The year 1919 in film involved some significant events. __TOC__

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

The top six 1919 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

*February 5 –

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

and D. W. Griffith launch

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

. *March –

Oscar Micheaux Oscar Devereaux Micheaux (; January 2, 1884 – March 25, 1951) was an American author, film director and independent producer of more than 44 films. Although the short-lived Lincoln Motion Picture Company was the first movie company owned and c ...

premieres ''

The Homesteader ''The Homesteader'' (1919) is a lost film, lost black-and-white silent film by African-American author and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. The film is based on his novel inspired by his experiences. Plot ''The Homesteader'' involves six principal cha ...

'', the first feature-length

race film The race film or race movie was a genre of film produced in the United States between about 1915 and the early 1950s, consisting of films produced for African American, black audiences, and featuring black casts. Approximately five hundred race ...

, starring pioneering African American actress Evelyn Preer, becoming the first

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

to produce and direct a motion picture. *May 13 – D. W. Griffith's first film to be released by

, '' Broken Blossoms'', has its premiere in New York City. * August 29 – '' The Miracle Man'' displayed Lon Chaney's talent for make-up and made him famous as a

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

. * September 1 –

release their first film, '' His Majesty, the American'' starring

. * September 18 – Ufa-Palast am Zoo in Berlin opens rebuilt as a permanent cinema with the première of

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; ; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; a ...

's '' Madame Dubarry''. * September 25 – Dalagang Bukid (The Country Maiden), the first Filipino feature-length film made in the Philippines, released. * October 24 – The Capitol Theatre in New York City becomes one of the largest cinemas in the world with 4,000 seats. * November 16 – Constance Talmadge becomes a star with the release of '' A Virtuous Vamp''. * November 23 –

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

's '' Male and Female'' is released and grosses $1,256,226.59, establishing

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 ...

as a worldwide star. *

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 ...

begins holding

test screening A test screening, or test audience, is a preview screening of a film or television series before its general release to gauge audience reaction. Preview audiences are selected from a cross-section of the population and are usually asked to complet ...

s of his films and modifying them based on audience feedback, a technique which continues in use. * Tri-Ergon

sound-on-film Sound-on-film is a class of sound film processes where the sound accompanying a picture is recorded on photographic film, usually, but not always, the same strip of film carrying the picture. Sound-on-film processes can either record an Analog s ...

technology is developed by three German inventors, Josef Engl, Hans Vogt (engineer), and Joseph Massole; however, the era of sound films is over 6 years away.

Notable films released in 1919 around the world

A

*''

Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...

'', directed by

William Desmond Taylor William Desmond Taylor (born William Cunningham Deane-Tanner; 26 April 1872 – 1 February 1922) was an Anglo-Irish-American film director and actor. A popular figure in the growing Cinema of the United States, Hollywood motion picture colony o ...

; starring Mary Miles Minter and Paul Kelly *'' The Avalanche'' directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and Film producer, producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940 ...

starring Elsie Ferguson *''L'atleta fantasma''/ ''The Ghost Athlete'' (Italian), directed by Raimondo Scotti, starring Mario Guaita-Ausonia and Elsa Zara, features a masked superhero/ wrestler character

B

*'' The Beetle'', directed by Alexander Butler – ( GB) based on the 1897 novel '' The Beetle: A Mystery'' by Richard Marsh *'' The Belle of New York'', directed by Julius Steger; starring Marion Davies *'' The Better 'Ole'' – ( GB) *'' Blind Husbands'', directed by and starring

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, screenwriter, actor, and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of ...

*'' Bolshevism on Trial'', directed by Harley Knoles *'' The Boy in Blue'' (Knabe in Blau), directed by F. W. Murnau – (

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 ...

) *'' Broken Blossoms'', directed by D. W. Griffith, 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 ...

and Richard Barthelmess *'' Bumping into Broadway'', starring

and

Bebe Daniels Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" () Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals s ...

