Greatest Silent Actors Who Flopped in Talkies

1 John Gilbert

2 Asta Nielsen

3 Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, director, producer, writer, and stunt performer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The... read more

4 Douglas Fairbanks

5 Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom in silent film during the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" after 1927. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the film It brought her global fame and the nickname "The It Girl"... read more

6 Vilma Bánky Vilma Bánky (January 9, 1901 – March 18, 1991) was a Hungarian-born American silent film actress, although the early part of her acting career began in Budapest, spreading to France, Austria, and Germany. Bánky was best known for her roles in The Eagle and The Son of the Sheik with Rudolph Valentino... read more

7 Mae Murray

8 Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent era. A major box office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among the most popular idols of the American screen.

9 Raymond Griffith

10 Mary McAllister

The Contenders

11 Viola Dana Viola Dana, born Virginia Flugrath (June 26, 1897 – July 3, 1987) was an American film actress who was successful during the era of silent films. The diminutive actress appeared in over 100 films, but was unable to make the transition to sound films.