At Thursday and Friday’s CMIT Film Festival, the audience will be listening, but it probably won’t hear much.

That’s because the festival, co-sponsored by The Norwick Center for Media & Instructional Technology and the Friends of the SMU Libraries, will showcase comedies from the silent film era.

Film festivals are held by CMIT several times a year, using films that highlight different aspects of the CMIT collection.

“We try to do topical stuff or appeal to the general audience,” said CTV professor Rick Worland, who will be speaking before Thursday night’s screening. “We want to screen films worth talking about,” said Worland.

Silent comedy star Harold Lloyd appears in both of Thursday night’s films, “Number, Please?” (1920) and “Safety Last” (1923).

“Harold Lloyd’s films weren’t really available to a general audience because he personally owned them, ” said Worland. “Even with the arrival of home video, they were scarce. His granddaughter, Susan Lloyd, has now made them widely available on DVD.”

Friday night’s slate includes “One Week” (1921) and “The General” (1927), both featuring silent film legend Buster Keaton. Professor Sean Griffin will speak before the screenings.

“Both Lloyd and Keaton were great physical comedians,” said Griffin. “This emphasis on the physical made it unnecessary to “tell” jokes–audiences could laugh at what they saw without needing dialogue.”

“One of the things that makes their work so great is how they take advantage of the aspects of silent moviemaking: Silence is not a hindrance; it actually helps set up jokes-not hearing what’s beyond the screen, audiences can be surprised,” said Griffin.

Though these classic films are now available for private viewing, they are best enjoyed (as all comedies are) with a big audience.

Griffin agrees, stating that the films are “as funny today to general audiences as they were when they were first shown. Their humor is so well-crafted, inventive and finely paced that they have not lost any of their power.”

“Watching on a large screen and joining in the laughter with a crowd of others is the best way to appreciate exactly how wonderful these films are,” he said.

The film festival will be held Thursday and Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. in McCord Auditorium (306 Dallas Hall). Admission is free.