The year 1909 in film involved some significant events. __TOC__

Events

Carl Laemmle Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films. Regarded as one of the most important o ...

founds the

Independent Moving Pictures The Independent Moving Pictures Company (IMP) was a motion picture studio and production company founded in 1909 by Carl Laemmle. The company was based in New York City, with production facilities in Fort Lee, New Jersey. In 1912, IMP merged with ...

Company (IMP). *

Selig Polyscope Company The Selig Polyscope Company was an American motion picture company that was founded in 1896 by William Selig in Chicago. The company produced hundreds of early, widely distributed commercial moving pictures, including the first films starring Tom ...

establish the first permanent

film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...

in Los Angeles in

Edendale, Los Angeles Edendale is a historical name for a district in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, northwest of Downtown Los Angeles, in what is known today as Echo Park, Los Angeles, Echo Park, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, Los Feliz and Silver Lake, Los Angeles, S ...

. * The

New York Motion Picture Company The New York Motion Picture Company was a film production and distribution company from 1909 until 1914. It changed names to New York Picture Corporation in 1912. It released films through several different brand names, including 101 Bison, Kay- ...

is founded and also open a film studio in Edendale. The studio is later used by

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...

Keystone Studios Keystone Studios was an early film studio founded in Edendale, California (which is now a part of Echo Park) on July 4, 1912 as the Keystone Pictures Studio by Mack Sennett with backing from actor-writer Adam Kessel (1866–1946) and Charle ...

and then

Mascot Pictures Mascot Pictures Corporation was an American film company of the 1920s and 1930s best known for producing and distributing film serials and B-westerns. Mascot was formed in 1927 by film producer Nat Levine. In 1936 it merged with several other c ...

, which become part of

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

. * February 4 – The

Paris Film Congress The Paris Film Congress was a major meeting of European film producers and distributors in the French capital Paris from 2–4 February 1909. It intended to create an association to protect the interests of the participants through the formation of ...

begins, an attempt by leading European producers to form a cartel similar to that of the

Motion Picture Patents Company The Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC, also known as the Edison Trust), founded in December 1908 and terminated seven years later in 1915 after conflicts within the industry, was a trust of all the major US film companies and local foreign-bran ...

in the United States. *May 12 – '' Mr. Flip'' is released and is the first film to feature someone being hit in the face with a pie. *May 23 – The first

news cinema A news cinema or newsreel theatre is a cinema specialising in short films, shown in a continuous manner. However, despite its name, a news cinema does not necessarily show only cinematographical news. Timeline The first official news cinema, ...

, The Daily Bioscope, opens in London. *June 17 – '' In the Sultan's Power'' is the first film ever completely made in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. It is filmed by director

Francis Boggs Francis Winter Boggs (March 1870 – October 27, 1911) was an American stage actor and pioneer silent film film director, director. He was one of the first to direct a film in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, Hollywood. Biography He was born ...

. *October 25 –

IMP IMP or imp may refer to: * Imp, a fantasy creature Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Imp (She-Ra), a character in ''She-Ra: Princess of Power'' * Imp a character in '' Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony'' * Imp, a character in the '' Clan ...

release their first film, ''Hiawatha'', based on the 1855

poem Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...

The Song of Hiawatha ''The Song of Hiawatha'' is an 1855 epic poem in trochaic tetrameter by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which features Native American characters. The epic relates the fictional adventures of an Ojibwe warrior named Hiawatha and the tragedy of his l ...

'' by

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

. *November 5 - A Nature Movie by Arthur C. Pillsbury using film to explore the wonders of Yosemite. This first showing was for John Muir, a friend, and associate of Pillsbury's. Included was footage of the Hetch Hetchy. This film was then shown for the 1910 season at the Pillsbury Studio in Yosemite, advertised using postcards. *December 2 –

Matsunosuke Onoe , sometimes known as Medama no Matchan (''"Eyeballs" Matsu''), was a Japanese actor. His birth name is Tsuruzo Nakamura. He is sometimes credited as Yukio Koki, Tamijaku Onoe, or Tsunusaburo Onoe, and as a kabuki artist he went by the name Tsuru ...

