The following is an overview of 1928 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths. Although some films released in 1928 had sound, most were still silent. This year is notable for the introduction of the official mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey Mouse, in the animated short Steamboat Willie, the first film to include a soundtrack completely created in post production.
Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke II was an American film director who made several successful early sound films, including Tarzan the Ape Man in 1932, The Thin Man in 1934, San Francisco in 1936, and six popular musicals with Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. He received two Academy Award nominations for Best Director for The Thin Man and San Francisco, and directed four actors to Oscar nominations: William Powell, Spencer Tracy, Norma Shearer, and Robert Morley. Known as a reliable craftsman who made his films on schedule and under budget, he earned the name "One Take Woody" for his quick and efficient style of filming.
Marceline Day was an American motion picture actress whose career began as a child in the 1910s and ended in the 1930s.
Marcus McDermott was an Australian actor who starred on Broadway and in over 180 American films from 1909 until his death.
The Taxi Dancer is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Harry F. Millarde and starring Owen Moore and, in her first film with top billing, Joan Crawford.
William Fairbanks was an American actor. He appeared in over 65 silent era films from 1916 to 1928.
Egbert "Bert" Roach was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 320 films between 1914 and 1951. He was born in Washington, D.C., and died in Los Angeles, California, age 79.
A Certain Young Man is a 1928 comedy film directed by Hobart Henley. The film stars Ramon Novarro, Marceline Day, Renée Adorée, Carmel Myers and Bert Roach. The film is considered lost. A trailer for the film is preserved at the Library of Congress.
The Road to Romance is a 1927 American silent action film directed by John S. Robertson, based upon the 1903 Joseph Conrad-Ford Madox Ford novel Romance. A copy of the film survives at the New Zealand Film Archive.
The Jazz Age (1929) is a sound part-talkie film starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Marceline Day, and Joel McCrea in his first leading role. In addition to sequences with audible dialogue or talking sequences, the film features a synchronized musical score and sound effects along with English intertitles. The film, directed by Lynn Shores and written by Randolph Bartlett, was released by RKO Radio Pictures soon after RKO was created from Film Booking Offices of America, RCA, and the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chain.
California is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and written by Marian Ainslee, Ruth Cummings and Frank Davis. The film stars Tim McCoy, Dorothy Sebastian, Marc McDermott, Frank Currier and Fred Warren. The film was released on May 7, 1927, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Spoilers of the West is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, written by Joseph Farnham, Madeleine Ruthven, and Ross B. Wills, and starring Tim McCoy, Marjorie Daw, William Fairbanks, Charles Thurston and Chief John Big Tree. It was released on December 10, 1927, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Wickedness Preferred is a lost 1928 American silent comedy film, directed by Hobart Henley, and written by Colin Clements, Robert E. Hopkins and Florence Ryerson. The film stars Lew Cody, Aileen Pringle, Mary McAllister, Bert Roach, and George K. Arthur. The film was released on January 28, 1928, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The Latest from Paris is a 1928 American silent romantic drama film directed by Sam Wood and written by Joseph Farnham and A. P. Younger. The film stars Norma Shearer, George Sidney, Ralph Forbes, Tenen Holtz, and William Bakewell. The film was released on February 4, 1928, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Wyoming is a 1928 American silent Western film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and written by Ruth Cummings, Madeleine Ruthven and Ross B. Wills. The film stars Tim McCoy, Dorothy Sebastian, Charles Bell, William Fairbanks and Chief John Big Tree. The film was released on March 24, 1928, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Riders of the Dark is a 1928 American silent Western film directed by Nick Grinde and written by W. S. Van Dyke and Madeleine Ruthven. The film stars Tim McCoy, Dorothy Dwan, Rex Lease, Roy D'Arcy and Frank Currier. The film was released on April 21, 1928, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Telling the World is a surviving 1928 American comedy silent film directed by Sam Wood and written by Joseph Farnham and Raymond L. Schrock. The film stars William Haines, Anita Page, Eileen Percy, Frank Currier, and Polly Moran. The film was released on June 30, 1928, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The Desert Rider is a 1929 American silent Western film directed by Nick Grinde and written by Harry Sinclair Drago and Oliver Drake. The film stars Tim McCoy, Raquel Torres, Bert Roach, Edward Connelly, Harry Woods and Jess Cavin. The film was released on May 11, 1929, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The Whip is a 1928 American synchronized sound drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Dorothy Mackaill. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using the sound-on-disc Vitaphone process. It was based on a 1912 play The Whip by Cecil Raleigh and Henry Hamilton and distributed by First National. This sound film was released with a synchronized Vitaphone soundtrack of music and sound effects. It is set in the horse racing world of England.
Restless Youth is a lost 1928 silent American melodrama film, directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars Marceline Day, Ralph Forbes, and Norman Trevor, and was released on November 30, 1928.
