The year 1919 in film involved some significant events. __TOC__

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

The top three 1919 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

*February 5 –

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...

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 ...

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 Thi ...

and

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 ...

launch

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

. *March –

Oscar Micheaux Oscar Devereaux Micheaux (; January 2, 1884 – March 25, 1951) was an author, film director and independent producer of more than 44 films. Although the short-lived Lincoln Motion Picture Company was the first movie company owned and controlle ...

premieres ''

The Homesteader ''The Homesteader'' (1919) is a lost black-and-white silent film by African-American author and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. The film is based on his novel inspired by his experiences. Plot ''The Homesteader'' involves six principal characters, the ...

'', the first feature-length

race film The race film or race movie was a genre of film produced in the United States between about 1915 and the early 1950s, consisting of films produced for black audiences, and featuring black casts. Approximately five hundred race films were produce ...

, starring pioneering African American actress Evelyn Preer, becoming the first

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

to produce and direct a motion picture. *May 13 –

's first film to be released by

, ''

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 L ...

'', has its premiere in New York City. * August 29 – '' The Miracle Man'' displayed

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

's talent for make-up and made him famous as a

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

. * September 1 –

release their first film, ''

His Majesty, the American ''His Majesty, the American'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Joseph Henabery and starring Douglas Fairbanks. It was the first film produced by United Artists. It was released in the U.K. as ''One of the Blood''. Prints exist ...

'' starring

. * September 18 –

Ufa-Palast am Zoo The Ufa-Palast am Zoo, located near Berlin Zoological Garden in the New West area of Charlottenburg, was a major Berlin cinema owned by Universum Film AG, or Ufa. Opened in 1919 and enlarged in 1925, it was the largest cinema in Germany until 1 ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

opens rebuilt as a permanent cinema with the première of

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 ...

's '' Madame Dubarry''. * September 25 - Dalagang Bukid (The Country Maiden), the first Filipino feature-length film made in the Philippines, released. * October 24 - The Capitol Theatre in New York City becomes one of the largest cinemas in the world with 4,000 seats. * November 16 –

Constance Talmadge Constance Alice Talmadge (April 19, 1898 – November 23, 1973) was an American silent film star. She was the sister of actresses Norma and Natalie Talmadge. Early life Talmadge was born on April 19, 1898 in Brooklyn, New York, to poor p ...

becomes a star with the release of ''

A Virtuous Vamp ''A Virtuous Vamp'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film produced by and starring Constance Talmadge that was directed by David Kirkland and Sidney Franklin. It was written by Anita Loos and John Emerson based on the 1909 play ''The Bachelor' ...

''. * November 23 - Cecil B. DeMille's ''

Male and Female ''Male and Female'' is a 1919 American silent adventure/ drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gloria Swanson and Thomas Meighan. Its main themes are gender relations and social class. The film is based on the 1902 J. M. Barrie ...

'' is released and grosses $1,256,226.59, establishing

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

as a worldwide star. *

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 c ...

begins holding

test screening A test screening is a preview screening of a movie or television show before its general release to gauge audience reaction. Preview audiences are selected from a cross-section of the population and are usually asked to complete a questionnaire or ...

s of his films and modifying them based on audience feedback, a technique which continues in use. *

Tri-Ergon The Tri-Ergon sound-on-film system was developed from around 1919 by three German inventors, Josef Engl (1893–1942), Joseph Massolle (1889–1957), and Hans Vogt (1890–1979). The system used a photoelectric recording method and a non-standa ...

sound-on-film Sound-on-film is a class of sound film processes where the sound accompanying a picture is recorded on photographic film, usually, but not always, the same strip of film carrying the picture. Sound-on-film processes can either record an analog ...

technology is developed by three German inventors, Josef Engl, Hans Vogt (engineer), and Joseph Massole; however, the era of sound films is over 6 years away.

Notable films released in 1919 around the world

A

*''

Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, ...

'', directed by

William Desmond Taylor William Desmond Taylor (born William Cunningham Deane-Tanner, 26 April 1872 – 1 February 1922) was an Anglo-Irish-American film director and actor. A popular figure in the growing Hollywood motion picture colony of the 1910s and early 1920s, ...

; starring

Mary Miles Minter Mary Miles Minter (born Juliet Reilly; April 25, 1902Louisiana Birth Certificate, Caddo Parish, No. 119, Book A, Page 97, Birth Date: April 25, 1902, Name: Mary M. Reilly ic – Original Caddo birth record was recorded as "J.H. Riley's Child" ...

and Paul Kelly *'' The Avalanche'' directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940, he directed ...

starring

Elsie Ferguson Elsie Louise Ferguson (August 19, 1883 – November 15, 1961) was an American stage and film actress. Early life Born in New York City, Elsie Ferguson was the only child of Hiram and Amelia Ferguson. Her father was a successful attorney. Raise ...

