The year 1915 in film involved some significant events. __TOC__

Events

* February 1:

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

founded * February 8: D.W Griffith's ''

The Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'', originally called ''The Clansman'', is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play ''The Clan ...

'' premieres at Clune's Auditorium Los Angeles and breaks both box office and film length records (running at a total length of over three hours). * February:

Metro Pictures Metro Pictures Corporation was a motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at leased f ...

, a forerunner of

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

, is founded * February 22: The

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, wa ...

directed film ''

David Harum ''David Harum; A Story of American Life'' is a best-selling novel of 1898 by Edward Noyes Westcott, whose principal legacy is the colloquial use of the term ''horse trading''. Literary significance and criticism Written by retired Syracuse, N ...

'' is released. The film is the first in long line of a successful romantic onscreen pairings of actors

May Allison May Allison (June 14, 1890 – March 27, 1989) was an American actress whose greatest success was achieved in the early part of the 20th century in silent films, although she also appeared on stage. Life and career Allison was born in Rising ...

and Harold Lockwood. * March 15:

Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. About 70% of the studio lies within the unincorporated county island known as Universal City while the rest lies w ...

opens (

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

). * June 18: The

Motion Picture Directors Association The Motion Picture Directors Association (MPDA) was an American non-profit fraternal organization formed by 26 film directors on June 18, 1915, in Los Angeles, California. The organization selected a headquarters to be built there in 1921. Its ar ...

(MPDA) is formed by twenty-six film directors in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. * July:

Triangle Film Corporation Triangle Film Corporation (also known as Triangle Motion Picture Company) was a major American motion-picture studio, founded in July 1915 in Culver City, California and terminated 7 years later in 1922. History The studio was founded in July 1 ...

is founded in

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...

and attracts filmmakers

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 ...

, Thomas H. Ince and

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...

* September 11: A nitrate fire at

Famous Players Famous Players Limited Partnership, DBA Famous Players, is a Canadian-based subsidiary of Cineplex Entertainment. As an independent company, it existed as a film exhibitor and cable television service provider. Famous Players operated numerous m ...

in New York destroys several completed but unreleased silent films which are later remade. Films lost include

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 ...

's '' Esmerelda'' and '' The Foundling'' and

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 ...

's ''

The Red Widow ''The Red Widow'' is a lost 1916 American silent romantic comedy film directed by James Durkin, produced by Famous Players-Lasky, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was based on a 1911 Broadway musical play ''The Red Widow'' by Cha ...

''. * October 1: A US court rules in ''

United States v. Motion Picture Patents Co. ''United States v. Motion Picture Patents Co. '', 225 F. 800 (E.D. Pa. 1915), was a civil antitrust prosecution overlapping to some extent with the issues in the decision in the Supreme Court's ''Motion Picture Patents'' case. After the trial cour ...

'' that the

Motion Picture Patents Company The Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC, also known as the Edison Trust), founded in December 1908 and terminated seven years later in 1915 after conflicts within the industry, was a trust of all the major US film companies and local foreign-bra ...

trust is monopolistic and orders it to be dissolved. * November 18: Release of ''

Inspiration Inspiration, inspire, or inspired often refers to: * Artistic inspiration, sudden creativity in artistic production * Biblical inspiration, the doctrine in Judeo-Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible * Creative inspirat ...

'', the first mainstream movie in which a leading actress (

Audrey Munson Audrey Marie Munson (June 8, 1891 – February 20, 1996) was an American artist's model and film actress, considered to be "America's first supermodel." In her time, she was variously known as "Miss Manhattan", the "Panama–Pacific Girl", the ...

) appears

nude Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...

. * December 13:

Sessue Hayakawa , known professionally as , was a Japanese actor and a matinée idol. He was a popular star in Hollywood during the silent film era of the 1910s and early 1920s. Hayakawa was the first actor of Asian descent to achieve stardom as a leading ma ...

becomes the first Asian actor to become a star in the US after his performance in '' The Cheat''. * The Duplex Corporation creates a Split Duplex, an early

widescreen Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratio (image), aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ...

film format where the film image is rotated 90 degrees and occupies half of a conventional frame. * The Kinematograph Renters’ Society of Great Britain and Ireland was formed to represent film distribution companies

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

Notable films released in 1915

All following films are American, except where stated. *''Adachihara Ubagaike Yurei'' (Japanese), starring Matsunosuke Onoe, produced in Japan by Nikkatsu *''Agony of Fear'', directed by Giles Warren *''

Are You a Mason? Are You a Mason? is a farce in 3 acts by Leo Ditrichstein, who in turn adapted it from a German play, ''Die Logenbrüder'' (''The Freemason''), by Curt Kraatz and Carl Laufs. The play was performed at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1901.''The Prince of ...

'', directed by

Thomas N. Heffron Thomas N. Heffron (June 13, 1872 – May 24, 1951) was a screenwriter, actor, and a director. He was born in Nevada, He worked as an attorney and danced in vaudeville before he began his career in film with Thanhousr in 1911, eventually landing ...

, starring

*''The Arrow Maiden'', directed by Francis Powers *'' Assunta Spina'', starring

Francesca Bertini Francesca Bertini (born Elena Seracini Vitiello; 5 January 1892 – 13 October 1985) was an Italian silent film actress. She was one of the most successful silent film stars in the first quarter of the twentieth-century. Biography Born in Pr ...

– (

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

) *''The Avenging Hand'' (British) aka ''The Wraith of the Tomb'', directed by Charles Calvert, written by William J. Elliott *''

Barnaby Rudge ''Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty'' (commonly known as ''Barnaby Rudge'') is a historical novel by British novelist Charles Dickens. ''Barnaby Rudge'' was one of two novels (the other was ''The Old Curiosity Shop'') that Dickens publ ...

