The following is an overview of 1926 in film, including significant events, a list of films released, and notable births and deaths.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1926 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

*February – The oldest surviving animated feature film is released in the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...

, directed by

Lotte Reiniger Charlotte "Lotte" Reiniger (2 June 1899 – 19 June 1981) was a German film director and the foremost pioneer of silhouette animation. Her best known films are ''The Adventures of Prince Achmed'', from 1926, the first feature-length animated fil ...

. It is called ''

The Adventures of Prince Achmed ''The Adventures of Prince Achmed'' (known as ''Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed'' in German) is a 1926 German animated fairytale film by Lotte Reiniger. It is the oldest surviving animated feature film; two earlier ones were made in Argentin ...

'' (''Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed''). *August 5 –

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

debuts the first

Vitaphone Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one th ...

film, ''

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni (Italian), is a legendary, fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. Famous versions of the story include a 17th-century play, '' El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra'' ...

''. The Vitaphone system uses multiple rpm

gramophone record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...

s developed by

Bell Telephone Laboratories Nokia Bell Labs, originally named Bell Telephone Laboratories (1925–1984), then AT&T Bell Laboratories (1984–1996) and Bell Labs Innovations (1996–2007), is an American industrial research and scientific development company owned by mul ...

and

Western Electric The Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering and manufacturing company officially founded in 1869. A wholly owned subsidiary of American Telephone & Telegraph for most of its lifespan, it served as the primary equipment ma ...

to play back music and sound effects synchronized with film. *August 23 – Rudolph Valentino, whose film ''

The Son of the Sheik ''The Son of the Sheik'' is a 1926 American silent adventure/drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Bánky. The film is based on the 1925 romance novel ''The Sons of the Sheik'' by Edith Maude Hull ...

'' was currently playing, dies at the age of 31 in New York. Riots occur at the funeral parlor as thousands of people try to see his body. *October 7 – Warner Brothers release the second Vitaphone film, ''

The Better 'Ole ''The Better 'Ole'', also called ''The Romance of Old Bill'', is an Edwardian musical comedy with a book by Bruce Bairnsfather and Arthur Elliot, music by Herman Darewski, and lyrics by Percival Knight and James Heard, based on the cartoon chara ...

'', starring

Sydney Chaplin Sydney John Chaplin (; 16 March 1885 – 16 April 1965) was an English actor. Chaplin was the elder half-brother of actor and director Charlie Chaplin and served as his business manager in later life. Through their mother Hannah, they were o ...

. *December 5 – The 1925 Soviet film

Battleship Potemkin '' Battleship Potemkin'' (russian: Бронено́сец «Потёмкин», ''Bronenosets Potyomkin''), sometimes rendered as ''Battleship Potyomkin'', is a 1925 Soviet silent drama film produced by Mosfilm. Directed and co-written by S ...

premieres in the United States, at the Biltmore Theatre in Manhattan. * Theodore W. Case and E. I. Sponable demonstrate their sound-on-film experiments to William Fox of the

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film ...

. The Fox-Case Corp. is formed in an effort to exploit the system, which is given the name Movietone. Fox begin to create

Movietone News Movietone News is a newsreel that ran from 1928 to 1963 in the United States. Under the name British Movietone News, it also ran in the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1986, in France also produced by Fox-Europa, in Australia and New Zealand until 197 ...

newsreels at this time. One of the first newsreels is of

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

's takeoff for Paris. *

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jews, Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-bi ...

films ''

A Plantation Act ''A Plantation Act'' (1926) is an early Vitaphone sound-on-disc short film starring Al Jolson, the first film that Jolson starred in. Jolson in blackface sings three of his hit songs: " April Showers", "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody", ...

'', one of the first unreleased talkies and a test film for ''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolated ...

'' *

Ang Tatlong Hambog ''Ang Tatlong Hambog'' or ''Tatlong Hambog'' (also known as ''The Arrogant Three'' or ''Three Beggars'') is a 1926 Filipino silent romantic comedy film which was produced by Jose Nepomuceno Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew a ...

(The Three Humbugs), the first Filipino film to feature a kissing (make out) scene, is released in the Philippines.

Notable films released in 1926

For the complete list of US film releases for the year, see United States films of 1926

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*''

3 Bad Men ''3 Bad Men'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by John Ford. Bob Mastrangelo has called it "One of John Ford's greatest silent epics." The film possibly inspired the title for Akira Kurosawa's 1958 fi ...

'', directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

, starring George O'Brien

A

*''

'', directed by

– (

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

) *'' Aloma of the South Seas'' (lost), directed by Maurice Tourneur, starring

Gilda Gray Gilda Gray (born Marianna Michalska; October 24, 1901 – December 22, 1959) was a Polish-American dancer and actress who popularized a dance called the "shimmy" which became fashionable in 1920s films and theater productions. Early life and 'th ...

Warner Baxter Warner Leroy Baxter (March 29, 1889 – May 7, 1951) was an American film actor from the 1910s to the 1940s. Baxter is known for his role as the Cisco Kid in the 1928 film ''In Old Arizona'', for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at ...

and

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Cha ...

*''

(The Three Humbugs)'', directed by

José Nepomuceno José Zialcita Nepomuceno ( May 15, 1893 – December 1, 1959) was one of the pioneering directors and producers of Philippine cinema. He is also known as the ''"founder of Philippine movies"'', and he had his own production company Jose Nepomuc ...

, starring Dimples Cooper – (

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

)

B

*''

Bardelys the Magnificent ''Bardelys the Magnificent'' is a 1926 American silent romantic film directed by King Vidor and starring John Gilbert and Eleanor Boardman. The film is based on the 1906 novel of the same title by Rafael Sabatini. It was the second film of the ...

'', directed by

King Vidor King Wallis Vidor (; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

, starring John Gilbert and

Eleanor Boardman Olive Eleanor Boardman (August 19, 1898 – December 12, 1991) was an American film actress of the silent era. Early life and career Olive Eleanor Boardman was born on August 19, 1898, the youngest child to George W. Boardman and Janice Merriam ...

*'' The Bat'', directed by

Roland West Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

, based on the 1920

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

Mary Roberts Rinehart Mary Roberts Rinehart (August 12, 1876September 22, 1958) was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie.Keating, H.R.F., ''The Bedside Companion to Crime''. New York: Mysterious Press, 1989, p. 170. Rinehart published her fir ...

and Avery HopwoodWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 296. . *''

Battling Butler ''Battling Butler'' is a 1926 American comedy silent film directed by and starring Buster Keaton. It is based on the 1923 musical '' Battling Buttler''. The film entered the public domain in 2022. Plot Alfred Butler is a scion of a wealthy ...

'', a

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

film *''

Beau Geste ''Beau Geste'' is an adventure novel by British writer P. C. Wren, which details the adventures of three English brothers who enlist separately in the French Foreign Legion following the theft of a valuable jewel from the country house of a rel ...

'', directed by

Herbert Brenon Herbert Brenon (born Alexander Herbert Reginald St. John Brenon; 13 January 1880 – 21 June 1958) was an Irish-born U.S. film director, actor and screenwriter during the era of silent films through the 1930s. Brenon was among the early film ...

, starring Ronald Colman *'' The Bells'', directed by James Young, starring

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

and

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...

*''

'', directed by

Charles Reisner Charles Francis Reisner (March 14, 1887 – September 24, 1962) was an American film director and actor of the 1920s and 1930s. The German-American directed over 60 films between 1920 and 1950 and acted in over 20 films between 1916 and 1 ...

, starring Syd Chaplin *''

Beverly of Graustark ''Beverly of Graustark'' is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Sidney Franklin and starring Marion Davies, Antonio Moreno, and Creighton Hale. The film's screenplay was written by Agnes Christine Johnston based on the nove ...

'', directed by Sidney Franklin, starring

Marion Davies Marion Davies (born Marion Cecilia Douras; January 3, 1897 – September 22, 1961) was an American actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Educated in a religious convent, Davies fled the school to pursue a career as a chorus girl ...

and

Antonio Moreno Antonio Garrido Monteagudo (September 26, 1887 – February 15, 1967), better known as Antonio Moreno or Tony Moreno, was a Spanish-born American actor and film director of the silent film era and through the 1950s. Early life and silent fil ...

*''

The Black Pirate ''The Black Pirate'' is a 1926 American silent action adventure film shot entirely in two-color Technicolor about an adventurer and a "company" of pirates. Directed by Albert Parker, it stars Douglas Fairbanks, Donald Crisp, Sam De Grasse, an ...

'', directed by Albert Parker, starring

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thie ...

and

Billie Dove Lillian Bohny (born Bertha Eugenie Bohny; May 14, 1903 – December 31, 1997), known professionally as Billie Dove, was an American actress. Early life and career Dove was born Bertha Eugenie Bohny in New York City in 1903 to Charles and Ber ...

*''

La Bohème ''La bohème'' (; ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions ''quadri'', ''tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe G ...