*''L'atleta fantasma''/ ''The Ghost Athlete'' (Italian), directed by Raimondo Scotti, starring Mario Guaita-Ausonia and Elsa Zara, features a masked superhero/ wrestler character

B

*'' The Beetle'', directed by

Alexander Butler Alexander Butler was a British film director who made over sixty features and short films during the 1910s and 1920s including many for G. B. Samuelson's production company. Butler directed several British films in Hollywood in 1920, where Samuel ...

– ( GB) based on the 1897 novel ''The Beetle: A Mystery'' by Richard Marsh *'' The Belle of New York'', directed by Julius Steger; 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 ...

*'' The Better 'Ole'' – ( GB) *''

Blind Husbands ''Blind Husbands'' is a 1919 American drama film written and directed by Erich von Stroheim. The film is an adaptation of the story ''The Pinnacle'' by Stroheim. Plot A group of holiday-makers arrive at Cortina d'Ampezzo, an Alpine village in th ...

'', directed by and starring

Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, actor and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of the silent era. H ...

*''

Bolshevism on Trial ''Bolshevism on Trial'' is a 1919 American Silent film, silent propaganda film made by the Mayflower Photoplay Company and distributed through Lewis J. Selznick, Lewis J. Selznick's Select Pictures Corporation. Directed by Harley Knoles from a s ...

'', directed by

Harley Knoles Harry Knoles (1880-1936) was a British film director of the silent era. Selected filmography * '' The Greater Will'' (1915) * '' The Master Hand'' (1915) * '' Bought and Paid For'' (1916) * '' His Brother's Wife'' (1916) * ''The Devil's Toy'' (1 ...

*'' The Boy in Blue'' (Knabe in Blau), 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 th ...

– (

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 betwee ...

) *''

'', directed by D.W. Griffith, 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", ...

and

Richard Barthelmess Richard Semler Barthelmess (May 9, 1895 – August 17, 1963) was an American film actor, principally of the Hollywood silent era. He starred opposite Lillian Gish in D. W. Griffith's ''Broken Blossoms'' (1919) and ''Way Down East'' (1920) and w ...

*''

Bumping into Broadway ''Bumping Into Broadway'' is a 1919 American short comedy film featuring Harold Lloyd. A print of the film survives in the film archive of the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This film is notable as Lloyd's first two-reeler featuring his "gl ...

'', starring

and

Bebe Daniels Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals such ...

C

*''

Captain Kidd's Kids ''Captain Kidd's Kids'' is a 1919 American short comedy film featuring Harold Lloyd. It marked the last film Bebe Daniels worked on as Lloyd's leading lady. Prints of this film exist in the film archives of the UCLA Film and Television Archi ...

'', a

short *''

The Cinema Murder ''The Cinema Murder'' is a 1919 American silent drama film starring Marion Davies, adapted from the 1917 novel by E. Phillips Oppenheim. ''The Cinema Murder'' is considered to be a lost film. Plot As described in a film magazine, Elizabeth Dal ...

'', directed by

George D. Baker George Duane Baker (April 22, 1868 – June 2, 1933) was an American motion picture director whose career began near the dawn of the silent film era. Early life He was born at Champaign, Illinois on April 22, 1868. He was the second son and third ...

; starring

*'' Country Maiden'' (Dalagang Bukid), directed by

Jose Nepomuceno Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. *Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean ...

; starring

Atang de la Rama Honorata de la Rama-Hernandez (January 11, 1902 – July 11, 1991), commonly known as Atang de la Rama, was a singer and bodabil performer who became the first Filipina film actress. Atang de la Rama was born in Pandacan, Manila on January 11, 1 ...

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 ...

*''Creaking Stairs'' (aka ''Dearie'') directed by Rupert Julian for Universal Pictures, starring Mary MacLaren and Herbert Prior

D

*'' Daddy-Long-Legs'', starring

*''

Damaged Goods Damaged goods or Damaged Goods may refer to: * Goods that have been damaged, where goods are items that satisfy human wants and provide utility * A person considered to be less than perfect psychologically, as a result of a traumatic experience ...

'', directed by

– ( GB) *''Dance of Death''/ ''Totentanz'' (German) written by Fritz Lang, directed by Otto Rippert, starring Werner Krauss *'' The Dark Star'', directed by Allan Dwan; starring

and

Norman Kerry Norman Kerry (born Norman Hussey Kaiser,"United States World War II Draft Registration Cards,registration for Norman Hussey Kaiser, Los Angeles, California, April 27, 1942 This document lists his full name as Norman Hussey Kaiser, noting the na ...