'', directed by

Thomas Bentley Thomas Bentley (23 February 1884 – 23 December 1966) was a British film director. He directed 68 films between 1912 and 1941. He directed three films in the early DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, ''The Man in the Street'' (1926), ' ...

(

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

) *''

'', directed by

, starring

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

*''The Blood Seedling'', produced by William Selig, directed by (and starring) Tom Santschi *''The Bribe'', short film directed by Lucius Henderson for Universal, starring Charles Ogle *''Call From the Dead'', early zombie film directed by Clem Easton for Thanhouser Films *'' The Caprices of Kitty'', directed by

Phillips Smalley Wendell Phillips Smalley (August 7, 1865 – May 2, 1939) was an American silent film director and actor. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was the grandson of Wendell Phillips; he was the son of George Washburn Smalley, a war corres ...

, starring

Elsie Janis Elsie Janis (born Elsie Bierbower, March 16, 1889 – February 26, 1956) was an American actress of stage and screen, singer, songwriter, screenwriter and radio announcer. Entertaining the troops during World War I immortalized her as " the s ...

*''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the ...

'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring

Geraldine Farrar Alice Geraldine Farrar (February 28, 1882 – March 11, 1967) was an American lyric soprano who could also sing dramatic roles. She was noted for her beauty, acting ability, and "the intimate timbre of her voice." She had a large following a ...

*''

'', directed by

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He wa ...

, starring

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

*''The Case of Becky'', directed by Frank Reicher, starring Blanche Sweet *''The Castle of Thornfield'' (Italian) adapted from the novel ''Jane Eyre'' by Charlotte Bronte *'' The Champion'', starring

Charles 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 consid ...

and Edna Purviance *'' The Cheat'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring

Fannie Ward Fannie Ward (born Fannie Buchanan; February 22, 1872 – January 27, 1952), also credited as Fanny Ward, was an American actress of stage and screen. Known for performing in both comedic and dramatic roles, she was cast in '' The Cheat'', a sexu ...

and

*''The Cheval Mystery'', directed by (and starring) Harry Myers for Victor Films *''The Chronicles of Bloom Center'', short comedy directed by Marshall Neilan *''The Circular Staircase'', directed by Edward J. LeSaint for Selig Films, based on the novel by Mary Roberts Rinehart, starring Eugenie Besserer and Stella Razeto *''

The Crazy Clock Maker ''The Crazy Clock Maker'' is a 1915 American silent comedy film starring Billy Bowers and featuring Oliver Hardy in a supporting role. Cast * Billy Bowers * Myra Brooks * Ray Ford * Clay Grant * Oliver Hardy (as Babe Hardy) * Betty Holto ...

'', comedy starring Oliver Hardy *''A Cry in the Night'' (British) a science fiction film about a winged gorilla created by a mad scientist, directed by Ernest G. Batley *''Destiny's Skein'', directed and scripted by George Terwilliger, about a murderer with a split personality *''The Devil'' (aka ''Satan's Pawn''), based on the play by Ferenc Molnar, this film was produced and co-directed by Thomas H. Ince, starring Arthur Maude and Bessie Barriscale *''The Devil to Pay'' (British) short film directed by Edwin J. Collins, with a story similar to ''Faust'' *''The Devil's Profession'' (British) written and directed by F.C.S. Tudor, foreshadowing Val Lewton's ''Bedlam'' (1946) *'' Double Trouble'', starring

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

*''A Drama of the Castle, or Do the Dead Return?'' (French) 6-minute film written and directed by

Abel Gance Abel Gance (; born Abel Eugène Alexandre Péréthon; 25 October 188910 November 1981) was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. A pioneer in the theory and practice of montage, he is best known for three major silent films: ''J ...

*''The Dream Dance'', directed by Leon D. Kent for Lubin Films, starring Lee Shumway *''The Duel in the Dark'', starring Arthur Bauer and Carey L. Hastings, features an evil hypnotist *''The Dust of Egypt'', mummy film directed by George D. Baker, starring Antonio Moreno and Edith Storey *''

Enoch Arden ''Enoch Arden'' is a narrative poem published in 1864 by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, during his tenure as England's poet laureate. The story on which it was based was provided to Tennyson by Thomas Woolner. The poem lent its name to a principle in ...

'', starring

*''The Eleventh Dimension'', science fiction film produced and written by Raymond L. Schrock, directed by Clem Easton *'' Fatty's Spooning Days'', starring

Fatty Arbuckle Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked w ...

Mabel Normand Amabel Ethelreid Normand (November 9, 1893 – February 23, 1930), better known as Mabel Normand, was an American silent film actress, screenwriter, director, and producer. She was a popular star and collaborator of Mack Sennett in their ...

, and

The Keystone Cops The Keystone Cops (often spelled "Keystone Kops") are fictional, humorously incompetent policemen featured in silent film slapstick comedies produced by Mack Sennett for his Keystone Film Company between 1912 and 1917. History The idea for th ...

*''Faust'', directed by Edward Sloman who also stars in the film *''

Filibus ''Filibus'' is a 1915 Italian silent adventure film directed by Mario Roncoroni and written by the future science fiction author Giovanni Bertinetti. It features Valeria Creti as the title character, a mysterious sky pirate who makes daring hei ...

