Top 20 films of the 1900s (decade) POLL

[Kevin Holly]

Previous Polls (all but 1910s run by Abdrewes and mjbethancourt; I have borrowed both their idea and their formatting, so full acknowledgement and respect to them)

The 1910's Poll
The 1920's Poll
The 1930's Poll
The 1940's Poll
The 1950's Poll
The 1960's Poll
The 1970's Poll
The 1980's Poll
The 1990's Poll

List your Top 20 Movies of the 1900s

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Results



1. Le Voyage dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon) (1902, Georges Méliès) (44 points)
2. The Great Train Robbery (1903, Edwin S. Porter) (40 points)
3. Nerone (Nero. Or the Fall of Rome) (1909, Luigi Maggi) (27 points)
4. The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906, Charles Tait) (20 points)
5. Jeanne d'Arc (1900, Georges Méliès) (19 points)
=. Princess Nicotine; or, The Smoke Fairy (1909, J. Stuart Blackton) (19 points)
7. The Golden Louis (1909, D. W. Griffith) (18 points)
=. L'ange de Noël (The Christmas Angel) (1904, Georges Méliès) (18 points)
9. Le tripot clandestin (The Scheming Gambler's Paradise) (1905, Georges Méliès) (17 points)
10. Le spectre rouge (The Red Spectre) (1907, Segundo de Chomón) (16 points)
11. Le scarabée d'or (The Golden Beetle) (1907, Segundo de Chomón) (16 points)
12. Alice in Wonderland (1903, Cecil M. Hepworth) (16 points)
13. La maison hantée (The Haunted House) (1906, Segundo de Chomon) (16 points)
=. The Thieving Hand (1908, J. Stuart Blackton) (16 points)
15. Three American Beauties (1906, Wallace McCutcheon and Edwin S. Porter) (15 points)
16. The '?' Motorist (1906, Walter R. Booth) (14 points)
17. Jack and the Beanstalk (1902, George S. Fleming and Edwin S. Porter) (14 points)
18. La vie et la passion de Jésus Christ (The Life and Passion of Christ) (1903, Lucien Nonguet and Ferdinand Zecca) (13 points)
19. Excursion Dan La Lune (Excursion to the Moon) (1908, Segundo de Chomón) (13 points)
20. The Suburbanite (1904, Wallace McCutcheon) (12 points)

The Rest

[Show spoiler]21. The Country Doctor (1909, D. W. Griffith) (11 points)
=. Les quatre cents farces du diable (The 400 Tricks of the Devil) (1906, Georges Méliès) (11 points)
23. Dog Factory (1904, Edwin S. Porter) (10 points)
=. The Little Match Seller (1902, James Williamson) (10 points)
25. Faust aux enfers (The Damnation of Faust) (1903, Georges Méliès) (9 points)
=. Le royaume des fées (The Kingdom of the Fairies) (1903, Georges Méliès) (9 points)
27. Le voyage sur Jupiter (A Trip to Jupiter) (1909, Segundo de Chomón) (9 points)
28. The Lonely Villa (1909, D. W. Griffith) (8 points)
=. Le voyage à travers l'impossible (An Impossible Voyage) (1904, Georges Méliès) (8 points)
30. L'éclipse du soleil en pleine lune (The Eclipse, or the Courtship of the Sun and the Moon) (1907, Georges Méliès) (10) (8 points)
31. The Haunted Curiosity Shop (1901, Walter R. Booth) (7 points)
=. Trial Marriages (1907, G. W. Bitzer) (7 points)
33. Le théâtre de Bob (Bob's Electric Theatre) (1906, Segundo de Chomón) (7 points)
34. Life of an American Fireman (1903, George S. Fleming and Edwin S. Porter) (6 points)
35. Le chaudron infernal (The Infernal Cauldron) (1903, Georges Méliès) (5 points)
=. Uncle Tom's Cabin (1903, Edwin S. Porter) (5 points)
37. The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog (1905, Edwin S. Porter) (4 points)
38. Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906, Wallace McCutcheon and Edwin S. Porter) (3 points)
39. Explosion of a Motor Car (1900, Cecil M. Hepworth) (2 points)
=. La révolution en Russie (Revolution In Russia) (1905, Lucien Nonguet) (2 points)
41. The Magician (1900, Thomas Edison) (1 point)

