D.W. Griffith is considered as one of the pioneers of American feature films and various cinematic techniques. His movie ‘The Birth of a Nation’ (1915) was his first feature length film and created controversy because it glorified the ‘Ku Klux Klan’ and depicted African-Americans in a negative manner. His movie ‘Intolerance’ (1916) was a sequel to ‘The Birth of a Nation.’Â
His silent film ‘In Old California’ (1910) is the first film to be shot in Hollywood. In 1941, he produced and directed the feature film ‘Judith of Bethulia’ that received positive reviews for his direction. However, his movies did not achieve success at the box office because they were considered to be too long and expensive.Â
His hit films include ‘Broken Blossoms’ (1919), ‘Way Down East’ (1920) and ‘Orphans of the Storm’ (1921). ‘Lady of the Pavements’ (1929) was a part-talkie film with a musical sound track. ‘Abraham Lincoln’ (1930) and ‘The Struggle’ (1931) are his only two movies with full sound track.Â
Regarded as one of the most influential silent films, this film tells us four different stories, that demonstrates humanity’s persistent intolerance throughout the ages.
Lennox is a rich and good-looking womanizer, who tricks a poor country girl named Anna into a fake marriage. When Anna gets pregnant, Lennox leaves her, and she is forced to deal with the baby on her own. The baby eventually dies, after which she manages to get a job with a rich man named Squire Bartlett. Soon, Bartlett’s son, David, falls for her. But due to her tragic past, Anna rejects his advances.
When Louise goes blind, her sister Henriette promises to take care of her forever. The two sisters make their way to Paris, hoping that Louise’s blindness can be cured. Soon, their lives turn upside down when Henriette is abducted, during the middle of the French Revolution.
Post-WWI, a homeless Polish family struggles to survive in Germany in times of Great Inflation. Orphan girl Inga toils to support the family that took her in, and saves to marry Paul. Suffering from warfront poisonous gases, Paul is trying to secure their future. He secretly grows a vegetable garden as a resource for coming times, representing the couple’s hopes and optimism.
This romantic drama film tells us the story of a young Asian Buddhist missionary who is trying to spread Buddha’s message of peace in the Western World. He is quite shocked when he finds a young girl who is regularly abused physically by her own father, who is a boxer. Things get interesting when he starts to fall for her from afar.
Geoffrey who is a young and impoverished writer is in love with Mavis, a young woman living at his boardinghouse who is also pursuing a writing career. Due to his poverty, he is unable to marry her, and he curses God for abandoning him. Soon he meets a Prince who informs him that he will inherit inherit a fortune if he places himself in his hands. However, the Prince is actually Satan in disguise.
In order to avoid sharing his recently deceased brother’s wealth with his niece, Agnes Harrington’s uncle separates her from her family in Africa. However, years later, he realizes his mistake while he is on his deathbed, and he sees to it that Agnes is restored to her rightful place in society. Therefore, he cuts his own son John Fairfax out of the inheritance. However, Agnes's problems are far from over.
Blackie Norton hires Mary Blake as a singer in his bar named The Paradise Club. Over some time, Mary gains a lot of popularity. She is soon noticed by socialite Jack Burley and Maestro Baldini of the Tivoli Opera. They approach her and offer her an opportunity to do opera, but it seems that Blackie has her under a two-year contract. However, things turn sour between Blackie and Mary, when he makes up posters featuring her in tights, and she decides to break her contract and leave for the Tivoli.
Joseph is a young aristocrat who after completing his graduation, decides to take a look at the ‘real world’, to see what it is about. He soon ends up in New Orleans, and falls for a poor unsophisticated orphaned girl named Bessie. One thing leads to another and soon she discovers that she is pregnant with Joseph’s child.
A young couple becomes homeless, after which they struggle to survive. But their situation goes worse, after their child is removed from their care as well.
This silent horror movie is based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story The Tell-Tale Heart and his poem Annabel Lee. The plot involves a young man falling for a woman only to realise that his uncle, who has raised him, disapprove of her. Frustrated, he kills his uncle. However, soon nightmares begin to trouble him.
This is a silent comedy film, centering on a dancer called Sally, whose mother was disowned by her father, a judge, for marrying a circus man. After her mother dies, Sally is raised by her mother’s friend and is trained to become a dancer. The plot thickens when the duo joins a carnival based at Green Meadow, where Sally’s grandparents still reside.