'' – (

) *'' A Fool There Was'', starring

*'' Four Feathers'' *''The Fox Woman'', directed by Lloyd Ingraham, starring Seena Owen and Elmer Clifton *''

A Gentleman of Leisure ''A Gentleman of Leisure'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse. The basic plot first appeared in a novella, ''The Gem Collector'', in the December 1909 issue of ''Ainslee's Magazine''. It was substantially revised and expanded for publication as a ...

'', directed by

George Melford George H. Melford (born George Henry Knauff, February 19, 1877 – April 25, 1961) was an American stage and film actor and director. Often taken for granted as a director today, the stalwart Melford's name by the 1920s was, like Cecil B. DeMil ...

, starring

Wallace Eddinger Wallace Eddinger (July 14, 1881/1883 – January 8, 1929) was an American stage actor. He started as a child actor, known as Wally Eddinger. As a child he played Cedric in ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' which starred female child sensation Elsie Le ...

*''The Ghost Fakirs'', a "Heinie and Louie" comedy short involving a haunted house *''The Ghost of Twisted Oaks'', voodoo film directed by Sidney Olcott for Lubin Films, starring Olcott's wife Valentine Grant *''

The Golden Chance ''The Golden Chance'' is a 1915 American drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. A print of the film survives at George Eastman House. DeMille remade the film in 1921 as ''Forbidden Fruit''. Cast * Cleo Ridgely as Mary Denby * Wallace Reid as ...

'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring

Cleo Ridgely Cleo Ridgely-Horne (born Freda Cleo Helwig, May 12, 1893 – August 18, 1962) was a star of silent and sound motion pictures. Her career began early in the silent film era, in 1911, and continued for forty years. She retired in the 1930s bu ...

and

Wallace Reid William Wallace Halleck Reid (April 15, 1891 – January 18, 1923) was an American actor in silent film, referred to as "the screen's most perfect lover". He also had a brief career as a racing driver. Early life Reid was born in St. Louis, M ...

*'' The Golem'', aka ''Der Golem und Wie auf de Welt Kam'' (German/ Deutsche-Bioscop), directed by Paul Wegener and

Henrik Galeen Henrik Galeen (7 January 1881 – 30 July 1949) was an Austrian-born actor, screenwriter and film director considered an influential figure in the development of German Expressionist cinema during the silent era. Early years Considerable mystery ...

, starring Paul Wegener and Lyda Salmonova (

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 ...

) *''The Gray Horror'', a haunted house film directed by Joseph W. Smiley, who also starred in it *''The Greater Will'', directed by Harley Knowles, starring Montagu Love, Cyril Maude and Lois Meredith *''The Hand of the Skeleton'', French special effects film directed by Danish director George Schneevoight *''The Haunting of Silas P. Gould'' (British) directed by Elwin Neame, starring (his wife) Ivy Close *''Haunting Winds'', directed by Carl M. Leviness for Universal, starring Frank MacQuarrie and Sydney Ayres *''His Egyptian Affinity'', reincarnated mummy film directed by Al Christie for Nestor Films, starring Victoria Ford *''His Phantom Sweetheart'', short horror/comedy produced and directed by Ralph W. Ince; the writer Earle Williams was also the star *''Horrible Hyde'', a 5-minute comedy version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", directed by and starring Howell Hansel, filmed in Florida *''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' Parts 3 and 4 (German film) directed by

Richard Oswald Richard Oswald (5 November 1880 – 11 September 1963) was an Austrian film director, producer, screenwriter, and father of German-American film director Gerd Oswald. Early career Richard Oswald, born in Vienna as Richard W. Ornstein, began ...

, starring

Alwin Neuss Alwin is a German and Dutch form of Alvin and may refer to: * Alwin-Broder Albrecht (1903–1945), German naval officer, one of Adolf Hitler's adjutants during World War II *Alwin Berger (1871–1931), German botanist and contributor to the nomenc ...

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

; Part 3 was called "The Uncanny Room" and Part 4 was "Legend of the Hound"(see 1914 for first two parts) *''The Hound of the Baskervilles: The Dark Castle'' (German) Vitascope made their own conclusion to their earlier 1914 two-parter with this entry, directed by Willy Zeyn, starring Eugen Burg as Sherlock Holmes *''The House of a Thousand Candles'', haunted house film based on the novel by Meredith Nicholson, directed by Thomas N. Heffron, starring Harry Mestayer and Edgar Nelson *''The House With Nobody In It'', a haunted house film based on the poem by Joyce Kilmer as well as a story by Clarence J. Harris; directed by Richard Garrick *'' The Immigrant'' *''The Inner Brute'', starring Warren Waite, Warda Howard and John Lorenz *''An Innocent Sinner'', directed by Kenean Buel, starring Katherine LaSalle and Guy Coombs *''

'' *'' The Italian'' *''Jane Eyre'', based on the novel by Charlotte Bronte, directed by Travers Vale, starring Franklyn Ritchie, Louise Vale and Gretchen Hartman *''The Japanese Mask'', an obscure French/U.S. co-production made by Pathe/Aetna Films *'' The Lamb'', starring

*''Legend of the Lone Tree'', a "weird western" film directed by Ulysses Davis for Vitagraph, starring Myrtle Gnzalez and Alfred Vosburgh *'' Life Without Soul'', first full-length adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel ''Frankenstein'' (running 70 minutes); directed by Joseph W. Smiley, starring William A. Cohill as the scientist; the film was somewhat re-edited and re-released in 1916 also *''The Live Mummy'' (British) a 13-minute comedy short *''London's Yellow Peril'' (British) directed by Maurice Elvey, written by Eliot Stannard; Elvey later went on to make a series of silent Fu Manchu movies *''Lord John in New York'', first in a Universal Pictures series of five silent detective films, starring William Garwood as Lord John, directed by Edward LeSaint *''

Madame Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lut ...

