Burney's favorite silents
by burneyfan88 | created - 28 Jan 2014 | updated - 28 Jan 2014 | PublicThis is a "favorites" list, not a "best / most worthy of critical acclaim" list; there would be overlap between the two, but the rankings would be very different in some cases. I've limited to my top 150; some rankings would vary depending on the day.
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101. The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928)
40 min | Short, Drama, Fantasy
Obsessed with a general's woman, a clergyman has strange visions of death and lust, struggling against his own eroticism.
Director: Germaine Dulac | Stars: Alex Allin, Lucien Bataille, Genica Athanasiou
Votes: 2,284
102. Happiness (I) (1935)
Not Rated | 95 min | Comedy, Drama
A hapless man undergoes misadventures with avaricious clergy, a tired horse, and a walking granary on his road to collectivized happiness.
Director: Aleksandr Medvedkin | Stars: Pyotr Zinovyev, Yelena Yegorova, Mikhail Gipsi, Viktor Kulakov
Votes: 1,200
103. The Life and Death of 9413, a Hollywood Extra (1928)
Not Rated | 11 min | Short, Drama, Horror
A wannabe movie star experiences the surreal horrors of dehumanization at the bottom of Hollywood's social ladder as his hopes for success vanish and his identity is reduced to a number.
Directors: Robert Florey, Slavko Vorkapich | Stars: Jules Raucourt, Voya George, Robert Florey, Adriane Marsh
Votes: 1,425
104. Chess Fever (1925)
Not Rated | 20 min | Comedy, Short
With an international chess tournament in progress, a young man becomes completely obsessed with the game. His fiancée has no interest in it, and becomes frustrated and depressed by his ... See full summary »
Directors: Vsevolod Pudovkin, Mykola Shpykovskyi | Stars: José Raúl Capablanca, Vladimir Fogel, Anna Zemtsova, Natalya Glan
Votes: 1,477
105. Brumes d'automne (1929)
15 min | Short, Drama
A woman--a pained expression on her face--burns letters in a stove.
Director: Dimitri Kirsanoff | Star: Nadia Sibirskaïa
Votes: 699
106. South (1919)
TV-G | 88 min | Documentary, Adventure, History
The story of the 1914-1916 Antarctic exploration mission of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The ship sails south, breaking the ice, and ultimately getting trapped by the fast-changing weather. The ... See full summary »
Director: Frank Hurley | Stars: Ernest Shackleton, Frank Worsley, J. Stenhouse, L. Hussey
Votes: 611
107. The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
Not Rated | 155 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
A recalcitrant thief vies with a duplicitous Mongol ruler for the hand of a beautiful princess.
Director: Raoul Walsh | Stars: Douglas Fairbanks, Julanne Johnston, Snitz Edwards, Charles Belcher
Votes: 6,969 | Gross: $4.36M
108. The White Sister (1923)
143 min | Drama, Romance
A young woman becomes a nun when she believes her sweetheart has been killed, then things get complicated when he returns alive.
Director: Henry King | Stars: Lillian Gish, Ronald Colman, Gail Kane, J. Barney Sherry
Votes: 539 | Gross: $0.66M
109. The Immigrant (1917)
Unrated | 30 min | Short, Comedy, Drama
Charlie is an immigrant who endures a challenging voyage and gets into trouble as soon as he arrives in America.
Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell, Albert Austin
Votes: 9,200
110. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
Passed | 150 min | Drama, Romance, War
An extended family split up in France and Germany find themselves on opposing sides of the battlefield during World War I.
Director: Rex Ingram | Stars: Rudolph Valentino, Alice Terry, Pomeroy Cannon, Josef Swickard
Votes: 3,549 | Gross: $9.20M
111. 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: 1,990
112. The Great White Silence (1922)
80 min | Documentary
In 1910 the British Antarctic Expedition, led by Capt. Robert F. Scott, embarks from Lyttleton, NZ on a quest to become the first to reach the South Pole.
Director: Herbert G. Ponting | Stars: Robert Falcon Scott, Herbert G. Ponting, Henry R. Bowers, Edgar Evans
Votes: 1,680
113. The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks (1924)
Not Rated | 94 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Experience the chronicle adventures of Mr. West and his faithful bodyguard and servant Jeddie, as they visit the land of the horrible and evil Bolsheviks.