C

*'' Captain Kidd's Kids'', a

short *'' The Cinema Murder'', directed by George D. Baker; starring Marion Davies *'' Country Maiden'' (Dalagang Bukid), directed by

José Nepomuceno José Nepomuceno y Zialcita (May 15, 1893 – December 1, 1959) was one of the pioneering directors and producers of Philippine cinema. He is also known as the ''"founder of Philippine movies"'', and he had his own production company Jose Nep ...

; starring Atang de la Rama –

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

*''Creaking Stairs'' (aka ''Dearie'') directed by

Rupert Julian Rupert Julian (born Thomas Percival Hayes; 25 January 1879 – 27 December 1943) was a New Zealand cinema actor, director, writer and producer. During his career, Julian directed 60 films and acted in over 90 films. He is best remembered for di ...

for Universal Pictures, starring Mary MacLaren and Herbert Prior

D

*'' Daddy-Long-Legs'', starring

*'' Damaged Goods'', directed by Alexander Butler – ( GB) * ''Dance of Death''/ ''Totentanz'' (German) written by

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...

, directed by Otto Rippert, starring Werner Krauss *'' The Dark Star'', directed by

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 was ...

; starring Marion Davies and Norman Kerry *''

The Delicious Little Devil ''The Delicious Little Devil'' is a 1919 American silent film, silent comedy-drama film starring Mae Murray and Rudolph Valentino. A 35 mm print of the film is housed at the EYE Film Instituut Nederland,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 ...

and

Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...

*''The Devil's Locksmith'' (Austrian) directed by Franz Ferdinand, starring Ferdinand and Herr Ruibar *'' Different from the Others'', 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, ...

, 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 ...

– (

) *'' The Doll'', directed by

– (

) *'' Don't Change Your Husband'', directed by

, starring

E

*'' The Echo of Youth'', directed by Ivan Abramson

F

*'' The Face at the Window'' (Australian) directed by Charles Villiers, starring D.B. O'Conner,

Agnes Dobson Agnes May Dobson (30 December 1904 – 26 February 1987) was an Australian actress. Career Agnes Dobson was born on 30 December 1904, at Glebe Point, in Sydney, Australia, though her birth was not registered. Dobson's parents were New Zeala ...

and Claude Turton, based on the 1897 stage play by F. Brooke Warren *'' The False Faces'', directed by

Irvin Willat Irvin V. Willat (November 18, 1890 – April 17, 1976) was an American film director of the silent film, silent film era. A short biography reprinted from ''Blue Book of the Screen'' (1923). He directed 39 films between 1917 and 1937. Early i ...

, starring Henry B. Walthall and Lon Chaney *'' The First Men in the Moon'' – ( GB)

G

*'' Getting Mary Married'', directed by

; starring Marion Davies and Matt Moore *'' The Grim Game'', starring

Harry Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...

H

*''

The Haunted Bedroom ''The Haunted Bedroom'' is a lost 1919 American silent drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kin ...

'' (aka ''The Ghost of Whispering Oaks'') directed by

Fred Niblo Fred Niblo (born Frederick Liedtke; January 6, 1874 – November 11, 1948) was an American pioneer film actor, director and producer. Biography He was born Frederick Liedtke (several sources give "Frederico Nobile", apparently erroneously) in Yo ...

for Thomas H. Ince, starring Enid Bennett (Niblo's wife) and Dorcas Matthews *'' Haunting Shadows'', directed by Henry King, starring H. B. Warner and Edward Peil Sr., based on the 1906 novel ''The House of a Thousand Candles'' by Meredith Nicholson *'' Hawthorne of the U.S.A.'' directed by

James Cruze James Cruze (born Jens Cruz Bosen;Sadoul, Georges (1972). Dictionary of Films'. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 53. . See also: * Parish, James Robert; Pitts, Michael R. (1974). Film Directors: A Guide to Their American Fi ...

, starring

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. Lou ...

*''

Heart o' the Hills ''Heart o' the Hills'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Joseph De Grasse and Sidney Franklin, written by Bernard McConville based on John Fox Jr.'s novel of the same name. Plot Jason Honeycutt ( Harold Goodwin) is a young bo ...

