1917 in film was a particularly fruitful year for the art form, and is often cited as one of the years in the decade which contributed to the medium the most, along with

1913 Events January * January – Joseph Stalin travels to Vienna to research his ''Marxism and the National Question''. This means that, during this month, Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky and Tito are all living in the city. * January 3 &ndash ...

. Secondarily the year saw a limited global embrace of narrative film-making and featured innovative techniques such as continuity cutting. Primarily, the year is an American landmark, as 1917 is the first year where the narrative and visual style is typified as "Classical Hollywood". __TOC__

Events

*January – '' Panthea'' is released, the first film from the company that

Joseph Schenck Joseph Michael Schenck (; December 25, 1876 – October 22, 1961) was a Russian-born American film studio executive. Life and career Schenck was born to a Jewish family in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russian Empire. He emigrated to New York Cit ...

formed with his wife,

Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent film, silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among ...

, after leaving Loew's Consolidated Enterprises. *February –

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

first meets Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle in New York and is hired as a co-star and gag man. *April 9 –

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...

rule in Motion Picture Patents Co. v. Universal Film Manufacturing Co. which ends the

Motion Picture Patents Company The Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC, also known as the Edison Trust), founded in December 1908 and effectively terminated in 1915 after it lost a United States v. Motion Picture Patents Co., federal antitrust suit, was a trust (19th century), ...

appeal and results in the end of the company. *April 23 – Release in the United States of the short '' The Butcher Boy'', the first of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle's series of films with the Comique Film Corporation, and

's film debut. *April 25 – Thomas Lincoln Tally, in a meeting in New York, co-founds the First National Exhibitors Circuit. *June – Thomas H. Ince and

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

leave

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 Jul ...

following Stephen Andrew Lynch taking control. *September 13 – Release in the United States of '' The Gulf Between'', the first film made in

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

System 1, a two-color process. *November 9 – World's first feature-length animated film is made in

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Quirino Cristiani Quirino Cristiani (2 July 1896 – 2 August 1984) was an Italian-born Argentine animation director and cartoonist, responsible for the world's first two animated feature films as well as the first animated feature film with sound, even though the ...

(''

El Apóstol ''El Apóstol'' ( English: ''The Apostle'') was a 1917 lost Argentine animated film, directed and produced by Quirino Cristiani and respectively. Historians consider it the world's first animated feature film. Production began after the succes ...

'') *December 18 – Foundation of Universum Film AG (UƒA), as a propaganda film company, in Berlin. *Movette, another revision of the 17.5 mm film format, is made available.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

The top five 1917 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Notable films released in 1917

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

unless stated *January 8 – ''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by English author Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. The novel is a bildungsroman and depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. It is Dickens' second novel, after ''Dav ...

'', starring

Jack Pickford Jack Pickford (born John Charles Smith, August 18, 1896 – January 3, 1933), was a Canadian-American actor, film director and producer. He was the younger brother of actresses Mary and Lottie Pickford. After their father deserted the famil ...

*January 22 – '' Easy Street'', starring

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 ...

, Edna Purviance *January 22 – '' Her Right to Live'', directed by Paul Scardon, starring Peggy Hyland, Antonio Moreno, Mae Costello, John S. Robertson *January 29 – '' A Man There Was'' (Terje Vigen), directed by Victor Sjöström – (

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

) *February 2 – '' The Marriage of Luise Rohrbach'', directed by Rudolf Biebrach, starring

Henny Porten Frieda Ulricke "Henny" Porten (7 January 1890 – 15 October 1960) was a German actress and film producer of the silent film, silent era, and Germany's first major film star. She appeared in more than 170 films between 1906 and 1955. Biography ...

, 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 ...

) *February 18 – '' The Bad Boy'', starring Robert Harron,

Mildred Harris Mildred Harris (November 29, 1901 – July 20, 1944) was an American stage, film, and vaudeville actress during the early part of the 20th century. She began her career in the film industry as a child actress at age 10. She was also the first w ...

