Favorite Films of 1900-1909
by bertramsharp | created - 10 Aug 2022 | updated - 10 Aug 2022 | PublicThese are all of the films I have watched with a release date between 1900 & 1909. I have listed them here ranked from best to worst (in my opinion).
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1. San Francisco: Aftermath of Earthquake (1906)
1 min | Documentary, Short, History
Footage shot not long after the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco is edited together so that more than one scene and more than one vantage are included. We see fire raging. We see burned-out... See full summary »
Director: Robert K. Bonine
Votes: 596
2. Demolishing and Building Up the Star Theatre (1901)
Unrated | 2 min | Documentary, Short
Time-lapse photography is used to show the manual dismantling and demolition of New York's Star Theatre over a period of about 30 days.
Director: Frederick S. Armitage
Votes: 1,095
3. The Damnation of Faust (1903)
6 min | Short, Fantasy
Scenes. 1. The Route to the Depths of Perdition (a Dazzingly Sensational New Effect.) 2. The Fantastical Ride. 3. The Gloomy Pass. 4. The Stream. 5. The Entrance to the Lower Regions. 6. ... See full summary »
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 465
4. The Infernal Cauldron (1903)
2 min | Short, Horror
Two demons throw helpless captives into a boiling cauldron, and then try to summon forth their spirits.
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 2,316
5. A Trip to the Moon (1902)
TV-G | 13 min | Short, Action, Adventure
A group of astronomers go on an expedition to the Moon.
Director: Georges Méliès | Stars: Georges Méliès, Victor André, Bleuette Bernon, Brunnet
Votes: 55,802
6. The Night Before Christmas (1905)
9 min | Animation, Short, Family
It's December 24th, and 'Santa Claus' is busy feeding his reindeer and finishing up the toys that he will soon deliver. Meanwhile, the children in a large family hang their stockings over ... See full summary »
Director: Edwin S. Porter
Votes: 663
7. The Invisible Thief (1909)
6 min | Short, Crime, Fantasy
A man buys the novel The Invisible Man by "G.H. Wells" at a bookshop, and in it finds the recipe for Wells' invisibility potion. Then the opportunity makes the thief.
Directors: Segundo de Chomón, Ferdinand Zecca
Votes: 238
8. The Red Spectre (1907)
Not Rated | 9 min | Short, Fantasy, Horror
A demonic magician attempts to perform his act in a strange grotto, but is confronted by a Good Spirit who opposes him.
Directors: Segundo de Chomón, Ferdinand Zecca | Star: Julienne Mathieu
Votes: 1,215
9. The Great Train Robbery (1903)
TV-G | 11 min | Short, Action, Adventure
A group of bandits stage a brazen train hold-up, only to find a determined posse hot on their heels.
Director: Edwin S. Porter | Stars: Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson, A.C. Abadie, George Barnes, Justus D. Barnes
Votes: 20,998
10. The Mistletoe Bough (1904)
9 min | Short, Drama, History
During a game of hide and seek a bride hides in a chest and is found 30 years later.
Director: Percy Stow
Votes: 153
11. Skyscrapers of New York City, from the North River (1903)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Documentary
This short film shows a panoramic view of Manhattan Island, as it appeared in 1903. The island is viewed from the North River (Hudson River), and the view moves down the west side of the ... See full summary »
Director: J.B. Smith
Votes: 588
12. An Impossible Voyage (1904)
Not Rated | 24 min | Short, Action, Adventure
Using every known means of transportation, several savants from the Geographic Society undertake a journey through the Alps to the Sun which finishes under the sea.
Director: Georges Méliès | Stars: Georges Méliès, Fernande Albany, Jehanne d'Alcy, May de Lavergne
Votes: 4,002
13. Faust et Méphistophélès (1903)
Not Rated | 2 min | Short, Drama, Horror
A re-telling of the classic tale of Faust in all of two minutes by French filmmaker Alice Guy (later known as Alice Guy-Blaché).
Director: Alice Guy
Votes: 303
14. The House of Ghosts (1906)
16+ | 6 min | Short, Comedy, Fantasy
Three friends go on a trip and decided to rest at an abandoned house. Everything seems pretty normal until really weird things start to happen.
Director: Segundo de Chomón
Votes: 1,521
15. The Policemen's Little Run (1907)
6 min | Comedy, Short
A policeman spots a dog stealing a piece of meat from a butcher's shop, and gives chase. Soon several more policemen have joined the pursuit. But the chase does not turn out as the policemen expect.
