1910s

Some tramps assault the telegraph office trying to rob $2000 delivered by train. The telegraphist girl, trying to help, telegraphs the next station and then the men are captured.

Villains launch Fatty and Mabel's beachfront house into the ocean.

A comet, passing by the earth, causes rioting, social unrest, and major disasters that destroy the world in this World War I-era film. This Danish feature about a comet that destroys northwest Europe, leaving only a single man and a woman who meet in a church, is beautifully photographed, with many lovely shots and a fluid camera. Of course, the capitalists try to make extra money out of the panic, and of course the lower classes -- as exemplified by the common folks in a mining town -- break into the home of the wealthy capitalist the evening the comet hits in order to gain vengeance, interrupting a ballet in the process. All this is standard stuff for the better sf of the era: Wells, Verne and so forth.
A mine foreman has two daughters, the fair Edith and the dark Dina. Edith falls in love with the ship's mate Reymers, while Dina runs away with the unscrupulous capitalist Stoll. When the rumor spreads that a comet is on a collision course with Earth, Stoll exploits the situation to make a killing on the stock market. On the eve of the comet's impact, Stoll gathers his friends for a great orgy, but enraged workers storm his grand villa, egged on by Dina's jilted ex-fiance. He, Stoll and Dina all perish. Fire rains down from the sky, and the seas flood the land. The Earth is laid waste. Only two survive: Edith and Reymers, and the film ends with their miraculous reunion. Inspired by the fear evoked by Halley's comet in 1910, this film was clearly adressed to a public in an age of war where the old order was collapsing. It carries great conviction, thanks to excellent acting and clever use of locations. The camerawork is first class; throughout, the film's images are carefully and elegantly composed. To create scenes of Earth-shattering disaster that would carry conviction must have been the greatest challenge for Blom and his technicians. Special-effects technology was practically non-existent, and financial resources were not unlimited, but the scenes of the cataclysm are surprisingly effective. Fiery sparks rain down from above, quickly shrouding everything in a pall of smoke. While this is obviously an economical solution to the problem of showing the disaster, the effect is eerie, unsettling, and convincingly apocalyptic. Most important of all, the ending, which in summary may sound prepostrously contrived, is in fact dramatically fitting and genuinely moving.

Ed Brown plays a old war veteran tired of living in a veterans' home and decides to move in with his wealthy nephew.

Andrei lives a secluded life with his aunt, studying and thinking about his now-deceased mother. His friend Tsenin is concerned, and tries to get Andrei to accompany him to social events. After watching the actress Zoya Kadmina perform, Andrei is... Andrei lives a secluded life with his aunt, studying and thinking about his now-deceased mother. His friend Tsenin is concerned, and tries to get Andrei to accompany him to social events. After watching the actress Zoya Kadmina perform, Andrei is fascinated with her, and is then astounded to receive a note from her. He has only one brief meeting with her, and then three months later he is shocked to learn of her death. He now becomes obsessed with her memory, and he decides that he must find out all that he can about her.

An abused young woman finds safety and love in the arms of a famous novelist.

The rich Baron Von Meislingen dreams of being a poet-- Unfortunately, he has no talent what so ever. In one of his apartments lives the talented but poor poet Peter Långhår. Von Meislingen steals his latest work from him and publishes it under his own name. 'His' poems becomes a success and Von Meislingen becomes regarded as one of the greatest living poets.

1918 film by Charlie Chaplin

Mr. Pest tries several theatre seats before winding up in front in a fight with the conductor. He is thrown out. In the lobby he pushes a fat lady into a fountain and returns to sit down by Edna. Mr. Rowdy, in the gallery, pours beer down on Mr. Pest and Edna. He attacks patrons, a harem dancer, the singers Dot and Dash, and a fire-eater.

Three movies are being shot simultaneously and Charlie is an overworked scene shifter. The foreman is waited on hand and foot until all the shifters but Charlie go on strike. A girl looking for work pretends to be a man and helps Charlie. Charlie discovers her gender and falls in love with her. The foreman thinks they are homosexual and in the ensuing fight they become involved in a long pie throwing scene from one of the movies in production. The frustrated workers dynamite the studio.

After causing havoc on the sales floor Charlie goes to the office floor. There he runs into the store inspector (who looks exactly like him) who has just robbed the safe and knocked out the manager. Charlie thinks he is in front of a mirror till he notices he holds a stock and his "image" the bag of loot.

After amusements working in a restaurant, Charlie uses his lunch break to go roller skating. Mr. Stout makes advances toward the unwilling Edna (whose father and Mrs. Stout had earlier carried on in the restaurant). After a roller skate ballet, Charlie (now as Sir Cecil Seltzer) is invited to a party at Edna's. All the "couples", including a new partner for Mr. Stout. show up.

A tailor's apprentice burns Count Broko's clothes while ironing them and the tailor fires him. Later, the tailor discovers a note explaining that the count cannot attend a dance party, so he dresses as such to take his place; but the apprentice has also gone to the mansion where the party is celebrated and bumps into the tailor in disguise…

1915 film by Louis Feuillade

1917 film by Frank Borzage

Since Zoya Verenskaya's husband passed away ten years ago, she has been devoted to her daughter Lee. At present, Lee is in poor health, and she is in danger of losing her eyesight. Zoya's suitor Dmitry wants to get married, but Zoya is determined to wait until Lee is better. Then, on a vacation in the Crimea, they learn Lee's true feelings for Dmitry, and suddenly all of their lives are thrown into turmoil.

To thwart the manipulative habits of his flirtatious young wife, an old man reads the invaluable book, 'One Thousand and One Feminine Ruses - Practical Directions for Elderly Husbands.' Thanks to the book, the husband manages to foil many of his fickle partner's plans, but she's determined to have the last word.

On a ranch in Wyoming, one of the cowboys, Cheyenne Harry (Harry Carey), falls in love with his boss's daughter. But she decides to elope to the city with Captain Thornton, a wealthy visitor to the ranch. She quickly discovers that life in the city is not what she expected. Cheyenne, devastated by the loss of his fiancée, decides to go to the city to find her, and in the end rescues her from the grips of Captain Thornton and from the extravagant and decadent way of life in the city.

Charlie has escaped from Sing-Sing. He burrows up through sand on the beach and is chased by several guards. Nearby Edna's mother is drowning and her 'strong man' beau is afraid to rescue her. Charlie rescues Edna, then (unwillingly) her mother, and is then nearly drowned by her suitor. Found by the family chauffeur, Charlie is brought to Edna's house to recover. There he romps through drinks, encounters with Edna and her friend, and the law.

Charlie goes to a spa to dry out, but he takes a trunk of liquor with him. He tangles with another's gouty foot in a revolving door. Later he thinks the gouty man is making love signs to him (he doesn't Edna, the real object of the man's efforts), so he signs back. He interpets a massage to be a wrestling match. When management throws his liquor into the fountain, when flow the healthful waters, everyone gets drunk.