'' directed by Sidney Franklin, starring

*'' Here Comes the Bride'' directed by John S. Robertson, starring John Barrymore, Faire Binney *'' His Majesty, the American'', starring

*''

'', directed by

, starring Evelyn Preer

I

*'' Intoxication'', directed by

, starring Asta Nielsen (Germany)

J

*'' The Jack of Hearts'', starring

Hoot Gibson Edmund Richard "Hoot" Gibson (August 6, 1892 – August 23, 1962) was an American rodeo champion, film actor, film director, and producer. While acting and stunt work began as a sideline to Gibson's focus on rodeo, he successfully transitioned ...

*''

J'accuse "''J'Accuse...!''" (; "I Accuse...!") is an open letter, written by Émile Zola in response to the events of the Dreyfus affair, that was published on 13 January 1898 in the newspaper ''L'Aurore''. Zola addressed the president of France, Félix ...

'' (French), written and 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 ...

for Pathe Films – (

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 ...

) starring Romuald Joubé, Severin-Mars, and Maryse Dauvray; this was Gance's most acclaimed film and he remade it with sound in 1938 *'' Juan Sin Ropa'', Argentine film directed by Georges Benoît, starring Camila Quiroga and Héctor G. Quiroga, and produced by Quiroga-Benoît Film, a company made up of the three of them. It was one of the great successes of Argentina's silent film boom of the mid-to-late 1910s and continues to be celebrated retrospectively.

K

*'' The Knickerbocker Buckaroo'', starring

L

*'' The Life Line'', directed by

Maurice Tourneur Maurice Félix Thomas (; 2 February 1876 – 4 August 1961), known as Maurice Tourneur (), was a French film director and screenwriter. Life Born Maurice Félix Thomas in the Épinettes district (17th arrondissement of Paris), his father was a w ...

, starring

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' (1 ...

*''Lilith and Ly'' (Austrian) written by

, directed by Erich Kober, starring Elga Beck and Ernst Escherich *'' The Lost Battalion'' *'' The Love Cheat'', starring

June Caprice June Caprice, born Helen Elizabeth Lawson, November 19, 1895 – November 9, 1936, was an American silent film actress. Early life and career Born Helen Elizabeth Lawson in Arlington, Massachusetts, Caprice was educated in Boston. She began h ...

and

Creighton Hale Creighton Hale (born Patrick Wills Fitzgerald; May 24, 1882 – August 9, 1965) was an Irish-American theatre, film, and television actor whose career extended more than a half-century, from the early 1900s to the end of the 1950s. Career Hale ...

*'' Love's Prisoner'', starring Olive Thomas *''Lucrezia Borgia'' (Italian) directed by

Augusto Genina Augusto Genina (28 January 1892 – 18 September 1957) was an Italian film pioneer. He was a movie producer and director. Biography Born in Rome, Genina was a drama critic and wrote comedies for the ''Il Mondo'' Magazine, under advise of Aldo ...

, starring Diana Karenne

M

*'' Madame DuBarry'', directed by

, starring Pola Negri and Emil Jannings – (

) * ''Madness'' / ''Wahnsinn'' (German) produced and directed by

, who also starred in the film; adapted from a novel by Kurt Muenzner *'' Male and Female'', directed by

, starring

and Thomas Meighan *'' The Master Mystery'', ( serial), starring

*'' The Miracle Man'', starring Thomas Meighan, Lon Chaney and

Betty Compson Betty Compson (born Eleanor Luicime Compson; March 19, 1897 – April 18, 1974) was an American actress and film producer who got her start during Hollywood's silent era. She is best known for her performances in ''The Docks of New York'' and '' ...

*'' The Mistress of the World'', directed by

Joe May Joe May (born Joseph Otto Mandl; 7 November 1880 – 29 April 1954) was an Austrian film director and film producer and one of the pioneers of Cinema of Germany, German cinema. Biography After studying in Berlin and a variety of odd jobs, he b ...