*''

The Delicious Little Devil ''The Delicious Little Devil'' is a 1919 American silent comedy-drama film starring Mae Murray and Rudolph Valentino. A 35 mm print of the film is housed at the EYE Film Instituut Nederland,Mae Murray Mae Murray (born Marie Adrienne Koenig; May 10, 1885 – March 23, 1965) was an American actress, dancer, film producer, and screenwriter. Murray rose to fame during the silent film era and was known as "The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips" and "Th ...

and Rudolph Valentino *''The Devil's Locksmith'' (Austrian) directed by Franz Ferdinand, starring Ferdinand and Herr Ruibar *''

Different from the Others ''Different from the Others'' (german: Anders als die Andern) is a silent German melodramatic film produced during the Weimar Republic. It was first released in 1919 and stars Conrad Veidt and Reinhold Schünzel. The story was co-written by Richa ...

'', directed by Richard Oswald, starring

Conrad Veidt Hans Walter Conrad Veidt (; 22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German film actor who attracted early attention for his roles in the films ''Different from the Others'' (1919), '' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), and '' The Man Who Laug ...

– (

) *'' The Doll'', directed by

– (

) *''

Don't Change Your Husband ''Don't Change Your Husband'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gloria Swanson. The film was the third of six "marriage films" directed by DeMille and the first DeMille film starring Gloria Swanso ...

'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring

E

*''

The Echo of Youth ''The Echo of Youth'' is a lost 1919 American silent drama film written and directed by Ivan Abramson, and featuring Charles Richman, Leah Baird, Pearl Shepard, and Marie Shotwell. Plot Cabaret singer Olive Martin (played by Baird) approaches ...

'', directed by

Ivan Abramson Ivan Abramson (1869 – September 15, 1934) was a director of American silent films in the 1910s and 1920s.Klein, Uru (10 December 2009)Cinema in the time of war, ''Haaretz'' Abramson emigrated to the United States from Russia in the 1880s and s ...

F

*''The Face at the Window'' (Australian) directed by Charles Villiers, starring D.B. O'Conner, Agnes Dobson and Claude Turton, based on the 1897 stage play by F. Brooke Warren *''

The False Faces ''The False Faces'' is a 1919 American silent action film written and directed by Irvin Willat, based on the novel by Louis Joseph Vance, and starring Henry B. Walthall as Michael Lanyard, the " Lone Wolf," and Lon Chaney as Karl Ekstrom, th ...

'', directed by

Irvin Willat Irvin V. Willat (November 18, 1890 – April 17, 1976) was an American film director of the silent film era. A short biography reprinted from ''Blue Book of the Screen'' (1923). He directed 39 films between 1917 and 1937. Early in his career ...

, starring

Henry B. Walthall Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915). Early life Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...

and

*''

The First Men in the Moon ''The First Men in the Moon'' is a scientific romance by the English author H. G. Wells, originally serialised in '' The Strand Magazine'' from December 1900 to August 1901 and published in hardcover in 1901, who called it one of his "fantast ...

'' – ( GB)

G

*''

Getting Mary Married ''Getting Mary Married'' is a 1919 silent American comedy film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Marion Davies. It was distributed by the Select Pictures Corporation. Cast *Marion Davies as Mary Bussard * Norman Kerry as James Winthrop * Matt ...

'', directed by Allan Dwan; starring

and Matt Moore *''

The Grim Game ''The Grim Game'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Irvin Willat and starring Harry Houdini and Ann Forrest.Farmer 1984, p. 312. The basic plotline serves as a showcase for Houdini's talent as an escapologist, stunt performer and ...

'', starring Harry Houdini

H

*''The Haunted Bedroom'' (aka ''The Ghost of Whispering Oaks'') directed by Fred Niblo for Thomas H. Ince, starring Enid Bennett (Niblo's wife) and Dorcas Matthews *''Haunting Shadows'', directed by Henry King, starring H.B. Warner and Edward Peil Jr., based on the 1906 novel ''The House of a Thousand Candles'' by Meredith NicholsonWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 222. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *''

Hawthorne of the U.S.A. ''Hawthorne of the U.S.A.'' is a 1919 American silent film, silent comedy film, comedy adventure film directed by James Cruze and starring Wallace Reid and Lila Lee.James Cruze James Cruze (born James Cruze Bosen; March 27, 1884 – August 3, 1942) was a silent film actor and film director. Early years Cruze's middle name came from the battle of Vera Cruz. He was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

, starring Wallace Reid *''

Heart o' the Hills ''Heart o' the Hills'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Joseph De Grasse and Sidney Franklin, written by Bernard McConville based on John Fox, Jr.'s novel of the same name. Plot Jason Honeycutt ( Harold Goodwin) is a young boy ...