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 ...

*March 3 – '' The Tornado'', directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

(his debut) *March 5 – ''

The Poor Little Rich Girl ''The Poor Little Rich Girl'' is a 1917 American comedy-drama film directed by Maurice Tourneur. Adapted by Frances Marion from the 1913 play by Eleanor Gates. The Broadway play actually starred future screen actress Viola Dana. The film st ...

'', starring

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 ...

*March 7 – '' The Torture of Silence'' (Mater Dolorosa), directed by

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

– (

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 ...

) *April 15 – '' Teddy at the Throttle'', a Keystone comedy 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 ...

*April 16 – ''

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

'', a

short. *April 23 – '' The Butcher Boy'', starring "Fatty" Arbuckle with

*May 7 – '' Kidnapped'', directed by

Alan Crosland Frederick Alan Crosland (August 10, 1894 – July 16, 1936) was an American stage actor and film director. He is noted for having directed the first feature film using spoken dialogue, ''The Jazz Singer'' (1927) and the first feature movie with s ...

, starring Raymond McKee, Joseph Burke, and Ray Hallor *May 14 – ''

A Romance of the Redwoods ''A Romance of the Redwoods'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Mary Pickford. Art direction for the film was done by Wilfred Buckland. Location shooting for the film took place in the redwood ...

'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring

*May 19 – '' One Law for Both'' directed by Ivan Abramson *May 20 – '' Souls Triumphant'', 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 ...

*May 21 – '' A Reckless Romeo'', a 'Fatty' Arbuckle short. *May – '' Frank Hansen's Fortune'' directed by

Viggo Larsen Viggo Larsen (14 August 1880 – 6 January 1957) was a Danish film actor, director and producer from the early silent era to the ' talkies'. He appeared in 140 films between 1906 and 1942. He also directed 235 films between 1906 and 1921. ...

– (

) *June 17 – '' The Immigrant'', starring

and Edna Purviance *June 24 – ''

Wild and Woolly Wild and Woolly may refer to: * Wild and Woolly (1917 film), an American silent Western comedy film * Wild and Woolly (1932 film), a short animated film * Wild and Woolly (1937 film), an American Western film * Wild and Wooly, a 1978 comedy/west ...

'', 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 ...

*June 25 – '' A Kentucky Cinderella'', starring Ruth Clifford *June 25 – '' The Rough House'', a 'Fatty' Arbuckle /

short. *June – '' The Labour Leader'', directed by

Thomas Bentley Thomas Bentley may refer to: * Thomas Bentley (director) 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 sou ...

, starring Owen Nares, Fay Compton – ( GB) *July 5 – '' Big Timber'' *July – ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American period ...

'' (Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray) – (

) *August 12 – '' Golden Rule Kate'', a drama western starring

Louise Glaum Louise Glaum (September 4, 1888 – November 25, 1970) was an American actor, actress. Known for her roles as a femme fatale, vamp in silent film, silent era film, motion picture drama film, dramas, she was credited in her early career with ...

*August 20 – '' His Wedding Night'', a 'Fatty' Arbuckle /

short. *August 27 – ''

The Little American ''The Little American'' is a 1917 American silent romantic war drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film stars Mary Pickford (who also served as producer) as an American woman who is in love with both a German soldier and a French ...

'', starring

; directed by Cecil B. DeMille. *August 27 – '' Straight Shooting'', directed by

*August 28 – '' Brcko in Zagreb'' – (

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

) *August – '' The Gay Lord Quex'' directed by

Maurice Elvey Maurice Elvey (11 November 1887 – 28 August 1967) was one of the most prolific film directors in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year. He a ...

and starring

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor Saxophone, saxophonist. He performed in the United States and Europe and made many recordings with Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Johnny Hodges, a ...

and Irene Vanbrugh – ( GB) *September 13 – '' The Gulf Between'', All

color Color (or colour in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though co ...

movie.

