Top 20 films of the 1920's POLL

[Abdrewes]

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

#1 Spot is worth 20 points, #2 is worth 19, etc.

The Results:

First off, 'Dr. Caligari' Counts. IMDb lists it at 1920, and nobody should be expected to take another forum-member's word over an accepted reference such as IMDb when making their list. Also, Archedamain submitted a full list, but one title came into dispute, (City Girls, 1930). They never corrected that, perhaps because a point of technicality was raised about its release date. Since that inclusion is debatable, and also has a miniscule effect on the overall value of Archedemain's survey (2 points out of their pool of 210), a second ranking will also be posted with an 'asterisk'.



1. Metropolis 252
2. The General 190
2. Nosferatu 190
4. Sunrise 163
5. The Passion of Joan of Arc 125
6. The Phantom of the Opera 95
7. The Last Laugh 94
8. Battleship Potemkin 90
9. The Gold Rush 86
10. Ben Hur 85
11. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari 82
12. Die Nibelungen 81
13. Thief of Bagdad 78
14. Wings 76
15. Pandora's Box 70
16. Sherlock Jr. 68
17. The Kid 67
18. Man with a Movie Camera 66
19. Greed 65
20. The Lodger 60

The Rest:

[Show spoiler]
21. An Andalusian Dog 58
21. Haxan 58
23. The Crowd 57
24. The Phantom Carriage 56
25. Napoleon 52
26. Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde 47
27. Safety Last! 46
28. Lonesome 43
29. Steamboat Bill, Jr. 40
30. The Hunchback of Notre Dame 39
30. The Man who Laughs 39
32. Nanook of the North 32
33. Faust 31
34. The Black Pirate 28
35. The Lost World 27
35. The Circus 27
37. The Navigator 24
37. The Big Parade 24
37. The Penalty 24
37. Dr. Mabuse der Spieler 24
41. Woman in the Moon 23
42. The Golem 20
43. Spies 28
44. Way Down East 17
44. A Woman of Paris 17
44. The Goat 17
47. The Kid Brother 16
48. The Docks of New York 15
48. Laugh, Clown, Laugh 15
48. The Paleface 15
51. Three Ages 14
51. The Unknown 14
51. The Cat and the Canary 14
54. The Jazz Singer 13
54. Blackmail 13
54. One Week 13
54. Girl Shy 13
58. Foolish Wives 12
58. The Ten Commandments 12
58. The Cameraman 12
58. Steamboat Willie 12
58. Picadilly 12
63. The Holy Mountain 11
63. Diary of a Lost Girl 11
63. Speedy 11
63. The Death-Feigning Chinaman 11
67. The Mark of Zorro 10
67. Orphans of the Storm 10
67. Seven Chances 10
67. Asphalt 10
71. The Freshman 9
71. The Godless Girl 9
73. The Adventures of Prince Achmed 8
73. The Last Command 8
75. Robin Hood 7
75. The Faithful Heart 7
75. The Last Warning 7
78. The Sheik 6
78. Michael 6
78. The Skeleton Dance 6
81. October 3
81. Hands of Orlac 3
81. Waxworks 3
84. Underworld 2
84. The Broadway Melody 2
86. The Wizard of Oz 1
86. The Wind 1

And here's a second ranking including Archedamain's survey:

[Show spoiler]**The Top Films of the 1920s (one data point in dispute):

1. Metropolis 269
2. Nosferatu 203
3. The General 191
4. Sunrise 183
5. The Passion of Joan of Arc 143
6. The Last Laugh 110
7. Battleship Potemkin 105
8. The Gold Rush 100
9. The Phantom of the Opera 95
10. Pandora's Box 89
11. Wings 86
12. Ben Hur 85
13. Thief of Bagdad 84
14. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari 82
15. Die Nibelungen 81
16. The Kid 71
17. Sherlock Jr. 68
18. Man with a Movie Camera 66
19. Greed 65
20. The Lodger 60
21. An Andalusian Dog 58
21. Haxan 58
23. The Crowd 57
24. The Phantom Carriage 56
25. Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde 55
26. Napoleon 52
27. The Hunchback of Notre Dame 46
27. Safety Last! 46
29. Lonesome 43
29. Faust 43
31. Steamboat Bill, Jr. 40
32. The Man who Laughs 39
33. Nanook of the North 32
34. The Black Pirate 28
34. Spies 28
36. The Lost World 27
36. The Circus 27
38. The Navigator 24
38. The Big Parade 24
38. The Penalty 24
38. Dr. Mabuse der Spieler 24
42. Woman in the Moon 23
43. Diary of a Lost Girl 22
44. The Golem 20
45. Way Down East 17
45. A Woman of Paris 17
45. The Goat 17
48. The Kid Brother 16
49. The Docks of New York 15
49. Laugh, Clown, Laugh 15
49. The Paleface 15
49. The Mark of Zorro 15
53. Three Ages 14
53. The Unknown 14
53. The Cat and the Canary 14
56. The Jazz Singer 13
56. Blackmail 13
56. One Week 13
56. Girl Shy 13
60. Foolish Wives 12
60. The Ten Commandments 12
60. The Cameraman 12
60. Steamboat Willie 12
60. Picadilly 12
65. The Holy Mountain 11
65. Speedy 11
65. The Death-Feigning Chinaman 11
68. Orphans of the Storm 10
68. Seven Chances 10
68. Asphalt 10
71. The Freshman 9
71. The Godless Girl 9
73. The Adventures of Prince Achmed 8
73. The Last Command 8
75. Robin Hood 7
75. The Faithful Heart 7
75. The Last Warning 7
78. The Sheik 6
78. Michael 6
78. The Skeleton Dance 6
81. October 3
81. Hands of Orlac 3
81. Waxworks 3
81. It 3
85. Underworld 2
85. The Broadway Melody 2
85. City Girl 2 (** eligibility under dispute)
88. The Wizard of Oz 1
89. The Wind 1