(Weimar Republic) *''The Monkey's Paw'' (British) lost film based on the story by W. W. Jacobs first published by 1902, and the related one-act stage play written by Louis N. Parker in 1907 *'' My Lady's Garter'', directed by

*'' My Wife, the Movie Star'', directed by

(Germany)

N

*''Nabeshima Neko Sodo'' (Japanese) a ghost-cat film produced by Nikkatsu Films, starring

Matsunosuke Onoe , sometimes known as Medama no Matchan (''"Eyeballs" Matsu''), was a Japanese actor. His birth name is Tsuruzo Nakamura. He is sometimes credited as Yukio Koki, Tamijaku Onoe, or Tsunusaburo Onoe, and as a kabuki artist he went by the name Tsuru ...

, based on the Kabuki play by Joko Segawa IIIWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 209. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *''Okazaki Kaibyo-den'' (Japanese) starring Matsunosuke Onoe, another ghost-cat movie based on an early 1820s Japanese novel (which was adapted as a Kabuki play in 1827)

O

*'' The Oyster Princess'' (Die Austerprinzessin) – (

)

P

*''The Phantom Honeymoon'', written and directed by J. Searle Dawley (who directed the 1910

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...

''), starring Leon Dadmun and Marguerite Marsh *'' The Plague of Florence'' / ''Die Pest in Florenz'' (German) written by

, directed by Otto Rippert, starring Otto Mannstaedt and Anders Wikman; this was Fritz Lang's adaptation of '' The Masque of the Red Death'' by

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

R

*'' Ravished Armenia'' (aka ''Auction of Souls'') – directed by Oscar Apfel, starring Aurora Mardiganian *'' The Roaring Road'', directed by

, starring

S

*''

Sahara The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...

'', 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 ...

, written by C. Gardner Sullivan * ''Satanas'' / ''Satan'' (German) written 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 ...

, directed by F. W. Murnau, starring Fritz Kortner and

; a small fragment of this film still exists at the

Cinémathèque Française A cinematheque is an archive of films and film-related objects with an exhibition venue. Similarly to a book library (bibliothèque in French), a cinematheque is responsible for preserving and making available to the public film heritage. Typically ...

Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 210. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *'' The Sentimental Bloke'' – (

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

) *'' Sir Arne's Treasure'' (Herr Arnes pengar), directed by Mauritz Stiller, starring Richard Lund – (

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 ...

) *'' A Society Exile'' directed by

starring Elsie Ferguson *'' Sons of Ingmar'' ('' Ingmarssönerna''), directed by Victor Sjöström – (

) *''

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

'' (documentary of Sir

Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarcti ...

's ''

Endurance Endurance (also related to sufferance, forbearance, resilience, constitution, fortitude, persistence, tenacity, steadfastness, perseverance, stamina, and hardiness) is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a ...

Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917 is considered to be the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Conceived by Ernest Shackleton, Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition was an attempt to make the ...

), filmed by

Frank Hurley James Francis "Frank" Hurley (15 October 1885 – 16 January 1962) was an Australian photographer and adventurer. He participated in a number of expeditions to Antarctica and served as an official photographer with Australian forces durin ...

– ( GB)

T

*'' The Test of Honor'', directed by John S. Robertson, starring John Barrymore, and Constance Binney *'' The Thirteenth Chair'', directed by Leonce Perret, starring Yvonne Delva and

, based on a play by

Bayard Veiller Bayard Veiller (January 2, 1869 – January 16, 1943) was an American playwright, screenwriter, producer and film director. He wrote for 32 films between 1915 and 1941. Biography He was born on January 2, 1869, in Brooklyn, New York to Phi ...

; this film was later remade by

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of var ...

in 1929 with sound *''To Let'' (British) short ghost film directed by James Reardon, starring Reardon and Peggy PattersonWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 211. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2. *'' The Trembling Hour'', directed by George Siegmann for Universal Films, starring Kenneth Harlan and Helen Jerome Eddy; parts of this film were shot in

San Quentin State Prison San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated area, unincorporated place ...

in California *'' True Heart Susie'', starring

and Bobby Harron *'' The Twin Pawns'' (aka ''The Curse of Greed'') written and directed by Leonce Perret, starring

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 ...