'', directed by

, starring

Lillian Gish Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893February 27, 1993) was an American actress, director, and screenwriter. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was called the "First Lady of American Cinema", ...

, John Gilbert and

Renée Adorée Renée Adorée (born Jeanne de la Fonte; 30 September 1898 – 5 October 1933) was a French stage and film actress who appeared in Hollywood silent movies during the 1920s. She is best known for portraying the role of Melisande, the love intere ...

*''

Bride of Glomdal ''The Bride of Glomdal'' (Norwegian: ''Glomdalsbruden'') is a 1926 film directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. It is based on the stories "Glomdalsbruden" and "Eline Vangen" by Jacob Breda Bull. Cast * Einar Sissener as Tore Braaten * Tove Tellbac ...

(Glomdalsbruden)'', directed by

Carl Theodor Dreyer Carl Theodor Dreyer (; 3 February 1889 – 20 March 1968), commonly known as Carl Th. Dreyer, was a Danish film director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his movies are noted for their emotional aus ...

– (

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

) *'' Brown of Harvard'', directed by Jack Conway, starring

William Haines Charles William Haines (January 2, 1900 – December 26, 1973) was an American actor and interior designer. Haines was discovered by a talent scout and signed with Goldwyn Pictures in 1922. His career gained momentum when he received favo ...

Jack Pickford John Charles Smith (August 18, 1896 – January 3, 1933), known professionally as Jack Pickford, was a Canadian-American actor, film director and producer. He was the younger brother of actresses Mary and Lottie Pickford. After their father d ...

and

Mary Brian Mary Brian (born Louise Byrdie Dantzler, February 17, 1906 – December 30, 2002) was an American actress who made the transition from silent films to sound films. Early life Brian was born in Corsicana, Texas, the daughter of Taurrence J. ...

*''

Brudeferden i Hardanger ''Brudeferden i Hardanger'' ( no, The bridal procession in Hardanger}) is a 1926 Norwegian silent drama film directed by Rasmus Breistein, starring Aase Bye. The script was written by Breistein, based on the novel ''Marit Skjølte'', by Kris ...

(The Bridal Procession in Hardanger)'', directed by

Rasmus Breistein Rasmus Breistein (November 16, 1890 – October 16, 1976) was a Norwegian film director.Sundholm, John et al. ''Historical Dictionary of Scandinavian Cinema''. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, p. 88. Life Breistein was born in Åsane in the city o ...

– (

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

)

C

*'' Cab No. 13 (Einspanner Nr 13)'', directed by

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...

– (

) *'' Cruise of the Jasper B'', directed by James W. Horne, starring Rod La Rocque and

Mildred Harris Mildred Harris (April 18, 1901 – July 20, 1944) was an American stage, film, and vaudeville actress during the early part of the 20th century. Harris began her career in the film industry as a child actress when she was 10 years old. She was a ...

D

*''

Dangerous Traffic ''Dangerous Traffic'' is a 1926 American dramatic, action silent film directed by Bennett Cohen and starring Francis X. Bushman Jr. and Mildred Harris. A preserved film available on DVD. Plot A young reporter for the small coastal California ...

'', directed by

Bennett Cohen Bennett Cohen (August 28, 1890 – June 10, 1964) was an American screenwriter and director. He wrote for more than 180 films between 1915 and 1953. He also directed 17 films between 1925 and 1934. He was born in Trinidad, Colorado and died ...

, starring

Ralph Bushman Ralph Everly Bushman (1903 – 1978), was an American actor. He appeared in 55 films between 1920 and 1943. In his early film career, he often was credited as Francis X. Bushman Jr. The son of notable silent film star Francis X. Bushman and ...

and

*''

The Devil's Circus ''The Devil's Circus'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Danish director Benjamin Christensen, based upon his screenplay. The film stars Norma Shearer and Charles Emmett Mack. It was the first of seven films directed by Christens ...

'', directed by

Benjamin Christensen Benjamin Christensen (28 September 1879 – 2 April 1959) was a Danish film director, screenwriter and an actor, both in film and on the stage. As a director, he is best known for the 1922 film ''Häxan'' (aka ''Witchcraft Through the Ages' ...

, starring

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'N ...

*''

The Devil's Wheel ''The Devil's Wheel'' (russian: Чёртово колесо, Chyortovo koleso) is a 1926 Soviet silent crime film directed by Grigori Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg. Plot During a walk in the garden of the People's House, sailor Ivan Shorin m ...