My List:
1) The Passion of Joan of Arc
2) Greed
3) Sunrise
4) Metropolis
5) The Crowd
6) Lonesome
7) The Last Laugh
8) Thief of Bagdad
9) Foolish Wives
10) The Phantom Carriage
11) The General
12) Nosferatu
13) An Andalusian Dog
14) Battleship Potemkin
15) The Unknown
16) Man with a Movie Camera
17) Pandora's Box
18) The Docks of New York
19) The Phantom of the Opera
20) Wings

[Foggy]

You expect too much from people on this forum.

[Kaiju]

Originally Posted by Foggy

You expect too much from people on this forum.

[Carlosg777]

It's a shame I haven't seen more of these. I would have liked being able to make better contribution... oh, well. From the ones I've seen that are on this list, I'd say:

1) Pandora's Box (now, it probably isn't the best, but it's my favourite)
2) Battleship Potemkin
3) The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
4) Metropolis
5) The Phantom Carriage
5) Man with a Movie Camera


I've been waiting impatiently for Sunrise to get a US release.

Also: is Lonesome really that good so that you'd single it out on your list, excluding films like The Kid, The Gold Rush, Sherlock, Jr. (of course, maybe you only chose one film to represent each director), Wings, etc.? The reason I ask is I've been curious about it, but haven't given it a chance, as it is, critically, not as revered as some of the other titles in this list, though that perhaps may be owing to it's relative obscurity.

[mrjohnnyb]

Here's my list:

1. SUNRISE
2. BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN
3. THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC
4. THE MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA
5. THE GENERAL
6. METROPOLIS
7. THE GOLD RUSH
8. GREED
9. SHERLOCK JR.
10. UN CHIEN ANDALOU
11. NOSFERATU
12. NAPOLÉON
13. THE LAST LAUGH
14. THE CROWD
15. PANDORA'S BOX
16. NANOOK OF THE NORTH
17. THE KID
18. OCTOBER
19. THE CAMERAMAN
20. STEAMBOAT BILL, JR.


btw, THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI was released in 1919.

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by Carlosg777

I've been waiting impatiently for Sunrise to get a US release.

The Masters of Cinema version is playable in Region A. It is available via Amazon.comuk

[Jaymole]

The 1960's would be a tough decade for this crowd, let alone the 1920's

I will have to work on this.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Foggy

You expect too much from people on this forum.

I hope you decide to give a few of these a shot. The 20's were probably the most fertile decade in cinema. Everything from German Expressionism, Soviet Montage to Avant-garde still impresses.


Johnny B:

Release date(s):
February 26, 1920 (Germany)
March 19, 1921 (United States)

You scared me for a second.

[MovieFanatic2010]

I'll bet a majority of the members here have not seen 1 film from the 1920's and i am one if them.......

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I hope you decide to give a few of these a shot. The 20's were probably the most fertile decade in cinema. Everything from German Expressionism, Soviet Montage to Avant-garde still impresses. .

I've already seen a few (Metropolis, Battleship Potemkim, Un Chien Andalou) but I'll get around to seeing some others.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Carlosg777

Also: is Lonesome really that good so that you'd single it out on your list, excluding films like The Kid, The Gold Rush, Sherlock, Jr. (of course, maybe you only chose one film to represent each director), Wings, etc.? The reason I ask is I've been curious about it, but haven't given it a chance, as it is, critically, not as revered as some of the other titles in this list, though that perhaps may be owing to it's relative obscurity.