'', directed by

Sidney Olcott Sidney Olcott (born John Sidney Allcott, September 20, 1872 – December 16, 1949) was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. Biography Born John Sidney Allcott in Toronto, he became one of the first great direc ...

, starring

*''The Magic Skin'', directed by Richard Ridgely for Thomas Edison's film company; this was the third film adaptation of Honore de Balzac's novel ''Le Peau de Chagrin'' *''The Man Who Couldn't Beat God'', directed by Maurice Costello and Robert Gaillard, both of whom starred also *'' The Man Who Stayed at Home'' – ( GB) *''

Martyrs of the Alamo ''Martyrs of the Alamo'' (also known as ''The Birth of Texas'') is a 1915 American historical war drama film written and directed by Christy Cabanne. The film is based on the historical novel of the same name by Theodosia Harris, and features a ...

'' *''The Mesmerist'' (British) directed by Percy Nash, starring Douglas Payne *''Miss Jekyll and Madame Hyde'', directed by Charles L. Gaskill and starring Helen Gardner; strangely this was more of an adaptation of ''Faust'' than the novel ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' *''The Missing Mummy'', silent comedy directed by William Beaudine, starring Bud Duncan and Charles Inslee *''The Monkey's Paw'' (British) this first film adaptation of the 1902 novel seems to have been based more on the 1907 play instead of the novel; directed by Sidney Northcote, starring John Lawson (who also starred in the play) *''The Moonstone'', directed by Frank Hall Crane, starring Eugene O'Brien and Elaine Hammerstein, based on the 1868 novel by

Wilkie Collins William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist and playwright known especially for '' The Woman in White'' (1859), a mystery novel and early "sensation novel", and for '' The Moonstone'' (1868), which has b ...

; this was the best known of the silent film versions *''Mortmain'', directed by Theodore Marston for Vitagraph, starring Robert Edeson; this surgical horror film's plot eerily foreshadowed that of the later Conrad Veidt film ''The Hands of Orlac'' (1924). * ''Peer Gynt'', directed by Raoul Walsh and Oscar Apfel *''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' (Russian) - third film adaptation of the 1890 Oscar Wilde novel, wherein Dorian Gray is oddly played by a female actress (Varvara Yanova); directed by Vsevolod Meyerhold and Mikhail Doronin (both of whom also co-starred in the film) *''The Picture of Dorian Gray'', directed by Eugene Moore for Thanhouser Films (U.S.), starring Harris Gordon (as Dorian) and Helen Fulton; this was the fourth film adaptation of the Oscar Wilde novel *''The Portrait'' (Russian) 8-minute fantasy film written and directed by Wladyslaw Starewicz, who later went on to direct ''The Viy'' that same year * ''

The Prisoner of Zenda ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in orde ...

'', starring

Henry Ainley Henry Hinchliffe Ainley (21 August 1879 – 31 October 1945) was an English actor. Life and career Early years Ainley was born in Morley, near Leeds, on 21 August 1879, the only son and eldest child of Richard Ainley (1851–1919), a textile ...

and Gerald Ames ( GB) *''

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myst ...

'', directed by Charles Brabin, starring Henry B. Walthall and Wanda Howard, this was the third biopic to cover the life story of

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

*'' Regeneration'', directed by

, starring

Rockliffe Fellowes Rockliffe St. Patrick Fellowes (17 March 1884 – 28 January 1950),''Who Was Who on Screen'' c.1977 by Evelyn Mack Truitt..Retrieved 22 June 2018 was a Canadian actor born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He starred in films such as '' Regenerat ...

and

Anna Q. Nilsson Anna Quirentia Nilsson (March 30, 1888 – February 11, 1974) was a Swedish-American actress who achieved success in American silent movies. Early life Nilsson was born in Ystad, Sweden in 1888. Her middle name Quirentia is derived from her ...

*''The Return of Maurice Donnelly'', directed by William Humphrey, starring Leo Delaney and Anders Randolph, conceived as a social fable against capital punishment *''The Return of Richard Neal'', mesmerism film directed by Edward T. Lowe Jr., starring Francis X. Bushman, Neil Craig and Ernest Maupin *''Sagebrush Tom'', starring

Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...

*''Satanic Rhapsody'' (Italian) directed by Nino Oxilia (who died in WWI), starring Lyda Borelli and Ugo Bazzini as Mephistopheles; film featured some tinted and hand-stenciled color scenes *''The Scorpion's Sting'' (British) aka ''The Devil's Bondman'', directed by Percy Nash, starring George Bellamy *''The Secret Room'', directed by Tom Moore for Kalem Films (he also starred in the film) *'' The Senator'', directed by Joseph A. Golden *''Shunen no hebi'' (translation: ''The Vengeful Snake'') Japanese film directed by Uichiro Tamura *''The Silent Command'', directed by Robert Z. Leonard for Universal, starring Leonard and Ella Hall *''

The Soul of Broadway ''The Soul of Broadway'' is a 1915 American silent crime drama film produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation and directed by Herbert Brenon. Popular vaudeville performer Valeska Suratt starred in the film which was also her silent ...

