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The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for
preservation Preservation may refer to: Heritage and conservation * Preservation (library and archival science), activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record while making as few changes as possible * ''Preservation'' (magazine), published by the Nat ...
, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception in 1988.


History

Through the 1980s, several prominent filmmakers and industry personalities in the United States, such as Frank Capra and Martin Scorsese, advocated for Congress to enact a film preservation bill in order to avoid commercial modifications (such as pan and scan and editing for TV) of classic films, which they saw as negative. In response to the controversy over the colorization of originally black and white films in the decade specifically, Representatives Robert J. Mrazek and
Sidney R. Yates Sidney Richard Yates (August 27, 1909 – October 5, 2000) was an American politician from the state of Illinois. A native of Chicago, he graduated from Lake View High School in 1928. He received bachelor's (1931) and law (1933) degrees fro ...
introduced the
National Film Preservation Act The National Film Preservation Act is the name of several federal laws relating to the identification, acquisition, storage, and dissemination of "films that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Legislative history 1988 The ...
of 1988, which established the National Film Registry, its purpose, and the criteria for selecting films for preservation. The Act was passed and the NFR's mission was subsequently reauthorized by further acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, 2008, and 2016. The National Film Preservation Board's mission, to which the NFR contributes, is to ensure the survival, conservation, and increased public availability of America's film heritage. The 1996 law also created the non-profit
National Film Preservation Foundation The National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF) is an independent, nonprofit organization created by the U.S. Congress to help save America's film heritage. Growing from a national planning effort led by the Library of Congress, the NFPF began o ...
which, although affiliated with the NFPB, raises money from the private sector.


Selection criteria

The NFPB adds to the NFR up to 25 "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films" each year, showcasing the range and diversity of American film heritage to increase awareness for its preservation. A film becomes eligible for inclusion ten years after its original release. For the first selection in 1989, the public nominated almost 1,000 films for consideration. Members of the NFPB then developed individual ballots of possible films for inclusion. The ballots were tabulated into a list of 25 films which was then modified by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and his staff at the Library for the final selection. Since 1997, members of the public have been able to nominate up to 50 films a year for the NFPB and Librarian to consider. The NFR includes films ranging from Hollywood classics to orphan films. A film is not required to be feature-length, nor is it required to have been theatrically released in the traditional sense. The Registry contains newsreels,
silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
s, student films,
experimental film Experimental film or avant-garde cinema is a mode of filmmaking that rigorously re-evaluates cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Many experimental films, parti ...
s, short films,
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...
s, films out of copyright protection or in the public domain, film serials, home movies, documentaries, animation, and independent films. As of the 2022 listing, there are 850 films in the Registry.


Films


Notes

*± Indicates that a significant piece of music featured in the film's soundtrack is also a
National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservat ...
inductee. *≠ Indicates that an excerpt of said inductee also appeared on a compilation film that was inducted into the Registry as well (in the cases of ''
The Atomic Cafe ''The Atomic Cafe'' is a 1982 American documentary film directed by Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader and Pierce Rafferty. It is a compilation of clips from newsreels, military training films, and other footage produced in the United States early in ...
'', '' A Movie'' and '' Precious Images'')


Number of films by release year

This table is through the 2022 induction list (850 films total). For purposes of this list, multi-year serials are counted only once (as they are in the Registry) by year of completion.


Age of Registry selections

The oldest film currently in the registry, ''
Newark Athlete ''Newark Athlete'' is an 1891 American short silent film directed and produced by William Kennedy Dickson. The film, roughly ten seconds in length, displays a young athlete swinging Indian clubs. It was filmed in May or June 1891, in the Photogra ...
'', was released in 1891, while the most recent, '' Pariah'', was released in 2011.


Span from release to selection

Released in 1898, and selected in December 2022, ''Mardi Gras Carnival'' has the longest span, at 124 years, while ''
Raging Bull ''Raging Bull'' is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir '' Raging Bull: M ...
'', released theatrically in the United States on December 19, 1980, and inducted in October 1990, holds the record for the shortest span, having been inducted slightly shy of the 10-year minimum. Currently, only six other films have been inducted at the 10-year mark: ''
Do the Right Thing ''Do the Right Thing'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackso ...
'', '' Goodfellas'', '' Toy Story'', '' Fargo'', '' 13 Lakes'', and '' Freedom Riders''.


