Reel Old Movies

On this date in Hollywood history -- November edition: Lon Chaney stars as a tough Marine sergeant, birthdays for Joel McCrea and Mabel Normand, "The Big Parade" premieres and more ... 

Ten minutes of lost footage is now restored to the Lon Chaney classic silent horror movie, “The Unknown” (1927), and the new print is screening for audiences for the first time in the United States. 

If you need inspiration of what to watch next or just want to check out some timeless screen gems (or both), the year 1926 was a good one for movies. A century of time doesn't diminish the entertainment! Take a look at a few 1926 silent movies across the action-adventure, romance, comedy and drama genres from 100 years ago: See historical content sensitivity warning below | Watch more classic movies on YouTube What Price Glory? "What Price Glory" (1926) is a World War I American silent comedy-drama film with U.S. Marines fighting on the battlefield and off. Directed by Raoul Walsh, "What Price Glory" stars Victor McLaglen as Captain Flagg, Edmund Lowe as 1st Sergeant Quirt and Dolores del Río as Charmaine de la Cognac. Watch the full movie Bardelys the Magnificent "Bardelys the Magnificent" (1926) is a silent film directed by King Vidor and starring John Gilbert, at the height of his fame, and Eleanor Boardman. "Bardelys the Magnificent"...

No trick, all treats: Horror movies lurk in every corner of classic film. This Halloween, go beyond the usual suspects and sample of few of these frightfully fun movies from the silent era that may not be as well known. 

Good art can be appreciate long after its creation, and movies are no exception. The year 1924 was a banner year for movie-making, and a century of time doesn't diminish some of the entertainment on screen.  Take a look at a few 1924 silent movies across different genres from 100 years ago:

It’s not Joaquin Phoenix’s The Joker. It’s Conrad Veidt’s Gwynplaine from 1928’s “The Man Who Laughs.” 

On this date in Hollywood history -- July edition: "White Zombie," "Easy Rider" and film noir classic "Double Indemnity" premiere, Alan Arkin dies, birthdays for Theda Bara, William Powell, Clara Bow, "Phantom of the Opera" star Mary Philbin, Olivia de Havilland, Thomas Mitchell, Barbara Stanwyck, James Cagney, Ginger Rogers and John Gilbert, and more ...  Discover what happened on days throughout July in Hollywood history, from historic film premieres and industry milestones to anniversaries of birthdays/deaths of beloved Old Hollywood figures, and more. ( And explore previous months ) This story will be updated throughout the month July 29 Theda Bara (born July 29, 1885, died April 7, 1955) was one of the most popular actresses of the silent movie era and known for her femme fatale roles. She isn’t as well known to mass modern audiences in part because so many of her films have been lost to history.  One that survives: 1925’s “The Unchastened W...

NOW AVAILABLE!  Movie Posters from Silent Films: Pictorial highlights from early cinema and the silent movie era

Now available! "Visual History of Silent Movies: A reissue of the 1927 pictorial survey 'Masters and Masterpieces of the Screen'"  — order your paperback at Amazon 

Calling all classic movie fans! Check out these books this week during Amazon's Prime Day sale in July 2025 or if you need to top off your cart. From Old Hollywood trivia to a beginner's guide for newbies, and from Harold Lloyd to "It's a Wonderful Life," Reel Old Movies has a range of books for classic film fans.  Here's a quick round-up of books from Reel Old Movies: Beginner's Guide to Classic Movies Katharine Hepburn vs. Audrey Hepburn. “Gilda,” “Laura” or “Harold and Maude”? John Wayne, John Ford and John Gilbert. Tens of thousands of movies and hundreds of stars over several decades can be daunting. Where to even start? This guide of 50 movies is a way to jumpstart your classic movie appreciation by providing a broad cross-section of films from a variety of movie genres, directors and stars. You’ll get a solid foundation of Old Hollywood, but even better – you’ll start to discover for yourself which styles and stars you like and pursue more of those ...