He’s supposed to own two decades? Come on, you could give at least one to Méliès or Feuillade.
Mack Sennet owned comedy in these two decades making one and two reelers with Chaplin, Fatty, Keystone Kops and others, that earns him his place.
Edwin S.Porter
Life of an American Fireman
The Great Train Robbery
Maurice Tourneur
particularly Last of the Mohicans
James Williamson was an important early figure
Haven’t seen anything by Williamson and Tourneur, though I’ve long wanted to see films by the latter, but here I go. (Isn’t Mohicans from the 20’s though?)
Georges Melies
The Impossible Voyage (1904)*
Edwin S. Porter
The Life of an American Fireman (1903)*
The Great Train Robbery (1903)
Dreams of a Rare-Bit Fiend (1906)
Ferdinand Zecca
History of a Crime (1901)
The Life and Passion of Jesus Christ (1905)*
Francis Ford
Custer’s Last Fight (1912)
The Invaders (1912)*
D.W. Griffith
The Redmans View (1909)
A Corner in Wheat (1909)
The Country Doctor (1909)
The Unchanging Sea (1910)*
The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912)
The Birth of a Nation (The Clansmen) (1914)
True Heart Susie (1919)
Raoul Walsh
Regeneration (1915)* PS. Walsh’s best film in a nearly 50 year career
Victor Sjostrom
The Gardener (1912)
Ingeborg Holm (1913)
A Man There Was (1916)
The Outlaw and His Wife (1917)*
The Sons of Ingmar (1918)
John Ford
Straight Shooting (1917)*
The Last Outlaw (1919)
Charles Chaplin
The Rounders (1914)
Dough and Dynamite (1914)
The New Janitor (1914)
The Tramp (1915)
The Bank (1915)
A Night at the Show (1915)
Burlesque on Carmen (1915)
Police (1916)
The Vagabond (1916)
One A.M. (1916)
The Pawnshop (1916)
Behind the Screen (1916)
The Rink (1916)
Easy Street (1917)
The Immigrant (1917)*
A Dog’s Life (1918)
Shoulder Arms (1918)
I have yet to see anything from this period by Mauritz Stiller, but I think he would probably fit here as well. Chaplin has by far the most films on my list, followed by Griffith, but I think its Victor Sjostrom with the most consistent quality. So I’ll go with him.
The short that Matt posted by James Williamson was very good, I look forward to seeing more of his films.
Also, @Dennis Brian, Mack Sennett didn’t start making films until the 1910’s.
I also think that the decades should be split up.
true tho he directed his first short in 1909 (winner on a technicality)
Apursansar, come on, I was trying finish things up in one more thread and I figured these twenty year wouldn’t get a great deal of chatter, and in the OP I mentioned to bring up all pre-1900 directors too
ssshhh, they may hear you talking about old movies…
Alice Guy-Blaché- she deserves a lot more attention-, Melies, Sjostrom, Bauer..
but my vote goes to
Feuillade.
Deserving of a mention -
Melies
Emile Cohl
Jean Durand
Yevgeni Bauer.
…
…Since it seems you went through and bumped all your best director of the decade threads.
I’ll go with Sjostrom.
Griffith is most influential, certainly. But I would describe his films as a little too culturally insisting.
…
George Melies for the bulk of his work in the first century.
I can’t do one bulk pick on this one. For 1900-1909, it is George Melies. I think this is pretty obvious. He showed the world what this crazy camera contraption was capable of. And Griffith takes the 10s. He refined (and sometimes defined) the traditional film narrative and his touch is felt in every film since. When you look at the output of these men, it becomes evident that they dedicated their every waking minute to creating cinematic wonderment for us all.
…
Uli Cain, Cinefidel¹³
Okay, so to finish things up, I’m going with Griffith here for Birth of A Nation and Intolerance alone.
But also, let’s considered everyone who shot films before 1900 in this discussion as well.
Go crazy.
I think I’ll do one thread after this to bring everything together.