The year 1916 in film involved some significant events. __TOC__

Events

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (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 considered o ...

signs for

Mutual Film Mutual Film Corporation was an early American film conglomerate that produced some of Charlie Chaplin's greatest comedies. Founded in 1912, it was absorbed by Film Booking Offices of America, which evolved into RKO Pictures. Founding Mutual ...

for a salary of $10,000 a week and a signing on fee of $150,000, making him one of the highest-paid people in the United States. * June 24 –

Mary Pickford Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...

signs a contract for $10,000 a week plus profit participation, guaranteeing her over $1 million per year. * July 19 – Famous Players–Lasky is formed through a merger of

Adolph Zukor Adolph Zukor (; ; January 7, 1873 – June 10, 1976) was a Hungarian-American film producer best known as one of the three founders of Paramount Pictures.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'' (June 16, 1976), p. 76. He produced one of Ameri ...

's Famous Players Film Company and Jesse L. Lasky's Feature Play Company. Later in the year, they acquire distributor

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

. * August 10 – The official British documentary propaganda film '' The Battle of the Somme'' is premièred in London. In the first six weeks of general release (from 20 August) 20 million people view it. * September 5 – Release of D. W. Griffith's epic film '' Intolerance: Love's Struggle Through the Ages'', starring

Lillian Gish Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893 – February 27, 1993) was an American actress best known for her work in movies of the silent era. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was dubbed the "F ...

(as "The Eternal Motherhood") and Constance Talmadge (in two roles), in the United States. It is estimated to have cost around $2.5 million to make but is initially a commercial failure. * October 17 – Release of '' A Daughter of the Gods'', the first US production with a million dollar budget, with the first nude scene by a major star ( Annette Kellerman). * November 19 – Samuel Goldfish (later renamed

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (; born Szmuel Gelbfisz; ; July 1879 (most likely; claimed to be August 27, 1882) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer and pioneer in the American film industry, who produce ...

) and

Edgar Selwyn Edgar Selwyn (October 20, 1875 – February 13, 1944) was an American actor, playwright, director and producer on Broadway. A prominent figure in American theatre and film in the first half of the 20th century, he founded a theatrical pr ...

establish

Goldwyn Pictures Goldwyn Pictures Corporation was an American motion picture production company that operated from 1916 to 1924 when it was merged with two other production companies to form the major studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was founded on November 19, ...

, later to become one of the most successful independent filmmakers. * The

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) (, rarely ), founded by Charles Francis Jenkins in 1916 as the Society of Motion Picture Engineers or SMPE, is a global professional association of engineers, technologists, and e ...

is founded in the United States as the Society of Motion Picture Engineers. * 11 mm, an amateur film gauge, appears on the market.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

The top six 1916 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Notable films released in 1916

*''

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' () is a science fiction adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne. It is considered a classic within its genres and world literature. It was originally serialised from March 1869 to June 1870 i ...

'', directed by Stuart Paton for Universal Pictures, starring Curtis Benton and Alan Holubar (as Capt. Nemo), based on the novel by

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

*''

The Adventures of Peg o' the Ring ''The Adventures of Peg o' the Ring'' is a 1916 American drama film serial directed by Francis Ford and Jacques Jaccard. It is now considered to be lost. Cast * Grace Cunard as Peg * Francis Ford as Dr. Lund, Junior * Mark Fenton as Dr. ...

'' Directed by Francis Ford *'' The Americano'' Directed by John Emerson *''Arima no neko sodo'' (Japanese) starring Matsunosuke Onoe, another film adaptation of the Japanese legend of the "Ghost Cat of Arima" *''Bake ginnan'' (Japanese) directed by Shozo Makino for Nikkatsu, starring Matsunosuke Onoe; a film adaptation of the Japanese legend of the "Monster Gingko Tree" *'' The Battle of the Somme'' – ( GB) *'' Behind the Screen'', directed by

, starring Chaplin and Edna Purviance *''The Black Crook'', directed by Robert Vignola, starring Edward P. Sullivan; based on a play by Charles M. Barras, this "Faust"-like film was one of the earliest film musicals with choreographed dance numbers *''The Bogus Ghost'', an 11-minute comedydirected by Harry F. Millarde for Kalem Films *''

La Bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...