'' *''The Soul of Phyra'', directed by Charles Swickard, starring Enid Markey *''The Spectre of the Vault'' (Italian) haunted tomb film directed by Ubaldo Maria Del Colle *''The Strange Unknown'', directed by Wilbe Melville, starring Helen Eddy and Dorothy Barrett; plot was influenced by ''Jane Eyre'' and ''The Woman in White'' *''The Three Wishes'', (French) obscure 8-minute fantasy film similar to ''The Monkey's Paw'' *''Togakushi-yama no kijo'' (Japanese) short ghost film directed by Shozo Makino for Nikkatsu Films, starring Matsunosuke Onoe *''

The Tramp The Tramp (''Charlot'' in several languages), also known as the Little Tramp, was English actor Charlie Chaplin's most memorable on-screen character and an icon in world cinema during the era of silent film. '' The Tramp'' is also the title ...

'', directed by and starring

*'' Le traquenard'', starring Irène Bordoni – (

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

) *''Trilby'', directed by Maurice Tourneur, starring Clara Kimball Young as Trilby and Wilton Lackaye as Svengali; the film was slightly edited and re-released in 1917 and again in 1920Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 164. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *'' The Two Orphans'', starring

*''The Unfaithful Wife'', directed by J. Gordon Edwards, starring Genevieve Hamper and Warner Oland in one of his earliest roles *''The Vivisectionist'', directed by James W. Horne, starring Marin Sais and William H. West *''The Warning'' (aka ''The Eternal Penalty''), directed by Edmund Lawrence starring Henry Kolker; this moral diatribe against alcohol abuse involves a dream trip to Hell *''

The Wheels of Justice ''The Wheels of Justice'' is a 1915 American silent film written by Edward J. Montagne, directed by Theodore Marston, and starring Dorothy Kelly, James Morrison and Louise Beaudet. It premiered in February 1915, before its wide release in Au ...

'', directed by

Theodore Marston Theodore Marston (August 10, 1868 in Minnesota – October 2, 1920 in Los Angeles, California, United States) was an American silent film director and writer during the early silent period. He directed films including '' Aurora Floyd'' in 19 ...

*''When the Spirits Moved'', directed by Al Christie for Universal Pictures, starring Lee Moran and Eddie Lyons *''Which is Witch?'' (British) 6-minute short directed by Edwin J. Collins *''A Witch of Salem Town'', directed by Lucius Henderson, starring Mary Fuller and Curtis Benton *''

Work Work may refer to: * Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community ** Manual labour, physical work done by humans ** House work, housework, or homemaking ** Working animal, an animal t ...

'', directed by & starring

*''The Wraith of Haddon Towers'', directed by Arthur Maude, starring Constance Crawley and Arthur Maude *''Yurei Yashiki'' (Japanese) translation ''The Haunted House'', directed by Kyomatsu Hosomaya for Nikksatsu

Short film series

*''

Broncho Billy Anderson Gilbert M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson (born Maxwell Henry Aronson; March 21, 1880 – January 20, 1971) was an American actor, writer, film director, and film producer, who was the first star of the Western film genre. He was a founder and star ...

'' (1910–1916) *''

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 ...

'' (1913–1921) *''

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 ...

'' (1914–1923)

Births

*January 1 –

Maxine Doyle Maxine Doyle (January 1, 1915 — May 7, 1973) was an American film actress who appeared in almost 40 films between 1933 and 1946. Today's audiences may know Maxine Doyle from her appearance in the Leon Errol musical short '' Service with a Smi ...

, actress (died

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

) *January 9 **

Anita Louise Anita Louise (born Anita Louise Fremault; January 9, 1915 – April 25, 1970) was an American film and television actress best known for her performances in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1935), ''The Story of Louis Pasteur'' (1935), ''Anthony ...

, actress (died

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). Between 10,000 and ...

) **

Fernando Lamas Fernando Álvaro Lamas y de Santos (January 9, 1915 – October 8, 1982) was an Argentine-American actor and director, and the father of actor Lorenzo Lamas. Biography Argentina Fernando Álvaro Lamas y de Santos was born in Buenos Aires, Ar ...

, actor (died

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...

) *January 11 – Veda Ann Borg, actress (died

) *January 18 –

Catherine Craig Catherine Craig (born Catherine Jewel Feltus; January 18, 1915 – January 14, 2004), sometimes credited as Kay Craig, was an American actress. Early years Catherine Jewel Feltus was born in Bloomington, Indiana, where she was a member of Phi ...

, actress (died

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...

) *January 26 –

William Hopper William DeWolf Hopper Jr. (January 26, 1915 – March 6, 1970) was an American stage, film, and television actor. The only child of actor DeWolf Hopper and actress and Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper, he appeared in predominantly minor r ...

, actor; son of

Hedda Hopper Hedda Hopper (born Elda Furry; May 2, 1885February 1, 1966) was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, her readership was 35 million. A strong supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committ ...

(died 1970) *January 29 –

Bill Peet William Bartlett Peet ('' né'' Peed; January 29, 1915 – May 11, 2002) was an American children's book illustrator and a story writer and animator for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Peet joined Disney in 1937 and worked first on ''Snow W ...

, Disney author and illustrator (died

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

) *January 30 –

Dorothy Dell Dorothy Dell (born Dorothy Dell Goff; January 30, 1915 – June 8, 1934) was an American film actress. She died in an auto accident at the age of 19. Early life and career Born Dorothy Dell Goff in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to entertainers, ...

, actress (died

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...

) *February 7 –

Eddie Bracken Edward Vincent Bracken (February 7, 1915 – November 14, 2002) was an American actor. Bracken became a Hollywood comedy legend with lead performances in the films '' Hail the Conquering Hero'' and '' The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' both from ...

