Question about Silent Films

[Morlock83]

I don't know much about Silent Films the ones i seen i like but my question is when they was first released did they have music or did they add music later  

[LawrenceA]

3 hours ago, Morlock83 said:

I don't know much about Silent Films the ones i seen i like but my question is when they was first released did they have music or did they add music later  

It depends on how old they were. The oldest silent films had no music at all, but theaters had live pianists playing in the theater during showings. Nicer theaters even had trios or quartets. They would play what ever the theater owner and/or the musicians wanted.

Later, some studios sent out recommendations of what to play, which occasionally included sheet music sent to the theaters, and eventually original compositions that the live performers would play.

By the mid-1920's, some studios were sending out vinyl cylinder recordings and flat vinyl records of recorded music that could be played with a phonograph during the film. These even included some sound effects, and later some dialogue, before finally moving to full sound. 

[Sukhov]

Films like that which are half silent and half talkie are known as "goat gland" films too. It was named after an old-timey cure for impotence though I don't really see what it has to do with impotence exactly. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat_gland_(filmmaking)