No, this isn't about humor. It's about silent actors/characters who have influenced comics. I was surprised to find that silent film still has this kind of influence on popular culture, though most people don't know it.
The character of Superman was based on two wildly popular performers of silent cinema. Harold Lloyd - more specifically, his "Glasses" character - was the inspiration for the character of Clark Kent. The physique of Superman was modeled on the astoundingly fit Douglas Fairbanks.
Silent and sound actor Jack Holt provided the features for Dick Tracy.
ZaSu Pitts was lampooned by voice talent Mae Questel in the character of Olive Oyl; Pitts's nervous, "oh dear" mannerisms were used to great effect.
One of the most surprising, for me, is Conrad Veidt, as Gwynplaine from The Man Who Laughs. This sympathetic 17th-century character, who has had his mouth deliberately carved into a permanent smile by his father's enemies and who is forced to work in a traveling show, provided the look for a famous villain. Let's see - who could that villain have been?
Take a look above.
In case you still don't know - and I admit, the image could show more of his face - the character is the Joker, from the Batman series.
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nterview with Ben Model, silent film pianist and historian.
ReplyDeleteLearn about the important role music plays in all kinds of films, especially silent films! This virtual field trip takes kids back to world before talkies. Our young host Morgana (age 11) talks to Ben Model about his work with silent films.
MEET ME AT THE CORNER, Virtual Field Trips for Kids (www.meetmeatthecorner.org)
is a series of free educational video pod casts is directed at kids ages 7-12. Each three-minute episode includes links to fun websites, a list of recommended books and a Learning Corner of questions and extended activities about the topic.
Please take the time to look at this site and perhaps review it fo
That's not even to mention the direct influence of characters from Lang--probably more influential than any other silent filmmaker upon comics in many disparate ways--like Dr. Mabuse, the first "supervillain as mastermind," or Rotwang, the original "mad scientist."(Victor Frankenstein wasn't mad, just mistaken & irresponsible) And if you see SPIES or the MAbuse films, there's your template for any number of comics plots. It would appear the original version of DETECTIVE COMICS(before Batman) was entirely devoted to SPIES and Mabuse riffs.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's design, like in Caligari, very comic-like. And storytelling technique. Eisenstein's montage technique, for instance, applies very easily to comics. In fact, only speaking for myself, as a cartoonist(who's adapting LULU, actually, though mine's not at all like Louise--online at jlroberson.org , btw), I find silent film technique much more instructive and useful as inspiration than sound film. All cartoonists should be forced to watch nothing but silents for a six-month period at some point.