I remember this as a wonderful show that was respectful to silent films, chose great examples, and did a great job of trimming them to fit that half-hour time-frame, with narration that was good and not overpowering. I particularly remember a segment about the Sargasso sea as being visually stunning (probably ISLE OF LOST SHIPS).
Like other commenters here, I remembered the show first without Kovaks and then with Kovaks. According to THE COMPLETE DIRECTORY TO PRIME TIME NETWORK TV SHOWS by Brooks and Marsh, "Silents Please" ran from August to October 1960, with no on-screen host. It was then replaced by the Kovaks' show "Take a Good Look," which ran until March 1961, at which time "Silents Please" again took over the slot and ran through October 1961, this time with Kovaks as host.
Like other commenters here, I remembered the show first without Kovaks and then with Kovaks. According to THE COMPLETE DIRECTORY TO PRIME TIME NETWORK TV SHOWS by Brooks and Marsh, "Silents Please" ran from August to October 1960, with no on-screen host. It was then replaced by the Kovaks' show "Take a Good Look," which ran until March 1961, at which time "Silents Please" again took over the slot and ran through October 1961, this time with Kovaks as host.