silent comedy
Silent comedy is a style of film, related to but distinct from mime, invented to bring comedy into the medium of film in the silent film era (1900s–1920s) before a synchronized soundtrack which could include talking was technologically avai ...
enthusiast and filmmaker
Robert Youngson
Robert Youngson (November 27, 1917 – April 8, 1974) was a film producer, director, and screenwriter, specializing in reviving antique silent films.Obituary ''Variety'', April 17, 1974, page 95.New York Times'', April 10, 1974. Five of his short films, beginning with Blaze Busters in 1950, were nominated for Academy Awards (two won) with "I Never Forget a Face" being his last to receive a nomination.
The film consists of a series of classic silent clips with narration by well-known (at the time) radio announcer, Dwight Weist, and veteran film narrator Ward Wilson.
The film was nominated for the 1956 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film (one-reel sub-category) but did not win. With the revamping of the category the following year, including the elimination of the one-reel and two-reel sub-categories, there was a clear emphasis on contemporary topics rather than retrospectives. Youngson's This Mechanical Age in 1954 was the last retrospective compilation to win and "I Never Forget a Face" in 1956 was the last to receive a nomination. Despite this, Youngson continued producing comedy retrospectives for the rest of his life.Obituary '' Variety'', April 17, 1974, page 95.