, who will become the first superstar of

Japanese cinema The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world; as of 2021, it was the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. In 2011 Japan produced 411 feature films that ea ...

, appears in his first film, ''Goban Tadanobu''. *December 20 –

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

opens the

Volta Cinematograph The Volta Electric Theatre (later renamed the Lyceum Picture Theatre) was a film theatre in Dublin and was Ireland's first dedicated cinema. The site at 45 Mary Street was later demolished and is occupied today by a department store. In the ear ...

, the first cinema in Dublin.

Films released in 1909

J. Stuart Blackton

* ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'' * ''The Judgment of Solomon'' * ''

The Life of Moses ''The Life of Moses'' is a 1909 American silent epic film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and starring Pat Hartigan, Julia Arthur and William J. Humphrey. A portrayal of the biblical story of Moses, it was one of a number of prestige film base ...

'' * ''The Life of Napoleon'' * ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'', directed by Charles Kent and

J. Stuart Blackton James Stuart Blackton (January 5, 1875 – August 13, 1941) was a British-American film producer and director of the silent era. One of the pioneers of motion pictures, he founded Vitagraph Studios in 1897. He was one of the first filmmakers to ...

* ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'', directed by

. A proto-

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

, or many short-films (in this case 4) that when combined can be seen as one feature film. * ''

Princess Nicotine; or, The Smoke Fairy ''Princess Nicotine; or, The Smoke Fairy'' is a 1909 five-minute silent film directed by J. Stuart Blackton. In the film, a smoker (Paul Panzer) falls asleep and is visited by two fairies (one of which is played by Gladys Hulette). Audiences m ...

D. W. Griffith

* ''

At the Altar ''At the Altar'' is a 1909 American silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. The film was shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey where early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based at the beginning of the 20th century. A p ...

'' * ''

A Corner in Wheat ''A Corner in Wheat'' is a 1909 American short silent film which tells of a greedy tycoon who tries to corner the world market on wheat, destroying the lives of the people who can no longer afford to buy bread. It was directed by D. W. Griffith ...

'' * '' The Country Doctor'', starring

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

* ''

The Curtain Pole ''The Curtain Pole'' is a 1909 American comedy film directed by D. W. Griffith. A print of the film still exists. The film was made by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company when it and many other early film studios in America's first moti ...

'', directed by D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett (uncredited) * '' The Death Disc: A Story of the Cromwellian Period'' * ''The Drive for a Life'' * ''

A Drunkard's Reformation ''A Drunkard's Reformation'' is a 1909 American drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. Prints of the film survive in the film archive of the Library of Congress. The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company advertised the feature as "The most p ...

'' * ''Edgar Allan Poe: The Raven'' * ''

Fools of Fate ''Fools of Fate'' is a 1909 American drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. A print of the film survives at the film archive of the Library of Congress. Plot A man's boat capsizes and another man who was camping nearby saves him before he drow ...

'' * ''

The Golden Louis ''The Golden Louis'' is a 1909 American drama film written by Edward Acker, directed by D. W. Griffith, and produced by the Biograph Company in New York City. Originally, this short was distributed to theaters on a " split reel", accompanying anot ...

'' * ''

The Hessian Renegades ''The Hessian Renegades'' is a 1909 American silent war film directed by D. W. Griffith. It is set during the American Revolution. Plot A young soldier during the American Revolution has the mission to carry a crucial message to General Washi ...

'' * ''

Lady Helen's Escapade ''Lady Helen's Escapade'' is a short American comedy film produced in 1909, directed by D. W. Griffith. It is about the escapades of Lady Helen working as a domestic in a boarding house. In 2004, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or ...

'' * ''

The Lonely Villa ''The Lonely Villa'' is a 1909 American short silent crime drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. The film stars David Miles, Marion Leonard and Mary Pickford in one of her first film roles. It is based on the 1901 French play ''Au Téléphone ...

'' * ''

The Red Man's View ''The Red Man's View'' (also cited ''The Redman's View'') is a 1909 American short silent Western film directed by D. W. Griffith and shot in New York state. Prints of the film exist in the film archives of the Museum of Modern Art and the Lib ...

'' * ''

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...

