Silent Films (& other Pre-1930 films)
I created this list as an organizational tool to collect & prioritize all of the silent (or pre-1930) films that appear on the following 3 lists I have created & maintain on 'The Film-Lover's Check List' website:
List 1 = SilentEra.com's Top 300 Silent Era Films (MY CHECKLIST #1)
List 2 = Paul Rotha's "Silent But Not Forgotten: The Best Silent Films" (MY CHECKLIST #2)
List 3 = IMDb Decades - Top 50 Movies from 1910's & 1920's (+ 2 silent films from 1930's) (MY CHECKLIST #3)
This 4th "Silent Summary" list reflects the 482 films included on the master spreadsheet I created & maintain of all of the relevant silent/pre-1930 films included within these 3 other lists. This "Silent Summary" list is in effect a 'matrix' in which the most highly regarded movies are those lying within the left most columns AND those lying towards the top of all 3 columns. Specifically, films in the left column are on all 3 lists, films in the center column are on 2 of the 3 lists, & films in the right column are on only 1 of the 3 lists. Additionally, the film's arithmetical cumulative placements within any (& all) of the 3 possible lists it might appear reflects how high (or low) it is placed within its assigned column. Thus the higher a film is on the various lists, the higher it will be within its assigned column, & the lower a film is on the various lists, the lower it will be within its assigned column. Examples for each column follow:
EXAMPLE 1 - FILM ON ALL 3 LISTS:
"The Gold Rush" is in the left most column because it appears on all 3 lists. It is #3 on the SilentEra.com list, #4 on the Paul Rotha list, & #9 on my IMDb 1920's Decade list. The average of these 3 numbers is 6.33. Based on similar calculations for all of the films that appear on all 3 lists, this is the third highest ranked film in that column:
1) Sunrise = (3+3+3)/3 = 3
2) The General = (1+10+1)/3 = 4
3) The Gold Rush = (6+4+9)/3 = 6.33
4) Metropolis = (2+17+2)/3 = 7
"Daddy Long Legs" is the last film in this column. Although it appears in all 3 lists, it is placed relatively low on all three lists: (203+330+20)/3=184.33
IMPORTANT NOTE: Does not include ANY Short Films (films under 45m) or Documentaries. Those films can ONLY appear on (at most) 2 lists because they are NOT ELIGIBLE to be on the IMDb Decades list.
EXAMPLE 2 - FILM ON 2 of 3 LISTS:
"The Wedding March" is in the center column because it appears on 2 of the 3 lists. It is #30 on the SilentEra.com list, #8 on the Paul Rotha list, & does not appear in 1920's Decade list. The average of these 2 numbers is 39.5. Therefore, this is the fourth highest ranked film in that column ("__" notes the list the film does not appear in):
1) Man With the Movie Camera = (30+8+__)/2 = 19
2) Un Chien Andalou = (40+12+__)/2 = 26
3) Nanook of the North = (31+39+__)/2 = 35
4) The Wedding March = (51+28+__)/2 = 39.5
5) Tol'able David = (48+41+__)/2 = 44.5
6) Girl Shy = (50+__+40)/2 = 45
Note that the first 5 films appeared on the first 2 lists whereas the sixth film "Girl Shy" appeared on the first & third lists. Other films in this column appeared in only the second & third lists (i.e. (__+80+40)/2=60).
"L'arrivee D'un Train a La Ciotat" is the last film in this column. It is placed relatively low on the two lists is appears: (295+279+___)/2=287
IMPORTANT NOTE: Because they can not appear on the IMDb Decades list (as noted above), the best Short Films (films under 45m) & Documentaries are located at the top of this center column since they are on (at most) 2 lists.
EXAMPLE 3 - FILM ON ONLY 1 of 3 LISTS:
"Judith of Bethulia" is in the right most column because it appears on only 1 of the 3 lists. It is #8 on the 1910's Decade list, & of all the films that also appear in ONLY the 1910's Decade list, it has the highest rank. And when compared to the rankings of all other films as they are listed within any (but only 1) of the 3 lists (including the 1920's Decade portion of the IMDb Decades list), it still has the highest ranking by comparison. The following explains the placements of the first 12 films (& the last film) within this column:
1) Judith of Bethulia (1914) = #8 on the 1910's IMDb Decade list portion of the IMDb Decades list (highest remaining film on that list that appears on only that list).
2-7) OTHER FILMS IN 1910's IMDb DECADE THAT APPEAR ON ONLY THAT LIST (#9, #16, #23, #24, #34, #36)
8) Finis terrae (1929) = #37 on the Paul Rotha list (highest remaining film on that list that appears on only that list)
9-11) OTHER FILMS IN 1910's IMDb DECADE THAT APPEAR ON ONLY THAT LIST (#42, #44, #45)
12) The Freshman = #46 on the Silent.era list (highest remaining film on that list that appears on only that list)
13-15) OTHER FILMS IN 1910's IMDb DECADE THAT APPEAR ON ONLY THAT LIST (#47, #49, #50)
16) Beyond the Rocks (1922) = #51 on the 1920's IMDb Decade list portion of the IMDb Decades list (highest - & only - remaining film on that list that appears on only that list)
"The Chronicles of the Gray House" is the last film in this column. It is #338 on the Paul Rotha list, which is the biggest number assigned to a placement on any of the lists.