich'sWhat's Up, Doc? also included slapstick gags and Keystone-style chase scenes, ideas that prefigured much of the humor later seen in films likeThe Blues Brothers andAirplane!.
An episode ofThe Brady Bunch featured the family creating a silent comedy filled with pie-throwing antics.
Few feature films today fully exploit the genre of silent comedy. However, some comedy teams still use a silent character for comedic effect, with the most consistent—and most famous—being Teller fromPenn & Teller.
Rowan Atkinson achieved huge success in the 1990s with his mostly silent characterMr. Bean.
In a 1999 episode ofFrasier, "Three Valentines",David Hyde Pierce, who portrayedNiles Crane, performed a five-minute silent sketch at the start of the episode.
The Britishstop motionanimatedchildren's seriesShaun the Sheep also utilizes silent comedy.
Although fewer feature films directly employ silent comedy, its techniques continue to influence modern comedies, mainly through the development ofslapstick andartistic references to the iconic gags of famous silent comedians. In 2010, India’s first silent comedy series,Gutur Gu, premiered onSony SAB and became a hit.[5][6]
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