Actors were not given screen credit during the silent film era
Today, most movie posters have the main actors’ names written on them. In fact, this is used as a marketing strategy to get people to watch the films. The movie will probably attract more viewers if a well-known or popular thespian is in it. However, this has not always been the case.
In the early days of cinema, actors were not given due credit for the films they were in. Studio owners thought this would make performers too popular and give them too much power over the entire process. Essentially, they were reluctant to share their profits with the leading men and women.