Filmmakers with multiple entries (2 or more)

*11 **
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 ...
: '' The Iron Horse'', '' The Informer'', '' Stagecoach'', '' Young Mr. Lincoln'', '' The Grapes of Wrath'', ''
How Green Was My Valley ''How Green Was My Valley'' is a 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn, narrated by Huw Morgan, the main character, about his Welsh family and the mining community in which they live. The author had claimed that he based the book on his own persona ...
'', '' My Darling Clementine'', '' The Quiet Man'', '' The Searchers'', '' The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'', '' How the West Was Won'' (segment) *10 ** Howard Hawks: '' Scarface'', '' Twentieth Century'', ''
Bringing Up Baby ''Bringing Up Baby'' is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film tells the story of a paleontologist in a number of predi ...
'', ''
Only Angels Have Wings ''Only Angels Have Wings'' is a 1939 American adventure drama film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Jean Arthur, and is based on a story written by Hawks. Its plot follows the manager of an air freight company in a remote South ...
'', '' His Girl Friday'', ''
Sergeant York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known as Sergeant York, was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machi ...
'', '' Ball of Fire'', '' The Big Sleep'', '' Red River'', '' Rio Bravo'' **
William Wyler William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a Swiss-German-American film director and producer who won the Academy Award for Best Director three times, those being for '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), '' The Best Years o ...
: '' Dodsworth'', '' Jezebel'', '' Wuthering Heights'', '' Mrs. Miniver'', '' Memphis Belle'', '' The Best Years of Our Lives'', '' The Heiress'', ''
Roman Holiday ''Roman Holiday'' is a 1953 American romantic comedy film directed and produced by William Wyler. It stars Audrey Hepburn as a princess out to see Rome on her own and Gregory Peck as a reporter. Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actres ...
'', '' Ben-Hur'', '' Funny Girl'' *9 ** George Cukor: '' Gone with the Wind'' (uncredited), '' The Prisoner of Zenda'' (uncredited), '' The Women'', '' The Philadelphia Story'', '' Gaslight'', '' Adam's Rib'', '' Born Yesterday'', '' A Star Is Born'', '' My Fair Lady'' ** Alfred Hitchcock: '' Rebecca'', '' Shadow of a Doubt'', '' Notorious'', '' Strangers on a Train'', '' Rear Window'', '' Vertigo'', '' North by Northwest'', '' Psycho'', '' The Birds'' ** Leo McCarey: ''
Mighty Like a Moose ''Mighty Like a Moose'' is a 1926 American silent comedy short film written by Charley Chase that was directed by Leo McCarey. It was released by Pathé Exchange on July 18, 1926. This two-reel short comedy is considered by some scholars t ...
'', ''
Pass the Gravy ''Pass the Gravy'' is a 1928 short comedy silent film directed by Fred Guiol and supervised by Leo McCarey. It stars Max Davidson, Gene Morgan, Spec O'Donnell, Martha Sleeper, and Bert Sprotte. The movie was produced by Hal Roach and distribu ...
'' (supervising director), '' The Battle of the Century'', '' Big Business'' (supervising director), '' Duck Soup'', '' Ruggles of Red Gap'', '' Make Way for Tomorrow'', '' The Awful Truth'', '' Going My Way'' *8 ** Elia Kazan: '' A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'', '' Gentleman's Agreement'', ''
A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of per ...
'', '' On the Waterfront'', '' East of Eden'', '' A Face in the Crowd'', '' Wild River'', ''
America America ''America America'' (British title ''The Anatolian Smile''—a reference to an ongoing acknowledgment of the character Stavros' captivating smile) is a 1963 American drama film directed, produced and written by Elia Kazan, adapted from his own b ...
'' *7 ** Frank Capra: ''
The Strong Man ''The Strong Man'' is a 1926 American silent comedy film starring Harry Langdon. Along with '' Tramp, Tramp, Tramp'', ''The Strong Man'' is Langdon's best known film. Capra would also direct Langdon's next feature, ''Long Pants'' (1927), which ...
'', '' The Power of the Press'', '' It Happened One Night'', ''
Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamaser ...
'', '' Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'', '' Why We Fight'', '' It's a Wonderful Life'' ** Buster Keaton: '' One Week'', '' Cops'', '' Sherlock, Jr.'', '' The Navigator'', '' The General'', ''
