Top 10 Films of 1914

1. "Cabiria" (Giovanni Pastrone, Italy)

2. "Fantômas: Le Faux Magistrat" (Louis Feuillade, France)

3. "The Virginian" (Cecil B. DeMille, Paramount)

4. "His Majesty The Scarecrow Of Oz" (J. Farrell MacDonald, USA)

5. "Tillie's Punctured Romance" (Mack Sennett, Keystone)

6. "Sealed Orders" (Benjamin Christensen, Denmark)

7. "Fantômas contre Fantômas" (Louis Feuillade, France)

8. "Mute Witnesses" (Yevgeni Bauer, Russia)

9. "The Patchwork Girl Of Oz" (J. Farrell MacDonald, Paramount)

10. "In The Land Of The Head Hunters" (Edward S. Curtis, Canada)

Other great films:

Engelein (Germany)

The Squaw Man
Tess Of The Storm Country

Top Guilty Pleasure of 1914:

"Neptune's Daughter" (Herbert Brenon, Universal)

Short Top 10:

1. "His Trysting Place" (Charles Chaplin, Keystone)

2. "The Rounders" (Charles Chaplin, Keystone)

3. "Dough And Dynamite" (Charles Chaplin, Keystone)

4. "Kid Auto Races At Venice" (Henry Lehrman, Keystone)

5. "The New Janitor" (Charles Chaplin, Keystone)

6. "Max joue le drame" (Lucien Nonguet, France)

7. "The Knockout" (Charles Avery, Keystone)

8. "Tango Tangle" (Mack Sennett, Keystone)

9.  "L'Anglais tel que Max le parle" (Max Linder, France)

10. "Making A Living" (Henry Lehrman, Keystone)

Other great shorts:

Caught In A Cabaret
Caught In The Rain
Daisy Doodad's Dial (UK)

Fatty's Magic Pants
His Musical Career
Laughing Gas
Max et sa belle-mère (France)

Obrazek turystyczny Lublin (Poland)

Cartoon Top 3:

1. "Gertie The Dinosaur" (Winsor McCay, Vitagraph)

2. "L'Avenir dévoilé par les lignes de pieds" (Emile Cohl, France)

3. "Hesanut Builds A Skyscraper" (Kalem)

Weak films of 1914:

Home Sweet Home
Judith Of Bethulia
The Perils Of Pauline
The Spoilers
Wrath Of The Gods

Weak shorts:

Between Showers
A Busy Day
Cruel Cruel Love
The Face On The Barroom Floor
The Fatal Mallet
A Film Johnnie
Gentlemen Of Nerve
Getting Acquainted
Gussle The Golfer
His Favorite Pastime
His New Profession
His Prehistoric Past
Leading Lizzie Astray
Little Billy's Triumph
Mabel At The Wheel
Mabel's Blunder
Mabel's Busy Day
Mabel's Married Life
Mabel's Strange Predicament
The Magic Cloak
The Masquerader
Massacre
Max a Monaco (France)
Max asthmatique (France)
Max et la doctoresse (France)
The Property Man
Recreation
The Star Boarder
The Thief Catcher
Those Love Pangs
Twenty Minutes Of Love

Fantômas: Le Faux Magistrat (1914) ****

The last "Fantômas" serial by Louis Feuillade is divided into five episodes ("Prologue", "Le prisonnier de Louvain", "Monsieur Charles Pradier, juge d'instruction", "Le magistrat cambrioleur" and "L'extradé de Louvain").

Tess Of The Storm Country (1914) ***

One of the earliest Mary Pickford's features, remade again in 1922.

Mute Witnesses (1914) ***

Russian melodrama about masters and servants.

Fantômas contre Fantômas (1914) ***

The fourth "Fantômas" serial. 60 minutes. It has four episodes ("Fantômas et l'opinion publique", "Le mur qui saigne", "Fantômas contre Fantômas" and "Le règlement de comptes").

Neptune's Daughter (1914) ***

Engelein (1914) ***

German film directed by a Dane, Urban Gad, and starring Danish actress Asta Nielsen.

The Virginian (1914) ***

One of the very first Hollywood westerns, directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It would have been an impressive film even if it was made 10 years later, but considering that it was made before “The Birth Of A Nation” (1915), it's nothing short of a classic.

