In Silent Films: Impromptu Dialogue or Perfect Lip-Synching?

The world of silent films is often shrouded in mystery and fascination. Many questions arise about the nature of dialogue and lip-synching in these early cinematic masterpieces. Were actors in silent movies actually saying the lines or were they just lip-synching? This article explores these questions and sheds light on the intricacies of silent film production.

Impromptu Dialogue vs. Perfect Lip-Synching

Popular belief suggests that silent film actors were improvising their dialogue during filming. However, the reality is more complex and nuanced. Some actors were speaking actual lines from a script, while others were indeed improvising appropriate dialogue. Often, a combination of the two, with some random nonsensical rambling, was employed. The rationale behind this approach was that as long as it looked good on screen, the exact spoken words weren't crucial.

Restored Silent Films and Intertitles

While I have restored many silent films and noticed the variance in spoken dialogue, I have also observed instances where intertitles (title cards) very closely match the actor's speech. In some cases, intertitles were changed for unknown reasons, and different versions of films for different countries often used the same scenes with intertitles in different languages (e.g., French, Spanish).

Charlie Chaplin kept meticulous notes on his films, which would likely detail any changes to the intertitles. However, generally, there were few formal screenplays in the early days of cinema. Actors would often say whatever fit the emotions of the moment, and intertitles were written afterward. This suggests that, for the most part, actors were not reciting exact lines from a pre-written script.

Adaptations of Stage Plays

There were exceptions to this rule. For instance, actors in silent films that were adaptations of stage plays might indeed recite the dialogue. In such cases, intertitles would be adapted from the text. I remember seeing a silent drama with George Arliss repeating his stage role, and he was very obviously speaking actual dialogue.

Lip-Synching and Directors' Involvement

Directors played a significant role in guiding actors, giving direction for expressions and emotions through hand gestures and verbal cues. Since there was no audio recording, directors often spoke to actors, such as "Looked surprised! Now sad." They were focusing on the visual aspect of the performance rather than the spoken words. Some on-set photographs even show directors holding megaphones, although it's unclear if they were actually using them.

In some silent films, you can see actors speaking the lines on the intertitles. In others, they might just have chatted and talked about the weather. This was common, and as directors became more familiar with the concept that many viewers could lip-read, they began to encourage actors to speak the lines on the title slides. By the latter part of the silent era and into the late 1920s, actors mostly spoke the lines on the intertitles, making lip-synching more prevalent.

The Variety of Speech Between Close-Ups and Long Shots

The circumstances surrounding the speech of actors in silent films varied based on the director's style and the particular shot. For instance, in close-ups, actors might be more likely to speak the exact lines, as the camera focused on their facial expressions. In distant shots, they might be more relaxed and speak more spontaneously.

It's important to note that there was always a degree of ambient noise on set from cameras, equipment, and the director shouting instructions. This environment, along with the fact that directors might not always hear the spoken dialogue clearly, meant that there was some degree of uncertainty about whether the actors were following the director's "suggested" lines.

The silent film era was a time of experimentation and creativity, and the way actors delivered their lines reflected the unique challenges and opportunities of this period in cinema history.