Reel Archive

Country

Hollywood Classics

32 films · 1916–1968

Hollywood classics from the silent era to the 1960s: screwball comedies, film noir, horror and war films. They are in the public domain in the United States, either because their copyright expired or because it was never renewed.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

1916 · 99 min · Adventure · United States

Directed by Stuart Paton

Starring Allen Holubar, Jane Gail, Howard Crampton

The Universal Film Manufacturing Company was not known in the silent era as premier producer of motion pictures. Yet, in 1916 they produced a film that could not be made effectively without expensive special effects and special photography. The novel had previously been made as short films in 1907 by Georges Méliès and in 1913 by French company ÃÂclair.) Marshalling the expertise underwater ex

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Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

My Man Godfrey

1936 · 95 min · Comedy · United States

Directed by Gregory La Cava

Starring William Powell, Carole Lombard, Alice Brady

Fifth Avenue socialite Irene Bullock needs a "forgotten man" to win a scavenger hunt, and no one is more forgotten than Godfrey Park, who resides in a dump by the East River. Irene hires Godfrey as a servant for her riotously unhinged family, to the chagrin of her spoiled sister, Cornelia, who tries her best to get Godfrey fired. As Irene falls for her new butler, Godfrey turns the tables…

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Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

A Star Is Born

1937 · 111 min · Drama · United States

Directed by William A. Wellman

Starring Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, Adolphe Menjou

Esther Blodgett is just another starry-eyed farm kid trying to break into the movies. Waitressing at a Hollywood party, she catches the eye of her idol Norman Maine, is sent for a screen test, and before long attains stardom as newly minted Vicki Lester. She and Norman marry, though his career soon dwindles to nothing due to his chronic alcoholism.

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Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

His Girl Friday

1940 · 92 min · Comedy · United States

Directed by Howard Hawks

Starring Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy

Hilarious romantic comedy starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Russell is rough and tumble reporter looking to get out of the news racket by marrying and becoming a house wife after her divorce from newspaper publisher Grant. Just when she is about to leave town with her husband-to-be the still lovesick Grant drafts her to cover one final breaking news sensation. Along with plenty of laughs a

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Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Meet John Doe

1941 · 123 min · Comedy · United States

Directed by Frank Capra

Starring Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold

As a parting shot, fired reporter Ann Mitchell prints a fake letter from unemployed "John Doe," who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. The paper is forced to rehire Ann and hires John Willoughby to impersonate "Doe." Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it's worth, until the made-up "John Doe" philosophy starts a whole political movement.

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Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Scarlet Street

1945 · 103 min · Film Noir · United States

Directed by Fritz Lang

Starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Dan Duryea

Cashier and part-time starving artist Christopher Cross is absolutely smitten with the beautiful Kitty March. Kitty plays along, but she's really only interested in Johnny, a two-bit crook. When Kitty and Johnny find out that art dealers are interested in Chris's work, they con him into letting Kitty take credit for the paintings. Cross allows it because he is in love with Kitty, but his love will only let her…

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Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

The Stranger

1946 · 91 min · Film Noir · United States

Directed by Orson Welles

Starring Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young, Orson Welles

Set Connecticut after World War II, The Stranger is a cat and mouse game between Wilson (Edward G. Robinson), a member of the Allied War Crimes Commission and Franz Kindler (Orson Welles), a Nazi who has assumed the false identity of Dr. Charles Rankin. To complete his new intelligentsia disguise, Kindler marries Mary Longstreet, daughter of a Supreme Court justice.

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Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Cyrano de Bergerac

1950 · 113 min · Romance · United States

Directed by Michael Gordon

Starring José Ferrer, Mala Powers, William Prince

France, 1640. Cyrano, the charismatic swordsman-poet with the absurd nose, hopelessly loves the beauteous Roxane; she, in turn, confesses to Cyrano her love for the handsome but tongue-tied Christian. The chivalrous Cyrano sets up with Christian an innocent deception, with tragic results.

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Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Suddenly

1954 · 76 min · Film Noir · United States

Directed by Lewis Allen

Starring Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden, James Gleason

'Three gunmen, who have been hired to assassinate the President, hold a family hostage while waiting for their target. Interesting B film which focuses on psychopathic killer well-portrayed against type by Frank Sinatra.' – noir expert Spencer Selby | Cast: Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden, James Gleason, Nancy Gates. 77 min.

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Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Carnival of Souls

1962 · 78 min · Horror · United States

Directed by Herk Harvey

Starring Candace Hilligoss, Herk Harvey, Sidney Berger

Mary Henry ends up the sole survivor of a fatal car accident through mysterious circumstances. Trying to put the incident behind her, she moves to Utah and takes a job as a church organist. But her fresh start is interrupted by visions of a fiendish man. As the visions begin to occur more frequently, Mary finds herself drawn to the deserted carnival on the outskirts of town. The strangely alluring…

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Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/