Conniving, Marie Skinner, and her boyfriend, Babe Winsor, conspire to swindle middle-aged real estate magnate, J.C. Judson. Soon Judson falls for Marie’s flirtatious seduction and when his wife and two grown-up children find him dancing with Marie in nightclub, he leaves home. His daughter, Ruth, takes a gun to confront Marie and expose her true colors to Judson, who realizes his mistake.
The Love Flower is a drama film which tells the story of Thomas Bevan, who murders his second wife’s lover, and along with Stella, the daughter from his first wife, he flees to the South Pacific. However, a detective is still in pursuit of him.
The Fall of Babylon is drama film which tells the story of a tomboyish mountain girl, who takes a liking to her king, and decides to fight for him when the city is attacked.
Young American, Douglas Gordon Hamilton, living with his family in France falls in love with his neighbor’s daughter, Marie Stephenson. But soon World War I breaks out and their village is bombed. Badly wounded, Douglas is rescued by Marie but German Von Strohm lusts after her. The boy and the girl plan a daring escape.
This short silent film depicts the story two resourceful sisters. After selling a portion of their late father’s estate, their elder brother leaves the cash in the family safe and goes away. Meanwhile, the housekeeper enlists a criminal to break the safe, locking the girls in the sitting room. Although trembling with fear, the girls refuse to sit idle.
In order to pursue his ambitions, John Logan Jr. moves to New York City. However, he has to leave a lot behind in his quest for fame and money. Although after working hard, he manages to become rich, it takes him a long time. Eventually, when he returns home, his father doesn’t recognize him.
In this short drama, a young Blanche Sweet takes the place of her father, a wireless operator, when he feels sick. She does not have his gun, but is soon in need of it when two tramps try to break into the office to rob the money meant for the employees of a mining company. A smart girl, Sweet immediately locks herself in, wires for help and threatens the tramps using a wrench as a gun.
Years after witnessing a murder Nellie Jarvis returns to the same place as an orphan. She is taken in by the kindly Hiltons. To help them, she decides to go work for the Cains where she recognizes Mr.Cain as the murderer. When the Hiltons have a stroke of fortune, they rush to save her from the depraved Cains.
A bandit named Alvarez is wanted by law enforcers, for raiding the mining camps of the California gold rush. However, he is reformed when he falls for a good-natured woman.
Two families, the Stonemans and the Camerons, are close friends, but when the Civil War breaks out, they find themselves on opposite sides of the war.
Young Mollie Harding’s dying mother writes a letter requesting Preacher Bolton to use the money she has left to buy a ‘little finery’ for her daughter who is denied such things by her miser father. Pastor buys Mollie a fancy New York hat that she yearned for, which results in gossip and malicious rumors. Will the things be set right for Mollie?
A tender-hearted girl gets swayed by her gloomy admirer and marries him. She works and sacrifices for him but once successful, he leaves her for a rich woman. The pregnant wife returns to her mother’s home where her child is born. When the rich female abandons him, the husband is repentant. But will his remorse bring back something precious that is lost?
In order to avoid being harassed at her new job, a young woman is forced to appear as unattractive as possible. This leads to hilarious as well as unexpected situations.
The Country Doctor is a short silent drama film, which tells the story of a doctor who leaves his sick daughter behind to assist a gravely ill neighbor. His wife requests him to come home and care for his own daughter, but he decides to ignore her.
During the Revolutionary War of 1770s, brutal British Captain Walter Butler takes help of the Native Americans to attack the settlers supporting the revolution. Young patriot Nathan Holden, the express rider of Lexington, Massachusetts, falls in love with aristocratic Nancy Montague, the daughter of uncompromising Tory judge Montague, who disapproves of Nathan. In such adversative conditions, the couple needs to strive hard to unite.
The Massacre is a short western war film which revolves around the massacre of an Indian village, and the retaliation that follows.
James Grey wants to avoid being drafted for the World War I, although his older brother Ralph has already enlisted and has gone to France. In France, Ralph falls for a woman named Blossom. James is eventually drafted as well and he is sent to France, while his girlfriend promises to stay faithful. James soon meets Ralph at the trenches, but things get ugly when Blossom’s chateau is attacked.
The short is inspired by ‘The Three Fishers’, the well-known poem by Charles Kingsley. A fisherman loses his memory after he meets with an accident at the sea and cannot return home. Meanwhile his wife gives birth to a daughter, and as time passes, she grows into a mature woman. Then one day, the husband sets sail again, reaching his native shore on her wedding day.
While on their way to visit their uncle in the Wild West, Sally and her sister have brought two puppies. Also traveling with them are Melissa, her husband, her newborn baby, and others. When a tribe of Native-Americans attacks them, the settlers try to fight them off.