'' directed by Sidney Franklin, starring

*'' Here Comes the Bride'' directed by John S. Robertson, 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 ...

Faire Binney Frederica "Faire" Binney (August 24, 1900 – August 28, 1957) her name pronounced like the country ''Zaire'', was an American stage and film actress.Soister, Nicolella & Joyce p.732 Biography Born Frederica Binney in Morristown, New Jersey, sh ...

*''

'', starring

*''

'', directed by

, starring Evelyn Preer

I

*''

Intoxication Intoxication — or poisoning, especially by an alcoholic or narcotic substance — may refer to: * Substance intoxication: ** Alcohol intoxication ** LSD intoxication ** Toxidrome ** Tobacco intoxication ** Cannabis intoxication ** Cocaine i ...

'', directed by

, starring Asta Nielsen (Germany)

J

*''

The Jack of Hearts ''The Jack of Hearts'' is a 1919 American short silent Western film directed by B. Reeves Eason. Cast * Hoot Gibson * Jack Perrin * M.W. Lindley * Josephine Hill See also * Hoot Gibson filmography This is a complete filmography of Ameri ...

'', starring

Hoot Gibson Edmund Richard "Hoot" Gibson (August 6, 1892 – August 23, 1962) was an American rodeo champion, film actor, film director, and producer. While acting and stunt work began as a sideline to Gibson's focus on rodeo, he successfully transitioned ...

*''

J'accuse "''J'Accuse...!''" (; "I Accuse...!") is an open letter that was published on 13 January 1898 in the newspaper ''L'Aurore'' by Émile Zola in response to the Dreyfus affair. Zola addressed President of France Félix Faure and accused his govern ...

'' (French), written and directed by Abel Gance for Pathe Films – (

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

) starring Romuald Joube, Severin-Mars, and Maryse Dauvray; this was Gance's most acclaimed film and he remade it with sound in 1938

K

*''

The Knickerbocker Buckaroo ''The Knickerbocker Buckaroo'' is a 1919 American silent Western/romantic comedy film directed by Albert Parker and starring Douglas Fairbanks, who also wrote (under the pseudonym Elton Thomas) and produced the film.

'', starring

L

*'' The Life Line'', directed by Maurice Tourneur, starring

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' ( ...

*''Lilith and Ly'' (Austrian) written by Fritz Lang, directed by Erich Kober, starring Elga Beck and Ernst Escherich *'' The Lost Battalion'' *''

The Love Cheat ''The Love Cheat'' is a 1919 silent American film written by Peggy McCall and directed by George Archainbaud. It stars June Caprice and Creighton Hale. Plot Henry Calving is a struggling artist in New York City. When a potential client asks to ...

'', starring

June Caprice June Caprice (born Helen Elizabeth Lawson, November 19, 1895 – November 9, 1936) was an American silent film actress. Early life and career Born Helen Elizabeth Lawson in Arlington, Massachusetts, Caprice was educated in Boston. She began ...

and

Creighton Hale Creighton Hale (born Patrick Fitzgerald; May 24, 1882 – August 9, 1965) was an Irish-American theatre, film, and television actor whose career extended more than a half-century, from the early 1900s to the end of the 1950s. Career Born in Cou ...

*'' Love's Prisoner'', starring

Olive Thomas Olive Thomas (born Oliva R. Duffy; October 20, 1894 – September 10, 1920) was an American silent-film actress, art model, and photo model. Thomas began her career as an illustrator's model in 1914, and moved on to the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' th ...

*''Lucrezia Borgia'' (Italian) directed by Augusto Genina, starring Diana Karenne

M

*''

Madame DuBarry Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry (19 August 1743 – 8 December 1793) was the last ''maîtresse-en-titre'' of King Louis XV of France. She was executed, by guillotine, during the French Revolution due to accounts of treason—particularly being ...

'', directed by

, starring

Pola Negri Pola Negri (; born Apolonia Chalupec ; 3 January 1897 – 1 August 1987) was a Polish stage and film actress and singer. She achieved worldwide fame during the silent and golden eras of Hollywood and European film for her tragedienne and femm ...

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 ...

– (

) *''Madness'' / ''Wahnsinn'' (German) produced and directed by Conrad Veidt, who also starred in the film; adapted from a novel by Kurt Muenzner *''

'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring

and

Thomas Meighan Thomas Meighan (April 9, 1879 – July 8, 1936) was an American actor of silent films and early talkies. He played several leading-man roles opposite popular actresses of the day, including Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson. At one point he co ...