(Chyortovo koleso)'', directed by Grigori Kozintsev and

Leonid Trauberg Leonid Zakharovich Trauberg (russian: Леонид Захарович Трауберг, 17 January 1902 – 14 November 1990) was a Ukrainian Soviet film director and screenwriter. He directed 17 films between 1924 and 1961 and was awarded the S ...

– (

U.S.S.R. The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

) *''

'', directed by

Alan Crosland Alan Crosland (August 10, 1894 – July 16, 1936) was an American stage actor and film director. He is noted for having directed the first feature film using spoken dialogue, ''The Jazz Singer'' (1927). Early life and career Born in New York Ci ...

, starring

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...

F

*'' Falešná kočička aneb Když si žena umíní (Fake Woman, or When He is a She)'', directed by

Svatopluk Innemann Svatopluk Innemann (18 February 1896 – 30 October 1945) was a Czech film director, cinematographer, screenwriter, film editor and actor. He was one of the pioneers of Czech cinema. Biography and works Innemann, was a son of the Czech director R ...

– (

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

) *''

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...

'', directed by

F. W. Murnau Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe; December 28, 1888March 11, 1931) was a German film director, producer and screenwriter. He was greatly influenced by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Shakespeare and Ibsen plays he had seen at t ...

, starring

Gösta Ekman Hans Gösta Gustaf Ekman (; 28 July 1939 – 1 April 2017) was a Swedish actor, comedian, and director. Career Ekman was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and was the son of the director Hasse Ekman and Agneta (née Wrangel). Ekman represented t ...

and

Emil Jannings Emil Jannings (born Theodor Friedrich Emil Janenz, 23 July 1884 – 2 January 1950) was a Swiss born German actor, popular in the 1920s in Hollywood. He was the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in '' The La ...

– (

) *''

Fool's Luck ''Fool's Luck'' is a 1926 American silent comedy film directed by Roscoe Arbuckle as William Goodrich. Although Arbuckle was acquitted in the third trial for the death of Virginia Rappe, he could not obtain work in Hollywood under his own name ...

'', directed by William Goodrich ( Roscoe "Fatty" Arbukle), starring

Lupino Lane Henry William George Lupino (16 June 1892 – 10 November 1959) professionally Lupino Lane, was an English actor and theatre manager, and a member of the famous Lupino family, which eventually included his cousin, the screenwriter/director/actr ...

*'' For Heaven's Sake'', directed by Sam Taylor, starring

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influential film co ...

and

Jobyna Ralston Jobyna Ralston (born Jobyna Lancaster Raulston, November 21, 1899 – January 22, 1967) was an American stage and film actress. She had a featured role in ''Wings'' in 1927, but is perhaps best remembered today for her on-screen chemistry with H ...

G

*'' The General'', directed by

Clyde Bruckman Clyde Adolf Bruckman (June 30, 1894January 4, 1955) was an American writer and director of comedy films during the late silent era as well as the early sound era of cinema. Bruckman collaborated with such comedians as Buster Keaton, Monty Bank ...

and Buster Keaton, starring

*'' The Golden Butterfly (Der goldene Schmetterling)'', directed by

, starring

Lili Damita Lili Damita (born Liliane Marie-Madeleine Carré; 10 July 1904 – 21 March 1994) was a French-American actress and singer who appeared in 33 films between 1922 and 1937. Early life and education Lili Damita was born Liliane Marie-Madeleine Car ...

– (

) *''

The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts First-person narrative, first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious mil ...

'' (lost), directed by

, starring

, Lois Wilson and

*''

The Great K & A Train Robbery ''The Great K & A Train Robbery'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Tom Mix and Dorothy Dwan. The film is based on the actual foiling of a train robbery by Dick Gordon as related by Paul Leicester Fo ...

'', directed by

Lewis Seiler Lewis Seiler (September 30, 1890 – January 8, 1964) was an American film director. He directed more than 80 films between 1923 and 1958. Seiler was born in New York City and died in Hollywood, California. Partial filmography *''A Bankru ...

, starring

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 ...

H

*'' Hands Up!'', directed by

Clarence G. Badger Clarence G. Badger (June 9, 1880 – June 17, 1964) was an American film director of feature films in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. His films include '' It'' and ''Red Hair'', more than a dozen features and shorts starring Will Rogers, and two feat ...

, starring

Raymond Griffith Raymond is a male given name. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᛗᚢᚾᛞ ( ...

*'' The Holy Mountain (Der heilige Berg)'', directed by

Arnold Fanck Arnold Fanck (6 March 1889 – 28 September 1974) was a German film director and pioneer of the mountain film genre. He is best known for the extraordinary alpine footage he captured in such films as '' The Holy Mountain'' (1926), '' The White He ...