*September 22 – '' Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'', starring

*September 30 – '' Camille'', starring Theda Bara *September 30 – '' Oh Doctor!'', a 'Fatty' Arbuckle /

short. *September 30 – '' The Sultan's Wife'', starring

*September – ''

Fear Fear is an unpleasant emotion that arises in response to perception, perceived dangers or threats. Fear causes physiological and psychological changes. It may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the ...

'' 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

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

– (

)

*October 14 – ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

'', starring Theda Bara *October 21 – '' Satan Triumphant'' (Satana likuyushchiy) – ( U.S.S.R.) *October 22 – '' The Adventurer'', a

short. *October 29 – ''

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

'', a 'Fatty' Arbuckle /

short. *November 9 – ''

'' (The Apostle), animated by

– (

) *November 11 – '' A Little Princess'', directed by Marshall Neilan, starring

, Norman Kerry,

ZaSu Pitts ZaSu Pitts (; January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) was an American actress who, in a career spanning nearly five decades, starred in many silent film drama film, dramas, such as Erich von Stroheim's 1924 epic ''Greed (1924 film), Greed'', along wi ...

*November 12 – '' Harrison and Barrison'', directed by

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

, starring Márton Rátkai – (

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

) *November 25 – '' All Aboard'', a

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 ...

short *November 26 – '' The Silent Man'', starring William S. Hart *December 10 – '' Tom Sawyer'', starring

*December 24 – '' Bucking Broadway'', directed by

, starring Harry Carey *December – '' Raffles the Amateur Cracksman'', starring John Barrymore

Other 1917 Releases

*'' Bestia'' (aka The Polish Dancer), starring Pola Negri – (

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

) *''Black Orchids'' (aka ''The Fatal Orchid''), directed by Rex Ingram for Universal Pictures, starring Cleo Madison and Jean HersholtWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *''The Bottle Imp'' (aka ''The Mountain Devil'') directed by Marshall Neilan, produced by Jesse Lasky, starring Sessue Hayakawa and Lehua Waipahu; this was the 2nd ever film adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel *''Brand of Satan'', directed by George Archianbaud, starring Montagu Love and Gerda Holmes *'' The Colonel'' (aka Az Ezredes), directed by

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz (; born Manó Kaminer; from 1905 Mihály Kertész; ; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed classic films from the silen ...

, starring

Bela Lugosi Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...

– (

) *''The Darling of Paris'', directed by J. Gordon Edwards for Fox Films, starring Theda Bara and Walter Law; an early film adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' *''The Devil Stone'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, produced by Jesse L. Lasky, starring Geraldine Farrar, Tully Marshall and

Gustav von Seyffertitz Gustav von Seyffertitz (4 August 1862 – 25 December 1943) was a German film actor and director. He settled in the United States. He was born in Haimhausen, Bavaria, and died in Los Angeles, California, aged 81. Biography Gustav von Seyfferti ...

*''The Devil's Assistant'', directed by Harry A. Pollard, starring Monroe Salisbury and Margarita Fischer *'' Dombey and Son'', directed by