Director: Ferdinand Zecca
Votes: 677
16. The Black Imp (1905)
Not Rated | 4 min | Short, Comedy, Fantasy
A traveler at an inn is harassed by a mischievous devil in his room.
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 2,284
17. The Delights of Automobiling (1900)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
As two couples enjoy their evening promenade in a nice but rickety open motor car, without notice, an explosion blows the vehicle to smithereens.
Director: Cecil M. Hepworth | Stars: Cecil M. Hepworth, Henry Lawley
Votes: 1,009
18. Move On (1903)
Unrated | 1 min | Short
Push-cart vendors are told to move on by a policeman.
Director: A.C. Abadie
Votes: 250
19. The Gay Shoe Clerk (1903)
Unrated | 1 min | Comedy, Short
A woman being fitted for shoes exposes her ankle to the shoe clerk, who is intrigued. He kisses her, but her chaperone hits him with her umbrella.
Director: Edwin S. Porter | Star: Edward Boulden
Votes: 1,185
20. The Sealed Room (1909)
Not Rated | 11 min | Short, Drama, History
A king exacts vengeance upon his faithless mistress and her lover.
Director: D.W. Griffith | Stars: Arthur V. Johnson, Marion Leonard, Henry B. Walthall, Linda Arvidson
Votes: 960
21. The Haunted Curiosity Shop (1901)
2 min | Short, Comedy, Fantasy
An old proprietor is startled by the sudden appearance of a skull. Just as he draws back from the uncanny object, the doors of a mediaeval wardrobe fly back and a hand prods him with a ... See full summary »
Director: Walter R. Booth
Votes: 505
22. The Cake-Walk Infernal (1903)
Not Rated | 5 min | Short, Fantasy, Horror
Deep into a vast cavern of the pitch-black inferno, a couple of professional dancers demonstrate the cakewalk that is currently so much in vogue, and now, everyone in the once-gloomy underworld is doing the crazy dance. Who is the best?
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 1,202
23. Tchin-Chao, the Chinese Conjuror (1904)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Fantasy
As we are treated with a rare appearance from a true master of the miraculous Asian thaumaturgy, a fine display of multiplication commences, and a serene young geisha completes the enchantment. What does the Chinese conjurer have in mind?
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 850
24. The Cook in Trouble (1904)
Not Rated | 4 min | Short, Comedy, Fantasy
A cook has his hands full with three mischievous devils, who pop in and out of his kitchen.
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 878
25. The Enchanted Drawing (1900)
2 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A cartoonist defies reality when he draws objects that become three-dimensional after he lifts them off his sketch pad.
Director: J. Stuart Blackton | Star: J. Stuart Blackton
Votes: 1,417
26. Three American Beauties (1906)
Unrated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
Images of a rose, a young woman, and the American flag.
Directors: Wallace McCutcheon, Edwin S. Porter | Star: Deyo
Votes: 419
27. Rescued by Rover (1905)
Not Rated | 7 min | Short, Crime, Drama
A dog leads its master to his kidnapped baby.
Directors: Lewin Fitzhamon, Cecil M. Hepworth | Stars: Blair, May Clark, Barbara Hepworth, Cecil M. Hepworth
Votes: 1,320
28. Troubles of a Grass Widower (1908)
Not Rated | 10 min | Short, Comedy
A housewife tires of her husband's annoying behavior and returns to her mother. At first, the husband is quite pleased to have the house all to himself. But he quickly discovers that even ... See full summary »
Director: Max Linder | Star: Max Linder
Votes: 428
29. The Scheming Gambler's Paradise (1905)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short
Despite all methods of instantaneously masking a clandestine gambling den's shady activities, the risk of getting caught is high, especially when the police thirsts for success. But, sometimes, indulging in pure fun is just too tempting.
Director: Georges Méliès
Votes: 867
30. The Eclipse: Courtship of the Sun and Moon (1907)
Not Rated | 9 min | Short, Comedy, Fantasy
As the clock strikes twelve, a weary astronomer attempts to answer the impertinent enquiries of his young students by scrutinising an impending lunar eclipse, as an effeminate and delicate moon caresses the mighty sun's hungry cosmic rays.
