All Films

Arctic London

1929 • 1 min • United Kingdom

During an unusually harsh winter, a frozen trawler arrives on the river Thames.

Stramilano

1929 • 14 min

A vibrant ‘city symphony’ showing a day in the life of Milan, from factories to farmers’ markets, skyscrapers, nightclubs, and beyond, with sound effects of human voices and machines.

Ship Ahoy

1929 • 8 min • United States of America

Comedian Pat West performs his vaudeville act.

Arabesque

1929 • 8 min • France

The film’s visual structure is principally composed of variations on the arabesque: arcs of light, water spouts, spider webs, burgeoning trees, flowers and foliage, a woman’s smile, arms stretching, an arm giving rhythm to a rocking chair. It uses natural elements (light, mirrors, water, and wind) and photographic techniques (multiple exposures and lenses) to distort the various elements, or to intensify their design.

The Unveiling of the Napoleon Column

1929 • 3 min • Yugoslavia

The unveiling of the Napoleon Column, with a parade of representatives of sport and cultural societies, and people in national costume.

Divorce Made Easy

1929 • 60 min • United States of America

When his aunt disapproves of his marriage to Mabel Deering and threatens to disinherit him, Percy elicits the aid of his buddy Billy Haskell, who is engaged to Eileen Stanley. It is arranged that Billy and Mabel be found together in compromising circumstances by Percy and his aunt, but matters are complicated by the arrival of Billy's uncle in the city, and Aunt Emma becomes very fond of him. All is subsequently explained and thoughts of "divorce" are smoothed away as Uncle Todd couples up with Aunt Emma, and Billy and Eileen, and Percy and Mabel, reinstitute their carefree engagements.

Naughty Baby

1929 • 25 min • United States of America

A gorgeous showgirl is hired as a lingerie model at a fashion show......

The Far Call

1929 • 59 min • United States of America

A greedy poacher travels to a small island in the Bering sea to rob a seal rookery. There he falls for the governor's daughter who learns that the poacher is the estranged son of a prominent citizen.

Captain Lash

1929 • 60 min • United States of America

Lash is the head coal stoker on a steam ship whose shipmates have nicknamed "Captain". Lash somehow grabs the attention of society dame passenger Cora Nevins. Nevins is actually a jewel thief who's lifted diamonds from wealthy passenger Arthur Condrax. She needs Lash to aid in sneaking the "ice" ashore at Singapore. Cocky is Lash's concertina-playing buddy and uses it to signal Lash.

Modern Love

1929 • 60 min • United States of America

In order to keep her job, a young dress designer must keep her recent marriage a secret from her boss. An important client arrives from Paris and her boss decides to hold a dinner party for the man at the girl's house. When her husband finds out that the client wants to take her back to Paris so she can "study," he comes up with a plan to stop it, and it begins with his being the "server" at the dinner party.

Why Girls Walk Home

1929 • 9 min

Four young women change a flat tire and, feeling hot and bothered, leave their car to go take a swim in the ocean..... and their underwear is less revealing than one-piece bathing suits. While they are frolicking in the surf, a young Black girl comes by and steals their pretty clothes.... and their car has mysteriously vanished, leaving them the grim prospect of having to walk home.... although somehow I imagine some kind man would be happy to pick them up.

Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet

1929 • 7 min • United States of America

A band of cartoon animal musicians-- including their long-haired lion conductor -- warm up before going into the title song.

In Spring

1929 • 54 min • Soviet Union

Kyiv, 1929. Shots of the city as it wakes up... its awakening echoes with the lyrical pictures of the rebirth of nature. Kaufman’s attentive camera pauses for a long time on the smiling faces of children, painting a lyrical picture, a confession of love for Kyiv.

Images of Ostend

1929 • 14 min • Belgium

Structured in visual chapters: the port, anchors, the wind, the spray, the dunes, the North Sea… A series of images that need no anecdote or explanation. Storck offers a glimpse of Ostend, aspects that order its multiple constitutive elements; The water, the sand, the waves, vital cinematic language displayed in simple pictures. A poetic and kinetic shock, without fiction or sound, which relieves film from its narrative obligation and restores it to the world of sensations that it can alone carry.

For Sale

1929 • 6 min

A salesman tries to sell life insurance, hair tonic, and girth reducing exercise equipment and anything else to a man who doesn't want any of it.

Sound Test for Blackmail

1929 • 1 min • United Kingdom

A brief sound test made during production of Blackmail (1929), featuring Alfred Hitchcock playfully teasing lead actress Anny Ondra as she struggles to respond on camera. Photographed by Jack E. Cox, the clip was shot to test the new sound recording system for what would become Hitchcock’s first talkie.

The Doll Shop

1929 • 16 min • United States of America

Early Vitaphone short.

The Bee & the Fox

1929 • 8 min • United States of America

Harry Fox & Beatrice Curtis perform parts of their vaudeville act.

Smilin' Guns

1929 • 60 min • United States of America

After "Dirty Neck" Jack Purvin sees a newspaper photograph of Eastern socialite Helen Van Smythe, soon to arrive at the nearby dude ranch, he hightails it to San Francisco in order to learn how to become a gentleman. Returning to the ranch, the new but not necessarily improved Jack shreds his dandified image in order to save Helen from a lecherous but decidedly fake count and her mother from a jewel thief.

Fugitives

1929 • 60 min • United States of America

Nightclub singer Alice Carroll is found in the office of club owner Al Barrow, who is lying dead on the floor. Alice has been overheard threatening to kill Barrow rather than give in to his advances. She protests her innocence, but the District Attorney doesn't believe her and charges her with Barrow's murder. However, things aren't quite as cut-and-dried as the D.A. believes them to be.

Armistice

1929 • 16 min • United Kingdom

Take your seat for an Armistice concert by military bands playing a medley of songs commonly sung during WWI.

The Framing of the Shrew

1929 • 20 min • United States of America

Privacy Robson is a downtrodden husband who takes advice from his friend Florian Slappey. He eventually gets the upper hand after starting divorce proceedings, pretending to have a new girlfriend and refusing to eat anything she cooks him.

Robinson on His Own

1929 • 58 min • Soviet Union

Are there any children who do not dream of long journeys?.. No. So Vasya, the hero of the movie, went on a journey, got tired on the way and fell asleep in the open air. And he dreams that he is a great traveler and has accomplished a number of feats... But, unfortunately, the world is not so perfect: a group of pioneer tourists accidentally accommodates Vasya, brings him home, and Vasya's "wanderings and feats" come to an end.

Taro's Toy Train

1929 • 15 min • Japan

A train conductor goes about his duty. All the characters are animals in human form. Hippo ladies in dresses try to jam into cars and other passengers pull jokes and cause havoc.