'' * ''

The Sealed Room ''The Sealed Room'' (also known as ''The Sealed Door'')Langman, 1998, p. 34 is an eleven-minute film released in September 1909. Produced by the Biograph Company and directed by D. W. Griffith, the drama's cast includes Arthur V. Johnson, Marion ...

'', starring Mary Pickford * ''The Suicide Club'', directed by D. W. Griffith (U.S.) * ''

Those Awful Hats ''Those Awful Hats'' is a 1909 American short film, short comedy film directed by D.W. Griffith and starring Mack Sennett. It takes place in a small, crowded movie theatre, where the patrons are perpetually distracted by people - primarily wome ...

'' * ''

A Trap for Santa Claus ''A Trap for Santa Claus'' is a 1909 one-reel American Silent film, silent drama film. A Biograph Company production, it was directed by D. W. Griffith and stars Henry B. Walthall, Marion Leonard, and Gladys Egan. Plot Arthur Rogers (Walthall) i ...

Georges Méliès

* ''The Count's Wooing'' * ''The Diabolical Tenant'' (aka ''The Diabolical Lodger''), directed by George Melies (French)Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. . Page 28. * ''The Doctor's Secret'', directed by George Melies (French)Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. . Page 29. * ''Fortune Favors the Brave'', directed by George Melies (French) * ''Le papillon fantastique''

Others

* ''The Adventures of Lieutenant Rose'' * ''

The Airship Destroyer ''The Airship Destroyer'' (originally titled Der Luftkrieg Der Zukunft, also titled "The Aerial Torpedo", "The Battle of the Clouds" and "The Battle in the Clouds" ) is a 1909 British silent science fiction film directed by Walter R. Booth. P ...

'' (originally titled ''Der Luftkrieg Der Zukunft'', also titled "The Aerial Torpedo", "The Battle of the Clouds" and "The Battle in the Clouds" ), directed by

Walter R. Booth Walter Robert Booth (12 July 1869 – 1938) was a British magician and early pioneer of British film. Collaborating with Robert W. Paul and then Charles Urban mostly on "trick" films, he pioneered techniques that led to what has been descri ...

* ''The Ancient Roman'' (made in Italy) * ''Ballad of a Witch'', directed by Luigi Maggi (made in Italy) * ''The Bewitched Manor House'' (French/ Pathe) * ''Bluebeard'', directed by J. Searle Dawley for Thomas Edison, starred Charles Ogle * ''The Bogey Woman'' (French/ Pathe) * ''The Butcher's Dream'' (French) * ''Capturing the North Pole'', features

Baron Munchausen Baron Munchausen (; ) is a fictional German nobleman created by the German writer Rudolf Erich Raspe in his 1785 book '' Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia''. The character is loosely based on a real ...

(British/ Urban-Eclipse Films) * ''The Cat That Was Changed Into a Woman'', directed by Louis Feuillade (French) * ''The Convict Guardian's Nightmare'' (French) * '' The Cowboy Millionaire'', directed by

and

Otis Turner Otis Turner (November 29, 1862 – March 28, 1918) was an American director, screenwriter and producer. Between 1908 and 1917, he directed more than 130 films and wrote 40 scenarios. He was born in Fairfield, Indiana, and died in Los Angele ...

* ''Dance of Fire'' (Pathe) * ''Dante's Inferno'', directed by Giuseppe de Liguoro, starring Salvatore Papa (Italian); ran 59 minutes * ''The Defeat of Satan'' (French/ Pathe) * ''The Devil'' (Edison Co.) adaptation of the play starring

George Arliss George Arliss (born Augustus George Andrews; 10 April 1868 – 5 February 1946) was an English actor, author, playwright, and filmmaker who found success in the United States. He was the first British actor to win an Academy Award – which he ...

* ''Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', directed by

August Blom August Blom (26 December 1869 – 10 January 1947) was a Danish film director, producer, and pioneer of silent films during the "golden age" of Danish filmmaking from 1910 to 1914. Career Blom began his acting career in 1893 in Kolding, and was ...