(playing twins) and Warner Oland, based on the

Wilkie Collins William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist and playwright known especially for ''The Woman in White (novel), The Woman in White'' (1860), a mystery novel and early sensation novel, and for ''The Moonsto ...

novel '' The Woman in White''

V

*'' The Valley of the Giants'', directed by

, starring

*''La Venganza de Don Silvestre'', directed by

– (

) *''

Victory The term victory (from ) originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a strategic vi ...

'', directed by

, starring Lon Chaney, Seena Owen,

, Jack Holt

W

* ''Weird Tales''/ ''Unheimliche Geschichten''/ ''Uncanny Tales'' (German) horror anthology written and directed by

, starring

and

Anita Berber Anita Berber (10 June 1899 – 10 November 1928) was a German dancer, actress, and writer who was the subject of an Otto Dix painting. She lived during the time of the Weimar Republic. Early life Berber was born in Leipzig to the violinist Feli ...

; composed of 5 weird stories adapted from the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson and others *'' When the Clouds Roll By'', starring

*'' The White Heather'', directed by

*'' The Wicked Darling'', directed by

, starring Lon Chaney and

Priscilla Dean Priscilla Dean (November 25, 1896 – December 27, 1987) was an American actress popular in silent film as well as in theatre, with a career spanning two decades. Career Dean made her film debut at the age of fourteen in one-reelers for Biograph ...

*'' The Witness for the Defense'' starring Elsie Ferguson and Warner Oland

Y

*'' Yankee Doodle in Berlin'', directed by F. Richard Jones, starring Bothwell Browne, Ford Sterling, Marie Prevost, produced by

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 ...

*'' You're Fired'', directed by

, starring

Wanda Hawley Wanda Hawley (born Selma Wanda Pittack; July 30, 1895 – March 18, 1963) was an American actress during the silent film era. She entered the theatrical profession with an amateur group in Seattle, and later toured the United States and Cana ...

Comedy film series

Only the films of the series released in 1919 are collected.

Buster Keaton (1917–1941)

Films starring

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

, featuring

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 ...

released in 1919: *

September 7 Events Pre-1600 * 878 – Louis the Stammerer is crowned as king of West Francia by Pope John VIII. * 1159 – Cardinal Rolando Bandinelli is elected Pope Alexander III, prompting the election of Cardinal Octaviano Monticelli as Anti ...

: '' Back Stage'' a 'Fatty' Arbuckle /

short. *

October 26 Events Pre-1600 * 1185 – The Uprising of Asen and Peter begins on the feast day of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki and ends with the creation of the Second Bulgarian Empire. * 1341 – The Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 formally ...

: '' The Hayseed'' as a Manager, general store.

Charlie Chaplin (1914–1923)

wrote, produced, directed, and starred in 9 films for his own production company between 1918 and 1923. These films were distributed by First National. Below the movies filmed in 1919: *

May 15 Events Pre-1600 * 221 – Liu Bei, Chinese warlord, proclaims himself emperor of Shu Han, the successor of the Han dynasty. * 392 – Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurpe ...

: '' Sunnyside''; Three reels Score composed for 1974 re-release *

December 15 Events Pre-1600 * 533 – Vandalic War: Byzantine Empire, Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Tricamarum. * 687 – Pope Sergius I is elected as a compromise between antipopes P ...

: '' A Day's Pleasure''; Two reels. First film with Jackie Coogan, future star of "The Kid" Score composed for 1973 re-release :Uncompleted and unreleased films *'' The Professor'' as Professor Bosco, Slated as a two-reeler, but never issued

Harold Lloyd (1913–1921)