, starring

Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, photographer and actress known for her role in producing Nazi propaganda. A talented swimmer and an artist, Riefenstahl also became in ...

– (

)

I

*''

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United Stat ...

'', directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Colleen Moore *'' It Must Be Love'' (lost), directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Colleen Moore

J

*'' The Johnstown Flood'', directed by

Irving Cummings Irving Caminsky (October 9, 1888 – April 18, 1959) was an American movie actor and director. Career Born in New York City, Cummings started his acting career at age 16 in ''Diplomacy''. His Broadway, performances included ''In the Long R ...

, starring George O'Brien and

Janet Gaynor Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American film, stage, and television actress. Gaynor began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (later ...

K

*''

Kid Boots ''Kid Boots'' is a musical with a book by William Anthony McGuire and Otto Harbach, music by Harry Tierney, and lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. The show was staged by Edward Royce. Produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, the Broadway production, opened on ...

'', directed by

Frank Tuttle Frank Wright Tuttle (August 6, 1892 – January 6, 1963) was a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film director and writer who directed films from 1922 (''The Cradle Buster'') to 1959 (''Island of Lost Women''). Biography Frank Tuttle wa ...

, starring

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...

and

Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...

L

*''

The Last Days of Pompeii ''The Last Days of Pompeii'' is a novel written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1834. The novel was inspired by the painting ''The Last Day of Pompeii'' by the Russian painter Karl Briullov, which Bulwer-Lytton had seen in Milan. It culminates in ...

(Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei)'', directed by

Carmine Gallone Carmine Gallone (10 September 1885 – 11 March 1973) was an early Italian film director, screenwriter, and film producer, who was also controversial for his works of pro-Fascist propaganda and historical revisionism. Considered one of Itali ...

and

Amleto Palermi Amleto Palermi (11 July 1889 – 20 April 1941) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 70 films between 1914 and 1942. He directed '' The Old Lady'', which starred Vittorio De Sica in his first sound film. Se ...

– (

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

) *'' Loetoeng Kasaroeng'' (lost), directed by L. Heuveldorp – (

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

) *''

Love's Berries ''Love's Berries'' (russian: Ягoдка любви, Yagodka lyubvi, uk, Ягідка кохання, Yahidka kokhannia) is a 1926 Soviet comedy film by Ukrainian director Oleksandr Dovzhenko. The film was Dovzhenko's debut, and the screenplay w ...

(Yagodka lyubvi)'', directed by

Alexander Dovzhenko Oleksandr Petrovych Dovzhenko or Alexander Petrovich Dovzhenko ( uk, Олександр Петрович Довженко, ''Oleksandr Petrovych Dovzhenko''; russian: Алекса́ндр Петро́вич Довже́нко, ''Aleksandr Petro ...

– (

)

M

*''

Madame Mystery ''Madame Mystery'' is a 1926 American film starring Theda Bara, Oliver Hardy, and James Finlayson, directed by Richard Wallace and Stan Laurel, co-written by Laurel, and produced by Hal Roach. Footage from this film was reused in the Hal Roach ...

'', directed by Richard Wallace and

Stan Laurel Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer, and film director who was one half of the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Ha ...

, starring Theda Bara and Oliver Hardy *''The Magician (1926 film), The Magician'', directed by Rex Ingram (director), Rex Ingram, starring Alice Terry and Paul Wegener *''Manon Lescaut (1926 film), Manon Lescaut'', directed by Arthur Robison, starring Lya De Putti – (

) *''Mare Nostrum (1926 film), Mare Nostrum'', directed by Rex Ingram (director), Rex Ingram, starring Alice Terry and

*''Ménilmontant (1926 film), Ménilmontant'', directed by Dimitri Kirsanoff – (List of French films of 1926, France) *''Michel Strogoff (1926 film), Michel Strogoff'', directed by Viktor Tourjansky, starring Ivan Mozzhukhin - (List of French films of 1926, France) *''Midnight Faces'', directed by

, starring Francis X. Bushman Jr.Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 302. . *''Miss Mend'', directed by Boris Barnet and Fedor Ozep – (

) *''Mother (1926 film), Mother (Mat)'', directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin – (

) *''My Stars'', directed by William Goodrich (Roscoe Arbuckle, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle)

N

*''Nana (1926 film), Nana'', directed by Jean Renoir – (List of French films of 1926, France) *''Nell Gwyn (1926 film), Nell Gwyn'', directed by Herbert Wilcox, starring Dorothy Gish – (British films of 1926, GB) *''Nelson (1926 film), Nelson'', directed by Walter Summers, starring Cedric Hardwicke – (British films of 1926, GB) *''The Non-Stop Flight'', directed by Emory Johnson