and starring Hayford Hobbs – ( GB) *''Le Cygne (film)'' ("Umirayushchii Lebed") – ( U.S.S.R.) *''The Enchanted Kiss'', directed by David Smith for Vitagraph, starring Chet Ryan and a young Jack Pierce; based on a short story by O. Henry *''The Eternal Sin'' (aka ''Lucretia Borgia''), directed by Herbert Brenon, starring Florence Reed and Richard Barthelmess, based on the 1833 Victor Hugo novel ''Lucretia Borgia''Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 185. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *''Even As You and I'', directed by Lois Webber for Universal Pictures, starring Harry Carter (as Satan), Ben F. Wilson and Priscilla Dean *''The Fall of the Romanoffs'', directed by Herbert Brenon, starring Edward Connelly as Rasputin, based on a book written by a monk named Iliodor (who also played himself in the film) *''The Fatal Ring'', a 20-chapter serial directed by George B. Seitz for Pathe/Aster, starring Warner Oland, Earl Foxe and Pearl White *''Fear''/ ''Furcht'' (German) directed by Robert Wiene, starring Conrad Veidt and Bruno Decarli; this was the first time Wiene and Veidt worked together on a film *''Flames'' (British) directed by Maurice Elvey, starring Owen Nates, Clifford Cobb and Douglas Munro; based on the novel by Richard Hichens *''Ghost Hounds'', comedy short starring Lloyd Hamilton and Bud Duncan *''The Ghost House'', directed by William C. DeMille (Cecil's brother) for producer Jesse L. Lasky, starring Jack Pickford (Mary's brother), Eugene Pallette and Louise Huff *''The Ghost of Old Morro'' directed by Richard Ridgely for producer Thomas Edison, starring Mabel Trunnelle and Helen Strickland *''The Golem and the Dancing Girl''/ ''Der Golem und die Tanzerin'' (German), a lost 1917 parody of the 1915 film ''The Golem'', written and directed by Paul Wegener, starring Wagner as the Golem and Lydia Salmonova as the dancer *''The Haunted House'', directed by Albert Parker, starring Winifred Allen, Richard Rosson and Albert Parker *''Hilde Warren and Death'' (German) directed by Joe May, written by Fritz Lang, starring Mila May, Bruno Kastner and Georg John as "Death"Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 189. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *''The Image Maker'', directed by Eugene Moore for Thanhouser Films, starring Valda Valkyrien and Harris Gordon, deals with reincarnation *''The Inspirations of Harry Larrabee'', directed by Bertram Bracken, starring Clifford Grey and Margaret Landis, based on the short story by Howard Fielding *''It's Never Too Late to Mend'' (British) directed by Dave Aylott, starring George Leyton and Margaret Hope, based on the political novel by Charles ReadeWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 190. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *''Kaidan Chibusa Enoki''/ ''Ghost Story of the Breast-Nettle Tree'' (Japanese) produced by Nikkatsu Films, starring Matsunosuke Onoe and Kakumatsuro Arashi *''Magia'' (Hungarian) directed by Alexander Korda, starring Mihaly Varkony and Lucie Labass; plot involves Baron Munchausen as a vampire *''The Magic Girdle'' ("Der Magische Gürtel") (

) *'' The Man Without a Country'', starring Florence La Badie *''The Memoirs of Satan'' (German) directed by Robert Heymann, starring Kurt Brenkendorf and Friedrich Kuhne; a 3-chapter serial that relates the misadventures of Satan *''Midnight'', 11-minute short starring and directed by Allen Holubar for Universal Pictures, scripted by E.J. Clawson *''Mothers of Men'', starring Dorothy Davenport *''Nabeshima Kaibyo'' (Japanese) a Ghost-cat horror film produced by Nikkatsu, starring Matsunosuke Onoe and Suminojo Ichikawa *''The Picture of Dorian Gray''/ ''Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray'' (Germany) written and directed by Richard Oswald, starring Bernd Aldor and Lupu Pick, based on Oscar Wilde's 1890 novel *''Rasputin'' (German) directed by Herr Arno, starring Max Hiller and Fritz Holbauer *''Rasputin, the Black Monk'', directed by Arthur Ashley, starring Montagu Love and Henry Hull *''Runaway Romany'', directed by George Lederer, starring Marion Davies and Matt Moore *''Saga no yozakura'' (Japanese) ghost-cat film directed by Shozo Makino, starring Matsunosuke Onoe *''Satan Triumphant'' (Russian) directed by Yakov Protazanov, starring Pavel Pavlov and Ivan Mozhukhin *''Seven Keys to Baldpate'', directed by Hugh Ford, starring Geoge M. Cohan and Hedda Hopper; first American film to be based on the 1913 novel by Earl Derr BiggersWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *''She'', directed by Kenean Buel for Fox Films, starring Valeska Suratt (as "She") and Ben Taggart as Leo Vincey; based on the eponymous novel by H. Rider Haggard (a lost film today) *''A Sleeping Memory'', directed by George D. Baker for Metro Films, starring Emily Stevens and Frank Mills, based on the 1902 novel by Edward Phillips Oppenheim *''The Sorrows of Satan'' (British) directed by Alexander Butler, starring Ceceil Humphreys and Gladys Cooper, based on the 1895 novel by Marie Corelli *''Tangled Lives'', directed by J. Gordon Edwards for Fox Films, starring Genevieve Hamper and Stuart Holmes, based on the Wilkie Collins novel ''The Woman in White'' *'' Thaïs'' – (