The Miser’s Heart is a crime drama thriller short film which tells the story of an old miser who has hidden away his wealth. Thieves try to steal the money from him, but he refuses to open the safe for them. Therefore they threaten to kill a girl living in his building.
The short comedy movie is set in a small crowded movie theatre, where the audience is incessantly distracted and left frustrated by other audience members, mostly women wearing absurdly large, pretentious hats that block everyone’s view.
This is a silent short film about two business partners pursuing the same woman. One of them is fond of gambling while the other is more dependable. Charmed by the former, the woman marries him. But when he starts acquiring gambling debts and decides to commit suicide, it is his partner who races to the office to stop him. But will he make it?
As a young burglar is about to enter their house, a jealous brother strikes down his sibling dead. Then he calls the police, and eventually the burglar is charged with the murder. Now the burglar thinks of a way to prove his innocence.
Jimmie, who gets into the bad habit of excessive drinking falls in love with Florrie. Before getting married, he makes a vow to give up drinking, and eventually they start a happy family. However, their marriage is soon jeopardized when circumstances force Jimmie to start drinking again.
This short drama film revolves around a patient in a mental asylum who gets calmed after he hears the piano playing. However, shortly afterwards, he attempts to break free, and is successful. He manages to elude all his pursuers, and comes to a house where a young wife is home alone.
The Narrow Road is a drama short film which tells the story of two men who are released from jail after they served their sentences. While one of them wants to go the legal way and stay out of trouble, his fellow ex-convict has other ideas.
The Song of the Shirt is a drama short film which revolves around a woman who is struggling with poverty and the declining health of a relative. Meanwhile, she also tries to find a job, hoping it can make her life better.
The Cullison family lives in a secluded villa away from the town. Some criminals send Robert Cullison a fake letter to take him away, and as they break-in, Mrs. Cullison and the children lock themselves inside. When his car breaks down midway, Robert telephones home and hearing his wife’s screams, he races home with police help. Will the rescue reach in time?
A king builds a windowless room for himself and his concubine. But when the concubine is unfaithful and takes another lover in the same room, the king calls for his masons. With the lovers still inside, the king orders the masons to quietly seal the only door to the room, suffocating the two lovers inside.
This silent drama film shows us the personal life of famous writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe. Although he was quite devoted to his sick wife, he was utterly helpless as he could not alleviate her suffering. Meanwhile, he is also inspired to write his greatest poem ‘The Raven’.
The Mender of Nets is a silent short romantic film which revolves around a young woman who works as a mender for fishermen’s nets. She is engaged and is looking forward to her marriage with her fiancé. But his former girlfriend is unwilling to let him go, and becomes an obstacle to their upcoming wedding.
A silent romantic drama set in London - it is a story about a love triangle. Two brothers fall in love with the same woman, a dance-hall girl.
This is a short drama film about two sisters being raised under a strict father, who forbids them to use makeup. While the elder one adheres to all his rules, the younger one happily ignores them. Without makeup, the older one is almost ostracized, feeling lonely until one young man starts paying special attention to her. But who is he?
Four survivors from an abandoned mining town, which includes a husband and a wife, the sister of the wife, and a younger woman, are trying to make it through the desert and reach civilization. The wife suspects that her husband and the younger woman might be having an affair. Things get worse when the husband dies all of a sudden, after which the women have no choice but to continue the journey on their own.
Home, Sweet Home is a drama film which tells the story of John Howard, who leaves home to pursue a career in theater. Although his mother and his girlfriend gives him encouragement, Payne begins to lead a dissolute life, leading him to ruin and depression. In deep despair he pens a song named ‘Home! Sweet Home!’!
Man’s Genesis is an adventure drama short film in which a grandfather tells his grandchildren the story of how prehistoric cavemen used to fight over women.
Ramona is a young girl growing up with her adoptive mother in a ranch. She eventually falls in love with Alessandro, an American Indian boy. Since she is denied permission to marry him, the two lovers have other no option but to elope. However, they are unaware of the fact that hardships and unhappiness await them ahead.
This silent short film revolves around a rich but hardhearted money lender who finds a terrifying way to learn about the limitations of money.
The Golden Louis is a short drama film which tells the story of a homeless girl, who receives a gold coin from someone while she is sleeping. A gambler borrows the coin from her and manages to win a fortune. However, problem arises when he wants to repay the girl for her help, but is unable to find her.
A wealthy man sees a feisty peasant girl, and infatuated with her, he proposes marriage. However, she refuses to get married. Despite this, her mother pushes her into the marriage against her will. She is unable to adjust to her new life, and becomes embarrassed. However, her husband’s nephew convinces her to run away with him.