In The Land Of The Head Hunters (1914) ***

Not quite a documentary, but not a fictional drama neither, but a kind of anthropological/slash/ethnographic hybrid of both. Set among the Indian tribes of the Pacific Northwest.

Sealed Orders (1914) ***

The Squaw Man (1914) ***

A double milestone in the history of cinema: the first feature film shot in Hollywood and the first feature-length western ever made.

The Spoilers (1914) *

Silent western set in Alaska.

The Perils Of Pauline (1914) *

Hopelessly overrated American serial about a villain trying to kill a rich heiress in every episode. Very simplistic and extremely boring when compared with contemporary "Fantomas" serials.

Wrath Of The Gods (1914) *

Silent drama set on a volcanic island near Japan.

Home Sweet Home (1914) *

Technically, D.W. Griffith's third feature film (after "Juldith Of Bethulia" and "The War Of The Sexes"), but it's actually four separate shorts exploring the same theme - family values, circa 1914. Very boring.

Judith Of Bethulia (1914) *

It's hard to believe that D.W. Griffith made this boring film a year after “The Mothering Heart” (1913) and a year before “The Birth Of A Nation” (1915). Back in 1914, this four-reel was considered a feature film, but 48 minutes was way to long to tell such a simple story more appropriate for a short.

The Knockout (1914) ***

Fatty (Roscoe Arbuckle) becomes a boxer, but his first match (with Chaplin as a referee) results in a hilarious chase across rooftops, with Keystone Kops in hot pursuit. The slow beginning contrasts sharply with the fast-paced, very inventive conclusion. A Keystone farce directed by Charles Avery.

Fatty's Magic Pants (1914) ***

Fatty steals a suit from a clotheline, but the suit's owner gets it back during a formal ball, leaving Fatty pantless in the middle of a reception.

Obrazek turystyczny Lublin (1914) ***

L'Anglais tel que Max le parle (1914) ***

Max is flirting with an English girl.

Daisy Doodad's Dial (1914) ***

A Busy Day (1914) *

A nasty woman beats her philandering husband (Mack Swain). Chaplin's first female impersonation. A plotless and rather unpleasant comedy. Directed by Charles Chaplin.

The Thief Catcher (1914) **

Notable for a brief appearance by Charlie Chaplin (playing a Keystone Kop), but otherwise a rather weak (and curiously unfunny) Mack Sennett farce.

Massacre (1914) **

Whites massacre an Indian village, and in retaliation, Indians attack a pioneer wagon train. A western from D.W. Griffith.

Max et sa belle-mère (1914) ***

Max's mother-in-law ruins his honeymoon. Directed by Max Linder. Produced by Pathé. Length: 25 minutes. It shouldn't be confused with an earlier Max Linder comedy, also intitled "Max et sa belle-mère", made in 1911 and directed by Lucien Nonguet.

Max et la doctoresse (1914) **

Max, married to a physician, is jealous of his wife's male patients. Quite misogynist.

The Face On The Barroom Floor (1914) *

Charlie is a painter. The use of flashbacks was quite rare in those days, but the film is very slow and boring. Directed by Charles Chaplin.

The Fatal Mallet (1914) **

Everybody is throwing bricks in this comedy starring Charlie Chaplin, Mack Sennett, Mabel Normand and Mack Swain. Directed by Mack Sennett.

A Film Johnnie (1914) **

Charlie wrecks havoc in a film studio. Aka "His Million Dollar Job". Directed by George Nichols.

His Favorite Pastime (1914) *

Boring comedy with Charlie Chaplin drinking in the bar, returning home and getting into a fight. Directed by George Nichols.

His Prehistoric Past (1914) *

Weird comedy set in prehistoric times, with caveman Charlie killing Jersey eagles and fighting for women. Directed by Charles Chaplin; his last film for the Keystone studio.

Leading Lizzie Astray (1914) **

Lizzie (a woman, not a race car) is seduced by a city slicker and her boyfriend Fatty comes to the rescue. Plenty of fistfights and gunfights, but no lizzie chases. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle.