, starring Alwin Neuss and Oda Alstrup; made in Denmark for Nordisk Films * ''Don Juan Tenorio'', directed by Enrique Rosas (made in Mexico) * ''Doomed'' (French/ Pathe) * ''The Egyptian Mystery'' (Edison) *''Electric Transformations'', directed by Percy Stow (British/ Clarendon) * ''Entrevista de los Presidentes Díaz-Taft'' (Mexico), a documentary directed by the Alva Brothers * ''Faust'', directed by J. Searle Dawley and Edwin S. Porter for Thomas Edison * ''The Ferryman's Sweetheart'' (Gaumont) * ''The Fitzsimmons-Bill Lang Fight'' * ''The Forbidden Fruit'' (Pathe) * ''Gertie the Dinosaur'', animated cartoon by Winsor McKay * ''Goddess of the Sea''Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. . Page 30. * ''The Grey Lady'' (aka ''The Grey Dame''), directed by Viggo Larsen, starring Viggo Larsen as

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

(Denmark) * ''Hansel and Gretel'' * ''The Haunted Hotel'' (French/ Pathe) * ''The Haunted Man'', introduced the "doppelganger" theme, similar to ''The Student of Prague'' (Germany/ Duskes Film) * ''Her Dolly's Revenge'' (French/ Lux) * ''Hiawatha'', directed by

William V. Ranous William V. Ranous (March 12, 1857 – April 1, 1915) was an American silent film actor and director and Shakespearean stage actor. Biography William V. Ranous was born in New York State on March 12, 1857. He married writer and translator ...

based on the 1855

'' by

, the first film produced by

. * ''The Hunchback'', directed by Van Dyke Brooke for Vitagraph; unauthorized remake of the 1906 film ''Esmeralda'' * ''The Imp of the Bottle'' (Thomas Edison), based on the story by

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

* ''The Invisible Thief'', directed by Segundo de Chomon and Ferdinand Zecca (French); first adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel ''The Invisible Man'' * ''Les Joyeux Microbes'', directed by

Émile Cohl Émile Eugène Jean Louis Cohl (; né Courtet; 4 January 1857 – 20 January 1938) was a French caricaturist of the largely forgotten Incoherents, Incoherent Movement, cartoonist, and animator, called "The Father of the Animated Cartoon" and "Th ...

* ''The Last Look'' (Pathe)Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. . Page 31. * ''Lucrece Borgia'' (French) * ''Lunatics in Power'' (Thomas Edison Co.), based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe called ''The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether'' * ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'', directed by

André Calmettes André Calmettes (1861-1942) was a French actor and film director. Biography After being a theatre actor for twenty years, he joined the society ', founded in 1908 by the novelist and editor, at the urging of the Sociétaires of the Comédie-Fr ...

* ''The Man Monkey'' (Pathe) * ''The Man Who Laughs'' (French), based on the famous novel by

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

* ''The Marvelous Pearl'' (made in Italy) * ''Mephisto and the Maiden'', directed by Frank Boggs * ''The Mirror of Life'' (French/ Pathe) * ''Miss Faust'' (French/ Pathe) * '' Mr. Flip'', directed by Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson * ''A Modern Dr. Jekyll'', produced by William Selig * ''The Moonstone'', produced by William Selig, based on the novel by

Wilkie Collins William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist and playwright known especially for ''The Woman in White (novel), The Woman in White'' (1859), a mystery novel and early "sensation novel", and for ''The Moons ...

* ''Mother Goose'' (Edison Co.) * ''The Mummy of the King Ramses'' directed by Gerard Bourgeois (French) * ''Mystery of Edwin Drood'', directed by Arthur Gilbert (British), based on Charles Dickens' novel * ''Mystery of the Lama Convent'', directed by Viggo Larsen (Denmark) * ''Nerone'', directed by

Luigi Maggi Luigi Maggi (21 December 1867 – 22 August 1946) was an Italian actor and film director who worked prolifically during the silent era. Working for Ambrosio Film he co-directed the 1908 hit film '' The Last Days of Pompeii'', which launched the h ...