O

*''Old Ironsides (film), Old Ironsides'', directed by James Cruze, starring Charles Farrell, Esther Ralston, Wallace Beery and George Bancroft (actor), George Bancroft *''Orphan of Lowood (Die Waise von Lowood)'', directed by Curtis Bernhardt, based on the 1847 novel ''Jane Eyre'' by Charlotte Brontë – (List of German films of 1919–1932, Germany) *''The Overcoat (1926 film), The Overcoat (Shinel)'', directed by Grigori Kozintsev and

– (

)

P

*''A Page of Madness (Kurutta Ichipeiji)'', directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa – (Japanese films of the 1920s, Japan)

Q

*''The Quarterback (1926 film), The Quarterback'', directed by Fred C. Newmeyer, starring Richard Dix and Esther Ralston

R

*''Rien que les heures (Nothing but Time)'', directed by Alberto Cavalcanti – (List of French films of 1926, France)

S

*''Scared Stiff'', directed by James W. HorneWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 303. . *''The Scarlet Letter (1926 film), The Scarlet Letter'', directed by Victor Sjöström, starring

and Lars Hanson *''The Sea Beast (1926 film), The Sea Beast'', directed by Millard Webb, starring

and Dolores Costello *''Secrets of a Soul (Geheimnisse einer Seele)'', directed by G. W. Pabst, starring Werner Krauss – (List of German films 1919-1933, Germany) *''Shivering Spooks'', directed by Robert F. McGowan, an Our Gang short *''The Show-Off (1926 film), The Show-Off'', directed by Malcolm St. Clair (filmmaker), Mal St. Clair, starring Lois Wilson, Ford Sterling and Louise Brooks *''

'', directed by George Fitzmaurice, starring Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Bánky *''So This Is Paris (1926 film), So This is Paris'', directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Monte Blue *''So's Your Old Man'', directed by Gregory La Cava, starring W. C. Fields *''The Sorrows of Satan (film), The Sorrows of Satan'', directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Adolphe Menjou and Ricardo Cortez, based on the 1895 The Sorrows of Satan, novel by Marie Corelli *''Sparrows (1926 film), Sparrows'', directed by William Beaudine, starring Mary Pickford *''The Strong Man'', directed by Frank Capra, starring Harry Langdon *''The Student of Prague (1926 film), The Student of Prague (Der Student von Prag)'', directed by Henrik Galeen, starring Conrad Veidt and Werner Krauss – (List of German films 1919-1933, Germany) *''Sweeney Todd'', directed by George Dewhurst (director), George Dewhurst, based on the 1847 stage play ''The String of Pearls, or The Fiend of Fleet Street'' by George Dibdin-Pitt – (British films of 1926, GB)

T

*''Tartuffe (1926 film), Tartuffe (Herr Tartüff)'', directed by

, starring

– (

) *''Tell It to the Marines (1926 film), Tell It to the Marines'', directed by George Hill (director), George W. Hill, starring Lon Chaney,

and

*''The Temptress'', directed by Fred Niblo, starring Greta Garbo,

and

*''The Three Million Trial (Процесс о трех миллионах)'', directed by Yakov Protazanov – (

) *''Torrent (1926 film), Torrent'', directed by Monta Bell, starring Ricardo Cortez and Greta Garbo *''Tramp, Tramp, Tramp'', directed by Harry Edwards (director), Harry Edwards, starring Harry Langdon and Joan Crawford *''A Trip to Chinatown (film), A Trip to Chinatown'' (lost), directed by Robert P. Kerr, starring Margaret Livingston *''The Triumph of the Rat'', directed by Graham Cutts, starring Ivor Novello and Isabel Jeans – (British films of 1926, GB)

U

*''Unknown Treasures'' (lost), directed by Archie Mayo, based on the short story ''The House Behind the Hedge'' by Mary Spain Vigus

V

*''The Volga Boatman (1926 film), The Volga Boatman'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring William Boyd (actor), William Boyd

W

*''What Price Glory? (1926 film), What Price Glory?'', directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Edmund Lowe, Victor McLaglen and Dolores del Río *''While London Sleeps'' (lost), directed by Howard Bretherton, starring Rin Tin Tin *''Whispering Wires'', directed by Albert Ray, based on the novel by Henry Leverage *''The Winning of Barbara Worth'', directed by Henry King (director), Henry King, starring Ronald Colman, Vilma Bánky and Gary Cooper *''A Woman of the Sea'' (unreleased), directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Edna Purviance