*''

The Master Mystery ''The Master Mystery'' is a 1918 American mystery silent serial film told in 15 installments. The film was directed by Harry Grossman and Burton L. King and written by Arthur B. Reeve and Charles Logue. The film stars Harry Houdini, Marguerite ...

'', ( serial), starring Harry Houdini *'' The Miracle Man'', starring

and Betty Compson *''

The Mistress of the World ''The Mistress of the World'' (german: Die Herrin der Welt) is an eight-part 1919 silent film made in the Weimar Republic starring Mia May in the lead role. The film, under the creative control of director Joe May, is noted for bringing togeth ...

'', directed by

Joe May Joe May (born Joseph Otto Mandl; 7 November 1880 – 29 April 1954) was an Austrian film director and film producer and one of the pioneers of German cinema. Biography After studying in Berlin and a variety of odd jobs, he began his career as ...

(Weimar Republic) *''The Monkey's Paw'' (British) lost film based on the story by W. W. Jacobs first published by 1902, and the related one-act stage play written by Louis N. Parker in 1907 *''

My Lady's Garter ''My Lady's Garter'' is a lost 1920 American silent mystery film directed by Maurice Tourneur and starring Wyndham Standing, Sylvia Breamer and Holmes Herbert. It was based on the 1912 novel of the same name by Jacques Futrelle, a writer wh ...

'', directed by Maurice Tourneur *'' My Wife, the Movie Star'', directed by

(Germany)

N

*''Nabeshima Neko Sodo'' (Japanese) a ghost-cat film produced by Nikkatsu Films, starring Matsumosuke Onoe, based on the Kabuki play by Joko Segawa IIIWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 209. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *''Okazaki Kaibyo-den'' (Japanese) starring Matsunosuke Onoe, another ghost-cat movie based on an early 1820s Japanese novel (which was adapted as a Kabuki play in 1827)

O

*''

The Oyster Princess ''The Oyster Princess'' (german: Die Austernprinzessin) is a 1919 German silent comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Victor Janson, Ossi Oswalda and Harry Liedtke. It is a grotesque comedy in four acts about an American milliona ...

'' (Die Austerprinzessin) – (

)

P

*''The Phantom Honeymoon'', written and directed by J. Searle Dawley (who directed the 1910 Thomas Edison ''Frankenstein''), starring Leon Dadmun and Marguerite Marsh *''The Plague in Florence'' / ''Die Pest in Florenz'' (German) written by Fritz Lang, directed by Otto Rippert, starring Otto Mannstaedt and Anders Wikman; this was Fritz Lang's adaptation of ''The Masque of the Red Death'' by Edgar Allan Poe

R

*''

Ravished Armenia ''Ravished Armenia'' (full title: ''Ravished Armenia: The Story of Aurora Mardiganian, the Christian Girl, Who Survived the Great Massacres'') is a book written in 1918 by Arshaluys (Aurora) Mardiganian about her experiences in the Armenian gen ...

'' (aka ''Auction of Souls'') – directed by

Oscar Apfel Oscar C. Apfel (January 17, 1878 – March 21, 1938) was an American film actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1913 and 1939, and also directed 94 films between 1911 and 1927. Biography Apf ...

, starring

Aurora Mardiganian Aurora (Arshaluys) Mardiganian ( hy, Աուրորա �րշալոյսՄարտիկանեան; January 12, 1901 – February 6, 1994) was an Armenian-American author, actress, and a survivor of the Armenian genocide. Biography Aurora Mardiganian wa ...

*'' The Roaring Road'', directed by

James Cruze James Cruze (born James Cruze Bosen; March 27, 1884 – August 3, 1942) was a silent film actor and film director. Early years Cruze's middle name came from the battle of Vera Cruz. He was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

, starring Wallace Reid

S

*'' Sahara'', starring

Louise Glaum Louise Glaum (September 4, 1888 – November 25, 1970) was an American actress. Known for her roles as a vamp in silent era motion picture dramas, she was credited with giving one of the best characterizations of a vamp in her early career ...

, written by C. Gardner Sullivan *''Satanas'' / ''Satan'' (German) written by Robert Wiene, directed by F.W. Murnau, starring Fritz Kortner and Conrad Veidt; a small fragment of this film still exists at the Cinematheque FrancaiseWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 210. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *''

The Sentimental Bloke ''The Sentimental Bloke'' is a 1918 Australian silent film based on the 1915 verse novel ''The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke'' by C. J. Dennis. Produced and directed by Raymond Longford, the film stars Arthur Tauchert, Gilbert Emery, and Lottie Ly ...