* ''The New Jonah'' (Pathe)Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. . Page 32. * ''The Nymphs' Bath'' (French/ Gaumont) * ''The Old Shoemaker'' (French/ Gaumont), based on ''The Tell-Tale Heart'' by Edgar Allan Poe * ''The Oriental Mystic'' (Vitagraph, U.S.) * ''Papa Gaspard; or, The Ghost of the Rocks'' * ''Phaedra'' (French/ Pathe) featured a sea monster * ''The Phantom Sirens'' * ''The Pit and the Pendulum'', directed by Henri Desfontaines (French/ Warwick), based on the famous story by

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

* ''The Princess and the Fisherman'', directed by Louis Feuillade (French) * ''Revenge of the Ghosts'', animated cartoon directed by Emil Cohl (French) * ''Satan's Smithy'', directed by Segundo de Chomon (French) * ''Shooting in the Haunted Woods'', directed by Louis Feuillade (French) * ''The Spirit of the Lake'' (fantasy film made in Italy); it was followed by a sequel called ''The Legend of the Lake'' in 1911 * ''The Suicide Club'', directed by Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset (French) * ''The Sword and the King'' (U.S./ Vitagraph) * ''Talked to Death'' (Lubin)Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. . Page 33. * ''Teddy Roosevelt in Africa'', directed by

Cherry Kearton Richard Kearton Zoological Society of London, FZS, Royal Photographic Society, FRPS (2 January 1862 – 8 February 1928) and Cherry Kearton (8 July 1871 – 27 September 1940), brothers, were a pair of British naturalists and some of the worl ...

* ''Tis Now the Very Witching Time of Night'', produced by Thomas Edison * ''The Ugliest Queen on Earth'' (French/ Gaumont) * ''Viy'' (aka ''The Vij''), directed by Vasilii Gonmcharov (Russian)Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. . * ''The Wild Ass's Skin'' (French/ Pathe) based on the story by Balzac * ''The Witch'' * ''The Witch's Cavern'' (Selig Polyscope)

Births

* January 1 –

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...

, actor (died

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

) * January 3 –

Victor Borge Børge Rosenbaum (3 January 1909 – 23 December 2000), known professionally as Victor Borge ( ), was a Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television in the North America and Europe. His ...

, musician, actor (died

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

) * January 8 -

Willy Millowitsch Willy Millowitsch (, ; 8 January 1909 – 20 September 1999) was a German stage and TV actor and the director of the ''Volkstheater Millowitsch'' in Cologne. Early life Millowitsch was born in Cologne, Rhine Province. His parents were Peter ...

, actor (died

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

) * January 15 –

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of "Sing, Sing, S ...

, musician, actor (died

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

) * January 22 –

Ann Sothern Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920 ...

, actress (died

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

) * January 24 –

Ann Todd Dorothy Ann Todd (24 January 1907 – 6 May 1993) was an English film, television and stage actress who achieved international fame when she starred in 1945's ''The Seventh Veil''. From 1949 to 1957 she was married to David Lean who directed he ...

, actress (died

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

) * January 29 – Alan Marshal, actor (died

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

) * February 2 –

Frank Albertson Francis Healey Albertson (February 2, 1909 – February 29, 1964) was an American actor who had supporting roles in films such as ''It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946) and '' Psycho'' (1960). Early life Albertson was a native of Fergus Falls ...

, actor (died

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

) * February 6 –

Aino Talvi Aino Talvi (6 February 1909 – 12 March 1992) was an Estonian stage, film, and radio actress and singer whose career spanned over sixty years. Early life Aino Talvi was born Aino Müller in Tartu to police constable August Müller and Miil ...

, Estonian actress (d.

) * February 9 **

Carmen Miranda Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The B ...

, singer, actress (died

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

) ** Heather Angel, actress (died

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

) * February 11 **

Max Baer Max Baer may refer to: * Max Baer (boxer) (1909–1959), American boxing world champion ** Max Baer Jr. Maximilian Adelbert Baer Jr. (born December 4, 1937) is an American actor, producer, comedian, and director widely known for his role as ...

–

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

, actor (died

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

) **

Joseph L. Mankiewicz Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (; February 11, 1909 – February 5, 1993) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career, and won both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best ...

–

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

, producer (died

) * February 16 **

Hugh Beaumont Eugene Hugh Beaumont (February 16, 1909 – May 14, 1982) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Ward Cleaver on the television series '' Leave It to Beaver'', originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963; and as private detec ...