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 ...

) *''U-Boote Heraus!'' ("U-Boat Release") (

) *''Unconquered'', directed by Frank Reicher for Paramount, written by Beatrice DeMille, starring Mabel Van Buren, Tully Marshall (wearing blackface) and Hobart Bosworth *''The Voice on the Wire'', a 15-chapter Universal serial directed by Stuart Paton, starring Ben Wilson, Neva Gerber, Hoot Gibson and Nigel De Brulier, based on the 1915 novel by Eustace Hale Ball *''The Woman in White'', directed by Ernest C. Warde for Thanhouser Films, starring Florence La Badie, Richard Neill and Gertrude Dallas, this was Thanhouser's second film adaptation of the eponymous Wilkie Collins novel (he also produced a 1912 version); the film was re-released in the early 1920s as ''The Unfortunate Marriage''.Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 196. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.

Comedy film series

*''

'' (1913–1938) *''

'' (1914–1940) *'' Lupino Lane'' (1915–1939) *''

'' (1917–1944)

Births

*January 2 – Vera Zorina, dancer, actress (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 ...

) *January 3 – Jesse White, actor (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 ...

) *January 5 –

Jane Wyman Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007). was an American actress. A star of both movies and television, she received an Academy Award for Best Actress, four Golden Globe Awards and nominations for two Pr ...

, actress (died

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

) *January 10 – Hilde Krahl, actress (died

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

) *January 21 – Lally Bowers, English actress and singer (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 ...

) *January 24 –

Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine ( ; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perf ...

, actor (died

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

) *February 5 - Melvina Farley, American actress and singer (died

) *February 6 –

Zsa Zsa Gabor Zsa Zsa Gabor ( , ; born Sári Gábor ; February 6, 1917 – December 18, 2016) was a Hungarian Americans, Hungarian-American socialite and actress. Her sisters were socialites and actresses Eva Gabor and Magda Gabor. Gabor competed in the ...

, actress (died

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

) *February 21 –

Lucille Bremer Lucille Bremer (February 21, 1917 – April 16, 1996) was an American film actress and dancer. Biography Bremer was born in Amsterdam (city), New York, Amsterdam, New York, but soon moved to Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where ...

, actress (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 25 – Brenda Joyce, American actress (died

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

) *March 2 –

Desi Arnaz Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986), known as Desi Arnaz, was a Cuban-American actor, musician, producer, and bandleader. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom ''I Love Lucy'', in whi ...

, actor (died 1986) *March 12 – Googie Withers, actress (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 ...

) *March 22 – Virginia Grey, 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 ...

) *April 2 -

Dabbs Greer Robert William "Dabbs" Greer (April 2, 1917 – April 28, 2007) was an American character actor in film and television for over 60 years. Greer appeared in nearly 100 film roles and in nearly 600 television episodes of various series. He pl ...

, actor (died

) *April 14 – Valerie Hobson, 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 Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

) *April 17 – R. G. Armstrong, actor, playwright (died

) *April 29 **

Celeste Holm Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American actress. Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Elia Kazan's '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947), and was nominated for her roles in '' Come to the Stable'' (1949) and ''A ...