Steamboat Bill, Jr. ''Steamboat Bill, Jr.'' is a 1928 silent comedy film starring Buster Keaton. Released by United Artists, the film is the final product of Keaton's independent production team and set of gag writers. It was not a box-office success and became th ...
'', '' The Cameraman'' ** Steven Spielberg: ''
Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...
'', '' Close Encounters of the Third Kind'', '' Raiders of the Lost Ark'', '' E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial'', '' Jurassic Park'', '' Schindler's List'', '' Saving Private Ryan'' ** George Stevens: '' Swing Time'', '' Gunga Din'', '' Woman of the Year'', George Stevens' World War II footage, '' A Place in the Sun'', ''
Shane Shane may refer to: People * Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress * Shane (New Zealand singer) (born 1946) * iamnotshane (born 1995), formerly known as Shane, American singer * Shane (name), a masculine given name and a su ...
'', '' Giant'' ** Billy Wilder: '' The Lost Weekend'', '' Double Indemnity'', '' Sunset Boulevard'', '' Ace in the Hole'', '' Sabrina'', '' Some Like It Hot'', '' The Apartment'' *6 ** Charlie Chaplin: '' The Immigrant'', '' The Kid'', '' The Gold Rush'', ''
City Lights ''City Lights'' is a 1931 American silent romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl (Virginia Cherrill) and ...
'', '' Modern Times'', ''
The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the onl ...
'' **
D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...
: '' Lady Helen's Escapade'', ''
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. Griffit ...
'', ''
The Musketeers of Pig Alley ''The Musketeers of Pig Alley'' is a 1912 American short drama and a gangster film. It is directed by D. W. Griffith and written by Griffith and Anita Loos. It is also credited for its early use of follow focus, a fundamental tool in cinematog ...
'', '' The Birth of a Nation'', '' Intolerance'', ''
Broken Blossoms ''Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl'', often referred to simply as ''Broken Blossoms'', is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. It was distributed by United Artists and premiered on May 13, 1919. It stars ...
'' ** John Huston: '' The Maltese Falcon'', '' The Battle of San Pietro'', '' Let There Be Light'', '' The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'', '' The Asphalt Jungle'', '' The African Queen'' ** Wilfred Jackson: ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as ...
'' (sequence director), ''
The Old Mill ''The Old Mill'' is a 1937 ''Silly Symphonies'' cartoon produced by Walt Disney Productions, directed by Wilfred Jackson, scored by Leigh Harline, and released theatrically to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on November 5, 1937. The film depicts t ...
'', '' Pinocchio'' (sequence director), ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...
'', '' Dumbo'' (sequence director), '' Cinderella'' ** Stanley Kubrick: '' Paths of Glory'', '' Spartacus'', ''
Dr. Strangelove ''Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'', known simply and more commonly as ''Dr. Strangelove'', is a 1964 black comedy film that satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and ...
'', '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', ''
A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
'', '' The Shining'' ** Vincente Minnelli: '' Cabin in the Sky'', '' Meet Me in St. Louis'', '' An American in Paris'', '' The Bad and the Beautiful'', '' The Band Wagon'', '' Gigi'' ** King Vidor: '' The Big Parade'', '' The Crowd'', '' Show People'', '' Hallelujah'', '' Our Daily Bread'', '' The Wizard of Oz'' (uncredited) *5 ** William Kennedy Dickson: ''
Newark Athlete ''Newark Athlete'' is an 1891 American short silent film directed and produced by William Kennedy Dickson. The film, roughly ten seconds in length, displays a young athlete swinging Indian clubs. It was filmed in May or June 1891, in the Photogra ...
'', ''
Blacksmith Scene ''Blacksmith Scene'' (also known as ''Blacksmith Scene #1'' and ''Blacksmithing Scene'') is an 1893 American short black-and-white silent film directed by William K.L. Dickson, the Scottish- French inventor who, while under the employ of Thoma ...
'', '' Edison Kinetographic Record of a Sneeze'', ''
The Dickson Experimental Sound Film ''The Dickson Experimental Sound Film'' is a film made by William Dickson in late 1894 or early 1895. It is the first known film with live-recorded sound and appears to be the first motion picture made for the Kinetophone, the proto- sound-film sy ...
'', '' Rip Van Winkle'' **
Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as ...
: '' Lady Windermere's Fan'', '' Trouble in Paradise'', ''
Ninotchka ''Ninotchka'' is a 1939 American romantic comedy film made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by producer and director Ernst Lubitsch and starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. It was written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Walter Reisch, based ...
'', '' The Shop Around the Corner'', '' To Be or Not to Be'' ** Sidney Lumet: ''
12 Angry Men ''Twelve Angry Men'' is an American courtroom drama written by Reginald Rose concerning the jury of a homicide trial. It was broadcast initially as a television play in 1954. The following year it was adapted for the stage. It was adapted for a ...
'', '' The Pawnbroker'', '' King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis'', '' Dog Day Afternoon'', ''
Network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematic ...
'' ** Otto Preminger: '' Laura'', '' Carmen Jones'', '' The Man with the Golden Arm'', ''
Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', ...
'', '' Anatomy of a Murder'' ** Martin Scorsese: '' Mean Streets'', '' Taxi Driver'', ''
The Last Waltz ''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as The Band's "farewell concert a ...
'', ''
Raging Bull ''Raging Bull'' is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir '' Raging Bull: M ...
'', '' Goodfellas'' ** Ben Sharpsteen: ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as ...
'' (sequence director), '' Pinocchio'' (supervising director), ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...
'', '' Dumbo'' (supervising director), '' Cinderella'' (supervising director) ** William Wellman: '' Wings'', '' The Public Enemy'', ''
Wild Boys of the Road ''Wild Boys of the Road'' is a 1933 pre-Code Depression-era American drama film directed by William Wellman and starring Frankie Darro, Rochelle Hudson, and Grant Mitchell. It tells the story of several teens forced into becoming hobos. The scr ...
'', '' The Ox-Bow Incident'', ''
The Story of G.I. Joe ''The Story of G.I. Joe'', also credited in prints as ''Ernie Pyle's Story of G.I. Joe'', is a 1945 American war film directed by William A. Wellman, starring Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, in ...
'' *4 ** Robert Altman: ''
M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. T ...
'', ''
McCabe and Mrs. Miller ''McCabe & Mrs. Miller'' is a 1971 American revisionist Western film directed by Robert Altman and starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie. The screenplay by Altman and Brian McKay is based on the 1959 novel ''McCabe'' by Edmund Naughton. Man ...
'', '' The Long Goodbye'', '' Nashville'' ** Francis Ford Coppola: '' The Godfather'', '' The Godfather Part II'', '' The Conversation'', '' Apocalypse Now'' ** Michael Curtiz: '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'', '' Yankee Doodle Dandy'', '' Casablanca'', '' Mildred Pierce'' ** Stanley Donen: '' On the Town'', '' Singin' in the Rain'', '' Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'', ''
Charade Charade or charades may refer to: Games * Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game Films/TV * ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason * ''Charade'' (1963 film), an American film starring Cary Grant and Au ...
'' ** Spike Lee: '' She's Gotta Have It'', ''
Do the Right Thing ''Do the Right Thing'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackso ...
'', '' Malcolm X'', '' 4 Little Girls'' ** Mervyn LeRoy: '' Little Caesar'', '' I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang'', '' Gold Diggers of 1933'', '' The House I Live In'' (uncredited) ** Rouben Mamoulian: ''
Applause Applause ( Latin ''applaudere,'' to strike upon, clap) is primarily a form of ovation or praise expressed by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences usually applaud after a performanc ...
'', '' Love Me Tonight'', ''
Becky Sharp Rebecca "Becky" Sharp, later describing herself as Rebecca, Lady Crawley, is the main protagonist of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847–48 novel '' Vanity Fair''. She is presented as a cynical social climber who uses her charms to fascinate a ...
'', '' The Mark of Zorro'' ** Edwin S. Porter: '' Life of an American Fireman'', '' The Great Train Robbery'', '' Dream of a Rarebit Fiend'', '' Tess of the Storm Country'' ** Preston Sturges: '' The Lady Eve'', '' Sullivan's Travels'', '' The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'', '' Hail the Conquering Hero'' ** Maurice Tourneur: '' The Wishing Ring: An Idyll of Old England'', '' The Poor Little Rich Girl'', '' The Blue Bird'', ''
The Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinde ...
'' ** Josef von Sternberg: '' It'' (uncredited), '' The Last Command'', '' The Docks of New York'', ''
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
'' ** Raoul Walsh: '' Regeneration'', '' The Thief of Bagdad'', '' The Big Trail'', ''
White Heat ''White Heat'' is a 1949 American film noir directed by Raoul Walsh and starring James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly and Steve Cochran. Written by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, ''White Heat'' is based on a story by ...
'' ** Orson Welles: '' Citizen Kane'', ''
The Magnificent Ambersons ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' is a 1918 novel by Booth Tarkington, the second in his ''Growth'' trilogy after ''The Turmoil'' (1915) and before ''The Midlander'' (1923, retitled ''National Avenue'' in 1927). It won the Pulitzer Prize for ficti ...
'', '' The Lady from Shanghai'', '' Touch of Evil'' ** James Whale: '' Frankenstein'', '' The Invisible Man'', '' The Bride of Frankenstein'', '' Show Boat'' *3 ** James Algar: ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...
'', '' Bambi'' (sequence director), '' The Living Desert'' **Samuel Armstrong: ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...
'', '' Dumbo'' (sequence director), '' Bambi'' (sequence director) ** Lloyd Bacon: '' 42nd Street'', ''
Footlight Parade ''Footlight Parade'' is a 1933 American pre-Code musical film starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell and featuring Frank McHugh, Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert and Ruth Donnelly. The film was written by Manuel Seff and Jam ...
'', '' Knute Rockne, All American'' ** Clarence G. Badger: ''
Jubilo ''Jubilo'' is a 1919 American comedy film directed by Clarence G. Badger and written by Robert F. Hill. The film stars Will Rogers, Josie Sedgwick, Charles K. French, Willard Louis, and James Mason. The film was released on December 7, 1919, b ...
'', '' Hands Up!'', '' It'' ** Reginald Barker: '' The Bargain'', '' The Italian'', ''
Civilization A civilization (or civilisation) is any complex society characterized by the development of a state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond natural spoken language (namely, a writing system). ...
'' ** Mel Brooks: '' The Producers'', '' Blazing Saddles'', '' Young Frankenstein'' ** Clarence Brown: ''
The Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinde ...
'', '' Flesh and the Devil'', '' National Velvet'' ** John Cassavetes: '' Shadows'', '' Faces'', '' A Woman Under the Influence'' ** Edward F. Cline: '' One Week'', '' Cops'', '' The Bank Dick'' ** Merian C. Cooper: '' Grass'', '' King Kong'', ''
This Is Cinerama ''This Is Cinerama'' is a 1952 American documentary film directed by Mike Todd, Michael Todd, Jr., Walter A. Thompson and Fred Rickey and starring Lowell Thomas. It is designed to introduce the widescreen process Cinerama, which broadens the asp ...
'' ** Blake Edwards: '' Days of Wine and Roses'', '' The Pink Panther'', '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' ** Norm Ferguson: '' Pinocchio'' (sequence director), ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...
'', '' Dumbo'' (sequence director) ** Dave Fleischer: '' Snow White'', '' Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor'', ''
Let's All Go to the Lobby ''Let's All Go to the Lobby'' (officially known as ''Technicolor Refreshment Trailer No. 1'') is a 1957 animated musical advertisement played in theaters before the beginning of the main film or before intermission, featuring animated food items ...
'' (uncredited) ** Victor Fleming: '' Red Dust'', '' Gone with the Wind'', '' The Wizard of Oz'' ** Samuel Fuller: '' V-E+1'', '' Pickup on South Street'', ''
Shock Corridor ''Shock Corridor'' is a 1963 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Samuel Fuller, and starring Peter Breck, Constance Towers, and Gene Evans. The film tells the story of a journalist who gets himself intentionally committed ...
'' ** Clyde Geronimi: '' Bambi'' (sequence director; uncredited), '' Cinderella'', '' Sleeping Beauty'' (supervising director) ** David Hand: ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as ...
'' (supervising director), ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...
'', '' Bambi'' (supervising director) ** Chuck Jones: ''
