Before The Artist (2011), what was the last silent film to be nominated for Best Picture?

Answer 1

The Patriot

Producer/director Ernst Lubitsch's The Patriot (1928/1929) was the only silent film among the five nominees of its year, and the last silent film to receive a Best Picture nomination. It came a year after Wings (1927/1928), the only non-speaking 'Best Picture' in Academy history.