, actor, director, writer (died

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

) **

Jeffrey Lynn Jeffrey Lynn (born Ragnar Godfrey Lind; – November 24, 1995) was an American stage-screen actor and film producer who worked primarily through the Golden Age of Hollywood establishing himself as one of the premier talents of his time. Thr ...

, actor (died

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

) * March 19 –

Louis Hayward Louis Charles Hayward (19 March 1909 – 21 February 1985) was a Johannesburg-born, British-American actor. Biography Born in Johannesburg, Louis Hayward lived in South Africa and was educated in France and England, including Latymer Upper Scho ...

, actor (died 1995) * March 26 –

Chips Rafferty John William Pilbean Goffage MBE (26 March 190927 May 1971), known professionally as Chips Rafferty, was an Australian actor. Called "the living symbol of the typical Australian", Rafferty's career stretched from the late 1930s until his death ...

, actor (died

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

) * April 4 –

Bobby Connelly Robert Joseph Connelly (April 4, 1909 – July 5, 1922) was an American child actor of silent films. He is one of the first male child stars of American motion pictures beginning his career in 1913 at the age of four. Career Connelly's parents w ...

, child actor (died

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

) * April 22–

Ralph Byrd Ralph Byrd (April 22, 1909 – August 18, 1952) was an American actor. He was most famous for playing the comic strip character Dick Tracy on screen, in serials, films and television. Early life and career The son of George and Edna May ...

, actor (died

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

) * April 29 –

Tom Ewell Tom Ewell (born Samuel Yewell Tompkins, April 29, 1909 – September 12, 1994) was an American film, stage and television actor, and producer. His most successful and most identifiable role was that of Richard Sherman in ''The Seven Year Itch'' ...

, actor (died

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

) * May 4 –

Howard Da Silva Howard Da Silva (born Howard Silverblatt, May 4, 1909 – February 16, 1986) was an American actor, director and musical performer on stage, film, television and radio. He was cast in dozens of productions on the New York stage, appeared in mo ...

, actor, director (died

) * May 15 –

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films inc ...

, actor (died

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

) * May 16 –

Margaret Sullavan Margaret Brooke Sullavan (May 16, 1909 – January 1, 1960) was an American stage and film actress. Sullavan began her career onstage in 1929 with the University Players. In 1933, she caught the attention of film director John M. Stahl and had ...

, actress (died

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

) * May 30 –

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

, musician, actor (died 1986) * June 7 –

Jessica Tandy Jessie Alice Tandy (7 June 1909 – 11 September 1994) was a British-American actress. Tandy appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV, receiving an Academy Award, four Tony Awards, a BAFTA, a Golden Glob ...

, actress (died 1994) * June 8 – Robert Carson, actor (died

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

) * June 14 –

Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American musician, actor, and author with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own rad ...

, actor (died 1995) * June 20 –

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

, actor (died 1959) * June 26-

Wolfgang Reitherman Wolfgang Reitherman (June 26, 1909 – May 22, 1985), also known and sometimes credited as Woolie Reitherman, was a German–American animator, director and producer and one of the "Disney's Nine Old Men, Nine Old Men" of core animators at Walt ...

, director, producer, animator (died 1985) * July 1 –

Madge Evans Madge Evans (born Margherita Evans; July 1, 1909 – April 26, 1981) was an American stage and film actress.Obituary ''Variety'', April 29, 1981. She began her career as a child performer and model. Biography Child model and stage actress B ...

, actress (died

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

) * July 11 **

Irene Hervey Irene Hervey (born Beulah Irene Herwick; July 11, 1909December 20, 1998) was an American film, stage, and television actress who appeared in over fifty films and numerous television series spanning her five-decade career. A native of Los Angeles ...

, actress (died

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

) **

John 'Dusty' King John 'Dusty' King (born Miller McLeod Everson, July 11, 1909 – November 11, 1987) was a singer and film actor renowned for his Westerns particularly the Range Busters series. Biography Everson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. A graduate of ...

, actor, singer (died

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

) * July 12 –

Curly Joe DeRita Joseph Wardell (July 12, 1909 – July 3, 1993), known professionally as Joe DeRita, was an American actor and comedian, who is best known for his stint as a member of The Three Stooges in the persona of Curly Joe DeRita. Early life DeRita wa ...