Glasses character ("The Boy"): *'' Wanted – $5,000'' *'' Going! Going! Gone!'' *'' Ask Father'' *'' On the Fire'', aka. ''The Chef'' *'' I'm on My Way'' *'' Look Out Below'' *'' The Dutiful Dub'' *'' Next Aisle Over'' *'' A Sammy in Siberia'' *'' Just Dropped In'' *'' Young Mr. Jazz'' *'' Crack Your Heels'' *'' Ring Up the Curtain'', aka ''Back-Stage!'' *'' Si, Senor'' *'' Before Breakfast'' *'' The Marathon'' *'' Pistols for Breakfast'' *'' Swat the Crook'' *'' Off the Trolley'' *'' Spring Fever'' *'' Billy Blazes, Esq.'' – as Billy Blazes; the film was a parody of Westerns of the time *'' Just Neighbors'' *'' At the Old Stage Door'' *'' Never Touched Me'' *'' A Jazzed Honeymoon'' *'' Count Your Change'' *'' Chop Suey & Co.'' *'' Heap Big Chief'' *'' Don't Shove'' *'' Be My Wife'' *'' The Rajah'' *'' He Leads, Others Follow'' *'' Soft Money'' *'' Count the Votes'' *'' Pay Your Dues'' *'' His Only Father'' *'' Bumping Into Broadway'' *'' Captain Kidd's Kids'' *'' From Hand to Mouth''

Animated short film series

Koko the Clown (1919–1934)

'' Koko the Clown'' was the first animated movie cartoon series. Below list of short films released in 1919: *''The Tantalizing Fly'' *''The Clown's Pups'' *''Out of the Inkwell'' *''Slides'' *''Experiment No. 2'' *''Experiment No. 3'' *''Out of the Inkwell''

Felix the Cat (1919–1936)

Below list of

Felix the Cat Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in 1919 by Otto Messmer and Pat Sullivan (film producer), Pat Sullivan during the silent film era. An anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic young black cat with white eyes, a black body, and a giant grin, ...

short films released in 1919: :

November 9 Events Pre-1600 * 694 – At the Seventeenth Council of Toledo, Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims, sentencing all Jews to slavery. * 1180 – The Battle of Fujigawa: Minamoto forces (30,000 ...

: ''Feline Follies'' :

November 16 Events Pre-1600 * 951 – Emperor Li Jing sends a Southern Tang expeditionary force of 10,000 men under Bian Hao to conquer Chu. Li Jing removes the ruling family to his own capital in Nanjing, ending the Chu Kingdom. *1272 – W ...

: ''The Musical Mews'' : December 14: ''The Adventures of Felix''

Births

*January 1 – Sheila Mercier, British actress (died

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

) *January 5 – Douglas Henderson, American actor (died

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

) *January 7 – Huang Feng, Hong Kong film director (died

) *January 10 – Amzie Strickland, American character 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 ...

) *January 11 – Mort Mills, American 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 ...

) *January 13 –

Robert Stack Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor and television host. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the America ...

, American 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 ...

) *January 14 – Joe Seneca, American actor and singer (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 ...

) *January 21 – Jinx Falkenburg, American model, actress (died 2003) *January 23 –

Ernie Kovacs Ernest Edward Kovacs (January 23, 1919 – January 13, 1962) was an American comedian, actor, and writer. Kovacs's visually experimental and often spontaneous comedic style influenced numerous television comedy programs for years after his dea ...

, American comedian, actor (died

1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...

) *January 24 – Coleman Francis, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (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 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

) *February 4 – Janet Waldo, American 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 5 **

Red Buttons Red Buttons (born Aaron Chwatt; February 5, 1919 – July 13, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He won an Oscar and Golden Globe for '' Sayonara''. He was nominated for awards for his work such as ''Harlow'' (1965), '' They Shoot Ho ...

, American actor (died

) ** Tim Holt, American actor (died

) *February 11 –

Eva Gabor Eva Gabor ( ; February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian-American actress and socialite. Gabor voiced Duchess and Miss Bianca in the Disney animations ''The Aristocats'' (1970), ''The Rescuers'' (1977), and ''The Rescuers Down Under'' ...

, Hungarian actress (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 ...

) *February 12 – Forrest Tucker, American actor (died 1986) *February 17 – Kathleen Freeman, American 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 ...

) *February 18 – Jack Palance, American actor (died

) *March 2 –

Jennifer Jones Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), also known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress and mental-health advocate. Over the course of her career that spanned more than five decades, she was nomin ...

, 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 15 - Lawrence Tierney, American 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 ...

) *March 25 – Jeanne Cagney, American actress (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 ...

