Movie Listings by Genre

Director: Robert Wiene    More Info
Starring: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski, Lil Dagover, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Rudolf Lettinger, Hans Lanser-Rudolf, Ludwig Rex, Elsa Wagner

 This German Expressionist film tells the gruesome story of murder and terror set among black shadows painted across geometrically irregular streets and rooftops running zigzag among leaning chimneys. Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) is a hypnotist who travels with a carnival and displays a sleepwalker named Cesare (Conrad Veidt) as his attraction. While performing in a small, German town, murders take place, and when Francis' (Friedrich Feher) best friend Alan (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski) is killed, Francis connects the murder to Caligari. He accuses Caligari of committing the murders, but the police ignore him. When Francis performs his own investigation, he finds clues indicating that Caligari has ordered Cesare to commit the murders, and after a brutal confrontation with Caligari, Francis ensures that Caligari will be locked away in an asylum.

Director: John S. Robertson    More Info
Starring: John Barrymore, Martha Mansfield, Brandon Hurst, Charles(1) Lane, Nita Naldi, Louis Wolheim, Cecil Clovelly, J. Malcolm Dunn, George Stevens

 A London physician, Dr. Jekyll (John Barrymore), discovers a potion that changes him into the evil Mr. Hyde. Eventually, Mr. Hyde takes over and commits a murder. Dr. Jekyll manages to kill Mr. Hyde–and in the process himself–and brings an end to the horrid deeds of Mr. Hyde. A good rendition of the story that has been made many times.

Director: Carl Boese    More Info
Starring: Paul Wegener, Albert Steinrueck, Lyda Salmonova, Hans Sturm, Ernst Deutsch, Fritz Feld, Max Kronert, Otto Gebuhr, Dore Paetzold, Lothar Muthel

 Set in the 16th century, this is the story of an animated clay giant–a Golem–used to protect Jews. When the Golem goes berserk, terror strikes at the villagers' hearts.

Director: Wallace Worsley    More Info
Starring: Lon Chaney, Ethel Grey Terry, Charles Clary, Claire Adams, Kenneth Harlan, Jim Mason, Edouard Trebaol, Milton Ross, Clarence Wilson, Lee Phelps

 Blizzard (Lon Chaney) is a legless, underworld crime boss in San Francisco who is out to get revenge on the incompetent doctor who had unnecessarily amputated his legs when Blizzard was a child. But, after having an operation to remove a blood clot in his brain, Blizzard puts aside his evil ways–and some people are not happy about the change. A good Chaney silent film.

Director: F.W. Murnau    More Info
Starring: Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Alexander Granach, Greta Schroder, Georg H. Schnell, Ruth Landshoff, John Gottowt, Gustav Botz, Max Nemetz, Wolfgang Heinz

 This early film version of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" is an excellent example of the era of German Expressionism. One looks at Count Orlok's (Max Schreck) pointed ears, rodent teeth, and extra-long fingernails and knows he is up to no good. The story begins when real estate agent Hutter (Gustav von Wagenheim) arrives to close a sale with Count Orlok and cuts his own finger. Orlok's reaction to Hutter's blood clues Hutter that there is more to Orlok than meets the eye. Orlock then moves into a house across the street from Hutter and his wife Ellen (Greta Schroder), and the death toll rises. Now, Ellen sets out to bring an end to Orlok's activities and uses information from "Book of the Vampires" to bring about his end.

Director: Wallace Worsley    More Info
Starring: Lon Chaney, Patsy Ruth Miller, Norman Kerry, Ernest Torrence, Tully Marshall, Kate Lester, Nigel De Brulier, Brandon Hurst, Raymond Hatton, Winifred Bryson

 Lon Chaney achieved stardom in this film as Notre Dame Cathedral bell ringer Quasimodo. Hunchbacked and friendless, he is crowned King of the Fools at a festival where gypsy Esmeralda (Patsy Ruth Miller) is entertaining the crowd as a diversion while her adopted father Clopin (Ernest Torrence) plots to overthrow the aristocracy. Notre Dame archdeacon Dom Claude (Nigel De Brulier) orders Quasimodo to kidnap Esmeralda, but the kidnapping plot fails, and Quasimodo is flogged. Esmeralda brings Quasimodo water, and later, when she is falsely accused of murder, Quasimodo rescues her and takes her to safety in the church. He falls in love with Esmeralda, but their union is not to be, and when he sees Esmeralda with her true love Phoebus (Norman Kerry), Quasimodo takes his own life.