Y

*''Young April'', directed by Donald Crisp, starring Joseph Schildkraut and Bessie Love

Comedy film series

*''Charlie Chaplin'' (1914–1940) *''

'' (1917–1944) *''Our Gang'' (1922–1944) *''Laurel and Hardy'' (1921–1943) *''Harry Langdon'' (1924–1936)

Animated short film series

*''Felix the Cat'' (1919–1936) *''Koko the Clown'' (1919–1934) *''Alice Comedies'' ** ''Alice on the Farm'' ** ''Alice's Balloon Race'' ** ''Alice's Orphan'' ** ''Alice's Little Parade'' ** ''Alice's Mysterious Mystery'' ** ''Alice Charms the Fish'' ** ''Alice's Monkey Business'' ** ''Alice in the Wooly West'' ** ''Alice the Fire Fighter'' ** ''Alice Cuts the Ice'' ** ''Alice Helps the Romance'' ** ''Alice's Spanish Guitar'' ** ''Alice's Brown Derby'' ** ''Alice the Lumber Jack'' *''Koko's Song Car Tunes'' (1924–1927) *''Krazy Kat'' (1925–1940) *''Un-Natural History'' (1925–1927) *''Pete the Pup'' (1926–1927)

Births

*January 1 - Zena Marshall, British actress (died 2009) *January 6 – Mickey Hargitay, Hungarian-American actor and 1955 Mr. Universe (died 2006) *January 14 – Tom Tryon, actor and novelist (died 1991) *January 15 – Maria Schell, actress (died 2005) *January 17 – Moira Shearer, actress and dancer (died 2006) *January 18 – Salah Zulfikar, actor (died 1993) *January 19 – Fritz Weaver, actor (died 2016) *January 20 – Patricia Neal, actress (died 2010) *January 25 - Ted White (stuntman), American stuntman and actor (died 2022) *January 30 - Ramesh Deo, Indian actor (died 2022 in film, 2022) *February 1 – Nancy Gates, actress (died 2019 in film, 2019) *February 2 – Lia Laats, actress (died 2004) *February 11 – Leslie Nielsen, actor and comedian (died 2010) *February 16 – John Schlesinger, director (died 2003) *February 20 – Gillian Lynne, dancer, actress and choreographer (died 2018 in film, 2018) *February 23 - Dorothy Steel (actress), American actress (died 2021 in film, 2021) *March 1 - Robert Clary, French-American actor and singer (died 2022 in film, 2022) *March 5 - Joan Shawlee, American actress (died 1987) *March 6 – Andrzej Wajda, director (died 2016) *March 13 - Lenny Montana, American actor (died 1992) *March 16 – Jerry Lewis, American actor (died 2017 in film, 2017) *March 18 - Peter Graves, American actor (died 2010 in film, 2010) *March 21 – André Delvaux, Belgian director (died 2002 in film, 2002) *March 30 - Peter Marshall (entertainer), American former game show host, television and radio personality, singer and actor *April 5 – Roger Corman, American director *April 7 ** Prem Nazir, Indian actor (died 1989) ** Gloria Warren, American actress (died 2021) *April 8 **Shecky Greene, American comedian **Shirley Mills, American actress (died 2010 in film, 2010) *April 12 – Jane Withers, American actress (died 2021) *April 14 – Gloria Jean, American actress and singer (died 2018) *April 22 – Charlotte Rae, American actress (died 2018) *April 25 – Patricia Castell, Argentine actress (died 2013) *April 29 - Leonard Fenton, English actor and director (died 2022) *April 30 – Cloris Leachman, American actress (died 2021) *May 4 - Enzo Garinei, Italian actor (died 2022) *May 5 - Bing Russell, American actor, minor-league baseball club owner (died 2003 in film, 2003) *May 7 - Val Bisoglio, American character actor (died 2021) *May 8 ** David Attenborough, English broadcaster ** Don Rickles, American comedian and actor (died 2017) *May 10 **Tichi Wilkerson Kassel, American film personality, publisher of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (died 2004 in film, 2004) **Vladimir Tatosov, Russian actor (died 2021) *May 11 – Frank Thring, Australian actor (died 1994) *May 12 - Marilyn Knowlden, American former child actress *May 17 - María Duval (Argentine actress), Argentine actress (died 2022) *May 19 - Michelle Marquais, French actress (died 2022) *May 25 – Claude Akins, American actor (died 1994) *May 30 - Nina Agapova, Russian actress (died 2021) *June 1 **Andy Griffith, American actor (died 2012) **Marilyn Monroe, American actress (died 1962) **Aubrey Morris, British actor (died 2015) *June 5 - Lu Leonard, American actress (died 2004) *June 9 - Mona Freeman, American actress, painter (died 2014 in film, 2014) *June 10 **June Haver, American actress, singer, dancer (died 2005 in film, 2005) **Lionel Jeffries, English actor, director and screenwriter (died 2010) *June 13 – Paul Lynde, American comedian and actor (died 1982) *June 15 - Jesús Guzmán (actor), Spanish actor *June 17 - Elio Pandolfi, Italian actor, radio personality and voice actor (died 2021) *June 28 – Mel Brooks, American actor, comedian and filmmaker *July 5 – Diana Lynn, American actress (died 1971) *July 10 – Carleton Carpenter, American actor, magician, author and songwriter (died 2022) *July 12 - Sandy Ward, American actor (died 2005) *July 14 – Harry Dean Stanton, American character actor (died 2017) *July 20 – Diane Hart, English actress, inventor (died 2002 in film, 2002) *July 21 – Norman Jewison, Canadian director *July 22 – Bryan Forbes, English director (died 2013) *July 23 - Rae Allen, American actress, director and singer (died 2022) *August 7 – Stan Freberg, American voice actor, author, radio personality and comedian (died 2015) *August 29 – Betty Lynn, American actress (died 2021) *September 19 – James Lipton, American actor, screenwriter and presenter (died 2020) *September 23 - Henry Silva, American actor (died 2022) *September 25 - Aldo Ray, actor (died 1991 in film, 1991) *September 26 - Julie London, American singer, actress (died 2000 in film, 2000) *September 28 - Ralph Ahn, American actor (died 2022) *October 15 **Jeffrey Hayden, American director and producer (died 2016) **Jean Peters, American actress (died 2000 in film, 2000) *October 17 **Julie Adams, American actress (died 2019 in film, 2019) **Beverly Garland, American actress (died 2008) *October 18 – Klaus Kinski, German actor (died 1991) *October 25 – Biff McGuire, American actor (died 2021) *November 1 – Betsy Palmer, American actress (died 2015 in film, 2015) *November 13 - Don Gordon (actor), American actor (died 2017 in film, 2017) *November 17 - Robert Brown (American actor), Robert Brown, American actor (died 2022) *November 25 **Harry Landis, British actor and director (died 2022) **Terry Kilburn, English-American actor *November 30 – Richard Crenna, American actor (died 2003) *December 1 **Allyn Ann McLerie, American actress (died 2018) **Robert Symonds, American actor (died 2007) *December 18 – Walter Lassally, German-born British-Greek cinematographer (died 2017) *December 27 – Jerome Courtland, American actor, director, producer (died 2012 in film, 2012)