Duck Amuck ''Duck Amuck'' is an American animated surreal comedy short film directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on January 17, 1953 as part of the ''Merrie Melodies'' series, and stars Daffy Duck. In the cartoon, ...
'', ''
One Froggy Evening ''One Froggy Evening'' is a 1955 American Technicolor animated musical short film written by Michael Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones, with musical direction by Milt Franklyn. The short, partly inspired by a 1944 Cary Grant film entitled ''Onc ...
'', '' What's Opera, Doc?'' ** Henry King: ''
Tol'able David ''Tol'able David'' is a 1921 American silent film based on the 1917 Joseph Hergesheimer short story of the same name. It was adapted to the screen by Edmund Goulding and directed by Henry King for Inspiration Pictures. A rustic tale of viole ...
'', '' State Fair'', '' Twelve O'Clock High'' ** Jack Kinney: '' Pinocchio'' (sequence director), '' Dumbo'' (sequence director), '' The Story of Menstruation'' (uncredited) **
John Landis John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American comedy and fantasy filmmaker and actor. He is best known for the comedy films that he has directed – such as ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' (1978 ...
: '' National Lampoon's Animal House'', '' The Blues Brothers'', '' Michael Jackson's Thriller'' ** John Lasseter: ''
Luxo Jr. ''Luxo Jr.'' is a 1986 American computer-animated short film produced and released by Pixar. Written and directed by John Lasseter, the two-minute short film revolves around one larger and one smaller desk lamp. The larger lamp, named Luxo Sr ...
'', '' Tin Toy'', '' Toy Story'' ** George Lucas: '' Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB'', '' American Graffiti'', '' Star Wars'' ** Hamilton Luske: '' Pinocchio'' (supervising director), ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...
'', '' Cinderella'' ** Winsor McCay: '' Little Nemo'', '' Gertie the Dinosaur'', '' The Sinking of the Lusitania'' ** Lewis Milestone: ''
All Quiet on the Western Front ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (german: Im Westen nichts Neues, lit=Nothing New in the West) is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental trauma ...
'', '' The Front Page'', '' A Walk in the Sun'' ** Dudley Murphy: '' St. Louis Blues'', '' Black and Tan'', ''
The Emperor Jones ''The Emperor Jones'' is a 1920 tragic play by American dramatist Eugene O'Neill that tells the tale of Brutus Jones, a resourceful, self-assured African American and a former Pullman porter, who kills another black man in a dice game, is jailed, ...
'' ** Nicholas Ray: ''
In a Lonely Place ''In a Lonely Place'' is a 1950 American film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, produced for Bogart's Santana Productions. The script was written by Andrew P. Solt from Edmund H. North's adaptation of ...
'', '' Johnny Guitar'', '' Rebel Without a Cause'' **
Rob Reiner Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom '' All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a performa ...
: '' This Is Spinal Tap'', ''
The Princess Bride The Princess Bride may refer to: * ''The Princess Bride'' (novel), 1973 fantasy romance novel by American writer William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He ...
'', '' When Harry Met Sally...'' ** Martin Ritt: '' Hud'', '' Sounder'', '' Norma Rae'' **Bill Roberts: ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...
'', '' Dumbo'' (sequence director), '' Bambi'' (sequence director) ** Ridley Scott: ''
Alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
'', ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's ...
'', '' Thelma & Louise'' ** Luis Valdez: '' I Am Joaquín'', '' Zoot Suit'', '' La Bamba'' ** W. S. Van Dyke: '' The Thin Man'', '' Naughty Marietta'', '' The Prisoner of Zenda'' (uncredited) ** Erich von Stroheim: ''
Foolish Wives ''Foolish Wives'' is a 1922 American erotic silent drama film produced and distributed by Universal Pictures under their Super-Jewel banner and written and directed by Erich von Stroheim. The drama features von Stroheim, Rudolph Christians, Mis ...
'', '' Greed'', '' The Wedding March'' ** Lois Weber: ''
Suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being Decision-making, undecided, or being Doubt, doubtful. In a Drama, dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the wikt:outcome, outcome of a plot (narrative), plot or of the solution t ...
'', '' Where Are My Children?'' (uncredited), '' Shoes'' ** Robert Wise: '' The Day the Earth Stood Still'', '' West Side Story'', '' The Sound of Music'' ** Frederick Wiseman: '' Titicut Follies'', ''