'' – ( Australia) *'' Sir Arne's Treasure'' (Herr Arnes pengar), directed by

Mauritz Stiller Mauritz Stiller (born Moshe Stiller, 17 July 1883 – 18 November 1928) was a Swedish film director of Finnish Jewish origin, best known for discovering Greta Garbo and bringing her to America. Stiller had been a pioneer of the Swedish film ...

, starring

Richard Lund Richard Lund (9 July 1885 – 27 September 1960) was a Swedish film and theatre actor. He made his stage debut at Stora Teatern in Gothenburg in 1904 and later appeared in more than 70 films between 1912 and 1952, making his most important ...

– ( Sweden) *''

A Society Exile ''A Society Exile'' (1919) is an American silent film drama directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Elsie Ferguson, Julia Dean, and William Carleton. The assistant director to Fitzmaurice was William Scully. The film marks the second scree ...

'' directed by

starring

*'' Sons of Ingmar'' ('' Ingmarssönerna''), directed by Victor Sjöström – ( Sweden) *''South'' (documentary of Sir

Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of ...

's ''

Endurance Endurance (also related to sufferance, resilience, constitution, fortitude, and hardiness) is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from an ...

Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917 is considered to be the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Conceived by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition was an attempt to make the first land crossing ...

), filmed by

Frank Hurley James Francis "Frank" Hurley (15 October 1885 – 16 January 1962) was an Australian photographer and adventurer. He participated in a number of expeditions to Antarctica and served as an official photographer with Australian forces durin ...

– ( GB)

T

*'' The Test of Honor'', directed by John S. Robertson, starring

, and Constance Binney *''The Thirteenth Chair'', directed by Leonce Perret, starring Yvonne Delva and Creighton Hale, based on a play by Bayard Veiller; this film was later remade by Tod Browning in 1929 with sound *''To Let'' (British) short ghost film directed by James Reardon, starring Reardon and Peggy PattersonWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 211. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *''The Trembling Hour'', directed by George Siegmann for Universal Films, starring Kenneth Harlan and Helen Eddy; parts odf this film were shot in San Quentin State Prison in California *''

True Heart Susie ''True Heart Susie'' is a 1919 American drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. A print of the film survives in the film archive of the British Film Institute. The film has seen several VHS releases as well as a DVD issu ...

'', starring

and

Bobby Harron Robert Emmett Harron (April 12, 1893 – September 5, 1920) was an American motion picture actor of the early silent film era. Although he acted in over 200 films, he is possibly best recalled for his roles in the D.W. Griffith directed film ...

*''The Twin Pawns'' (aka ''The Curse of Greed'') written and directed by Leonce Perret, starring Mae Murray (playing twins) and Warner Oland, based on the Wilkie Collins novel ''The Woman in White''

V

*'' The Valley of the Giants'', directed by

, starring Wallace Reid *''La Venganza de Don Silvestre'', directed by

- (

) *''

Victory The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes ...

'', directed by Maurice Tourneur, starring

Seena Owen Seena Owen (born Signe Auen; November 14, 1894 – August 15, 1966) was an American silent film actress and screenwriter. Early life Born Signe Auen in Spokane, Washington, she was the youngest of three children raised by Jens Christensen and K ...

, Jack Holt

W

*''Weird Tales''/ ''Unheimliche Geschichten''/ ''Uncanny Tales'' (German) horror anthology written and directed by Richard Oswald, starring Conrad Veidt and Anita Berber; composed of 5 weird stories adapted from the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson and others *'' When the Clouds Roll By'', starring

*''

The White Heather ''The White Heather'' is a lost 1919 American silent drama film directed by Maurice Tourneur and starring Holmes Herbert, Ben Alexander and Ralph Graves. It was based on an 1897 play of the same title by Cecil Raleigh and Henry Hamilton. ...

'', directed by Maurice Tourneur *''

The Wicked Darling ''The Wicked Darling'' is a 1919 American silent crime film directed by Tod Browning, and starring Priscilla Dean, Wellington A. Playter and Lon Chaney as pickpocket "Stoop" Connors. This was the first time Lon Chaney appeared in a Tod Browning ...

'', directed by

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...

, starring

and Priscilla Dean *''The Witness for the Defense (1919 film), The Witness for the Defense'' starring

and Warner Oland

Y

*''Yankee Doodle in Berlin'', directed by F. Richard Jones, starring Bothwell Browne, Ford Sterling, Marie Prevost, produced by Mack Sennett *''You're Fired (1919 film), You're Fired'', directed by

, starring Wallace Reid & Wanda Hawley

Comedy film series

Only the films of the series released in 1919 are collected.

