In this article, the Metropolitan Opera diva Geraldine Farrar (1882 – 1967) relays her experiences as a film actress in “The Hell Cat” (1918) and “The Turn of the Wheel” (1918), and boldly declares that there is a big difference between acting in an opera and acting for the screen (who knew?).

“There are a hundred intimate expressions of the eyes, the mouth, the hands, that can only be transmitted through the camera, and the strong and sometimes merciless light of the projection machine. And this is what the motion picture actress must clearly and everlastingly keep in mind: she is acting for an audience which is near enough to detect any insincerity of feeling or any sham in make-up.”

Click here to read about physical perfection during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Read Geraldine Farrar on Acting in the Silent Movies<br>(Vanity Fair, 1921) for Free

Tips for Silent Movie Actors by a 1920s Actress1921 Article Regarding How to Act in Silent MoviesGeraldine Farrar Magazine Article 1921Vanity Fair Magazine Article by Movie Actress and Opera Star Geraldine FarrarHollywood Memoir of Geraldine Farrar 1921Silent Movie Star Geraldine Farrar Magazine ArticleDifferences Between Opera and Screen Acting
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