The Silent Cinema in Song, 1896-1929

Musical accompaniment was an important feature of the early moviegoing experience. The quality of a musical score could easily make or break silent films, and the songs sometimes became more popular than the films. At the same time, interestingly, the silent cinema became itself a major subject in popular music, inspiring a flood of songs about the films, the stars and the experience of going to the movies. Today, few of these songs are remembered.

This study begins the documentation of the lost history of songs of the silent cinema. Part One, "Movies and Moviegoing," chronologically lists and describes songs about movies and moviegoing created between 1896 and 1929. Part Two, "Movie Personalities and Their Films," provides a brief biography of each person and a description of the songs created about them and for their films. Part Three, "Recordings," reviews the recordings of these songs and specifies their availability on 78, LP, CD, DVD and the Internet today.