'', by

Albert Capellani Albert Capellani (23 August 1874 – 26 September 1931) was a French film director and screenwriter of the silent film, silent era. He directed films between 1905 and 1922. One of his brothers was the actor-sculptor Paul Capellani, and anoth ...

*''

Cenere ''Cenere'' is a 1916 in film, 1916 silent film directed by and starring Febo Mari. It is adapted from the 1904 novel by the Nobel Prize-winning Sardinian writer Grazia Deledda. It is notable as the only film performance by the Italy, Italian thea ...

'', starring

Eleonora Duse Eleonora Giulia Amalia Duse ( , ; 3 October 185821 April 1924), often known simply as Duse, was an Italian actress, rated by many as the greatest of her time. She performed in many countries, notably in the plays of Gabriele D'Annunzio and Henr ...

(the only film in which she appears) – (

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

) *''

Civilization A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of state (polity), the state, social stratification, urban area, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyon ...

'', directed by

Reginald Barker Reginald C. Barker (April 2, 1886 – February 23, 1945) was a pioneer film director. Biography Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Barker's family moved to Scotland when he was an infant and then to the United States. Living in California, ...

and Thomas H. Ince, starring Howard C. Hickman and Enid Markey *'' The Count'', directed by

, starring Chaplin and Edna Purviance *''Crime and the Penalty'' (British) directed by R. Harley West, this film's plot was a cross between ''Murders in the Rue Morgue'' and ''Trilby'', featuring a gorilla trained to strange people *''The Crimson Stain Mystery'' (British) 16-chapter science-fiction serial directed by T. Hayes Hunter; a near-complete print exists in the Library of Congress *'' The Curse of Quon Gwon'' *'' The Danger Girl'', starring

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

and Bobby Vernon *'' A Daughter of the Gods'', a 3-hour long movie directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Annette Kellerman; this was the United States' first million-dollar film production *''The Dead Alive'', directed by Henry J. Vernot, starring Marguerite Courtot *''A Dead With the Devil'' (British) short Faustian film directed by Frank Wilson, produced by Cecil M. Hepworth *''The Devil's Bondwoman'', directed by Lloyd B. Carleton for Universal Pictures, starring Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson *''The Devil's Toy'', directed by Harley Knoles, based on an Edward Madden poem "The Mill of the Gods", starring Adele Blood and Montagu Love *'' Disraeli'', directed by Charles Calvert and Percy Nash – ( GB) *''Doktor Satansohn'' (German) directed by Edmund Edel, starring Ernst Lubitsch *'' East Is East'', starring

Florence Turner Florence Turner (January 6, 1885 – August 28, 1946) was an American actress who became known as the "Vitagraph Girl" in early silent films. Biography Born in New York City, Turner was pushed into appearing on the stage at age three by h ...

– ( GB) *''Farmer Al Falfa's Cat-Tastrophe'', animation produced by Paul Terry *'' The Fable of the Small Town Favorite Who Was Ruined by Too Much Competition'', comedy short silent film *'' Fatty and Mabel Adrift'', directed by and starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle *''Feathertop'', directed by Henry J. Vernot, starring Mathilde Baring, John Reinhard and Marguerite Courtot; loosely based on the story by

Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (né Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associat ...

*'' The Floorwalker'', directed by and starring

Charles Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (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 considered ...

*'' Frau Eva'', directed by

Robert Wiene Robert Wiene (; 27 April 1873 – 17 July 1938) was a German film director, screenwriter and Film producer, producer, active during the Silent film, silent era. He is widely-known for directing the landmark 1920 film ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari ...

and starring Emil Jannings (

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

) *''The Grasping Hand'' (French) 13-minute ghost film directed by Max Linder who also starred in it *''The Green-Eyed Monster'', directed by J. Gordon Edwards, starring Robert B. Mantell and Stuart Holmes *'' Habit of Happiness'', starring

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor and filmmaker best known for being the first actor to play the masked Vigilante Zorro and other swashbuckler film, swashbu ...