) *March 26 –

Strother Martin Strother Douglas Martin Jr. (March 26, 1919 – August 1, 1980) was an American character actor who often appeared in support of John Wayne and Paul Newman and in Western films directed by John Ford and Sam Peckinpah. Among Martin's memorable ...

, American actor (died

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

) *March 29 –

Eileen Heckart Anna Eileen Heckart ( Herbert; March 29, 1919 – December 31, 2001) was an American stage and screen actress whose career spanned nearly 60 years. Early life Heckart was born Anna Eileen Herbert in Columbus, Ohio. Her mother Esther () wed Leo ...

, American actress (died

) *April 2 – Maxwell Reed, Northern Irish actor (died

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

) *April 6 – Caren Marsh Doll, American former actress *April 12 – Ivor Barry, Welsh actor (died

) *April 13 –

Howard Keel Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), professionally Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s, including ''Show Boat'' (195 ...

, American actor (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 18 – Vondell Darr, American child actress (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 ...

) *April 18 –

Virginia O'Brien Virginia Lee O'Brien (April 18, 1919 – January 16, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and radio personality known for her comedic singing roles in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals of the 1940s. Life and career O'Brien primarily performed in ...

, American actress (died

) *May 8 – Lex Barker, American actor (died 1973) *June 19 –

Pauline Kael Pauline Kael (; June 19, 1919 – September 3, 2001) was an American film critic who wrote for ''The New Yorker'' from 1968 to 1991. Known for her "witty, biting, highly opinionated and sharply focused" reviews, Kael often defied the conse ...

, American film critic (died 2001) *June 24 – Al Molinaro, American actor (died 2015) *May 23 – Betty Garrett, American 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 ...

) *June 11 – Richard Todd, Irish actor (died

) *June 12 –

Uta Hagen Uta Thyra Hagen (12 June 1919 – 14 January 2004) was a German-American actress and theatre practitioner. She originated the role of Martha in the 1962 Broadway premiere of '' Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' by Edward Albee, who called her "a ...

, German actress (died 2004) *June 14 **

Gene Barry Gene Barry (born Eugene Klass; June 14, 1919 – December 9, 2009) was an American stage, screen, and television actor and singer. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films '' The Atomic City'' (1952) and ''The War of the Worl ...

, American actor and singer (died

) ** June Spencer, British actress (died

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

) **

Sam Wanamaker Samuel Wanamaker (born Samuel Wattenmacker; June 14, 1919 – December 18, 1993) was an American actor and director, whose career on stage and in film and television spanned five decades. He began his career on Broadway theatre, Broadway, but sp ...

, American director, actor (died

) *June 29 –

Slim Pickens Louis Burton Lindley Jr. (June 29, 1919 – December 8, 1983), better known by his stage name Slim Pickens, was an American actor and rodeo performer. Starting off in the rodeo, Pickens took up acting, and appeared in dozens of movies and TV sho ...

, American actor (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 7 –

Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...

, British actor (died

) *July 8 - Eileen Bennett, British actress (died

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

) *July 12 – Vera Ralston, Czech figure skater, actress (died

) *July 19 –

Patricia Medina Patricia Paz Maria Medina (19 July 1919 – 28 April 2012) was a British actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the films ''Phantom of the Rue Morgue'' (1954) and ''Mr. Arkadin'' (1955). Early life Medina was born on 19 July 1919 ...

, American actress (died

) *July 26 – Virginia Gilmore, American actress (died 1986) *August 2 – Nehemiah Persoff, American actor (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 ...

) *August 7 – Bertha Moss, Argentine-Mexican actress (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 ...