Director: Lev Kuleshov | Stars: Porfiri Podobed, Boris Barnet, Aleksandra Khokhlova, Vsevolod Pudovkin
Votes: 1,120
114. The Red Mill (1927)
Passed | 74 min | Comedy, Romance
A tavern worker and the daughter of a burgomaster enter into elaborate masquerades in order to win the hearts of the men they love.
Director: Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle | Stars: Marion Davies, Owen Moore, Louise Fazenda, George Siegmann
Votes: 1,514
115. Hamlet (1921)
131 min | Drama
Danish silent movie-star Asta Nielsen formed her own production company to make this film, in which new elements are combined with features (and a few lines) familiar from Shakespeare's ... See full summary »
Directors: Svend Gade, Heinz Schall | Stars: Asta Nielsen, Paul Conradi, Mathilde Brandt, Eduard von Winterstein
Votes: 521
116. Tell It to the Marines (1926)
Passed | 103 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A gruff Marine sergeant and a handsome new recruit compete for the affection of a nurse.
Director: George W. Hill | Stars: Lon Chaney, William Haines, Eleanor Boardman, Eddie Gribbon
Votes: 1,621 | Gross: $0.74M
117. The Big Road (1935)
Not Rated | 104 min | Comedy, Musical, Drama
Six young men from the city take jobs on a road crew, building a highway of strategic importance to the Chinese Army. The story relates the men's interactions with each other, the local ... See full summary »
Director: Yu Sun | Stars: Yan Jin, Yanyan Chen, Li-li Li, Peng Luo
Votes: 324
118. Four Sons (1928)
Passed | 100 min | Drama, War
A family saga in which three sons of a Bavarian widow go to war for Germany and the fourth goes to America, Germany's eventual opponent.
Director: John Ford | Stars: James Hall, Margaret Mann, Charles Morton, Francis X. Bushman Jr.
Votes: 920
119. The Penalty (1920)
Passed | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A deformed criminal mastermind plans to loot the city of San Francisco as well as revenge himself on the doctor who mistakenly amputated his legs.
Director: Wallace Worsley | Stars: Charles Clary, Doris Pawn, Jim Mason, Lon Chaney
Votes: 2,633
120. Modern Times (1936)
G | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The Tramp struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman.
Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford
Votes: 259,414 | Gross: $0.16M
121. The Dragon Painter (1919)
TV-PG | 53 min | Drama, Romance
A wild man and genius becomes a master painter's disciple, but loses his divine gift when he finds love.
Director: William Worthington | Stars: Sessue Hayakawa, Tsuru Aoki, Edward Peil Sr., Toyo Fujita
Votes: 665
122. The Mothering Heart (1913)
Not Rated | 29 min | Short, Drama
A young couple struggle to get ahead, the wife always assuaging the troubles of her melancholy husband. As he climbs the ladder of success, he abandons the homely values and takes up with ... See full summary »
Director: D.W. Griffith | Stars: Walter Miller, Lillian Gish, Kate Bruce, Viola Barry
Votes: 863
123. Flunky, Work Hard! (1931)
29 min | Short, Comedy, Drama
The story of a poor insurance salesman who struggles to provide for his wife and family.
Director: Mikio Naruse | Stars: Shizue Akiyama, Seiichi Katô, Tomoko Naniwa, Tokio Seki
Votes: 517
124. Salomé (1922)
Not Rated | 72 min | Biography, Drama, History
Salome, the daughter of Herodias, seduces her step-father/uncle Herod, governor of Judea, with a salacious dance. In return, he promises her the head of the prophet John the Baptist.
Directors: Charles Bryant, Alla Nazimova | Stars: Alla Nazimova, Nigel De Brulier, Mitchell Lewis, Rose Dione
Votes: 1,156
125. Every-Night Dreams (1933)
64 min | Drama
A single mother works tirelessly as a Ginza bar hostess to ensure a better life for her young son until--her long-lost husband returns.
Director: Mikio Naruse | Stars: Sumiko Kurishima, Teruko Kojima, Jun Arai, Tatsuo Saitô
Votes: 642
126. Intolerance (1916)
Passed | 163 min | Drama, History
The story of a poor young woman separated by prejudice from her husband and baby is interwoven with tales of intolerance from throughout history.