*''Haunted'', a haunted cabin film starring Lillian Leighton and Ralph McComas *''The Haunted Bell'', directed by Henry Otto, starring King Baggot, based on a short story by Jacques Futrelle *''Haunts for Rent'', directed by C. Allan Gilbert, this film featured mixed live action with animated effects *'' Hell's Hinges'', directed by

Charles Swickard Charles F. Swickard (March 21, 1861 – May 12, 1929) was a German-born American film actor, actor and film director of the silent era. He was the brother of the actor Josef Swickard.Katchmer p.366 Selected filmography Director * ''The Beckonin ...

and William S. Hart, starring William S. Hart *''Her Father's Gold'' (aka ''The Water Devil'') directed by Eugene Moore for Thanhouser Films, based on a story by Crittenden Marriott *''Homunculus'' (German) 6-chapter serial about a scientist who creates an artificial human, directed by Otto Rippert, starring Olaf Foenss as the Monster; plot similar to ''Frankenstein'', ''Alraune'' and ''The Golem'' *'' Hoodoo Ann'', starring

Mae Marsh Mae Marsh (born Mary Warne Marsh; November 9, 1894U.S. Census records for 1900, El Paso, Texas, Sheet No. 6 – February 13, 1968) was an American film actress whose career spanned over 50 years. Early life Mae Marsh was born Mary Warne Marsh i ...

and Robert Harron *'' Hulda from Holland'', starring

* ''

Intolerance Intolerance may refer to: * Hypersensitivity or intolerance, undesirable reactions produced by the immune system * ''Intolerance'' (film), a 1916 film by D. W. Griffith * ''Intolerance'' (album), the first solo album from Grant Hart, formerly ...

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

and Constance Talmadge *'' Joan the Woman'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Geraldine Farrar *''

Judex Judex (real name Jacques de Trémeuse) is a fictional French vigilante hero created by Louis Feuillade and Arthur Bernède for the 1916 silent film '' Judex''. Judex (whose name is Latin for "judge") is a mysterious avenger who dresses in black ...

'', directed by Louis Feuillade, starring Musidora and René Cresté – (

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

) *'' Lights of New York'', directed by

Van Dyke Brooke Van Dyke Brooke, ''né'' Stewart McKerrow (22 June 1859–17 September 1921) was an early American actor, screenwriter and film director, whose works include ''The Reprieve: An Episode in the Life of Abraham Lincoln'' (1908) and ''Lights of New Yo ...

, starring Leah Baird and Walter McGrail *''Luke's Double'' (French) 11-minute comedy short based on ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', starring Harold Lloyd, directed by Hal Roach *'' The Lyons Mail'', directed by Fred Paul – (

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

) *''Man Without a Soul'' (British) directed by George Loane Tucker, starring Barbara Everest and Milton Rosmer *'' A Maori Maid's Love'', directed by Raymond Longford – (Australia/New Zealand) *''Mingling Spirits'', short film directed by Al Christie for Universal Pictures, starring Betty Compson *''Mr. Tvardovski'' (Russian) a Faustian-type film directed by Ladislas Starevitch, starring Nicolai Saltykov, based on a novel by J. I. Kraszevski; part of the film featured animation *'' The Mutiny of the Bounty'', directed by Raymond Longford – (Australia/New Zealand) *''The Mysteries of Myra'', 15-chapter serial directed by Theodore and Leopold Wharton, starring Jean Sothern, Howard Estabrook and Warner Oland *'' The Mystery of the Leaping Fish'', short directed by John Emerson, starring

*''Night of Horror''/ ''Nachte des Grauens'' (German) a lost 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 life and career Richard Oswald, born in Vienna as Richard W. Ornstein, ...

and Arthur Robison, starring Emil Jannings and Werner Krauss, cited in some references as being the first vampire film *''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...

