The Parade's Gone By has probably done more than any other book to convert people unfamiliar with silent film into dedicated fans. Besides it and the Everson book, I'd recommend Walter Kerr's The Silent Clowns (hardcover edition only, as the photo reproductions are night-and-day superior to the ones in the Da Capo trade paperback reprint).
sadly it's only represented by Photo-play book put together by Philip J. Riley and photo reconstruction in the Lon Chaney Collection from Warner Archives.
Sunrise Napoleon The Last Laugh The Lodger The Passion of Joan of Arc Spies The Manxman Sherlock Jr The Iron Horse A Trip to the Moon Battleship Potemkin Nosferatu Broken Blossoms The Gold Rush Haxan The General Flesh And The Devil The Phantom of the Opera Metropolis The Cabinet of Dr Caligari Any good Keaton, Lloyd or Laurel and Hardy short, like Should Married Men Go Home or Two Tars or Wrong Again
If you can find a copy (try a public or university library) this is definitely worth reading. It's a highly idiosyncratic examination of silent film by a distinguished literary critic. You can read most of Anthony Slide's forward here: The Movies in the Age of Innocence, 3d ed. Slide calls the book the greatest history of silent cinema ever written.' Silent Nights and Days Edward Wagenknecht, Biographer Critic and Editor, Dies at 104
Unfortunately we will never get to see the full length version of The Story Of The Kelly Gang, but the Australian National Film and Sound Archive has managed to restore some of it. Released in Australia in 1906 and going for about 70 minutes, it is generally regarded as the world's first full length feature film.
....a tons more.... heh. Specifically anything with Lillian Gish, she is the epitome of cool imo. love her!
Buster Keaton's Sherlock Junior... not just my favorite silent flick, but all time fave comedy... unmatched!
Since I got the Blu-ray version of it, I must admit I like the silent version of Hitchcock's Blackmail more than the mostly-talking version of it we've had available until now. Also thumbs up for Pandora's Box and Menschen am Sonntag.
Nosferatu. Glad to see other films mentioned here that I've never heard of, as I've been wanting to check out other silent films.
For me it has to be The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog by Hitchcock. Metropolis also stands out for its innovations and atmosphere. On a personal note I adore the reels we have of The White Shadow and would love if one day it could be restored further, if the final three reels were ever found of course.
Huge fan of Lon Chaney Sr., but I'll keep this short, and one per actor: The Phantom of the Opera Nosferatu Modern Times The Man Who Laughs The General Metropolis The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari The Passion of Joan of Arc The Lodger Häxan
In comedy, I have just added Speedy to The General and Modern Times. The music for Speedy was delightful! Very few silents in my library these days, and I'm looking to add a few more if they are reasonably priced, but it seems very few are in print anymore. I used to have Evangeline, the It Girl, and a few others. Now I can't even find them for sale