Director: Georges Méliès | Stars: Mlle. Bodson, Manuel, Georges Méliès
Votes: 1,411
31. The Devil's Money Bags (1902)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Comedy, Fantasy
The setting of this fantastic scene represents the hall of an old chateau in which a miser has locked up seven large bags containing his wealth. Satan, who has made his way into the chateau... See full summary »
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 499
32. Jack and the Beanstalk (1902)
Not Rated | 10 min | Short, Fantasy
Porter's sequential continuity editing links several shots to form a narrative of the famous fairy tale story of Jack and his magic beanstalk. Borrowing on cinematographic methods ... See full summary »
Directors: George S. Fleming, Edwin S. Porter | Stars: James H. White, Thomas White
Votes: 803
33. Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906)
Not Rated | 7 min | Short, Comedy, Fantasy
The fiend faces the spectacular mind-bending consequences of his free-wheeling rarebit binge.
Directors: Wallace McCutcheon, Edwin S. Porter | Star: Jack Brawn
Votes: 1,993
34. Scrooge; or Marley's Ghost (1901)
6 min | Short, Drama, Fantasy
It's Christmas Eve. The miser Scrooge and his assistant Bob Cratchit finish their work in the office and go home. When Scrooge is going to open his front door, he sees the face of Marley's ... See full summary »
Director: Walter R. Booth | Star: Daniel Smith
Votes: 595
35. The Mermaid (1904)
Not Rated | 4 min | Short, Fantasy
A magician conjures up a mermaid while fishing.
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 1,276
36. Dog Factory (1904)
Unrated | 4 min | Short, Comedy
A brief vaudeville-style demonstration of a "Dog Transformator," a machine that instantly turns dogs into sausages, and amazingly, sausages back into dogs.
Director: Edwin S. Porter
Votes: 432
37. The Golden Beetle (1907)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Fantasy
A sorcerer tosses an iridescent little beetle into a flaming ceremonial cauldron, and much to his amazement, a six-winged fairy in the body of a beautiful young woman emerges. Is his sorcery potent enough to tame her?
Directors: Segundo de Chomón, Ferdinand Zecca
Votes: 928
38. Long Distance Wireless Photography (1908)
Not Rated | 6 min | Short, Sci-Fi
An eccentric photographer demonstrates the wonders of technology to a couple who want to be photographed by his innovative wireless procedure that accents one's inner personality. Are they prepared for the harsh truth of the camera's eye?
Director: Georges Méliès | Stars: Fernande Albany, Georges Méliès
Votes: 568
39. A Trap for Santa Claus (1909)
Not Rated | 16 min | Drama, Short
The children set a trap for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, knowing he has to come through the window because their estate has no chimney. Their father, who abandoned them and his wife before... See full summary »
Director: D.W. Griffith | Stars: Henry B. Walthall, Marion Leonard, Gladys Egan, John Tansey
Votes: 402
40. The Mysterious Retort (1906)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Fantasy, Mystery
Sound asleep in his comfortable armchair next to a high-pressure retort, a mystic silver-haired alchemist can't even notice the strange manifestations emerging from the vessel's bottom. Is this a dream, or a cornucopia of secreted desires?
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 701
41. La course aux potirons (1907)
6 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Two youths unharness a man's donkey, letting the cart tip up, and the pumpkins inside roll down the street. The owner and his donkey then pursue the pumpkins through a variety of obstacles until they catch up with them.
Directors: Romeo Bosetti, Louis Feuillade
Votes: 173
42. Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel (1900)
1 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Short
Another adventure involving the recurring character from silent era Uncle Josh, one of the first characters to have film sequels of his own. This episode involves a haunted hotel where a ... See full summary »
Director: Edwin S. Porter | Star: Charles Manley
Votes: 334
43. Uncle Tom's Cabin (I) (1903)
Not Rated | 13 min | Short, Drama
Based on the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe: Eliza, a slave who has a young child, pleads with Tom, another slave, to escape with her. Tom does not leave, but Eliza flees with her child. ... See full summary »
Director: Edwin S. Porter
Votes: 535
44. The Thieving Hand (1908)
Unrated | 5 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Short
A one-armed man obtains an artificial limb which he cannot control.
Director: J. Stuart Blackton | Star: Paul Panzer
Votes: 687
45. Princess Nicotine; or, the Smoke Fairy (1909)
Unrated | 5 min | Comedy, Short, Fantasy
A drowsy pipe-smoker attempts to nap, only to be tormented relentlessly by the mischievous Princess Nicotine and her fairy companion.
Director: J. Stuart Blackton | Stars: Paul Panzer, Gladys Hulette
Votes: 1,025
46. The Untamable Whiskers (1904)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Fantasy
Through a rapid succession of drawings, ingenious disguises and soft dissolves, the director portrays a quick-sketch artist who transforms to various characters according to the static outlines on his chalkboard.