Notes About Individual Submitters

[Show spoiler]W0m6at
-You said your list was ranked, and it has 10 entries, so the point values were 15 down through 6.

blu-velvet
-I used the original title for The Christmas Angel, which was L'ange de Noël.
-I assumed that the 1903 Uncle Tom's Cabin film you were referring to was the more famous of the two released that year
-According to IMDB, that Revolution in Russia film came out in 1906; other sources do say 1905, however

The Math

[Show spoiler]First Tiebreak: Number of Lists appeared on (this is why, say, The '?' Motorist is above Jack and the Beanstalk)
Second Tiebreak: Highest Single Number of Points From One Rating (this is why, say, The Red Spectre is above The Golden Beetle and The Golden Beetle is above Alice in Wonderland, as 15 > 12 > 10)
Third Tiebreak: Longest List Appeared on (this is why, say, The Life and Passion of Christ is above Excursion to the Moon).

Le Voyage dans La Lune: 12 + 15 + 17 = 44
The Great Train Robbery: 14 + 6 + 20 = 40
Nerone: 13 + 14 = 27
The Story of the Kelly Gang: 20
Princess Nicotine; or, The Smoke Fairy: 19
Jeanne d'Arc: 19
The Golden Louis: 18
L'ange de Noël (The Christmas Angel): 18
Le tripot clandestine: 17
Le spectre rouge: 15 + 1 = 16
Le scarabée d'or: 4 + 12 = 16
Alice in Wonderland: 16
La maison hantée: 16
The Thieving Hand: 16
Three American Beauties: 15
The '?' Motorist: 14
Jack and the Beanstalk: 14
La vie et la passion de Jésus Christ: 13
Excursion Dan La Lune: 13
The Suburbanite: 12
The Country Doctor: 11
Les quatre cents farces du diable: 11
Dog Factory: 10
The Little Match Seller: 10
Faust aux enfers: 9
Le royaume des fees: 9
Le voyage sur Jupiter: 9
The Lonely Villa: 8
Le voyage à travers l'impossible: 8
L'éclipse du soleil en pleine lune: 8
The Haunted Curiosity Shop: 7
Trial Marriages: 7
Le théâtre de Bob: 7
Life of an American Fireman: 6
Le chaudron infernal: 5
Uncle Tom's Cabin: 5
The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog: 4
Dream of a Rarebit Fiend: 3
Explosion of a Motor Car: 2
La révolution en Russie (Revolution In Russia): 2
The Magician: 1

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Rules

1. All lists of any length (1 movie to 20 movies) will be allowed in the poll.

2. You can elect to give your #1 choice 20 points, #2 19 points, etc., or give 10 points to each film on the list. If there is no indication, the latter will be assumed.

2a. If your list has less than 20 entries, but you elect for the ranked ratings, they will be as such:

2ai. If your list has one entry, it will get 10 points.
2aii. If your list has two entries, #1 gets 11 points and #2 gets 10 points.
2aiii. If your list has three entries, #1 gets 11 points and #2 gets 10 points and #3 gets 9 points.
2aiv. If your list has four entries, #1 gets 12 points and #2 gets 11 points and #3 gets 10 points and #4 gets 9 points.
etc.

