Q 01/05

Which 1927 film, the first commercially successful sound feature, is said to have ended the silent era?

A) The Jazz Singer

B) Seventh Heaven

C) The Crowd

D) The Racket

Answer · why

A) The Jazz Singer

It used Warner Bros' Vitaphone sound-on-disc system and six songs sung by Al Jolson; silents were still the majority of releases in 1927 and 1928.

Q 02/05

What are the on-screen text cards used in silent films to convey dialogue and narration called?

A) Intertitles

B) Placards

C) Captions

D) Subtitles

Answer · why

A) Intertitles

The title writer was a distinct profession from the scenario writer, and cards were often decorated with illustrations.

Q 03/05

Roughly what proportion of American silent films are believed to be lost?

A) Around 10 percent

B) Around 99 percent

C) Around 75 percent

D) Around 25 percent

Answer · why

C) Around 75 percent

The nitrate stock was unstable and flammable, and studios junked films that had no remaining commercial value.

Q 04/05

What kind of film stock made early movies so prone to decay and fire?

A) Polyester

B) Vinyl

C) Acetate

D) Nitrate

Answer · why

D) Nitrate

Slow projection was itself a fire risk, since each frame sat longer in front of the hot lamp.

Q 05/05

In Japan, what was the live narrator who voiced characters and explained silent films called?

A) Sensei

B) Benshi

C) Rakugo

D) Kabuki

Answer · why

B) Benshi

Their popularity is one reason silent films lasted well into the 1930s in Japan.