'', starring Marie Doro *'' One A.M.'', directed by and starring

*'' The Pawnshop'', a

short *''The Phantom of the Opera'' (German) first film version of the Gaston Leroux novel, directed by Ernst Matray, starring Nils Olaf Chrisander and Aud Egede Nissen *''The Phantom Witness'', directed by Frederick Sullivan for Thanhouser Films, starring Kathryn Adams and Edwin Stanley *''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' (British) directed by Fred W. Durant, starring Henry Victor and Pat O'Malley *''

Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

'', a

short with Edna Purviance and

Wesley Ruggles Wesley Ruggles (June 11, 1889 – January 8, 1972) was an American film director. Life and work He was born in Los Angeles, California, younger brother of actor Charlie Ruggles. He began his career in 1915 as an actor, appearing in a doz ...

*''The Queen of Spades/ Pikovaya dama'' (Russian) directed by Yakov Protazanov, based on the short story by Alexander Pushkin, starring Tamara Duvan and Nikolai Panov *''The Real Thing at Last'' (British) directed by James m. Barrie and L.C. MacBean, starring Ernest Thesiger *'' The Return of Draw Egan'', directed by and starring William S. Hart *'' The Rink'', a

short *''The Romantic Journey'', directed by George Fitzmaurice, written by Ouida Bergere, starring William Courtenay *''Saint, Devil and Woman'', directed by Frederick Sullivan for Thanhouser Films, starring Florence La Badie *'' Sally Bishop'' directed by George Pearson – ( GB) *''Sally in Our Alley'' directed by Larry Trimble, starring Hilda Trevelyan, Mary Dibley, Reginald Owen – ( GB) *''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (Australian) directed by Monte Luke, starring Dorothy Brunton and J. Plumpton Wilson; based on the 1913 novel by Earl Derr Biggers which was turned into a play by George M. Cohan *''She'' (British) directed by Horace Lisle Lucoque and William G.B. Barker, starring Alice Delysia and Henry Victor; the first British film adaptation of the H. Rider Haggard novel *''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

'' (U.S.), directed by Arthur Berthelet, starring William Gillette as Holmes, based on the 1899 stage play which also starred William Gillette (Ernest Maupain played Moriarty) *''The Shielding Shadow'' (aka ''Ravengar'') 15-chapter serial directed by Louis Gasnier (who later directed ''Reefer Madness'' in 1936) and Donald MacKenzie, starring Grace Darmond and Ralph Kellard *''The Silent Stranger'' (aka ''The Silent Man'') 11-minute short starring, and directed by, King Baggot *''

Snow White "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...

'', starring Marguerite Clark *''Sold to Satan'', starring and directed by Edward Sloman *''The Soul's Cycle'', directed by Ulysses Davis, starring Margaret Gibson and John Oaker, deals with reincarnation similar in plot to ''The Mummy'' (1932) *''Trilby Frilled'', 10-minute short directed by Edwin McKim, starring Davy Don as Svengali and Patsy De Forest; spoof of George Du Maurier's 1894 novel ''Trilby'' *'' Under Two Flags'', starring Theda Bara *''Ultus, the Man From the Dead'' (British) directed by George Pearson for Gaumont Films, starring Aurele Sydney as Ultus, a superhero apparently influenced by France's popular film character Fantomas; there were four Ultus films in the series, which were later re-edited into seven shorter films for overseas distribution *''Ultus and the Grey Lady'' (British) 2nd film in the "Ultus" series, directed by George Pearson, starring Aurele Sydney as Ultus *''Ultus and the Secret of the Night'' (British) 3rd film in the "Ultus" series, directed by George Pearson, again starring Aurele Sydney as Ultus *''Ultus and the Three-Button Mystery'' (British) 4th and final film in the "Ultus" series, directed by George Pearson, starring Aurele Sydney as Ultus; this 4th film wasn't theatrically released until 1917 *'' The Vagabond'', directed by and starring

*'' The Valley of Fear'' (British) directed by Alexander Butler, based on the novel by