3. The poll will close in a month, on January 26, 2014..

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My List

1. The Story of the Kelly Gang (only fragments remain) (1906, Charles Tait) (20 points)
2. Jeanne d'Arc (1900, Georges Méliès) (19 points)
3. The Golden Louis (1909, D. W. Griffith) (18 points)
4. Le tripot clandestin (The Scheming Gambler's Paradise) (1905, Georges Méliès) (17 points)
5. La maison hantée (The Haunted House) (1906, Segundo de Chomon) (16 points)
6. Le spectre rouge (The Red Spectre) (1907, Segundo de Chomón) (15 points)
7. The Great Train Robbery (1903, Edwin S. Porter) (14 points)
8. Nerone (Nero. Or the Fall of Rome) (1909, Luigi Maggi) (13 points)
9. Le Voyage dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon) (1902, Georges Méliès) (12 points)
10. Les quatre cents farces du diable (The 400 Tricks of the Devil) (1906, Georges Méliès) (11 points)
11. The Little Match Seller (1902, James Williamson) (10 points)
12. Faust aux enfers (The Damnation of Faust) (1903, Georges Méliès) (9 points)
13. The Lonely Villa (1909, D. W. Griffith) (8 points)
14. The Haunted Curiosity Shop (1901, Walter R. Booth) (7 points)
15. Alice in Wonderland (1903, Cecil M. Hepworth) (6 points)
16. Le chaudron infernal (The Infernal Cauldron) (1903, Georges Méliès) (5 points)
17. Le scarabée d'or (The Golden Beetle) (1907, Segundo de Chomón) (4 points)
18. The '?' Motorist (1906, Walter R. Booth) (3 points)
19. Explosion of a Motor Car (1900, Cecil M. Hepworth) (2 points)
20. The Magician (1900, Thomas Edison) (1 point)

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Fun Fact: Many (most) films from this decade can be easily viewed for free on YouTube, including all of my list! And they are short enough that one can watch 20 in no time at all!

[W0m6at]

My list so far (I'll update it over the next month).
I think it will demonstrate my love of "trick films".

Ranked

1. Le Voyage dans La Lune (1902) [A Trip to the Moon]
2. Nerone (1909) [Nero. Or the Fall of Rome]
3. Excursion Dans La Lune (1908) [Excursion to the Moon]
4. Golden Beetle (1907)
5. The '?' Motorist (1906)
6. Alice in Wonderland (1903)
7. Le Voyage sur Jupiter (1909) [A Trip to Jupiter]
8. Éclipse du Soleil en pleine Lune (1907) [The Eclipse, or the Courtship of the Sun and the Moon]
9. Bob's Electric Theatre (1906)
10. The Great Train Robbery (1903)

This is actually quite tricky, because unlike later decades, where favourites tend to be features (which I generally have on the shelf), I don't have any quick way of recalling what I've seen.

[Kevin Holly]

Thanks w0m6at, I checked out some of those and some made my full list.

[W0m6at]

Originally Posted by Kevin Holly

9. Le Voyage dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon) (1902, Georges Méliès) (12 points)
...
I will be adding more later, but that's a start.

Fun Fact: Many (most) films from this decade can be easily viewed for free on YouTube, including all of my list! And they are short enough that one can watch 20 in no time at all!

At the risk of looking like one of the hotheads challenging someone else's taste, which version of A Trip to the Moon have you seen? The full-colour restoration by Lobster Films with (controversial) soundtrack by Air is very impressive.

[Kevin Holly]

Originally Posted by W0m6at

At the risk of looking like one of the hotheads challenging someone else's taste, which version of A Trip to the Moon have you seen? The full-colour restoration by Lobster Films with (controversial) soundtrack by Air is very impressive.

I was referring to the original b&w version, but I think I will make a point of checking out the "remake" on your recommendation.

[W0m6at]

*bump*
Between being busy, tired & having a heatwave here, I've not gotten around to watching anything else.

[Kevin Holly]

Ah, thanks for the bump.

I was going to yesterday to remind everyone about only being one week left (now six days), but I got distracted by the football games.

Cheers

[Kevin Holly]

Originally Posted by W0m6at

*bump*
Between being busy, tired & having a heatwave here, I've not gotten around to watching anything else.

Yeah, you really can't complain about it being too hot. It's brutally cold here in the frozen north (I really, really should live in Phoenix or something).

[W0m6at]

Originally Posted by Kevin Holly

Yeah, you really can't complain about it being too hot. It's brutally cold here in the frozen north (I really, really should live in Phoenix or something).

Just did a conversion... it got to 111.56ºF
I may try to squeeze in one more short film before the poll is closed.