Director: D.W. Griffith | Stars: Lillian Gish, Robert Harron, Mae Marsh, F.A. Turner
Votes: 16,718 | Gross: $2.18M
127. From Morning to Midnight (1920)
65 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A Cashier in a bank in a small German town is alerted to the power of money by the visit of a rich Italian lady. He embezzles 60, 000 Marks and leaves for the capital city, where he ... See full summary »
Director: Karl Heinz Martin | Stars: Ernst Deutsch, Erna Morena, Roma Bahn, Adolf E. Licho
Votes: 604
128. Tol'able David (1921)
99 min | Drama
When three thuggish men are responsible for the death of his father and the crippling of his brother, young David must choose between supporting his family or risking his life and exacting vengeance.
Director: Henry King | Stars: Richard Barthelmess, Gladys Hulette, Walter P. Lewis, Ernest Torrence
Votes: 1,947
129. Lady Windermere's Fan (1925)
Approved | 120 min | Comedy
A society woman believes her husband is having an affair, a misconception which may have dire personal consequences for all involved.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch | Stars: Irene Rich, May McAvoy, Bert Lytell, Ronald Colman
Votes: 1,361
130. Stella Maris (1918)
Unrated | 84 min | Drama
Two young women - a paraplegic girl sheltered by her wealthy guardians and a more experienced orphan - fall in love with a man separated from his violent wife.
Director: Marshall Neilan | Stars: Mary Pickford, Ida Waterman, Herbert Standing, Conway Tearle
Votes: 1,566
131. Dom na Trubnoy (1928)
Not Rated | 64 min | Comedy
A girl Parasha Pitunova comes to Moscow from a deep province, eventually she arrives at a house. This is a story about the house and its inhabitants.
Director: Boris Barnet | Stars: Vera Maretskaya, Anel Sudakevich, Ada Voytsik, Vladimir Fogel
Votes: 730
132. The 'High Sign' (1921)
Not Rated | 20 min | Short, Action, Comedy
A drifter at an amusement park finds himself both the bodyguard and hit man of a man targeted by a criminal gang.
Directors: Edward F. Cline, Buster Keaton | Stars: Buster Keaton, Bartine Burkett, Charles Dorety, Ingram B. Pickett
Votes: 3,562
133. Alone (1931)
90 min | Drama
The story of a newly graduated Leningrad teacher, Yelena Kuzmina. She goes furniture shopping with her fiance, Petya, and in a fantasy sequence she imagines teaching a class of neat, ... See full summary »
Directors: Grigoriy Kozintsev, Leonid Trauberg | Stars: Yelena Kuzmina, Pyotr Sobolevsky, Sergey Gerasimov, Mariya Babanova
Votes: 253
134. Waxworks (1924)
Not Rated | 107 min | Fantasy, Horror
A wax museum hires a writer to give the sculptures stories. The writer imagines himself and the museum owner's daughter in the stories.
Directors: Leo Birinsky, Paul Leni | Stars: Emil Jannings, Conrad Veidt, Werner Krauss, William Dieterle
Votes: 2,310
135. The Last of the Mohicans (1920)
Not Rated | 73 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the midst of the French and Indian War, the eldest daughter of a British officer develops an attraction towards an Indian ally who is the last living warrior of his tribe, the Mohicans.
Directors: Clarence Brown, Maurice Tourneur | Stars: Wallace Beery, Barbara Bedford, Alan Roscoe, Lillian Hall
Votes: 1,444
136. The Circus (1928)
Passed | 72 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
The Tramp finds work and the girl of his dreams at a circus.
Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Merna Kennedy, Al Ernest Garcia, Harry Crocker
Votes: 36,037
137. The Man Who Laughs (1928)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
When a proud noble refuses to kiss the hand of the despotic King James in 1690, he is cruelly executed and his son surgically disfigured.