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

, starring H.A. Saintsbury as Sherlock Holmes and Arthur M. Cullin as Dr. Watson (Booth Conway played Moriarty) *''The Vij'' (Russian) written and directed by Wadyslaw Starewicz, starring Ivan Mosjoukine and Olga Obolenskaya; the 2nd ever film adaptation of Nicolai Gogol's short story; featured stop motion animation *'' A Welsh Singer'' directed by Henry Edwards, starring Edwards,

and Campbell Gullan – ( GB) *''The Wheel of Death'' (British) directed by A.E. Coleby, starring Arthur Rooke and Joan Legge *'' Where Are My Children?'', 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 (state), New York, he was the grandson of Wendell Phillips; he was the son of George Washburn Smalle ...

and Lois Weber, starring Tyrone Power, Sr. and Juan de la Cruz *''Willard-Johnson Boxing Match'' *''The Wings'' () Swedish silent film directed by Mauritz Stiller, starring

Nils Asther Nils Anton Alfhild Asther (17 January 1897 – 19 October 1981)Swedi ...

, Egil Eide, Lars Hanson, Lili Bech, and *''Witchcraft'', directed by Frank Reicher, produced by Jesse L. Lasky, starring Fannie Ward and Jack Dean, based on a short story by Robert Ralston Reed *''The Witch of the Mountains'', starring Mareguerite Nichols, Gordon Sackville and Richard Johnson; produced by Knickerbocker Star Features *''The Witching Hour'', directed by George Irving, starring C. Aubrey Smith and Marie Shotwell; this was adapted from the 1907 stage play by Augustus Thomas

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 film, silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influent ...

'' (1913–1921) *''

'' (1914–1923)

Births

*January 3 **

Maxene Andrews The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (1911–1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (1916–1995), and mezzo ...

, singer, actress, member of

Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (1911–1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (1916–1995), and mezz ...

(died

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

) ** Betty Furness, actress, consumer activist (died

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

) *January 4 – Lionel Newman, composer (died

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

) *February 1 - Bruce Gordon, actor (died

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

) *February 13 – James Griffith, actor, musician, screenwriter (died

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

) *February 14 ** Sally Gray, born Constance Stevens, actress (died

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

) ** Masaki Kobayashi, director (died

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

) *February 17 - Raf Vallone, Italian actor (died

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

) *February 26 –

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

, actor (died

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

) *February 29 –

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, television personality, and the chart-topping female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the ...

, singer, actress, television presenter (died 1994) *March 6 – Rochelle Hudson, actress (died

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

) *March 16 –

Mercedes McCambridge Carlotta Mercedes Agnes McCambridge (March 16, 1916 – March 2, 2004) was an American actress of radio, stage, film, and television. Orson Welles called her "the world's greatest living radio actress". She won an Academy Award for Best Support ...

, 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 60 ...

) *March 21 - Vittorio Duse, Italian actor, screenwriter and director (died

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

) *March 24 ** Anna Maria Bottini, actress (died

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

) **

Richard Conte Nicholas Peter Conte (March 24, 1910 – April 15, 1975), known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor. He was known for his starring roles in films noir and crime dramas during the 1940s and 1950s, including '' Call Northside ...

, American actor (died

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

) *March 25 –

Jean Rogers Jean Rogers (born Eleanor Dorothy Lovegren; March 25, 1916 – February 24, 1991) was an American actress who starred in serial films in the 1930s and low–budget feature films in the 1940s as a leading lady. She is best remembered for ...

, actress (died

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

) *March 26 –

Sterling Hayden Sterling Walter Hayden (born Sterling Relyea Walter; March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American actor, author, sailor, and Marine. A leading man for most of his career, he specialized in Westerns and film noir throughout the 1950s, in film ...

, actor (died 1986) *March 29 - Sam Beazley, British actor (died

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

) *April 4 – David White, actor (died

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

) *April 5 –

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 12th-greatest male ...

, actor (died

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

) *April 26 – Vic Perrin, voice actor (died 1989) *April 30 – Phil Brown, actor (died 2006) *May 1 –

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006), known as Glenn Ford, was a Canadian-born American actor. He was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of th ...