Director: Paul Leni    More Info
Starring: Emil Jannings, Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, William Dieterle, Olga Belajeff, John Gottowt, Georg John, Ernst Legal

 In this silent film, a wax museum obtains three new figures–Harun al Raschid (Emil Jannings), Ivan the Terrible (Conrad Veidt), and Jack the Ripper (Werner Krauss)–and hires a writer (William Dieterle) to tell the stories of the three for the museum's visitors. The film tells the three stories as imagined by the writer.

Director: Rupert Julian    More Info
Starring: Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Snitz Edwards, Gibson Gowland, John Miljan, Chester Conklin, Arthur Edmund Carewe, John St. Polis, Alexander Bevani

 This is a very good, silent horror film with Lon Chaney at his best in the role of Erik, the Phantom, who lives in the sewers beneath the Paris Opera House and comes up to coach beautiful singer Christine (Mary Philbin). Through a series of terrors, including causing an enormous chandelier to crash on the audience, the Phantom forces the lead soprano to resign from the opera. Then, he lures Christine into his lair beneath the opera house and tells her that he loves her but that he will only let her go if she will break off her relationship with Raoul de Chagny (Norman Kerry). Christine agrees but then rushes to Raoul, and they plan to run away after the performance. The Phantom overhears her and kidnaps Christine asking only that she never remove his mask, but she sneaks up behind him, rips off the mask, and reveals the terror of what lies beneath. Now, it is the job of Raoul and secret service agent Simon Buquet (Gibson Gowland) to rescue Christine.

Director: James Young    More Info
Starring: Lionel Barrymore, Caroline Frances Cooke, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Lorimer Johnston, Eddie Phillips, Lola Todd, Laura La Varnie, Boris Karloff, E. Alyn Warren, John George

 After Alsatian innkeeper Mathias (Lionel Barrymore) murders a wealthy visitor at his inn and takes his gold, Mathias' conscience takes over, and he finds himself on the verge of insanity. The pressures become even worse for Mathias when the victim's brother Jerome (Gustav von Seyffertitz) arrives on the scene with a mesmerist (Boris Karloff) who says that he can identify the murderer.

Director: F.W. Murnau    More Info
Starring: Gosta Ekman, Emil Jannings, Werner Fuetterer, Camilla Horn, Frida Richard, William Dieterle, Hanna Ralph, Yvette Guilbert, Eric Barcley, Hans Brausewetter

 This distinguished masterpiece in filmmaking tells the story of a deal struck between Mephisto (Emil Jannings) and Faust (Gosta Ekman). Faust is an alchemist who fails to stop death during a plague and burns his books. Satan then sends Mephisto to tempt Faust into returning to his youth in exchange for his soul. Faust makes the deal and regains his youth. Now, Faust courts Gretchen (Camilla Horn), dishonors her, and then casts her aside. Will Faust find redemption?

Director: Paul Leni    More Info
Starring: Laura LaPlante, Tully Marshall, Flora Finch, Creighton Hale, Gertrude Astor, Lucien Littlefield, Forrest Stanley, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Martha Mattox, George Siegmann

 This silent film classic is about expectant heirs who spend the night in a haunted house. It has been 20 years since wealthy Cyrus West died, and relatives are there for the reading of his will, which demands that they spend one night in the house. And the night of frights begins with murder not out of the question.

Director: Tod Browning    More Info
Starring: Lon Chaney, Conrad Nagel, Henry B. Walthall, Marceline Day, Claude King, Polly Moran

 A vampire (Lon Chaney) seeks the blood of London citizens that will provide necessary sustenance. This film was remade in 1935 as "Mark of the Vampire." A silent semi-gem.

Director: Tod Browning    More Info
Starring: Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford, Nick De Ruiz, John George, Frank Lanning, John St. Polis, Julian Rivero, Louise Emmons

 Alonzo the Armless (Lon Chaney)–but he really does have arms– is a knife thrower in a circus who uses his feet to accomplish his feats. He falls in love with his assistant Nanon Zanzi (Joan Crawford) who has a morbid fear of being touched by men's arms. To gain her love, Alonzo decides to have his own arms amputated. The deed is done, but in the interim the object of his love gets over her phobia and falls in love with another man. Now, Alonzo schemes to get her back.

Director: Roy Del Ruth    More Info
Starring: May McAvoy, Louise Fazenda, Edward Everett Horton, Alec B. Francis, Matthew Betz, Holmes Herbert, John Miljan, Otto Hoffman, Joseph W. Girard, Frank Austin

 Edgar Wallace's play is brought to the screen in one of the first "talkies." A mysterious killer is on the loose and is now present at a dinner with assorted guests, including an undercover Scotland Yard investigator. Remade in 1938.