A lost film is a feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. Early films were not thought to have value beyond their theatrical run, so many were discarded afterward. Nitrate film used in early pictures was highly flammable and susceptible to degradation. The Library of Congress began acquiring copies of American films in 1909, but not all were kept. Due to improvements in film technology and recordkeeping, few films produced in the 1950s or beyond have been lost.
The Man on the Box is a 1914 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Oscar Apfel and co-directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It was based on the 1904 novel of the same name by Harold MacGrath and stars Horace B. Carpenter.
Chimmie Fadden is a 1915 American silent comedy film directed, written and edited Cecil B. DeMille. The film starred Victor Moore in the title role and is based on the play and short story of the same name by Edward W. Townsend. It was followed by a sequel Chimmie Fadden Out West. It is a surviving film formerly thought lost for decades. A print is kept at Cinemateket-Svenska Filminstitutet, Stockholm.
Bread is a 1924 American drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Charles G. Norris, the film stars Mae Busch.
Wine is a 1924 American silent melodrama film directed by Louis J. Gasnier, produced and released by Universal Pictures under their 'Jewel' banner. The film, which featured Clara Bow in her first starring role, is currently classified as lost.
Fascinating Youth is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Sam Wood. It starred Charles "Buddy" Rogers, along with Thelma Todd and Josephine Dunn in supporting roles. Many well-known personalities made guest appearances in the film, judging a beauty contest in one scene, and Clara Bow makes a cameo appearance in her second film for Paramount Pictures.
A Self-Made Failure is a 1924 American silent comedy film distributed by Associated First National Pictures, later First National Pictures. It was directed by William Beaudine and starred silent comic Lloyd Hamilton and then child actor Ben Alexander. At the time it was released, it one of the longest comedy features ever made.
Huck and Tom is a surviving American comedy-drama film directed by William Desmond Taylor and released in 1918. The scenario by Julia Crawford Ivers is derived from Mark Twain's novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). Robert Gordon and Jack Pickford reprise the title roles from the 1917 version of Tom Sawyer, a successful adaptation that was also directed by Taylor.
Dame Chance is a surviving 1926 American silent romantic drama film produced and released by independent companies David Hartford Productions and American Cinema Associates respectively. The stars are Julanne Johnston, Robert Frazer, Gertrude Astor, and Mary Carr. Copies of the film are held at the Library of Congress and the BFI British Film Institute.
General Custer at the Little Big Horn is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and starring Roy Stewart. It depicts the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Poisoned Paradise: The Forbidden Story of Monte Carlo is a 1924 American silent romantic drama film directed by Louis Gasnier and starring Kenneth Harlan and Clara Bow. B. P. Schulberg, Bow's new mentor at the time, produced the picture.
The Flaming Frontier is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Hoot Gibson. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures.
The Light at Dusk is a lost 1916 silent film drama directed by Edgar Lewis and produced by the Lubin Manufacturing Company.
Eve's Lover is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Irene Rich, Bert Lytell, and Clara Bow. The screenplay was by Darryl F. Zanuck from a story by Mrs. W. K. Clifford in Eve's Lover, and Other Stories. Warner Bros. produced and distributed the film.
The Isle of Retribution is a 1926 American silent adventure film directed by James P. Hogan and starring Lillian Rich, Robert Frazer, and Victor McLaglen. It was based upon the novel of the same name by Edison Marshall.
The Keeper of the Bees is a 1925 American silent drama film written and directed by James Leo Meehan. It is based on the 1925 novel The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter. The film stars Robert Frazer, Josef Swickard, Martha Mattox, Clara Bow, Alyce Mills, and Gene Stratton. The film was released on September 6, 1925, by Film Booking Offices of America.
Bob Hampton of Placer is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Marshall Neilan and written by Marion Fairfax. It is based on the 1910 novel Bob Hampton of Placer by Randall Parrish. The film stars James Kirkwood Sr., Wesley Barry, Marjorie Daw, Pat O'Malley, Noah Beery Sr., and Frank Leigh. The film was released on May 1, 1921, by Associated First National Pictures.
The Scarlet Lily is a lost 1923 American silent drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Katherine MacDonald, Orville Caldwell and Stuart Holmes.
The Adventurous Sex is a lost 1925 American silent drama film that was directed by Charles Giblyn and starred Clara Bow, Herbert Rawlinson, and Earle Williams. The Howard Estabrook production was shot in studios in New York City and on location at Niagara Falls.
The Feast of Life is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Albert Capellani and starring Clara Kimball Young. It was distributed by the World Film Company.