) *August 8 – Dino De Laurentiis, Italian producer (died 2010 in film, 2010) *August 16 – Lorna Thayer, American actress (died 2005 in film, 2005) *September 2 – Marge Champion, American dancer, actress, choreographer (died 2020 in film, 2020) *September 7 – Howard Morris, American actor, comedian and director (died 2005 in film, 2005) *September 9 – Jacques Marin, French actor (died

) *September 17 – Helmut Ashley, Austrian cinematographer and director (died 2021 in film, 2021) *September 18 – Diana Lewis, American actress (died 1997 in film, 1997) *September 24 – Rick Vallin, Russian-born actor (died 1977 in film, 1977) *October 5 – Donald Pleasence, British actor (died

) *October 18 – Orlando Drummond, Brazilian actor, voice artist and comedian (died 2021) *October 20 – Lia Origoni, Italian actress and singer (died

) *October 28 – Ezz El-Dine Zulficar, Egyptian director and producer (died 1963 in film, 1963) *November 2 – Warren Stevens, American actor (died

) *November 4 **Shirley Mitchell, American actress (died 2013) **Martin Balsam, American actor (died

) *November 13 - Mary Beth Hughes, American actress (died 1995) *November 15 – Nova Pilbeam, British actress (died 2015 in film, 2015) *November 19 **Lynn Merrick, American actress (died 2007 in film, 2007) **Alan Young, British actor (died 2016) *November 20 – Phyllis Thaxter, American actress (died 2012) *December 5 – Guido Gorgatti, Italian-born Argentine actor (died 2023 in film, 2023) *December 7 – Lis Løwert, Danish actress (died

) *December 11 – Marie Windsor, American actress (died 2000 in film, 2000) *December 18 – Lynn Bari, American actress (died 1989 in film, 1989) *December 21 **Ove Sprogøe, Danish actor (died

) **Doug Young (actor), Doug Young, American voice actor (died 2018 in film, 2018)

Deaths

*January 14 – Shelley Hull, 34, American stage & film actor, husband of Josephine Hull, brother of Henry Hull *January 31 – Nat Goodwin, 59, veteran stage star & silent film actor *February 3 – Mary Moore, 29, Irish actress, sister of Joe, Matt Moore (actor), Matt, Owen Moore, Owen and Tom Moore (actor), Tom Moore, ''A Million a Minute'' *February 17 – Vera Kholodnaya, 25, Russian silent film actress, ''A Corpse Living, The Woman Who Invented Love, Her Sister's Rival, Song of Triumphant Love'' *April 9 – Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew, Sidney Drew, 55, American stage & film actor A Florida Enchantment *May 3 – Daniel Gilfether, 70, American actor of stage & screen *May 21 – Lamar Johnstone, 34, American silent film actor *August 27 – Clifford Bruce, 34, American silent film actor *November 24 – William Stowell, 34, American silent film star

Film debuts

*Ernie Adams (actor), Ernie Adams – ''A Regular Girl'' *Vilma Bánky – ''Im letzten Augenblick'' *Renée Björling – ''The Downy Girl'' *Jeanne Carpenter – '' Daddy-Long-Legs'' *Ronald Colman – ''The Toilers (1919 film), The Toilers'' *

– '' Male and Female'' *Miss DuPont – ''Lombardi, Ltd.'' *Ruth Dwyer (actress), Ruth Dwyer – ''The Lurking Peril'' *Mary Forbes – ''Women Who Win'' *Gladys George – ''Red Hot Dollars'' *Ella Gombaszögi – ''Átok Vára'' *Sascha Gura – ''The Dance of Death (1919 film), The Dance of Death'' *Boris Karloff – ''The Lightning Raider'' *Roscoe Karns – ''Poor Relations'' *

(director) – ''Halbblut'' *Laura La Plante – ''The Great Gamble'' *Helen Lowell – ''The Virtuous Model'' *Sybill Morel – ''Opium (1919 film), Opium'' *Jack Perrin – ''Toton'' *Lydia Potechina – ''Anita Jo'' *Annie Rosar – ''Der Mord an der Bajadere'' *Christian Rub – '' The Belle of New York'' *Estelle Taylor – ''A Broadway Saint'' *Guinn "Big Boy" Williams – ''Almost a Husband'' *Claire Windsor – ''The Pest (1919 film), The Pest'' *Carl-Gunnar Wingård – ''The Downy Girl'' *Anna May Wong – ''The Red Lantern''

References

External links

List of 1919 films
at IMDb
List of 1919 deaths
at IMDb
List of 1919 births
at IMDb {{1919 films 1919 in film, Film by year