Buster Keaton (1917–1941)

Films starring Roscoe Arbuckle, featuring Buster Keaton released in 1919: *September 7: ''Back Stage (1919 film), Back Stage'' a Fatty Arbuckle, 'Fatty' Arbuckle / Buster Keaton short. *October 26: ''The Hayseed'' as a Manager, general store.

Charlie Chaplin (1914–1923)

wrote, produced, directed, and starred in 9 films for his own production company between 1918 and 1923. These films were distributed by First National Pictures, First National. Below the movies filmed in 1919: *May 15: ''Sunnyside (film), Sunnyside''; Three reels Score composed for 1974 re-release *December 15: ''A Day's Pleasure''; Two reels. First film with Jackie Coogan, future star of "The Kid" Score composed for 1973 re-release :Uncompleted and unreleased films *''The Professor (1919 film), The Professor'' as Professor Bosco, Slated as a two-reeler, but never issued

Harold Lloyd (1913–1921)

Glasses character ("The Boy"): *''Wanted – $5,000'' *''Going! Going! Gone!'' *''Ask Father'' *''On the Fire'', aka. ''The Chef'' *''I'm on My Way (film), I'm on My Way'' *''Look Out Below'' *''The Dutiful Dub'' *''Next Aisle Over'' *''A Sammy in Siberia'' *''Just Dropped In'' *''Young Mr. Jazz'' *''Crack Your Heels'' *''Ring Up the Curtain'', aka ''Back-Stage!'' *''Si, Senor'' *''Before Breakfast'' *''The Marathon (film), The Marathon'' *''Pistols for Breakfast'' *''Swat the Crook'' *''Off the Trolley'' *''Spring Fever (1919 film), Spring Fever'' *''Billy Blazes, Esq.'' – as Billy Blazes; the film was a parody of Western (genre), Westerns of the time *''Just Neighbors'' *''At the Old Stage Door'' *''Never Touched Me'' *''A Jazzed Honeymoon'' *''Count Your Change'' *''Chop Suey & Co.'' *''Heap Big Chief'' *''Don't Shove'' *''Be My Wife (1919 film), Be My Wife'' *''The Rajah (1919 film), The Rajah'' *''He Leads, Others Follow'' *''Soft Money (film), Soft Money'' *''Count the Votes'' *''Pay Your Dues'' *''His Only Father'' *''Bumping Into Broadway'' *''

'' *''From Hand to Mouth''

Animated short film series

Koko the Clown (1919–1934)

''Koko the Clown'' was the first animated movie cartoon series. Below list of short films released in 1919: *''The Tantalizing Fly'' *''The Clown's Pups'' *''Out of the Inkwell'' *''Slides'' *''Experiment No. 2'' *''Experiment No. 3'' *''Out of the Inkwell''

Felix the Cat (1919–1936)

Below list of Felix the Cat'' short films released in 1919: :November 9: ''Feline Follies'' :November 16: ''The Musical Mews'' :December 14: ''The Adventures of Felix''