Based on the well-known play by William Shakespeare, this short romantic comedy film shows us the story of Petruchio who is courting a bad-tempered woman named Katharina. He tries his best to change her aggressive and unruly behavior, but they soon find themselves in a battle of wits.
A train which is heading west across the great desert runs out of water. Things get worse as it is ambushed by the Red Indians.
In this short adventure film, a primitive tribe is shown to be attacked by apemen as well as menaced by several prehistoric monsters.
An old miser steals a purse which was dropped by a girl passing by. He finds several notes inside, and he goes to the bank, to get them exchanged for gold coins. However, a couple of thugs see this and think of this as a perfect opportunity to grab some money.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones seem to be having a dull evening, but things take a turn when the amateur dramatic club is announced.
An elderly actor who lives with his wife and daughter is dismissed from his acting job as they consider him too old now. On his way home, he finds himself in despair and is also confused how he should give his family the bad news.
A Drunkard's Reformation
The Hessian Renegades is a short war drama film which takes us to the time of the American Revolution. It revolves around a young soldier who has been tasked to carry an important message to General Washington. However, things get difficult after he is spotted by a group of enemy soldiers called Hessians.
A young and fickle girl breaks up with her boyfriend, because she thinks that he is cowardly. But things take a turn when she is soon kidnapped by a ruthless convict, who has just escaped. Now it is up to her ex-boyfriend to rescue her.
An old soldier who is a staunch patriot, brings up his children with rigid military training and conducts his household with strict discipline. When his oldest boy wishes to go out and meet his sweetheart, his father commands him to stay at home. In addition, he threatens the boy that if he leaves the house, he should leave for good. The boy decides to leave anyway.
Little Billy moves to another town, but on the way, he falls into the hands of two tramps. Things get worse when they kill someone during a robbery, and since Billy was a witness, they decide to kill him too.
After being inspired by the lives of great men, a young man decides to go to the big city, hoping to make a fortune. He is soon able to obtain employment, and within five years, he finds himself holding a good position in an organization, and earning a good salary. He decides to pay a visit to his parents, but due to his changed appearance, his parents don’t recognize him. Upon noticing his fat wallet, his parents decide to rob him.
Based on a play of the same name by Robert Browning, Pippa Passes is a short drama film which tells the story of a girl named Pippa, whose songs has a healing effect on those who hear it as she passes by. However, she is completely unaware of this fact.
After learning that her father’s estate is in danger, Princess Emanuella decides to save him by getting married to Duke Cathos de Alvia. However, Cathos is a hunchback, and she actually loves Leonardo, his attractive younger brother. Cathos eventually finds out about their affair, and he stabs both his wife and his brother to death.
Amalie works hard to fit in a superficial world. However, her life gets turned upside down after her rich father loses his fortune. She soon meets a street dancer, who is quite different, and helps her in becoming her true self.
In an upper-class household, a gentleman breaks curtain pole and sets out to procure a replacement. He buys a very long pole, but unable to manage, he keeps knocking and hitting people with it, creating chaos wherever he goes. Soon a mob of people is chasing him. Ducking the crowd, he reaches home only to find a replacement already in place.
Friends is a short silent romantic film which tells the story of two friends who are gold miners who get involved with a beautiful girl who lives above their mining camp.
George Forrester works at a Pigeon farm, but his daughter feels quite lonely when he leaves for work. He eventually brings his daughter to the farm, and although he meets an old sweetheart and rekindles with her, he lets her go because he can’t support a wife and a daughter at the same time. Although his daughter tells George that she will never leave him, years later, she decides to leave her father eventually after falling for a young man.
What the Daisy Said is a romantic short film which tells the story of two sisters who want to know if they will ever find true love. One starts pulling the petals off a flower, while the other visits a gypsy fortune teller. However, complications arise because the gypsy tells the fortune so as to serve his own purpose.
An unemployed maid finds work at a farm. She soon meets a guy, and falls in love. However, things don’t go as expected, as it seems that he owes a huge debt. Unless she can help him pay off his debts, they will not be able to get married.
A contest is being held in Cremona for the best violin. Things get complicated for Filippo, because the winner is promised the hand of Giannina, the town’s beauty, and Fillipo is already in love with her. However, since he is a cripple, he decides to help another apprentice named Sandro instead by giving him his violin, which is much superior.
A telephone operator hears a robbery being committed in a jewelry store over the phone, and she tries her best to prevent it. She is eventually forced to go in search for help.
