The Antipodean

In talking with someone recently who said he'd never seen a black and white movie (!), I wondered what most people's typical movie experience is like. Now that there's a century or more of movie history, how far back do most people go? Obviously this board isn't typical, but what is the OLDEST movie you can remember seeing in its entirety? Off the top of your head, be honest!

Mine as far as I can figure is 1922's "Nostferatu," which is exceedingly creepy still. Can't think of anything before that I've seen.

Everyone else?

Groucho

I've only seen one movie made before I was born: The Matrix. It's pretty funny to watch it now, the SFX are so quaint and outdated.

talemyn

Probably Metropolis (1927) . . . great flick.

Eplicon

The oldest film I saw was probably Le Voyage dans la lun, aka A Trip to the Moon (1902). Saw it in a history of cinema class ages ago. We saw a lot of early pioneering silent works.

dick_grayson

I've seen the old Melies stuff in film class. some of that is from the late 1890s

JMLEWIS1

probably Freaks (1932) though I think some of the popular disney flicks are pretty old too

Third Baseman

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

eedoon

Mine would be also Nosferatu when it comes to feature films. Unfortunately, I only have the Alpha edition DVD with those stupid soundtrack (I don't know why I picked them up at the first place, I never know they have a rock soundtrack on the DVD). I need an upgrade.

I've seen some older shorts, though - some of them are from WWI era and the construction of the Panama canal.

Hiro11

Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925) and today's cinematographers and DPs could still learn from it.

chente

The Parson's Widow (1920)

Lateralus

Gone with the Wind (1939) Pinocchio (1940) just beat out Citizen Kane (1941)

Would Steamboat Willie count? (1928)

William Fuld

Many films from the 1890s and early 1900s (including hundreds from the Edison Co.) are available on the Library of Congress website.

Mondo Kane

I would've liked to say Intolerance, but good ol' Birth of a Nation beats it by a year.

rexinnih

Probably Edison's Frankenstein (1910)

natevines

Yeah, why didn't more people say 'Birth'? I thought more people would've seen it. I've too seen late 19th century stuff, but no real films. I'd say Birth is probably the first real movie. At least it's the first famous one.

The Antipodean

I think with "Birth" there's still a lot of stigma around the racial content. Actually they wanted to show it back in my college intro to film class and there was a huge protest about that, and they ended up deciding not to. I think we watched "excerpts" instead.

fliggil

hundreds of late 1890's early 1900's films, good ol' Electrocuting An Elephant, and so on.

Sondheim

"Cabiria" from 1914. Next would be "The Birth of a Nation" from 1915.

bhk

Ben Franklin 1825.

garolo

Same one for the same reason but I'm positive not the same class nor school.

natevines

That's pretty sad. It was an EXCELLENTLY done film, irrespective of its message, and a landmark in cinema. That people want to supress it is sickening, bordering on a free speech violation.

Ghery

I'm sure I've seen older, but The Great Train Robbery (1903) is what comes to mind.

IanH

D.W. Griffiths' Broken Blossoms 1919

tommyp007

Nostferatu

Brain Stew

Metropolis