Births

*January 1 – Carole Landis, actress (died 1948 in film, 1948) *January 7 – Huang Feng, Hong Kong film director *January 10 - Amzie Strickland, American character actress (died 2006 in film, 2006) *January 13 – Robert Stack, actor (died 2003 in film, 2003) *January 21 – Jinx Falkenburg, model, actress (died 2003) *January 23 – Ernie Kovacs, comedian, actor (died 1962 in film, 1962) *January 24 – Coleman Francis, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1973 in film, 1973) *February 4 – Janet Waldo, actress (died 2016 in film, 2016) *February 5 **Red Buttons, actor (died 2006 in film, 2006) **Tim Holt, actor (died 1973 in film, 1973) *February 11 – Eva Gabor, actress (died 1995 in film, 1995) *February 12 – Forrest Tucker, actor (died 1986 in film, 1986) *February 17 – Kathleen Freeman, actress (died 2001 in film, 2001) *February 18 – Jack Palance, actor (died 2006 in film, 2006) *March 2 – Jennifer Jones, actress (died 2009 in film, 2009) *March 25 – Jeanne Cagney, actress (died 1984 in film, 1984) *March 26 – Strother Martin, actress (died 1980 in film, 1980) *March 29 – Eileen Heckart, actress (died 2001 in film, 2001) *April 2 - Maxwell Reed, Northern Irish actor (died 1974 in film, 1974) *April 6 - Caren Marsh Doll, American former actress *April 12 - Ivor Barry, Welsh actor (died 2006 in film, 2006) *April 13 – Howard Keel, actor (died 2004 in film, 2004) *April 18 – Vondell Darr, child actress (died 2012 in film, 2012) *April 18 – Virginia O'Brien, American actress (died 2001 in film, 2001) *May 8 – Lex Barker, actor (died 1973) *May 23 – Betty Garrett, actress (died 2011 in film, 2011) *June 11 – Richard Todd, actor (died 2009 in film, 2009) *June 12 – Uta Hagen, actress (died 2004) *June 14 **June Spencer, English actress **Sam Wanamaker, director, actor (died 1993 in film, 1993) *June 19 – Pauline Kael, film critic (died 2001) *June 24 – Al Molinaro, actor (died 2015) *June 29 – Slim Pickens, actor (died 1983 in film, 1983) *July 7 – Jon Pertwee, actor (died 1996 in film, 1996) *July 12 – Vera Ralston, figure skater, actress (died 2003 in film, 2003) *July 19 – Patricia Medina, actress (died 2012 in film, 2012) *July 26 – Virginia Gilmore, actress (died 1986 in film, 1986) *August 2 – Nehemiah Persoff, actor (died 2022 in film, 2022) *August 7 – Bertha Moss, Argentine-Mexican actress (died 2008 in film, 2008) *August 8 – Dino De Laurentiis, producer (died 2010 in film, 2010) *September 2 – Marge Champion, dancer, actress, choreographer (died 2020 in film, 2020) *September 9 - Jacques Marin, French actor (died 2001 in film, 2001) *September 17 - Helmut Ashley, Austrian cinematographer and director (died 2021 in film, 2021) *September 18 – Diana Lewis, actress (died 1997 in film, 1997) *September 24 – Rick Vallin, Russian-born actor (died 1977 in film, 1977) *October 5 – Donald Pleasence, actor (died 1995 in film, 1995) *October 18 - Orlando Drummond, Brazilian actor and comedian (died 2021) *October 20 - Lia Origoni, Italian actress and singer (died 2022 in film, 2022) *October 28 - Ezz El-Dine Zulficar, Egyptian director and producer (died 1963 in film, 1963) *November 4 **Shirley Mitchell, actress (died 2013) **Martin Balsam, actor (died 1996 in film, 1996) *November 13 **Mary Beth Hughes, actress (died 1995) **Amelia Bence, actress (died 2016) *November 15 – Nova Pilbeam, actress (died 2015 in film, 2015) *November 19 **Lynn Merrick, actress (died 2007 in film, 2007) **Alan Young, actor (died 2016) *November 20 - Phyllis Thaxter, American actress (died 2012) *December 5 - Guido Gorgatti, Italian-born Argentine actor *December 7 – Lis Løwert, Danish actress (d. 2009 in film, 2009) *December 11 – Marie Windsor, American actress (d. 2000 in film, 2000) *December 18 – Lynn Bari, American actress (d. 1989 in film, 1989) *December 21 – Ove Sprogøe, Danish actor (d. 2004 in film, 2004)

Deaths

*January 14 – Shelley Hull, 34, American stage & film actor, husband of Josephine Hull, brother of Henry Hull *January 31 – Nat C. Goodwin, 59, veteran stage star & silent film actor *February 3 – Mary Moore (actress), 29, Irish actress, sister of Joe, Matt Moore (actor), Matt, Owen Moore, Owen and Tom Moore (actor), Tom Moore ''A Million A Minute, A Million a Minute'' *February 17 – Vera Kholodnaya, 25, Russian silent film actress, ''A Corpse Living, The Woman Who Invented Love, Her Sister's Rival, Song of Triumphant Love'' *April 9 – Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Drew, Sidney Drew, 55, American stage & film actor A Florida Enchantment *May 3 – Daniel Gilfether, 70, American actor of stage & screen *May 21 – Lamar Johnstone, 34, American silent film actor *August 27 - Clifford Bruce, 34 American silent film actor *November 24 – William Stowell, 34, American silent film star

Film debuts

* Vilma Bánky – Im letzten Augenblick * Shemp Howard – Spring Fever (1919 film), Spring Fever (short) * Boris Karloff – The Lightning Raider * Fritz Lang – Halbblut * Norma Shearer – The Star Boarder (1919 film), The Star Boarder (short) (uncredited) * Otis Skinner – Tom's Little Star * Claire Windsor – Eyes of Youth (uncredited) * Anna May Wong – The Red Lantern (uncredited)

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

Events

Notable films released in 1919 around the world

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Comedy film series

Buster Keaton (1917–1941)

Charlie Chaplin (1914–1923)

Harold Lloyd (1913–1921)

Animated short film series

Koko the Clown (1919–1934)

Felix the Cat (1919–1936)

Births

Deaths

Film debuts

References

See also