A carpenter’s family faces a lot of struggles, when he gets addicted to drinking. They try to convince him to quit, but he becomes more and more abusive.
Mr Simonson is a money-lender who is known for his benevolent nature. His acts of kindness has endeared him to several people who know him. When the local matchmaker appears with Jacob Rubenstein, a wealthy suitor for his daughter, he is quite overjoyed. However, it seems that his daughter Ruth is in love with another man named Sol Bimberg, a bookseller with humble origins. Mr Simonson is not willing to accept Sol at any cost, and eventually Ruth is forced to choose between her father and her lover.
At an Italian boarding house, many of the men are smitten by the charms of Minnie, the landlady’s pretty daughter. One of the men Grigo falls for her madly, but when his advances are rejected, he gets bitter with hatred and vows revenge. Eventually, her marriage is fixed with a man named Giuseppe and when the day of the wedding arrives, Grigo sets up a device that would kill her at the altar.
Betrayed by a Handprint is a short crime film which revolves around Mrs. Wharton, who decides to give a party in her villa, after being presented a diamond necklace by her fiance. During the bridge game, where many of the guests take part, one of the guests Miss Vane decides to test her luck, although Mrs. Wharton advises her against doing so. Things get ugly when Miss Vane stakes everything and loses her fortune.
Baked at the Alter is a comedy short film which tells the story of a lovelorn maiden named Artemisia Sophia who wishes to have a husband. She tries a lot of ways but without any success. Eventually, she comes up with a foolproof plan.
During the French Revolution, a wealthy couple’s republican beliefs save them from the insurrectionists. An aristocrat bursts into their home, after a chateau is attacked nearby. They disguise him as a servant, in order to save his life. However, shortly after, he starts showing questionable advances towards the wife. The husband however manages to intervene. To teach him a lesson, he decides to strip his disguise and thrust him outdoors to allow him to be killed by the mob.
A music teacher finds himself attracted to one of his students named Helen, but she rejects his advances. Angered at this, he eventually ends up joining a communist group that is planning on blowing up the house of a rich capitalist. However, things take a turn when he finds out that it is Helen’s house.
Father Gets in the Game is a short comedy film which tells the story of an elderly gentleman who gets stopped by his family, when he wishes to go out. Therefore, he decides to get a make-over, but things don't go as expected.
Joe and Sam are two miners who have been friends for a long time. However, when a woman enters their lives, they begin quarreling against one another over her. Eventually, one of them is about to murder the other during his sleep, but things take a turn when the woman introduces her fiancé, a man from the city, who seems to be quite weaker compared to Joe and Sam.
The Gibson Goddess is a short comedy film which revolves around a beautiful woman at a seaside resort, who devises a plan since her admirers won’t leave her alone. She puts on a leg-revealing swimsuit, but stuffs her stockings with cotton to make her limbs appear misshapen.
The Politician’s Love Story is a romantic comedy short film which revolves around a politician named Tim Crogan, who is enraged after seeing satirical cartoons of himself in a newspaper. He rushes to the newspaper’s office with a gun in hand, in order to shoot the cartoonist. However, upon seeing that the cartoonist is actually a pretty woman, he finds himself instantly drawn to her.
Cupid sets out to search for potential lovers to unite, after he is scolded for falling asleep on the job. As he flies over a city, he finds a ballroom dance, where he is finally able to find a likely couple. However, it seems that it won’t be as easy to unite them as he expects.
George Peabody, a young drunkard, decides to change his ways after learning that the pretty Ruth King has always loved him since their childhood days. He vows to quit drinking, and decides to cut off from his loose companions. He also decides to change his life by going out to the West, and making a fortune. Before leaving, Ruth gives him one half of her locket as remembrance.
When a thug tries to attack a girl, she is rescued by a man. Therefore, in order to avenge this, the thug brings two of his friends and attacks the girl and the man, while they are on a walk. They eventually manage to kidnap the man. Now, the girl tries to find help to save the man who had rescued her.
A young couple is having a good time at the woman’s home, when her father discovers it and chases the young man out of the house. Therefore, they decide to run away, but when a thief knows about their plan, he decides to use the situation to his advantage.
Judge Mowbray passes sentence on a man, but a woman from the audience protests, after which she is removed physically from the courtroom. The judge returns home later, but the woman decides to keep an eye on him, looking for the perfect change for her cruel revenge.
The Little Darling is a short comedy film which tells the story of a group of young bachelors, who live in a boarding house, run by Lillie. When a friend writes to inform that she is sending her little daughter to pay a visit, all the bachelors buy toys for a little girl. However, they are surprised when they see an attractive young woman get down from the train.