, actor (died

) *May 6 – Adriana Caselotti, singer, voice actress (died

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

) *June 12 –

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen; June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genr ...

, director, producer (died

) *June 14 – Dorothy McGuire, actress (died

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

) *June 19 – Karin Booth, actress (died

) *June 21 – Dorothea Kent, actress (died

) *June 23 –

Irene Worth Irene Worth, CBE (June 23, 1916March 10, 2002), born Harriett Elizabeth Abrams, was an American stage and screen actress who became one of the leading stars of the British and American theatre. She pronounced her first name with three syllabl ...

, actress (died

) *June 29 – Ruth Warrick, singer, actress, political activist (died

) *July 1 –

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British and American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her tim ...

, actress (died

) *July 4 – Burton Zucker, actor, real estate developer, father of

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

and

Jerry Zucker Jerry Gordon Zucker (born March 11, 1950) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one third of the filmmaking trio Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker. He is best known for his role in writing and directing comedy spoof films like ...

(d.

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

) *July 27 –

Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his wikt:stock-in-trade, stock-in-trade; though he rarely carried the leading actor, lead role, h ...

, actor (died 1986) *August 18 -

Don Keefer Donald Hood Keefer (August 18, 1916 – September 7, 2014) was an American actor known for his versatility in performing comedic, as well as highly dramatic, roles. In an acting career that spanned more than 50 years, he appeared in hundreds of ...

, American actor (died

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

) *August 19 - Marie Wilson, American actress (died

) *August 21 - Geoffrey Keen, English actor (died

) *August 24 - Hal Smith, American actor (died 1994) *August 25 – Van Johnson, actor (died

) *August 27 ** George Montgomery, actor (died

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

) ** Martha Raye, actress (died 1994) *September 1 –

Arleen Whelan Arleen Whelan (September 1, 1916 – April 7, 1993) was an American film actress. Early years Whelan was a native of Salt Lake City, Utah. Before she became an actress, she worked in Southern California as a manicurist, contributing her ea ...

, actress (died

) *September 13 - Lynne Carver, American actress (died 1955) *September 15 – Margaret Lockwood, actress (died

) *September 18 – Rossano Brazzi, actor (died 1994) *September 28 – Peter Finch, actor (died

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, 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 (no ...

) *October 4 – Robin Raymond, actress (died

) *November 20 – Evelyn Keyes, actress (died 2008) *November 23 - Michael Gough, British character actor (died

) *December 5 – Margaret Hayes, actress (died

) *December 8 -

Richard Fleischer Richard Owen Fleischer (; December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director. His career spanned more than four decades, beginning at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood and lasting through the American New Wave. He was the ...

, American director (died 2006) *December 9 –

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...

, actor (died

) *December 13 – Mark Stevens, actor (died

) *December 18 – Betty Grable, actress (died 1973) *December 19 – Roy Baker, director (died

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

)

Deaths

*January 17, Arthur V. Johnson, 39, American screen actor and director, '' The Sealed Room'', '' The Unchanging Sea'', '' The Adventures of Dollie'', '' The Voice of the Violin'',

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

* June 22 **Page Peters, 26, American screen actor, '' The Warrens of Virginia'', ''The Purple Scar'', '' An International Marriage'', ''

Davy Crockett Colonel (United States), Colonel David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American politician, militia officer and frontiersman. Often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier", he represented Tennesse ...

'', '' Pasquale'', drowned swimming ** Maurice Vinot, 27, French screen actor, airplane crash * September 9 – Sydney Ayres, 37, American stage & screen actor and director, ''The Sting of Conscience'', '' The Avenger'', ''As in a Dream'',

multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...

* September 17 – Arthur Hoops, 45, American stage & screen actor, '' The Secret of Eve'', ''

Bridges Burned ''Bridges Burned'' is a lost 1917 silent film drama directed by Perry N. Vekroff and starring Olga Petrova. Popular Plays and Players produced while Metro Pictures distributed. Cast *Olga Petrova Olga Petrova (born Muriel Harding; 10 May 1 ...