, actor (died 1993) * July 23 –

Helen Martin Helen Dorothy Martin (July 23, 1909 – March 25, 2000) was an American actress of stage and television. Martin's career spanned over 60 years, appearing first on stage and later in film and television. Martin is best known for her roles as Wand ...

, American actress (died 2000) * July 24 -

Sydney Bromley Sidney Charles Bromley (24 July 1909 – 14 August 1987GRO Register of Deaths: AUG 1987 18 2293 WORTHING - Sydney Charles Bromley DoB = 24 Jul 1909 aged 78), credited as Sydney Bromley, was an English character actor. He appeared in more than si ...

, English character actor (died

) * August 25 **

Ruby Keeler Ethel Ruby Keeler (August 25, 1909 – February 28, 1993) was an American actress, dancer, and singer who was paired on-screen with Dick Powell in a string of successful early musicals at Warner Bros., particularly ''42nd Street (film), 42nd Str ...

, singer, actress (died 1993) **

Michael Rennie Michael Rennie (born Eric Alexander Rennie; 25 August 1909 – 10 June 1971) was a British film, television and stage actor, who had leading roles in a number of Hollywood films, including his portrayal of the space visitor Klaatu in the s ...

, actor (died 1971) * August 26 – Jim Davis, American actor (died

) * September 7 –

Elia Kazan Elia Kazan (; born Elias Kazantzoglou ( el, Ηλίας Καζαντζόγλου); September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was an American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one o ...

, director (died

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

) * September 27 -

Amerigo Tot Amerigo Tot (born Imre Tóth; 27 September 1909 – 13 December 1984) was a Hungarian sculptor and occasional actor. Born in Fehérvárcsurgó, Austria-Hungary he moved to Rome towards the end of the 1920s, where he lived for the rest of his lif ...

, Hungarian actor (died

) * October 6 – Robert Carson, screenwriter (died

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

) *October 20 – Carla Laemmle, actress (died 2014) *October 29 –

Douglass Montgomery Robert Douglass Montgomery (also credited as Kent Douglass; October 29, 1909 – July 23, 1966) was an American film actor. Early years The son of Chester Montgomery, a jeweler, Montgomery graduated from Los Angeles High School. Career ...

, actor (died

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

) * November 11 –

Robert Ryan Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an American actor and activist. Known for his portrayals of hardened cops and ruthless villains, Ryan performed for over three decades. He was nominated for the Academy Award for ...

, actor (died 1973) * November 26 –

Frances Dee Frances Marion Dee (November 26, 1909 – March 6, 2004) was an American actress. Her first film was the musical ''Playboy of Paris'' (1930). She starred in the film ''An American Tragedy'' (1931). She is also known for starring in the 1943 Va ...

, actress (died

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

) * December 9 – Douglas Fairbanks Jr., actor (died 2000) * December 12 –

Karen Morley Karen Morley (born Mildred Linton; December 12, 1909 – March 8, 2003) was an American film actress. Life and career Born Mildred Linton in Ottumwa, Iowa, Morley lived there until she was 13 years old. When she moved to Hollywood, she atten ...

, actress (died 2003) * December 20 –

Diane Ellis Diane Ellis (December 20, 1909 – December 15, 1930) was an American actress. Biography A native of Los Angeles and the only child of Frank Ellis and Ida Peterson, Diane Ellis graduated from Fairfax High School,1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

) * December 22 -

Patricia Hayes Patricia Lawlor Hayes (22 December 1909 – 19 September 1998) was an English character actress. Early life Patricia Hayes OBE was born in Streatham,Dennis Barker, "Hayes, Patricia Lawlor (1909–1998)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biogra ...

, English character actress (died

)

Deaths

* January 27 –

Benoît-Constant Coquelin Benoît-Constant Coquelin (; 23 January 184127 January 1909), known as Coquelin aîné ("Coquelin the Elder"), was a French actor, "one of the greatest theatrical figures of the age." Biography Coquelin was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais ...