, actress (died 2012) ** Maya Deren, experimental filmmaker (died 1961) *May 1 – Danielle Darrieux, actress (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 ...

) *May 5 - June Lang, American actress (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 ...

) *May 7 - David Tomlinson, English actor and comedian (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 ...

) *May 10 – Margo, actress (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 n ...

) *May 16 – George Gaynes, actor (died

) *May 18 – James Donald, actor (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 ...

) *May 21 – Raymond Burr, actor (died

) *May 22 - Nathan Davis (actor), American actor (died

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 ...

) *May 25 – Steve Cochran, actor (died

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

) *June 2 - Max Showalter, American actor and musician (died

) *June 3 –

Leo Gorcey Leo Bernard Gorcey (June 3, 1917– June 2, 1969) was an American stage and film actor, famous for portraying the leader of a group of street-wise city toughs known variously as the Dead End Kids, East Side Kids, the East Side Kids, and as adults ...

, actor, comedian (died 1969) *June 7 –

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...

, singer, actor (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 ...

) *June 30 **

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years and covered film, television and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of the C ...

, singer, actress (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 ...

) **

Susan Hayward Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrener; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American actress best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories. After working as a fashion model for the Walter Clarence Thornton, Walt ...

, actress (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. ...

) *July 1 – Virginia Dale, American actress (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 ...

) *July 8 – Faye Emerson, actress (died

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

) *July 17 –

Phyllis Diller Phyllis Ada Diller (née Driver; July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-up comedian, Actor, actress, author, musician, and visual artist, best known for her Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric stage persona, Self-deprecation, se ...

, comedian, actress (died 2012) *July 26 – Lorna Gray, actress (died 2017) *August 6 –

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...

, actor (died

) *August 8 – Earl Cameron, actor (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 ...

) *August 12 – Marjorie Reynolds, actress, dancer (died

) *August 13 – Gloria Dickson, actress (died

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat. Events World War II will be ...

) *August 25 –

Mel Ferrer Melchor Gastón FerrerAncestry Library Edition (August 25, 1917 – June 2, 2008) was an American actor, director, and producer, active in film, theatre, and television. He achieved prominence on Broadway before scoring notable film hits with ...

, actor (died

) *September 9 – Rolf Wenkhaus, actor (died

1942 The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...

) *September 11 – Herbert Lom, actor (died 2012) *September 18 -

June Foray June Foray (born June Lucille Forer; September 18, 1917 – July 26, 2017) was an American Voice acting, voice actress and radio personality, best known as the voice of such animation, animated characters as Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Natasha F ...

, American voice actress (died 2017) *October 7 ** Helmut Dantine, 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. ...

) ** June Allyson, 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 ...

) *October 11 - J. Edward McKinley, American character actor (died

) *October 16 – Alice Pearce, 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 i ...

) *October 17 – Marsha Hunt, American actress (died

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

) *October 22 – Joan Fontaine, actress (died

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

) *November 2 – Ann Rutherford, actress (died 2012) *November 4 –

Virginia Field Virginia Field (born Margaret St. John Field (sometimes mis-transcribed Margaret Cynthia Field); 4 November 1917 – 2 January 1992) was a British-born film actress. Early years Virginia was an only child, born in London. Her father was Sir J ...

, actress (died

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

) *November 30 - Ilse Steppat, German actress (died 1969) *December 7 – Hurd Hatfield, actor (died 1998) *December 12 – Margaret Marquis, actress (died 1993) *December 13 - John Hart, American actor (died

) *December 18 - Ossie Davis, American film, television and Broadway actor, director, poet, playwright, author and civil rights activist (died

) *December 22 – Frankie Darro, actor (died

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

) *December 28 - Kim Chan, Chinese-American actor and producer (died

)

Deaths

* February 21 – Fred Mace, 38, American actor & comedian, '' What Happened to Jones'', ''His Last Scent'', ''A Lover's Might'', ''The Love Comet'' * March 6 – Valdemar Psilander, 32, Danish actor, ''Rytterstatuen'', ''Lykken'', ''

Lydia Lydia (; ) was an Iron Age Monarchy, kingdom situated in western Anatolia, in modern-day Turkey. Later, it became an important province of the Achaemenid Empire and then the Roman Empire. Its capital was Sardis. At some point before 800 BC, ...

