Telling stories with pictures, not dialogue. (probably too long) - eppis1@sbcglobal.net

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Telling stories with pictures, not dialogue. (probably too long)

Obviously, subtitles are a device to aid in the understanding of dialogue in talking films. Audiences of silent movies didn't require "wall to wall" subtitles, because the film plots were driven by visual action, not dialogue. The well placed dialogue cards-for more than occasional usage-were enough to help advance the storylines, and thereby keep their audiences informed and entertained. "Talkies" were and are dialogue driven entities. Having to hang on every word requires thorough subtitling. (Stallone film experts may beg to differ.) Now, one could see the value of translated title cards, because audiences couldn't lipread foreign actors. Imagine being a non English speaking film goer trying to read John Barrymore's lips, as he spoke the lines from Hamlet, "to be or not to be," in the silent film version of the aforementioned play. Films have always been made with "textless" versions with main and end title sections so that the foreign distributors could produce their own translated titles. Same then as now. Sorry for the overblown post.
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Topic - Film history Query: Why weren't subtitles used in the silent era? - Bambi B 14:55:46 04/05/05 (8)

Re: Film history Query: Why weren't subtitles used in the silent era? - Analog Scott 17:45:56 04/10/05 (0)

The simple answer: universiality - Audiophilander 10:21:57 04/06/05 (0)

Despite you take on technology . . it was just too much trouble to do. * - mr grits 05:58:59 04/06/05 (0)

Sorry Bambi B, but the answer is disappoitingly simple: there were too many people who couldnÂ´t read... - orejones 01:50:08 04/06/05 (1)

Re: Sorry Bambi B, but the answer is disappoitingly simple: there were too many people who couldnÂ´t see... - patrickU 04:59:15 04/06/05 (0)

Telling stories with pictures, not dialogue. (probably too long) - eppis1@sbcglobal.net 23:43:39 04/05/05 (1)

Re: Telling stories with pictures, not dialogue. (probably too long) - patrickU 05:00:49 04/06/05 (0)

Saw that one - jbmcb 18:30:37 04/05/05 (0)

Follow Ups

Telling stories with pictures, not dialogue. (probably too long) - eppis1@sbcglobal.net 23:43:39 04/05/05 (1)

Re: Telling stories with pictures, not dialogue. (probably too long) - patrickU 05:00:49 04/06/05 (0)

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