Deaths

*January 30 – Barbara La Marr, actress (born 1896) *February 6 – Carrie Clark Ward, actress (born 1862) *April 20 – Billy Quirk, actor (born 1873) *March 2 – Victory Bateman, actress (born 1865) *May 7 - Lillian Lawrence, actress (born 1868) *July 22 – Willard Louis, actor (born 1882) *July 23 - Charles AveryCharles Avery;IMDb.com
/ref> *August 22 – Joe Moore, actor, brother of Mary Moore, Matt Moore, Owen Moore & Tom Moore (actor), Tom Moore *August 23 – Rudolph Valentino, actor (born 1895) *August 30 – Eddie Lyons, American actor (born 1886) *September 8 – Kisaburo Kurihara, Japanese actor (born 1885) *September 11 – Matsunosuke Onoe, actor (born 1875) *October 31 – Harry Houdini, magician & actor (born 1874) *November 7 – Tom Forman (actor), Tom Forman, silent film actor & director (born 1893) *November 8 – James K Hackett, stage & silent film actor (born 1869) *November 17 – Harold Vosburgh, silent film actor (born 1870)

Film debuts

* Sterling Holloway – ''The Battling Kangaroo'' * Nancy Kelly – ''The Untamed Lady'' * Joel McCrea – ''Torrent (1926 film), Torrent'' * Franklin Pangborn – ''Exit Smiling'' * Buddy Rogers (actor), Buddy Rogers – ''Fascinating Youth'' * Mickey Rooney – ''Not to Be Trusted'' (as Mickey McBain) * John Wayne – '' Brown of Harvard''

References

{{1926 films 1926 in film, Film by year