, actor (died

) *February 12 –

Lorne Greene Lorne Hyman Greene (born Lyon Himan Green; 12 February 1915 – 11 September 1987) was a Canadian actor, musician, singer and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western ''Bonanza'' and Commander Ad ...

, actor (died

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

) *February 18 –

Phyllis Calvert Phyllis Hannah Murray-Hill (née Bickle; 18 February 1915 – 8 October 2002), known professionally as Phyllis Calvert, was an English film, stage and television actress. She was one of the leading stars of the Gainsborough melodramas of the 1 ...

, actress (died

) *February 20 – Philip Friend, actor (died

) *February 21 –

Ann Sheridan Clara Lou "Ann" Sheridan (February 21, 1915 – January 21, 1967) was an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in the films ''San Quentin'' (1937) with Humphrey Bogart, ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938) with James Cagney ...

, actress (died

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

) *February 23 – Jon Hall, actor (died

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...

) *February 28 –

Zero Mostel Samuel Joel "Zero" Mostel (February 28, 1915 – September 8, 1977) was an American actor, comedian, and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of comic characters such as Tevye on stage in ''Fiddler on the Roof'', Pseudolus on stage and on ...

, actor (died

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...

) *March 2 –

Lona Andre Lona Andre (born Launa Anderson; March 2, 1915 – September 18, 1992) was an American film actress, golfer, and businesswoman. Biography Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Andre attracted attention with her first films in Hollywood and was named ...

, actress (died

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engin ...

) *March 17 –

Henry Bumstead Lloyd Henry "Bummy" Bumstead (March 17, 1915 – May 24, 2006) was an American cinematic art director and production designer. In a career that spanned nearly 70 years, Bumstead began as a draftsman in RKO Pictures' art department and later ...

, art director (died

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...

) *March 19 –

Patricia Morison Eileen Patricia Augusta Fraser Morison (March 19, 1915 – May 20, 2018) was an American stage, television and film actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood and mezzo-soprano singer. She made her feature film debut in 1939 after several years on ...

, actress (died

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

) *April 10 –

Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...

, American actor (died

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

) *April 21 –

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

, actor (died

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...

) *May 5 **

Alice Faye Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as ''On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime B ...

, actress, (died

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

) **

Ben Wright (English actor) Benjamin Huntington Wright (5 May 1915 — 2 July 1989) was an English actor. He was best known for playing Herr Zeller in '' The Sound of Music''. He also played numerous roles in famous films and worked as voice actor, having roles in animate ...

, (died

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

) *May 6 –

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

, actor, director (died

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

) *May 8 – John Archer, American actor (died

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

) *May 15 – Bill Williams, actor, (died

) *May 19 –

Renée Asherson Dorothy Renée Ascherson (19 May 1915 – 30 October 2014), known professionally as Renée Asherson, was an English actress. Much of her theatrical career was spent in Shakespearean plays, appearing at such venues as the Old Vic, the Liverpoo ...

, actress, (died

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

) *May 31 –

Barbara Pepper Barbara Pepper (born Marion Pepper; May 31, 1915 – July 18, 1969) was an American stage, television, radio, and film actress. She is best known as the first Doris Ziffel on the sitcom '' Green Acres''. Early life and career Marion Pepper ...

, actress, (died

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

) *June 1 -

John Randolph (actor) Emanuel Hirsch Cohen (June 1, 1915 – February 24, 2004), better known by the stage name John Randolph, was an American film, television and stage actor. Early life Randolph was born Emanuel Hirsch Cohen in New York City on June 1, 1915, the son ...

, American actor (died

) *June 12 –

Priscilla Lane Priscilla Lane (born Priscilla Mullican, June 12, 1915 – April 4, 1995) was an American actress, and the youngest sibling in the Lane Sisters of singers and actresses. She is best remembered for her roles in the films ''The Roaring Twenties'' ...

, singer, actress (died

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

) *June 16 -

Anthony Sharp Dennis Anthony John Sharp (16 June 1915 – 23 July 1984) was an English actor, writer and director. Stage career Anthony Sharp was a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and made his stage debut in February 1938 ...

, English actor (died

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

) *June 20 - Terence Young (director), Irish director and screenwriter (died

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...

) *July 18 –

Phyllis Brooks Phyllis Brooks (July 18, 1915 – August 1, 1995) was an American actress and model. She was born in Boise, Idaho. Some sources have also inaccurately cited 1914 as her year of birth, but 1915 is the correct year according to Social Security r ...

, American actress, model (died

) *August 2 –

Gary Merrill Gary Fred Merrill (August 2, 1915 – March 5, 1990) was an American film and television actor whose credits included more than 50 feature films, a half-dozen mostly short-lived TV series, and dozens of television guest appearances. He starr ...

, actor (died 1990) *August 11 –

Jean Parker Jean Parker (born Lois May Green; August 11, 1915 – November 30, 2005) was an American film and stage actress. A native of Montana, indigent during the Great Depression, she was adopted by a family in Pasadena, California at age ten. She ...

, American actress (died

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...

) *August 15 – Signe Hasso, (died 2002) *August 29 –

Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays.Obituary '' Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, she is ofte ...

, actress (died 1982) *September 5 – Jack Buetel, actor (died

) *September 10 –

Edmond O'Brien Eamon Joseph O'Brien (September 10, 1915 – May 9, 1985) was an American actor and film director. His career spanned almost 40 years, and he won one Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. O'Brien w ...

, actor (died 1985) *September 14 – Douglas Kennedy, actor (died

) *September 29 **

Brenda Marshall Brenda Marshall (born Ardis Ankerson; September 29, 1915Some question exists regarding the exact date of her birth. An article in the December 31, 1939, issue of the '' Salt Lake Tribune'' says that she was born November 29, 1915. – July 3 ...