, actor, Cyrano de Bergerac (born 1841) * September 4 –

Clyde Fitch Clyde Fitch (May 2, 1865 – September 4, 1909) was an American dramatist, the most popular writer for the Broadway stage of his time (c. 1890–1909). Biography Born in Elmira, New York, and educated at Holderness School and Amherst College (cl ...

, author & playwright whose works have been adapted into films. (born 1865)

Film debuts

Fatty Arbuckle Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked w ...

–

Ben's Kid ''Ben's Kid'' is a 1909 American short comedy film featuring Fatty Arbuckle. It was Arbuckle's film debut. Cast * Tom Santschi (as Thomas Santschi) * Harry Todd * Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle (as Roscoe Arbuckle) See also * List of American film ...

(as Roscoe Arbuckle) *

Ethel Clayton Ethel Clayton (November 8, 1882 – June 6, 1966) was an American actress of the silent film era. Early years Born in Champaign, Illinois, Clayton attended St. Elizabeth's school in Chicago. Career Clayton debuted on stage as a professional ...

– Justified (short) *

Dolores Costello Dolores Costello (September 17, 1903Costello's obituary in ''The New York Times'' says that she was born on September 17, 1905. – March 1, 1979) was an American film actress who achieved her greatest success during the era of silent movies. ...

(as a child) –

Helene Costello Helene Costello (June 21, 1906 – January 26, 1957) was an American stage and film actress, most notably of the silent era. Early life and career Born in New York City, Costello was the youngest daughter of the prominent stage and pioneering ...

(as a child) – Les Misérables (Part I) (short) *

Marie Dressler Marie Dressler (born Leila Marie Koerber, November 9, 1868 – July 28, 1934) was a Canadian stage and screen actress, comedian, and early silent film and Depression-era film star. In 1914, she was in the first full-length film comedy. She ...

– Marie Dressler (short) * Francis Ford – The Stolen Wireless *

Annette Kellerman Annette Marie Sarah Kellermann (6 July 1887 – 6 November 1975) was an Australian professional swimmer, vaudeville star, film actress, and writer. Kellermann was one of the first women to wear a one-piece bathing costume, instead of the then ...

– The Bride of Lammermoor: A Tragedy of Bonnie Scotland * James Kirkwood – The Heart of an Outlaw (short) *

Florence La Badie Florence La Badie (born Florence Russ; April 27, 1888 – October 13, 1917) was an American-Canadian actress in the early days of the silent film era. She was a major star between 1911 and 1917. Her career was at its height when she died a ...

– The Politician's Love Story *

Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...

– The Cowboy Millionaire *

–

Mrs. Jones Entertains ''Mrs. Jones Entertains'' is a 1909 American silent short comedy film directed by D. W. Griffith. The Internet Movie Database lists Mary Pickford as appearing in this short. However, Pickford did not begin with Biograph until the end of April ...

Billy Quirk Billy Quirk (born William Andrew Quirk; March 27, 1873April 20, 1926) was an American stage and silent-film actor. He performed in more than 180 films between 1909 and 1924. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, he died in Los Angeles, California. G ...

– The Heart of an Outlaw * William A. Russell – Tag Day (short) *

William Stowell William Stowell (March 13, 1885 – November 24, 1919) was an American silent film actor. A handsome actor with matinee idol good looks, Stowell was signed into film in 1909 with IMP (forerunner of Universal Studios), and debuted by sta ...

– The Cowboy Millionaire *

Blanche Sweet Sarah Blanche Sweet (June 18, 1896 – September 6, 1986) was an American silent film actress who began her career in the earliest days of the Hollywood motion picture film industry. Early life Born Sarah Blanche Sweet (though her first na ...

– A Man with Three Wives *

Rose Tapley Rose Elizabeth Tapley (June 30, 1881 – February 23, 1956) was an American actress of the stage and an early heroine of silent films. Early life Tapley was born in Salem, Massachusetts. She was the cousin of Captain Robert Bartlett, comm ...

– The Way of the Cross (short) *

Clara Kimball Young Clara Kimball Young (born Edith Matilda Clara Kimball; September 6, 1890 – October 15, 1960) was an American film actress who was popular in the early silent film era. Early life Edith Matilda Clara Kimball was born in Chicago on Septembe ...

– Washington Under the American Flag (short)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1909 In Film Film by year Articles containing video clips