High School A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
'', '' Hospital'' ** Robert Zemeckis: '' Back to the Future'', '' Who Framed Roger Rabbit'', '' Forrest Gump'' ** Fred Zinnemann: '' High Noon'', '' From Here to Eternity'', '' Oklahoma!'' *2 ** Robert Aldrich: '' Kiss Me Deadly'', '' What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'' ** Woody Allen: '' Annie Hall'', ''
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
'' **Kenneth Anger: ''Eaux d'Artifice'', ''Scorpio Rising (film), Scorpio Rising'' **Hal Ashby: ''Harold and Maude'', ''Being There'' **Billy Bitzer: ''Westinghouse Works, 1904'', '':File:New York Subway (1905) - G.W. Bitzer - Interior NYC From 14th to 42nd Street.webm, Interior New York Subway, 14th Street to 42nd Street'' **Les Blank: ''Chulas Fronteras'', ''Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers'' **John Boorman: ''Point Blank (1967 film), Point Blank'', ''Deliverance'' **Frank Borzage: ''Humoresque (1920 film), Humoresque'', ''7th Heaven (1927 film), Seventh Heaven'' **Richard Brooks: ''Blackboard Jungle'', ''In Cold Blood (film), In Cold Blood'' **Tod Browning: ''Dracula (1931 English-language film), Dracula'', ''Freaks (1932 film), Freaks'' **Clyde Bruckman: '' The General'', '' The Battle of the Century'' **Charles Burnett (director), Charles Burnett: ''Killer of Sheep'', ''To Sleep with Anger'' **James Cameron: ''The Terminator'', ''Titanic (1997 film), Titanic'' **Shirley Clarke: ''The Cool World (film), The Cool World'', ''Portrait of Jason'' **Joel and Ethan Coen: '' Fargo'', ''The Big Lebowski'' **Julie Dash: ''Illusions (1982 film), Illusions'', ''Daughters of the Dust'' **Cecil B. DeMille: ''The Cheat (1915 film), The Cheat'', ''The Ten Commandments (1956 film), The Ten Commandments'' **Jonathan Demme: ''Stop Making Sense'', ''The Silence of the Lambs (film), The Silence of the Lambs'' **Richard Donner: ''Superman (1978 film), Superman'', ''The Goonies'' **Clint Eastwood: ''The Outlaw Josey Wales'', ''Unforgiven'' **Rob Epstein: ''Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives'', ''The Times of Harvey Milk'' **Robert J. Flaherty: ''Nanook of the North'', ''Louisiana Story'' **Robert Florey: ''The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra'', ''Daughter of Shanghai'' **Miloš Forman: ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'', ''Amadeus (film), Amadeus'' **Bob Fosse: ''Cabaret (1972 film), Cabaret'', ''All That Jazz (film), All That Jazz'' **John Frankenheimer: ''The Manchurian Candidate (1962 film), The Manchurian Candidate'', ''Seconds (1966 film), Seconds'' **William Friedkin: ''The French Connection (film), The French Connection'', ''The Exorcist'' **Robert Gardner (anthropologist), Robert Gardner: ''The Hunters (1957 film), The Hunters'', ''Dead Birds (1963 film), Dead Birds'' **Louis J. Gasnier: ''The Perils of Pauline (1914 serial), The Perils of Pauline'', ''The Exploits of Elaine'' **Burt Gillett: ''Flowers and Trees'', ''Three Little Pigs (film), Three Little Pigs'' **Michael Gordon (film director), Michael Gordon: ''Cyrano de Bergerac (1950 film), Cyrano de Bergerac'', ''Pillow Talk (film), Pillow Talk'' **Alfred E. Green: ''Ella Cinders (film), Ella Cinders'', ''Baby Face (film), Baby Face'' **T. Hee: '' Pinocchio'' (sequence director), ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...
'' **George Roy Hill: ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'', ''The Sting'' **William K. Howard: ''The Power and the Glory (1933 film), The Power and the Glory'', '' Knute Rockne, All American'' (uncredited) **John Hubley: ''Gerald McBoing-Boing'' (supervising director), ''The Hole (1962 film), The Hole'' **John Hughes (filmmaker), John Hughes: ''The Breakfast Club'', ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' **Gene Kelly: '' On the Town'', '' Singin' in the Rain'' **Jim Klein: ''Growing Up Female (film), Growing Up Female'', ''Union Maids'' **Randal Kleiser: ''Peege'', ''Grease (film), Grease'' **Stanley Kramer: ''Judgment at Nuremberg'', ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' **Gregory La Cava: ''So's Your Old Man'', ''My Man Godfrey'' **Fritz Lang: ''Fury (1936 film), Fury'', ''The Big Heat'' **David Lean: ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'', ''Lawrence of Arabia (film), Lawrence of Arabia'' **Pare Lorentz: ''The Plow That Broke the Plains'', ''The River (1938 film), The River'' **Ida Lupino: ''Outrage (1950 film), Outrage'', ''The Hitch-Hiker'' **Terrence Malick: ''Badlands (film), Badlands'', ''Days of Heaven'' **Joseph L. Mankiewicz: ''All About Eve'', '' King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis'' **Anthony Mann: ''Winchester '73'', ''The Naked Spur'' **George Marshall (director), George Marshall: ''Destry Rides Again'', '' How the West Was Won'' **Albert and David Maysles: ''Salesman (1969 film), Salesman'', ''Grey Gardens'' **Oscar Micheaux: ''Within Our Gates'', ''Body and Soul (1925 film), Body and Soul'' **Errol Morris: ''The Thin Blue Line (1988 film), The Thin Blue Line'', ''The Fog of War'' **F. W. Murnau: ''Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, Sunrise'', ''Tabu: A Story of the South Seas'' **Gregory Nava: ''El Norte (film), El Norte'', ''Selena (film), Selena'' **Fred C. Newmeyer: ''Safety Last!'', ''The Freshman (1925 film), The Freshman'' **Fred Niblo: ''The Mark of Zorro (1920 film), The Mark of Zorro'', ''Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925 film), Ben-Hur'' **Mike Nichols: ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (film), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'', ''The Graduate'' **Christopher Nolan: ''Memento (film), Memento'', ''The Dark Knight'' **George Pal: ''Tulips Shall Grow'', ''John Henry and the Inky-Poo'' **Gordon Parks: ''The Learning Tree'', ''Shaft (1971 film), Shaft'' **Sam Peckinpah: ''Ride the High Country'', ''The Wild Bunch'' **Arthur Penn: ''Bonnie and Clyde (film), Bonnie and Clyde'', ''Little Big Man (film), Little Big Man'' **D. A. Pennebaker: ''Dont Look Back'', ''Monterey Pop'' **Roman Polanski: ''Rosemary's Baby (film), Rosemary's Baby'', ''Chinatown (1974 film), Chinatown'' **Julia Reichert: ''Growing Up Female (film), Growing Up Female'', ''Union Maids'' **Robert Rossen: ''All the King's Men (1949 film), All the King's Men'', ''The Hustler'' **Denis Sanders: ''A Time Out of War'', ''Czechoslovakia 1968'' **Paul Satterfield: ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...
'', '' Bambi'' (sequence director) **Franklin J. Schaffner: ''Planet of the Apes (1968 film), Planet of the Apes'', ''Patton (film), Patton'' **Ernest B. Schoedsack: '' Grass'', '' King Kong'' **Edward Sedgwick: ''The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film), The Phantom of the Opera'' (uncredited), '' The Cameraman'' **George B. Seitz: ''The Exploits of Elaine'', ''Love Finds Andy Hardy'' **Don Siegel: ''Invasion of the Body Snatchers'', ''Dirty Harry'' **Douglas Sirk: ''All That Heaven Allows'', ''Imitation of Life (1959 film), Imitation of Life'' **Victor Sjöström: ''He Who Gets Slapped (film), He Who Gets Slapped'', ''The Wind (1928 film), The Wind'' **Phillips Smalley: ''
Suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being Decision-making, undecided, or being Doubt, doubtful. In a Drama, dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the wikt:outcome, outcome of a plot (narrative), plot or of the solution t ...
'', '' Where Are My Children?'' (uncredited) **John M. Stahl: ''Imitation of Life (1934 film), Imitation of Life'', ''Leave Her to Heaven'' **Ralph Steiner: ''H2O (1929 film), H2O'', ''The City (1939 film), The City'' **Robert Stevenson (filmmaker), Robert Stevenson: ''Old Yeller (film), Old Yeller'', ''Mary Poppins (film), Mary Poppins'' **Mel Stuart: ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'', ''Wattstax'' **John Sturges: ''Bad Day at Black Rock'', ''The Magnificent Seven'' **Frank Tashlin: ''The Way of Peace (film), The Way of Peace'', ''Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?'' **Sam Taylor (director), Sam Taylor: ''Safety Last!'', ''The Freshman (1925 film), The Freshman'' **Jacques Tourneur: ''Cat People (1942 film), Cat People'', ''Out of the Past'' **Wayne Wang: ''Chan Is Missing'', ''The Joy Luck Club (film), The Joy Luck Club'' **John Waters: ''Pink Flamingos'', ''Hairspray (1988 film), Hairspray'' **Fred M. Wilcox (director), Fred M. Wilcox: ''Lassie Come Home'', ''Forbidden Planet''


See also

*
National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservat ...
* ''These Amazing Shadows'', a 2011 documentary film that tells the history and importance of the registry


References


External links


Complete National Film Registry Listing

National Film Registry homepage

Classic Movie Hub: National Film Registry List
{{featured list 1988 establishments in the United States 1988 in American cinema Cultural infrastructure completed in 1988 Film archives in the United States History of film Library of Congress Reference material lists Film preservation United States National Film Registry films,