, American actress (died

) **

Anne Nagel Anne Nagel (born Anna Marie Dolan; September 29, 1915 – July 6, 1966) was an American actress. She played in adventures, mysteries, and comedies for 25 years. She also appeared in television series in the 1950s. One book described her as "one ...

, American actress (died

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo ...

) *October 29 –

Evi Rauer Evi Rauer (29 October 1915 – 17 September 2004) was an Estonian stage, film and television actress and television director whose career spanned more than sixty years. Early life Evi Rauer was born in Tallinn to Kustav Rauer, who was an Estonia ...

, Estonian actress (died 2004) *December 7 –

Eli Wallach Eli Herschel Wallach (; December 7, 1915 – June 24, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. From his 1945 Broadway debut to his last film appearance, Wallach's entertainment career spanned 65 years. Origina ...

, actor (died 2014) *December 12 –

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

, singer, actor (died 1998) *December 13 –

Curd Jürgens Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens (13 December 191518 June 1982) was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens. He was well known for playing Ernst Udet in '' Des Teufels Gene ...

, actor (died 1982) *December 14 –

Dan Dailey Daniel James Dailey Jr. (December 14, 1915 – October 16, 1978) was an American dancer and actor. He is best remembered for a series of popular musicals he made at 20th Century Fox such as '' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947). Biography Early life D ...

, actor (died 1978) *December 17 –

Joan Woodbury Joan Elmer Woodbury (December 17, 1915 – February 22, 1989) was an American actress beginning in the 1930s and continuing well into the 1960s. Early life Woodbury was born in Los Angeles, California on December 17, 1915. Her father was Elmer ...

, actress (died 1989) *December 22 –

Barbara Billingsley Barbara Billingsley (born Barbara Lillian Combes; December 22, 1915 – October 16, 2010) was an American actress. She began her career with uncredited roles in ''Three Guys Named Mike'' (1951), '' The Bad and the Beautiful'' (1952), and '' Inv ...

, actress (died

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

) *December 29 –

Jo Van Fleet Catherine Josephine Van Fleet (December 29, 1915"The Bi ...

, actress (died

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...

)

Deaths

* January 10 – Marshall P. Wilder, 55, American diminutive stage and screen actor * April 26 –

John Bunny John Bunny (September 21, 1863 – April 26, 1915) was an American actor. Bunny began his career as a stage actor, but transitioned to a film career after joining Vitagraph Studios around 1910. At Vitagraph, Bunny made over 150 short films – ma ...

, 51, American silent film comedian, ''A Strand of Blond Hair'', ''Bunny's Little Brother'', ''Bunny Backslides'' * June 5 –

John C. Rice John C. Rice (April 7, 1857, Sullivan County, New York – June 5, 1915, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American born Broadway stage actor and vaudevillian who is credited with performing the first onscreen kiss with May Irwin in 1896 fo ...

, 58, stage and film actor, '' The Kiss'' * June 16 –

Elmer Booth William Elmer Booth (December 9, 1882 – June 16, 1915) was an American stage and film actor. He was born in Los Angeles, California and was the elder brother of Margaret Booth, a renowned film editor for Hollywood productions for nearly 70 year ...

, 32, American silent screen actor, brother of film editor

Margaret Booth Margaret Booth (January 16, 1898 – October 28, 2002) was an American film editor. Early life and career Born in Los Angeles, she started her Hollywood career as a "patcher", editing films by D. W. Griffith, around 1915. Her brother was actor ...

, ''

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 Narrow Road'', ''

An Unseen Enemy ''An Unseen Enemy'' is a 1912 Biograph Company short silent film directed by D. W. Griffith, and was the first film to be made starring the actresses Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish. A critic of the time stated that "the Gish sisters gave charming p ...

'' * October 31 –

Blanche Walsh Blanche Walsh (January 4, 1873 – October 31, 1915) was a highly regarded American stage actress who appeared in one film, '' Resurrection'' based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy and the first three reel treatment of any Tolstoy story. Biograph ...

, 42, American stage actress appeared in Zukor's 3 reel feature "Resurrection" 1912

Film debuts

Mary Boland Mary Boland (born Marie Anne Boland; January 28, 1882 – June 23, 1965) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Boland was the daughter of repertory actor William Augustus Boland, and his wife M ...

–

The Edge of the Abyss ''The Edge of the Abyss'' is a lost 1915 silent drama film directed by Walter Edwards and distributed by Triangle Film Corporation. It stars Mary Boland, then a stage comedic actress, in her film debut. Thomas H. Ince, one of the three key found ...

Alice Brady Alice Brady (born Mary Rose Brady; November 2, 1892 – October 28, 1939) was an American actress who began her career in the silent film era and survived the transition into talkies. She worked until six months before her death from cancer in ...

– The Boss *

Donald Brian Donald Brian (February 17, 1877 – December 22, 1948) was an actor, dancer and singer born in St. John's, Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada). In 1907, he starred in the hit operetta ''The Merry Widow''. Life and caree ...

–

The Voice in the Fog ''The Voice in the Fog'' is a lost 1915 silent film produced by Jesse Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. J. P. McGowan directed the film which is based on a novel by Harold McGrath. Stage actor Donald Brian makes his screen debut in the ...

* Marie Cahill – Judy Forgot *

Yakima Canutt Enos Edward "Yakima" Canutt (November 29, 1895 – May 24, 1986) was an American champion rodeo rider, actor, stuntman, and action director. He developed many stunts for films and the techniques and technology to protect stuntmen in performing t ...

