Embracing the Adventure & Amusement of the Silents

Written and researched by Ruth of Silver Screenings.

Come.

Let’s have some old-fashioned fun.

Set your troubles over there – they’ll wait – and let’s explore movies that are clever, enthralling and surprising. Isn’t that what we want from movies, after all?

Our guide today is a film itself, titled Days of Thrills and Laughter (1961), a documentary about silent comedies and action flicks. This film is not a scholarly work, and is all the better for it. Nay, Days of Thrills and Laughter is an unrepentant love fest of silent film.

Our celluloid guide proves to be the best sort of host, its narration brimming with witty, lyrical observations. For example, the Keystone Kops films are described as “symphonies in misguided motion”, while protagonists are “undersized clowns chased by oversized enemies.”

Want to read more about "Days of Thrills and Laughter"? Click here for more, and be sure to catch this fun-filled documentary on The Film Detective app!