I like all those films, The Kid, Gold Rush, Sherlock Jr. are all charmers, Wings is absolutely spectacular. But naturally there's only 20 spots. I may still revise my list, though, there's a few key silent films I've yet to see.

Yes, Lonesome is that good. It's not as technically accomplished as King Vidor's The Crowd (the few scenes with awkward dialogue may put some people off), but it is unique in its own way. The superimpositions help craft some of the most dense frames you'll ever see. In a way, I was reminded of Tati's Playtime. There's just so much going on that your eyes are darting from quadrant to quadrant.

Also, Criterions release contains two additional films. Both with their merits. The Last Performance is the more entertaining of the two, but the use of crane shots in Broadway makes it a must for students of film. In short, the release gets my highest endorsement.

[Bonzi]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

11) City Lights

I believe this one is from 1931.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Bonzi

I believe this one is from 1931.

Thanks for the correction. Now I can put Wings on the list....

[kpkelley]

I've only seen a few from the twenties. I've actually seen a few from earlier as well.

The Passion of Joan of Arc
The General
Nosferatu
Battleship Potemkin
Steamboat Bill Jr.

[Abdrewes]

Thanks kpkelley.

[Moe Szyslak]

I call BS. There weren't 20 films made in the 1920's

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by Moe Szyslak

I call BS. There weren't 20 films made in the 1920's

Okay, I'm afraid I just can't limit it to the top 20 feature films from 1920s made in the US before synchronized sound took over, much less all the sound films and the numerous German, French, Swedish, Russian, British, Japanese, and other films from the 20s, or any of the shorts. It would be far easier to come up with the top 20 films from the 1920s that have already been released on Blu-ray than to choose from all the 1920s films I've seen.

I haven't yet been able to order these in order of preference or trim them down to only 20 titles, but here's a quick alphabetical list of 52 of the top American-made films made in the 1920s. That's enough for one Blu-ray release per week for an entire year, and every single one of these deserves a top-quality Blu-ray edition with at least one or more good musical scores as audio options. (A few of these are actually already on Blu-ray, and I didn't even include WINGS or SUNRISE or THE TEN COMMANDMENTS or THE THIEF OF BAGDAD or Mary Pickford's SPARROWS.)


Beau Geste (1926)
Beggars of Life (1928)
The Beloved Rogue (1927)
Ben-Hur (1926)
The Big Parade (1924)
The Blot (1921)
Chicago (1928)
City Girl (1929)
The Covered Wagon (1923)
The Docks of New York (1928)

Don Juan (1926)
Flesh and the Devil (1926)
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
Four Sons (1928)
The Freshman (1925)
The General (1926)
The Gold Rush (1925)
The Goose Woman (1925)
The Great K & A Train Robbery (1926)
Greed (1925)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
It (1927)
The Kid (1921)
The Kid Brother (1927)
King of Kings (1927)
A Kiss for Cinderella (1926)
The Last Command (1928)
The Last of the Mohicans (1920)
The Last Warning (1929)
Linda (1929)

Lord Jim (1925)
The Navigator (1924)
Orphans of the Storm (1921)
Paths to Paradise (1925)
The Racket (1928)
Robin Hood (1922)
The Sea Hawk (1924)
The Shakedown (1929)
Sherlock, Jr (1924)
Son of the Sheik (1926)

Stark Love (1927)
Stella Dallas (1925)
Tempest (1928)
Tol'able David (1921)
Underworld (1927)
The Unknown (1927)
Upstream (1927)
The Vanishing American (1927)
Way Down East (1920)
West of Zanzibar (1928)

The Whistle (1921)
Wild Oranges (1924)

[W0m6at]

Gonna put in an effort to watch more by cut-off, but here's a start from me:

01) Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1920, dir. Robertson)
02) Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
03) Metropolis (1927)
04) The Goat (1921) (short)
05) The Phantom of the Opera (1925/29)
06) The Paleface (1922) (short)
07) Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
08) One Week (1920) (short)
09) Steamboat Willie (1928)
10) The Death-Feigning Chinaman (1928) (short)
11) Die Nibelungen (1924)
12) The General (1926)
13) The Black Pirate (1926)
14) The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
15) The Skeleton Dance (1929)
16) The Lost World (1925)
17) Nosferatu (1922)
18) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
19) The Golem (1920)
20) Battleship Potemkin (1925)

[Abdrewes]

wom6at, i assume those are ranked.

[W0m6at]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

wom6at, i assume those are ranked.

They are, but already I'm finding stuff I missed.
Is it best if I keep it to just one list, and edit it?