Breadcrumb Home Silent-film era's illustrated songs come back to life at Cinematheque Monday, April 23, 2012 Omaha World-Herald http://www.cleveland.com/movies/index.ssf/2012/04/silent-film_eras_illustrated_… Rick Altman, a University of Iowa professor of cinema and comparative literature, discusses the history of "illustrated songs," which introduced pop songs into silent films during the late 1800s and early 1900s.