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Silent film rescue: Help preserve 2 movies for the public

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10 silent films to watch, 100 years later

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If you need inspiration of what to watch next or just want to check out some timeless screen gems (or both), the year 1925 was a good one for movies. A century of time doesn't diminish the entertainment!

Take a look at a few 1925 silent movies across different genres from 100 years ago:

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‘The Big Parade’ 

Consider that this epic World War I drama was made only seven years after the War to End All Wars ended. The sweeping story set the benchmark for just about every war movie for the next hundred years in cinema. 

'Body and Soul'

"Body and Soul" is a 1925 silent film produced, written, directed and distributed by the legendary African American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux and starring Paul Robeson in his motion picture debut.

'The Freshman'

Football was never so fun as when Harold Lloyd is in the game. "The Freshman" is a 1925 American silent comedy film starring the silent comedian Harold Lloyd and tells the story of a college freshman trying to become popular by joining the school football team. The climactic football game is full of slapstick and iconic scenes, a must-watch for any sports fan, comedy fan and classic movie fan.

'Go West'

For a more Western flair on comedy, Buster Keaton takes on the genre with the 1925 "Go West." The silent Western comedy was made at the height of the silent comedian and Great Stone Face's career. 

'Stella Dallas'

Grab the tissues for a watch of "Stella Dallas" (1925), the silent melodrama movie based on the hit 1923 novel and the first version of the movie. 1925's "Stella Dallas" stars Ronald Colman, Belle Bennett, Lois Moran, Jean Hersholt, Alice Joyce and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Henry King directed the silent film, with famed screenwriter Frances Marion adapting the novel.

'The Lost World'

Almost a century before "Jurassic Park," "The Lost World" was the first dinosaur film hit and features the story of a scientist trying to prove the existence of dinosaurs in South America. The movie, a 1925 silent gem, is the first full-length feature movie to use stop motion animation and feature model animations as special effects.

'Little Annie Rooney'

"Little Annie Rooney" starred Mary Pickford, one of the most powerful women in Hollywood at the time. The movie, also starring William Haines, was a hit both with audiences and critics. The silent comedy-drama film was a return to Pickford's "tough Irish girl from the streets" roles that had made her a star. 

'The Phantom of the Opera'

A classic for a reason: "The Phantom of the Opera" is a 1925 American silent horror film starring Lon Chaney as the Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House. 

'The Unchastened Woman'

One of the few surviving movies of film's first sex symbol Theda Bara, "The Unchastened Woman" is a 1925 American silent drama film. The silent movie stars Theda Bara, one of the most popular silent screen stars in the 1910s. This was Bara's "comeback" film but turned out to be her final feature appearance and is one of her few surviving films.

'Don Q, Son of Zorro'

"Don Q, Son of Zorro" (1925) is a silent adventure-romance film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Astor and served as a sequel to the blockbuster swashbuckling 1920 silent film "The Mark of Zorro," which shot Fairbanks to superstardom.
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Historical movies content warning: Some content in these decades-old movies may contain outdated and sensitive content, reflecting biases. In some cases, they may conflict with strongly held cultural values, beliefs or restrictions. We provide access to these materials to preserve the historical record, but we do not endorse the attitudes, prejudices or behaviors found within them.

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