'', ''Klovnen'', '' Favoriten'', ''In Defense of a Nation'', ''John Redmond, the Evangelist'' * July 2 – Herbert Beerbohm Tree, 64, English stage & screen actor, ''Beerbohm Tree, The Great English Actor''; ''

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

''; ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

''; ''

Trilby A trilby is a narrow-brimmed type of hat. The trilby was once viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is sometimes called the "brown trilby" in UK, BritainBernhard Roetzel, Roetzel, Bernhard (1999). ''Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style''. B ...

''; '' The Old Folks at Home'' * October 13 – Florence La Badie, 29, American actress, '' The Man Without a Country'', ''War and the Woman'', '' The Woman in White'', '' When Love Was Blind'' * October 25 – Jack Standing, 31, English actor, ''With Hoops of Steel'', ''The Curse of Eve'', ''The Innocent Sinner'', ''The Price of Her Soul'', ''One Touch of Sin'' * November 5 �
Howell Hansel
46, American actor and director * November 18 – Nino Oxilia, 28, Italian director, '' Rapsodia satanica'', '' Blue Blood'' * December 20 – Eric Campbell, 38, Scottish actor, '' The Immigrant'', '' Behind the Screen'', ''The Count'', '' Easy Street'', '' The Adventurer'' (short), ''

'' (short)

Film debuts

* Maude Allen – ''

The Moth The Moth is a nonprofit group based in New York City, dedicated to the craft of storytelling. Founded in 1997, the organization presents a wide range of theme-based storytelling events across the United States and abroad, often featuring promine ...

'' * Eduardo Ciannelli – '' The Food Gamblers'' * Jackie Coogan – '' Skinner's Baby'' * Marion Davies – '' Runaway Romany'' *

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement. Widely considered one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, four of the fil ...

– '' The Clemenceau Affair'' * Richard Dix – '' One of Many'' * Fritz Feld – '' The Golem and the Dancing Girl'' *

(director) – '' Straight Shooting'' * Ferdinand Gottschalk – '' Please Help Emily'' * Taylor Holmes – ''Fools for Luck'' *

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director, producer and writer.Obituary, '' Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and '' Vanity Fair'' an ...

– '' The Happy Warrior'' * Isabel Jeans – ''The Profligate'' * Buck Jones – ''A Rough Shod Fighter'' * Madge Kennedy – '' Baby Mine'' *

– '' Leoni Leo'' * Bert Lytell – '' The Lone Wolf'' *

May McAvoy May Irene McAvoy (September 8, 1899 – April 26, 1984) was an American actress who worked mainly during the silent-film era. Some of her major roles are Laura Pennington in '' The Enchanted Cottage'', Esther in '' Ben-Hur'', and Mary Dale ...

– ''Hate'' * Chester Morris – '' An Amateur Orphan'' *

– '' Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' * Marjorie Rambeau – '' The Greater Woman'' *

– '' Down to Earth'' *

Amy Veness Amy Veness (26 February 1876 – 22 September 1960) was an English film actress. She played the role of Grandma Huggett in '' The Huggetts Trilogy'' and was sometimes credited as Amy Van Ness. Veness was born Amy Clarice Beart in Aldeburgh, Su ...

– ''Please Help Emily'' * Clifton Webb – '' National Red Cross Pageant'' * Marjorie Wood – ''National Red Cross Pageant'' *

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Michaela Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1989. She received numerous honors including an Academy Awards ...

– '' The Primrose Ring''

References

External links

List of 1917 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 1917 deaths
at

List of 1917 births
at

{{1917 films Film by year