– Foreman of Bar Z Ranch (uncredited) *

Laura Hope Crews Laura Hope Crews (December 12, 1879 – November 12, 1942) was an American actress who is best remembered today for her later work as a character actress in motion pictures of the 1930s. Her best-known film role was Aunt Pittypat in ''Gone ...

–

The Fighting Hope ''The Fighting Hope'' is a 1915 silent film drama directed by George Melford and starring Thomas Meighan and Laura Hope Crews, both in their film debuts. Jesse Lasky produced and Paramount Pictures released. Based on a 1908 play by William J. Hurl ...

* Reginald Denny –

Niobe In Greek mythology, Niobe (; grc-gre, Νιόβη ) was a daughter of Tantalus and of either Dione (mythology), Dione, the most frequently cited, or of Eurythemista or Euryanassa, the wife of Amphion and the sister of Pelops and Broteas. Her ...

Elliott Dexter Elliott Dexter (March 29, 1870 – June 21, 1941) was an American film and stage actor. Dexter started his career in vaudeville and did not move to films until he was 45. He retired from acting in 1925. Biography Dexter was born in Galves ...

–

Heléne of the North ''Heléne of the North'' is a lost 1915 silent film romantic drama directed by J. Searle Dawley and starring Marguerite Clark, Elliott Dexter and Conway Tearle. Adolph Zukor produced. Cast *Marguerite Clark - Heléne Dearing * Conway Tearle ...

Marie Doro Marie Doro (born Marie Katherine Stewart; May 25, 1882 – October 9, 1956) was an American stage and film actress of the early silent film era. She was first noticed as a chorus-girl by impresario Charles Frohman, who took her to Broadway, whe ...

– The Morals of Marcus *

– The Lamb *

–

W. C. Fields William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer. Fields's comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathet ...

–

Pool Sharks ''Pool Sharks'' (also sometimes known as ''The Pool Shark'') is a 1915 silent short film. The film is notable for being the film acting and writing debut of W. C. Fields and also features early instances of stop-motion animation during a game ...

Pauline Frederick Pauline Frederick (born Pauline Beatrice Libbey, August 12, 1883 – September 19, 1938) was an American stage and film actress. Early life Frederick was born Pauline Beatrice Libbey (later changed to Libby) in Boston in 1883 (some sources stat ...

– The Eternal City * John Gilbert – Aloha Oe (uncredited) *

Charlotte Greenwood Frances Charlotte Greenwood (June 25, 1890 – December 28, 1977) was an American actress and dancer. Born in Philadelphia, Greenwood started in vaudeville, and starred on Broadway, movies and radio. Standing almost six feet tall (some sour ...

–

Jane Jane may refer to: * Jane (given name), a feminine given name * Jane (surname), related to the given name Film and television * Jane (1915 film), ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd * Jane (2016 film), ''Jane'' (20 ...

Otto Kruger Otto Kruger (September 6, 1885 – September 6, 1974) was an American actor, originally a Broadway matinee idol, who established a niche as a charming villain in films, such as Hitchcock's ''Saboteur''. He also appeared in CBS's ''Perry Mason'' a ...

–

A Mother's Confession ''A Mother's Confession'' is a 1915 silent film written and directed by Ivan Abramson, and starring Christine Mayo and Austin Webb.(21 August 1915)A Mother's Confession ''The Moving Picture World'' Plot and background Typical of Ivan Abramson's ...

Edmund Lowe Edmund Dantes Lowe (March 3, 1890 – April 21, 1971) was an American actor. His formative experience began in vaudeville and silent film. Biography Lowe was born in San Jose, California. His father was a local judge. His childhood home was a ...

–

The Wild Olive ''The Wild Olive'' is a lost 1915 American drama silent film directed by Oscar Apfel and written by Elmer Blaney Harris, Basil King and Oliver Morosco. The film stars Myrtle Stedman, Forrest Stanley, Mary Ruby, Charles Marriott, Edmund Lowe and ...

Victor Moore Victor Fred Moore (February 24, 1876 – July 23, 1962) was an American actor of stage and screen, a major Broadway star from the late 1920s through the 1930s. He was also a writer and director, but is best remembered today as a comedian, play ...

– Snobs * Edna Purviance – A Night Out (short) (uncredited) *

Esther Ralston Esther Ralston (born Esther Louise Worth, September 17, 1902 – January 14, 1994) was an iconic American silent film star. Her most prominent sound picture was '' To the Last Man'' in 1933. Early life and career Ralston was born Esther Loui ...

– The Deep Purple (uncredited) *

Valeska Suratt Valeska Suratt (June 28, 1882 – July 2, 1962) was an American stage and silent film actress. Over the course of her career, Suratt appeared in 11 silent films, all of which are now lost, mainly due to the 1937 Fox vault fire. Early life and ...

–

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 ...

– actor, assistant director,

(uncredited); costume designer, wardrobe assistant,

Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to re ...

Charlotte Walker __NOTOC__ Charlotte Ganahl Walker (December 20, 1876March 23, 1958) was a Broadway theater actress. Early life Charlotte Ganahl Walker was born on December 20, 1876, in Galveston, Texas to Edwin A. Walker (1849–1889) and Charlisa (De ...

– Kindling *

–

The Marriage of Kitty ''The Marriage of Kitty'' is a lost 1915 American silent comedy film directed by George Melford. It was written by Francis de Croisset, Fred de Gresac, Cosmo Gordon Lennox and Hector Turnbull. The origin of the work was de Croisset, who wr ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1915 In Film Film by year