Director: Paul Leni | Stars: Mary Philbin, Conrad Veidt, Julius Molnar, Olga Baclanova
Votes: 8,068
138. The River (1928)
84 min | Drama, Romance
A naïve young man is working on a logging camp beside a turbulent river. When it closes for winter, he opts to stay for the experience. He meets a woman who was the girlfriend of the ... See full summary »
Director: Frank Borzage | Stars: Charles Farrell, Mary Duncan, Ivan Linow, Margaret Mann
Votes: 661
139. The Burning Soil (1922)
98 min | Drama
When farmer Rog dies, his son Peter stays, but Johannes can not be satisfied with such a condition (and servant Maria's love) and finds a job as old Count Rudenberg's secretary. His ... See full summary »
Director: F.W. Murnau | Stars: Werner Krauss, Eugen Klöpfer, Vladimir Gajdarov, Eduard von Winterstein
Votes: 780
140. Queen Kelly (1932)
Passed | 101 min | Drama
A convent girl is abducted and seduced by a prince before being sent off to a brothel in East Africa.
Directors: Erich von Stroheim, Richard Boleslawski | Stars: Gloria Swanson, Walter Byron, Seena Owen, Sylvia Ashton
Votes: 3,363
141. Broken Blossoms or the Yellow Man and the Girl (1919)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama, Romance
A frail waif, abused by her brutal boxer father in London's seedy Limehouse District, is befriended by a sensitive Chinese immigrant with tragic consequences.
Director: D.W. Griffith | Stars: Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, Donald Crisp, Arthur Howard
Votes: 11,057
142. The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)
Not Rated | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A landlady suspects that her new lodger is the madman killing women in London.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: June Tripp, Ivor Novello, Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney
Votes: 13,383
143. The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927)
Passed | 106 min | Drama, Romance
A cloistered, overprotected Austrian prince falls in love with a down-to-earth barmaid in this "Viennese fairy tale."
Directors: Ernst Lubitsch, John M. Stahl | Stars: Ramon Novarro, Norma Shearer, Jean Hersholt, Gustav von Seyffertitz
Votes: 1,667
144. L'étoile de mer (1928)
21 min | Short, Romance
Two people stand on a road, out of focus. Seen distorted through a glass, they retire upstairs to a bedroom where she undresses. He says, "Adieu." Images: the beautiful girl, a starfish in ... See full summary »
Director: Man Ray | Stars: Kiki of Montparnasse, André de la Rivière, Robert Desnos
Votes: 1,562
145. Bardelys the Magnificent (1926)
Passed | 90 min | Drama, Romance
In the reign of King Louis XIII, dashing rogue and libertine Marquis de Bardelys is entranced by Roxalanne de Lavedan. Against a background of knavery and intrigue he sets out to woo and win her.
Director: King Vidor | Stars: John Gilbert, Eleanor Boardman, Roy D'Arcy, Lionel Belmore
Votes: 1,311 | Gross: $0.49M
146. Kino Eye (1924)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary
This documentary promoting the joys of life in a Soviet village centers around the activities of the Young Pioneers. These children are constantly busy, pasting propaganda posters on walls,... See full summary »
Director: Dziga Vertov
Votes: 1,197
147. Mare Nostrum (1926)
Passed | 102 min | Drama, War
The story of a female German spy who willingly sacrifices her life for her country.
Director: Rex Ingram | Stars: Apollon Uni, Álex Nova, Kada-Abd-el-Kader, Hughie Mack
Votes: 414 | Gross: $0.62M
148. Nanook of the North (1922)
Passed | 78 min | Documentary
In this silent predecessor to the modern documentary, film-maker Robert J. Flaherty spends one year following the lives of Nanook and his family, Inuits living in the Arctic Circle.
Director: Robert J. Flaherty | Stars: Allakariallak, Alice Nevalinga, Cunayou, Allegoo
Votes: 13,448
149. Captain Salvation (1927)
Passed | 87 min | Drama, Romance
A returning seminary student goes up against a small New England town when he comes to the aid of a prostitute who has been injured, despite the townspeople's calls for her to be run out of... See full summary »
Director: John S. Robertson | Stars: Lars Hanson, Marceline Day, Pauline Starke, Ernest Torrence
Votes: 338
150. After Death (1915)
46 min | Drama, Horror
Andrei lives a secluded life with his aunt, studying and thinking about his now-deceased mother. His friend Tsenin is concerned, and tries to get Andrei to accompany him to social events. ... See full summary »
Director: Yevgeny Bauer | Stars: Vitold Polonsky, Olga Rakhmanova, Vera Karalli, Mariya Khalatova
Votes: 1,023
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