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 1,173
47. Good Glue Sticks (1907)
Not Rated | 5 min | Short, Comedy
A hawker demonstrates his glue's exceptional qualities; however, a pair of policemen shut him down. Bent on revenge, he goes to extreme lengths for justice, but it's a risky action, and one could easily get a taste of his own medicine.
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 640
48. Matsumoto Fragment (1907)
1 min | Animation, Short
A boy writes on a board, then tips his hat to the viewer.
Votes: 387
49. Tit-for-Tat (1906)
5 min | Short
An entomologists is found guilty for trying to collect rare insects.
Director: Gaston Velle | Star: Fernand Rivers
Votes: 222
50. A Winter Straw Ride (1906)
Not Rated | 7 min | Comedy, Short
A large group of boys and girls enjoy a sleigh ride, have a snowball fight, and frolic in the snow.
Directors: Wallace McCutcheon, Edwin S. Porter
Votes: 309
51. A Holiday Pageant at Home (1901)
Not Rated | 5 min | Short, Comedy, Family
A family of seven entertain themselves by putting on a pageant on Christmas Eve.
Votes: 279
52. New York Subway (1905)
Unrated | 6 min | Short, Documentary
In one long take, the camera shows us the journey of a subway train as it makes its way from Union Square to the old Grand Central Station.
Director: G.W. Bitzer
Votes: 814
53. Sherlock Holmes Baffled (1900)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy, Crime
Sherlock Holmes enters his drawing room to find it being burgled, but on confronting the villain is surprised when the latter disappears. Holmes initially attempts to ignore the event by ... See full summary »
Director: Arthur Marvin | Star: Anonymous
Votes: 779
54. Nero. Or the Fall of Rome. (1909)
Not Rated | 14 min | Short, Drama
Roman emperor Nero is used to getting what he wants. He has grown tired of his wife Octavia, and has become infatuated with Poppea. He succeeds in making Poppea the new empress, but soon he faces opposition from an outraged populace.
Directors: Arturo Ambrosio, Luigi Maggi | Stars: Alberto Capozzi, Lydia De Roberti, Mirra Principi, Luigi Maggi
Votes: 544
55. Fun in a Bakery Shop (1902)
1 min | Short, Comedy
A baker's assistant throws a handful of dough at a rat. The dough sticks to the side of a barrel and the assistant proceeds to sculpt the dough into various faces and shapes. There is some experimental use of stop motion.
Director: Edwin S. Porter
Votes: 443
56. The Hilarious Posters (1906)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Comedy, Fantasy
A wall full of advertising posters comes to life.
Director: Georges Méliès | Stars: Georges Méliès, Henri Vilbert
Votes: 1,219
57. The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog (1905)
Not Rated | 5 min | Short, Comedy, Family
The Whole Dam Family and The Dam Dog is a popular fad which has been widely advertised by lithographs and souvenir mailing cards, and has recently been made the subject of a sketch in a New... See full summary »
Director: Edwin S. Porter | Stars: William Courtenay, Frank Daniels, May Irwin, Charlotte Walker
Votes: 750
58. The Wonderful Living Fan (1904)
Not Rated | 2 min | Short, Fantasy
The king of France receives a marvelous fan. The fan opens to reveal plain lace. This lace becomes pictures of women which then come to life an move in unison as their clothing changes.
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 669
59. A Funny Shave (1906)
16+ | 2 min | Short, Comedy
A man tries to shave, but his mirror keeps playing tricks on him.
Director: Segundo de Chomón
Votes: 598
60. The Living Playing Cards (1905)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Comedy, Fantasy
With a brand-new deck of playing cards in his hand, an elegantly-attired thaumaturge, by fire and the pure power of illusion, transforms a plain nine of spades card into a full-size Queen of Hearts.
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 1,576
61. Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906)
3 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A cartoonist draws faces and figures on a blackboard - and they come to life.
Director: J. Stuart Blackton | Star: J. Stuart Blackton
Votes: 1,462
62. The Dog and His Various Merits (1908)
Not Rated | 2 min | Short, Documentary
We see a working dog, a beggar's dog, a shepherd's dog, and a milkman's dog. The working dog is locked inside a large wire wheel; the dog runs inside the wheel, turning it to run a machine.... See full summary »
Votes: 462
63. The Enchanted Sedan Chair (1905)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Fantasy
A fine magician of the Royal Court materialises an elegant attire from a transparent glass container, and then, a refined dandy appears, as an ornate palanquin is summoned. Now, what does the illusionist have in mind?
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 534
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