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Q.1
D.W. Griffith's controversial 1915 offering "The Birth of a Nation" was the first feature film.
*
True
False
I don't know
Q.2
John Gilbert's career faltered with the coming of sound. What went wrong with the first all-talking picture he released?
*
His voice was high and squeaky, as revealed by the movie.
He never made a talking picture. He thought they were a passing fad, and his career withered.
The movie had terrible dialogue, his delivery was stiff and he was badly directed.
I don't know
Q.3
The oldest surviving motion picture in existence is generally considered to be "Roundhay Garden Scene" of 1888. How long is it?
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3 minutes
2 seconds
45 seconds
10 minutes
I don't know
Q.4
"The Jazz Singer" (1927) was the first talking picture.
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True
False
I don't know
Q.5
Many women were directors, producers, screenwriters, executives and studio heads in the silent era.
*
True
False
I don't know
Q.6
Which 1930s star started his/her career in silent films?
*
Gary Cooper
Ronald Colman
Greta Garbo
Myrna Loy
All of the above
I don't know
Q.7
How often did silent movies feature women tied to the railroad tracks?
*
All the time
Sometimes
Almost never
I don't know
Q.8
"The Sheik" was Rudolph Valentino's first film.
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True
False
I don't know
Q.9
Theda Bara was famous as a silent movie______.
*
Flapper
Dancer
Comedian
Vamp
I don't know
Q.10
Music that accompanied silent movies was played on which instrument(s)?
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Piano
Organ
Orchestra
Chamber ensemble
All of the above
I don't know
Q.11
The nickelodeon refers to which type of entertainment?
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A selection of short films played in a small theater with a five-cent admission.
Children's movies played during school holidays.
Movies projected through a tiny, coin-operated peephole that charged a nickel.
I don't know
Q.12
Until "The Artist" took home the award in 2012, the Best Picture Oscar had only been awarded to one silent film. (The award was then called "Outstanding Picture") What was the film's title?
The Phantom of the Opera
The Gold Rush
Nosferatu
Wings
Battleship Potemkin
I don't know
Tempest
Q.13
Why are silent movies so jittery and scratched?
*
You need to find a better restoration!
Silent era audiences liked them that way.
It was a style thing.
I don't know
Q.14
Who was the last major Hollywood star to make his/her talkie debut?
*
Greta Garbo
Charlie Chaplin
Douglas Fairbanks
Lon Chaney
I don't know
Q.15
Which silent era comedians are often referred to as "The Big Four"? (A massive oversimplification but, alas, very common.)
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Laurel & Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand
Buster Keaton, Charley Chase, Constance Talmadge, Ford Sterling
Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, John Bunny, Reginald Denny
Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon
I don't know
Q.16
William Randolph Hearst was noted for pushing the career of his mistress, Marion Davies. What was the result of his assistance?
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It helped Davies because she was a terrible actress and needed all the help she could get.
It sometimes hurt Davies because she was a natural comedienne but he liked her as the virginal heroine of epics.
It made no difference as Davies quickly retired from movies and was never heard from again.
I don't know
Q.17
All silent movie comedy involved violent slapstick and pie fights.
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True
False
I don't know
Q.18
Silent stars (and their studios) regularly lied about their pasts.
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True
False
I don't know
Q.19
Were silent movies ever in color?
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Yes, they were tintied, toned, hand-painted and some were even shot on color film.
No, silent films were all black and white.
I don't know
Q.20
Silent movies used title cards in place of dialogue. What was the goal of an accomplished and acclaimed title card writer?
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To use cards as a direct dialogue substitute, one card for every line.
To include as few cards as possible and make sure that each one supplied the maximum amount of information.
To include a lot of title cards so that the movie would run longer.
I don't know
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