Which silent comedy movie actors...

Certainly Marion Davies, as far as I'm concerned. The scene in "Show People" where her dad tells the guy behind the window [in the casting office] which emotions she's doing as she steps through them is a great illustration of what I'm talking about.

Also, I kind of disagree with you about Buster Keaton. Yes, I understand that he did deadpan humor, but there's still expression in that.


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Lon Chaney. Could speak a thousand words with his face

I would say Phyllis Haver. She was totally AWESOME.

And, of course, the ever/unfairly underrated Mabel Normand.

Norma Talmadge was popular as a dramatic actress; however, her performance in Kiki has to be one of the funniest and most expressive I've ever seen.

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by GraceFromSoCal
» Sun Apr 12 2015 10:31:03
IMDb member since November 2002

Also, I kind of disagree with you about Buster Keaton. Yes, I understand that he did deadpan humor, but there's still expression in that.

I agree. In The Silent Clowns, Walter Kerr says Keaton is "the only silent film comic of whom you never have the slightest doubt what they're thinking."

The electric Clara Bow.



What Is Essential Is Invisible

I find Buster to be quite expressive, but very subtle. Just because he didn't smile doesn't mean he couldn't use a whole range of expressions for fear, surprise, anger, disgust, etc.

Stan Laurel did his fair share of mugging, but in silent films and sound films, and Harold Lloyd did big, physical reactions using his entire body.

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Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand, Harold Lloyd, Fatty Arbuckle, Dorothy Gish, Ben Turpin, Zasu Pitts...