Impact of Sound.

No matter how well photographed and directed, filmed drama is incomplete in the absence of audible spoken dialogue. The exaggerated mugging and pantomime required for communication between characters on screen impart a histrionic falsity to the most passionate declaration and turn tragedy into melodrama. With the advent of sound, movies fulfilled their potential and far outstripped the stage as a realistic dramatic medium. But sound killed the one movie genre that never needed to talk: the silent comedy.

Shorts.

Inthe early years silent comedies were restricted to one-reelers and two-reelers — running for seven to fourteen minutes. These shorts did not permit the development of character or mixed emotions, but they were enormously popular throughout the silent era. One thousand reels of short comedies were released in 1925.

The Little Tramp.

The golden period of silent comedy commenced in 1914 when Charlie Chaplin...