Woman's Hour: Women in silent film (BBC Radio, 23/Feb/2004)

Broadcast Details

• broadcast as part of "Woman's Hour" on BBC Radio 4
• date: 23/Feb/2004
• length: approx 13 minutes
• web link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2004_08_mon_04.shtml

Synopsis

Silent films of the 1920s tend to conjure up images of moustache-twirling villains and cowering female victims. Or perhaps high-kicking flappers and sultry vamps. But films of this era and the female characters portrayed within them were in fact far more complex. This month the British Film Institute is screening a season of British films from the 1920s. Jo Morris talks to one of the stars of the silent screen, 101 year old Sybil Rhoda and Bryony Dixon, British Film Institute archivist and Ian Christie, film historian from Birkbeck College join Jenni to look at the involvement of women in films of this era, both in front and behind the camera.

Audio

Listen to this broadcast...

The media player is loading...

Credits

• Jenny Murray - presenter
• Jo Morris - reporter
• Sybil Rhoda
• Bryony Dixon - British Film Institute
• Ian Christie - Birkbeck College