Sex in Chains (1928)

Sex in Chains (1928)

[7] William Dieterle (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Devil and Daniel Webster) directs and stars in this transgressive German silent film about a married couple who endure prolonged, maddening abstinence after the husband (Dieterle) is sentenced to three years in prison.…
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

[7] Near the end of the silent film era, Carl Theodor Dreyer (Vampyr) would deliver one of the medium's most powerful titles -- The Passion of Joan of Arc. Maria Falconetti stars as the nineteen-year-old French heroine who fought to rescue France…
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

[8] In this seminal silent classic, a doctor showcases a fortune-telling sleepwalker to a crowd of spectators. One man asks, "When will I die?" The sleepwalker says, "By dawn tomorrow." And then the doctor sets out to fulfill the premonition by ordering…
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

[7] Some of the most enduring films from silent cinema were directed by F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu). One of those classics is Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, about a man (George O'Brien) who is coerced by a lascivious city girl to kill…
Nosferatu (1922)

Nosferatu (1922)

[7] Of the handful of silent films that still have shelf life, Nosferatu is perhaps the most popular. It's the cornerstone of the entire horror genre, as well as the first time audiences ever saw a vampire on film. It's an adaptation…
The Broadway Melody (1929)

The Broadway Melody (1929)

[4] To give credit where credit is due, The Broadway Melody was the first sound film from MGM Studios, the second-ever Best Picture Oscar winner (the first with sound), and the first film in history to feature dance numbers filmed to pre-recorded…
The Cocoanuts (1929)

The Cocoanuts (1929)

[4] The Marx Brothers made their feature film debut with The Cocoanuts, a filmed version of their popular vaudeville act of the same name. The scenario is centered around a Florida hotel where the brothers try to swindle people in a real…
Wings (1927)

Wings (1927)

[8] Director William Wellman took a full year to shoot it and was nearly fired for his perfectionism, but the gamble paid off. Wings was a huge success at the box office and became the first ever Oscar-winning Best Picture. At two-and-a-half…
Metropolis (1927)

Metropolis (1927)

[10] Fritz Lang directed and Thea von Harbou scripted this grandfather of science-fiction films about violent class warfare in a futuristic city. The hero of Metropolis is Freder (Gustav Fröhlich), a privileged playboy who enjoys a life of luxury until a chance…
The General (1926)

The General (1926)

[9] Silent-screen star Buster Keaton plays a train engineer who gets rejected by the Confederate army because his job is too important to leave vacant. But he gets his chance to serve the South when Union soldiers steal his beloved locomotive, 'The…