'', '' Extravagance'', '' The Eternal Question'', '' The Scarlet Woman'', heart attack * September 27 – Camille D'Arcy, 37, American actress, '' The Prince Chap'', '' Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines'', '' A Daughter of the City'', '' The White Sister'', '' The Pacifist'', infection from bathing * October 6 – Henry Woodruff, 47, American stage & screen actor, ''A Beckoning Flame'', ''A Man and His Mate'',

Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine. It was frequently accompanied ...

* November 30 – Dorrit Weixler, 23, German comic actress, ''Maria'', ''Kammermusik'', ''Heimgekehrt'', ''Todesrauchen'', suicide by hanging * unknown –

Jean Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

, the Vitagraph Dog (born 1902), American Border Collie, '' Jean and the Calico Doll'', ''Fraid Cat''

Debuts

Warner Anderson Warner Anderson (March 10, 1911 – August 26, 1976) was an American actor, best known for his starring roles in TV dramas '' The Lineup'' and '' Peyton Place''. Early years Anderson was born to "a theatrical family" in Brooklyn, New York, Marc ...

– ''The Sunbeam'' * Edward Arnold – '' The Misleading Lady'' * Richard Barthelmess – '' Gloria's Romance'' *

Lina Basquette Lina Basquette (born Lena Copeland Baskette; April 19, 1907 – September 30, 1994) was an American actress. She is noted for her 75-year career in entertainment, which began during the silent film era. Talented as a dancer, she was paid as a gi ...

– '' The Dumb Girl of Portici'' * Constance Bennett – ''The Valley of Decision'' * Billie Burke – '' Peggy'' * Ann Dvorak – '' Ramona'' * Elinor Fair – ''The End of the Trail'' * Douglas Fairbanks Jr. – '' American Aristocracy'' * Edmund Gwenn – '' The Real Thing at Last'' * John Halliday – '' The Devil's Toy'' * Virginia Hammond – ''Vultures of Society'' *

Hedda Hopper Elda Furry (May 2, 1885February 1, 1966), known professionally as Hedda Hopper, was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, more than 35 million people read her columns. A strong supporter of the Hous ...

– '' The Battle of Hearts'' * Kate Lester – '' Molly Make-Believe'' * Dorcas Matthews – ''The Captive God'' * Grant Mitchell – ''The Misleading Lady'' *

Colleen Moore Colleen Moore (born Kathleen Morrison; August 19, 1899 – January 25, 1988) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. Moore became one of the most fashionable (and highly-paid) stars of the era and helped po ...

– '' The Prince of Graustark'' *

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous sound ...

– '' The Suspect'' *

Mae Murray Mae Murray (born Marie Adrienne Koenig; May 10, 1885 – March 23, 1965) was an American actress, dancer, film producer, and screenwriter. Murray rose to fame during the silent film era and was known as "The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips" and "Th ...

– '' To Have and to Hold'' *

Ramon Novarro Ramón Gil Samaniego (February 6, 1899 – October 30, 1968), known professionally as Ramon Novarro, was a Mexican actor. He began his career in American silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box-offic ...

– '' Joan the Woman'' * Marie Prevost – '' Unto Those Who Sin'' * Edward G. Robinson – ''Arms and the Woman'' * Hermann Thimig – ''The Countess Heyers'' *

Edward Van Sloan Edward Van Sloan (born Edward Paul Van Sloun; November 1, 1882 – March 6, 1964) was an American character actor best remembered for his roles in the Universal Studios horror films such as ''Dracula'' (1931), ''Frankenstein'' (1931), and '' Th ...

– ''

Slander Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making wikt:asserti ...

'' * Elsa Wagner – '' The Wandering Light'' * Lucile Watson – ''The Girl with the Green Eyes''

References

External links

List of 1916 films
at

IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

List of 1916 deaths
at

List of 1916 births
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:1916 In Film Film by year