The Silent Film Community and Ned Thanhouser

While researching my paper on Literary Orphans in Silent Film, I found the experts in the silent film community to be most welcoming and generous with their time and resources. One of the most helpful was Ned Thanhouser, the president of Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc. Mr. Thanhouser is the grandson of Edwin Thanhouser who founded Thanhouser Studio in 1909.

2014 Historical documentary (54 minutes)

     It was while exploring the silent film industry’s impact on Child Labor laws that I discovered the 1912 film, The Cry of the Children. Further research led me to the Thanhouser website, and when I contacted Mr. Thanhouser, not only did he give me a link to a copy of the film, he also provided copies of news articles featuring the release of the film and information regarding the film’s admittance into the Library of Congress. Based on the 1843 poem of the same title by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, both poem and film examine the harmful practice of forcing children into manual labor, leading to laws protecting children from exploitation.

1912 silent film that examines the dangers of child labor

     Mr. Thanhouser also allowed me access to a copy of another literary orphan: the 1911 film version of Dickens’ novel David Copperfield, complete with expert commentary. After viewing this film with its commentary, I gained insight into the filmmaking techniques that factored into the storytelling, and I also learned about social expectations during Dickens’ time, information that helped me in the critical aspects of my research.

1911 silent film version of Dickens’ novel, David Copperfield

     Ned Thanhouser has worked with film archives around the world, and his website provides a wealth of information into the history and preservation of silent film: https://www.thanhouser.org. I am forever grateful for his guidance.

Just one of several film collections by the Thanhouser company.