So, here are the basics in one easy thread!

Were silent films actually silent? No, they almost always had music. Some had sound effects, vocal songs, narration and more!

Silent films were rarely in "glorious black and white" because tinting, toning, natural color, stencil color and hand-color were all things and 80-90% of all silent films had one of these color techniques.

These colors were lost when the films were transferred to safety film but that doesn't mean they were never there.

Tragic!

Slapstick and melodrama were options but they were not the only options. Nearly every genre of filmmaking we enjoy today has a grandparent or close relative in the silent era.

Silent era actors were not hams and were capable of delivering delicate and sensitive performances. There were a variety of acting styles and most performers were adept at many.

The best stars could jump between drama, broad comedy and everything in between and they could convey humor and complex emotions without the spoken word.

If you think that's easy, you are mistaken.

The silent era had masterpieces and it had turkeys, just like today. In fact, I dare say that the proportion of great and good films to average, meh and bad films was better in the silent era.

A great deal of what people think they know about silents is based on half-remembered film classes and modern parodies.

There's no substitute for watching the real thing.