Guillermo Garnica Bouchot
Top Sci-fi Silent Films Numbers 10 to 1
10. Miss Mend (1926) Soviet Union D: Boris Barnet, Fyodor Otsep
IMDB Rating: 6.9
298 Voters
Miss Mend, a secretary working for the Stern family, Hopkins a co-worker, and two journalists discover a plot to assassinate Gordon Stern, a wealthy US businessman while blaming the Bolsheviks revolutionaries as an excuse to attack the Soviet Union with poison gas. Based on the novels by Marietta Shaginyan, was originally released in three parts. A good portion of the three films survived to this day, restored in 2009. Over 4 hours. There are several links to watch the movie, most of them three-hour versions with no subtitles
9. Quartier Latin (1929) Germany D:Augusto Genina
IMDB Rating: 7.0
8 Voters
The trickiest film on the list. Even though there are even some online reviews extolling direction and cinematography, not much information is available. Synopsis available read that Ralph, a rich guy meets Mimi, a regular girl, and he poses as a humble painter, and they live their lives in the bohemian Latin quarter. That is until a Russian princess appears and seduces Ralph. Nothing screams even a tiny Sci-Fi plot. A couple of serious sites as Mubi.com and allmovie.com, label the film simply as drama. But there is also no information regarding if the film is lost or not. Not available online.
8. Orlacs Hände (1924) (The Hands of Orlac) Austria D: Robert Wiene
IMDB Rating: 7.0
2,706 Voters
Orlac, a triumphant world-class pianist, suffers an accident where he lost both his hands. A surgeon then successfully transplants a new pair of hands to Orlac, but they belonged to a recently executed murderer named Vasseur. Plagues by strange nightmares, Orlac is convinced that he inherited the predisposition to commit murders of Vasseur along with his hands. Sci-Fi Horror film from the same director of the expressionist classic Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. Widely available.
7. The Lost World (1925) US D: Harry O. Hoyt
IMDB Rating: 7.0
4,912 Voters
Based on the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle of the same name. An expeditionary group goes from London to the Amazonian jungle in Brazil. There they discover a land where the dinosaurs still exist. It is Jurassic Park of the silent era, with excellent stop motion work by pioneer Willis O’Brien. The original copy was lost in a fire at Universal Studios, but several copies survived. Restored, the film is widely available.
6. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) US D: John S. Robertson
IMDB Rating: 7.0
5,142 Votes
Based on the novel of Robert L Stevenson, John Barrymore gives an outstanding dual performance as the restrained Dr.Jekyll and the devilish Mr. Hyde. His transformation scenes are full of energy. Great makeup job where less is more and progressively shows a more deranged Mr. Hyde as he escalates his evil deeds. Nice cinematography. Widely available.
5. Wunder der Schöpfung (1920) (Our Heavenly Bodies) Germany D: Hanns Walter Kornblum
IMDB Rating: 7.1
141 Voters
German documentary that a literal translation is “Wonder of Creation.” Special effects, fictional scenes, and even some animation are incorporated in this document that revises physics and astronomy and the current progress of the era. They go as far as presenting the apocalyptic end of the world scenes. Restored in 2008 by the Munich Film Museum. Widely available
4. L’inhumaine (1924)(The Inhuman Woman) France D: Marcel L’Herbier
IMDB Rating: 7.2
833 Voters
Claire, a famous singer in Paris, is courted by many men, some very powerful. Aloof to all of them one of his admirers, young Swedish scientist Einar, kills himself because of her. Still feeling no remorse, the next concert she presents herself is booed by the public. This will lead her to a redemption path. With strong Sci-Fi elements omitted to avoid spoiling the film, this production was known for its stylistic production accomplishments. The filming techniques, the decoration, architecture, and music score, were ahead of their time. Received negatively and caused controversy when released. Today is acknowledged as a manifesto for Art Deco. Restored in 2014. Widely available.
3. Paris qui dort (1925) (The Crazy Ray) France D: René Clair
IMDB Rating: 7.2
1,695 Voters
Sci-Fi/Comedy where Bardin, the watchman of the Eiffel Tower, wakes up to find that everybody in Paris are paralyzed. Soon, he finds a small group of newcomers that can move just like him. All begin to enjoy having the city by themselves until they finally find the reason why this strange situation. Showcased some innovative filming techniques and ingenious comic gags. Restored in 2018 in 4K.
2. Frau im Mond (1929) (Woman in the Moon) Germany D:Fritz Lang
IMDB Rating: 7.3
3,232 Voters
A group of scientists and entrepreneurs plan to travel to the moon motivated by the theories that claim that large amounts of gold are present on the satellite. Ridiculized by most, some evil businessmen believe in this theory. Blackmailing the crew, they reluctantly accept one of the gangs to the travel. The science depiction tried to be as more realistic as possible according to the discoveries of the era. Some of these technologies were indeed used later in real space projects. Restored in 2000. Widely available
1. Metropolis (1927) Germany D: Fritz Lang
IMDB Rating: 8.3
165,231 Voters
One of the most influential films ever made. Not only for the Sci-Fi genre but for the whole cinema. In the future, while the few rich people live in a megacity, most of the population lives underground, working endlessly to maintain the city above them. Freder, the son of the city’s master, falls in love with Maria, a commoner who wants to unite the working and ruling classes. In 2008 a print of the original cut was found at a museum in Argentina. With additional material added from other sources, we now have what is considered the 95% of the original film available. Widely available