[Kevin Holly]

Originally Posted by W0m6at

Just did a conversion... it got to 111.56ºF
I may try to squeeze in one more short film before the poll is closed.

That is indeed hot, precisely how I like it. And we use Celsius here in Canada too

Do it, you have a couple days and some of these films are very short.

[Kevin Holly]

Two Days Until The Poll Closes

[Kevin Holly]

One Day Until The Poll Closes

[Blu-Velvet]

There are so many interesting short early films, again it's hard to find just 20, but then again it also usually takes more effort to track them down to see them.

Here's a list of 20 films from 1900-1909, in rough order, plus another 5 honorable mentions I wanted to include but couldn't decide what to eliminate.

These are all available on various DVD collections.


TOP 20 FILMS FROM THE 1900s
===========================

The Great Train Robbery (1903) - 20pts
Princess Nicotine, or The Smoke Fairy (1909) -19pts
Detresse et charite, aka The Christmas Angel (1904) -18pts
A Trip to the Moon (1902) -17pts
The Thieving Hand (1908) -16pts
Three American Beauties (1906) -15pts
Jack and the Beanstalk (1902) - 14pts
La vie et la passion de Jesus-Christ (1905) -13pts (feature-length and stencil-colored)
The Suburbanite (1904) -12pts
The Country Doctor (1909) -11pts

Dog Factory (1904) -10pts
The Kingdom of Fairies (1903) -9pts
The Impossible Voyage (1904) -8pts
Trial Marriages (1907) -7pts
The Life of an American Fireman (1903) -6pts
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1903) -5pts
The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog (1905) -4pts
The Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906) -3pts
The Revolution in Russia (1905) -2pts (the story of the Potemkin mutiny filmed the same year it happened!)
The Red Spectre (1907) -1pt


HONORABLE MENTIONS:
---------------------------
Nero, or the Fall of Rome (1909)
Lucia Di Lammermoor (1908) -sound!-
Little Tich and His Big Boots (1900) -sound!-
The Golden Beetle (1907)
Cyrano de Bergerac (1900) -sound & color!-

[Kevin Holly]

Thank you blu-velvet, I was hoping we'd hear from you.

[Kevin Holly]

The Results Are In!

Perhaps not surprisingly, the lone movie from this decade currently available on Blu-Ray wins, and the runner-up was the only other film of the decade many have heard of.

That being said, congratulations to our Bronze medalist,



Cool.

~

Yes, there will be an 1890s poll, and it will begin in a few days.

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by Kevin Holly

The Results Are In!

Perhaps not surprisingly, the lone movie from this decade currently available on Blu-Ray wins, and the runner-up was the only other film of the decade many have heard of.

That being said, congratulations to our Bronze medalist,



Cool.

~

Yes, there will be an 1890s poll, and it will begin in a few days.

Too bad more people didn't participate. Movies that old may seem a chore to watch at first, but the more you see, the more fun and more fascinating they become. Image's "Landmarks of Early Cinema" disc is probably the best place to start (and has a lot of the winners), along with Flicker Alley's Georges Melies collections and Kino's Edison box set, as well as Kino's "The Movies Begin" box set and two box sets of early "Gaumont Treasures."

As for the 1890s, #1 is easy -- 1895's "L'Arroseur arrosé" (a.k.a. "Watering the Gardener") -- but it will take a while to organize a top 20, which will obviously be heavily skewed to Melies, the Lumieres and Edison, as very few other 1890s films are available on video.

[W0m6at]

Looking at the final list, there are a few more I've seen, but with no recollection of them, the ranking would be purely arbitrary.

[Kevin Holly]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

Too bad more people didn't participate. Movies that old may seem a chore to watch at first, but the more you see, the more fun and more fascinating they become. Image's "Landmarks of Early Cinema" disc is probably the best place to start (and has a lot of the winners), along with Flicker Alley's Georges Melies collections and Kino's Edison box set, as well as Kino's "The Movies Begin" box set and two box sets of early "Gaumont Treasures."

Thanks for the recommendations. And yes, the participation was even less than the 1910s, but, rest assured, nothing will stop me from going back even further.

Cheers!