Is it my imagination or did TCM's broadcast of this film show it at a very fast frame rate per second (fps)? I don't recall it being that fast on the laserdisc version I got from a friend. The clowns were practically bouncing off the screen! lol
shareThe LD transfer is the exact same one that they broadcast on TCM. Both were transferred at (I believe) 24fps, which may be couple of frames or so too fast, but such were the ways in the silent era, anyway (films were always run just a hair faster).
The faster framerate certainly gives the scene (and the setting of the film) a much more circus-like atmosphere, although in some cases it does hinder the more dramatic moments.
-J. Theakston
The Silent Photoplayer
http://www.thephotoplayer.com/
"such were the ways in the silent era, anyway (films were always run just a hair faster)"
You need to remember that it's because of the way films were made: with a camera you had to spin by hands. That's why it's difficult to view silents with right speed. Some cameraman filmed slower, some faster. And the speed isn't stable. That's why you should actually changce the speed several times while screening a silent, one reel should be screen at 18fps, second 20fps, third 17fps and so on..
Nowadays many silent are screened with wrong speed at that makes those look silly. It's all about the way it's viewed, not the way it's filmed. Now I'm talking about drama films, some comedies were screened "too fast" on purpose.
Good point but if the action looks ridiculously fast why can't they slow it down? Take the fastest scenes and slow them to 21 fps, like they did with Tol'able David and others.
shareI think that the clown scenes, with the audience clapping frantically, were filmed (or played) fast on purpose.
share