Little Billy's Triumph (1914) **

A bunch of bratty kids steal Little Billy's money, but he follows them around, cries and gets his money back. The first comedy featuring the Keystone Kids isn't very successful.

Mabel's Blunder (1914) *

Mabel gets involved in some serious complications with her boss and his son. Confusing plot, unsuccessful film.

Mabel's Busy Day (1914) **

Cars are racing, while Mabel sells hot dogs and Charlie fights with Keystone Kops. Directed by Mabel Normand.

Mabel's Married Life (1914) **

Charlie has to defend his wife Mabel from an insistent playboy. Later, she purchases a dummy. Directed by Charles Chaplin.

Mabel's Strange Predicament (1914) **

Pajama-clad Mabel is locked out of her hotel room. One of Chaplin's earliest comedies, directed by Mabel Normand.

The Masquerader (1914) **

A comedy with Charlie masquerading as a woman and causing havoc in a film studio. Roscoe Arbuckle co-stars. Charles Chaplin directs.

The Property Man (1914) **

Charlie is a property man at a vaudeville theatre. It's not clear if the scenes that show him kicking an old man were ever meant to be funny. Directed by Charles Chaplin, it could have been his worst film, were it not for a good finale involving a water hose.

Twenty Minutes Of Love (1914) **

A Keystone comedy set in a park. Its plot revolves around a stolen watch. Charles Chaplin's directorial debut.

Between Showers (1914) *

Thieves are stealing umbrellas, while large puddles of water prevent pedestrians from crossing the streets. Boring Keystone comedy starring Charlie Chaplin, Ford Sterling and Chester Conklin. Directed by Henry Lehrman.

Max a Monaco (1914) *

Max is drunk. Only this time, he is drunk in Monaco.

Max asthmatique (1914) **

Max (Max Linder, who also directed) has some respiratory problems. After a holiday in the mountains, his lungs become extraordinarely strong. Produced by Pathé.

Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914) ***

A Mack Sennett comedy starring Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand, Marie Dressler and the Keystone Kops.

Cabiria (1914) ****

The greatest of all Italian epic films produced before World War I.

The Patchwork Girl Of Oz (1914) ***

Memorable feature film set in the Land of Oz.

His Majesty, The Scarecrow Of Oz (1914) ***

A memorable feature film set in the Land of Oz.

Caught In A Cabaret (1914) ***

Waiter Charlie tries to impress society dame Mabel by pretending to be a VIP. A Keystone comedy directed by Mabel Normand.

Caught In The Rain (1914) ***

Typical early Chaplin - suave Charlie flirting in the park, drunk Charlie trying to climb the stairs, naughty Charlie getting caught in his bedroom with a married woman, wet Charlie escaping from Keystone Kops. Brief, but eventful. Directed by Charles Chaplin.

Getting Acquainted (1914) **

A policeman chases two philandering husbands (Charlie Chaplin and Mack Swain), who are flirting with each other's wives.  A Keystone comedy set in a park. Mabel Normand is particularly delightful in this film. Directed by Charles Chaplin.

His Musical Career (1914) ***

Charlie finds a job as piano-delivery man. A Keystone comedy directed by Charles Chaplin.

Laughing Gas (1914) ***

Charlie is a dentist's assistant, always fighting with patients and throwing bricks at pedestrians to knock off their teeth. A Keystone comedy directed by Charles Chaplin.

The New Janitor (1914) ***

Charlie works as a janitor at a bank. A manager steals the money to pay his gambling debts and tries to blame poor Charlie. Short on comedy, long on melodrama, the film starts slow, but builds to a satisfying climax. Directed by Charles Chaplin, this film is an important link in the evolution of his themes and styles.

Tango Tangles (1914) ***

Charlie Chaplin, Roscoe Arbuckle and others are fighting over a girl during a dance contest. Many wacky ideas (a prisoner dancing with a cop). A Keystone comedy directed by Mack Sennett. Aka "Charlie's Recreation".

Gussle The Golfer (1914) *

Gussle (Syd Chaplin) and Ambrose (Mack Swain) are two golfers in this boring comedy directed by Dell Henderson.

Max joue le drame (1914) ***

Max (Max Linder) wants to be a great dramatic actor, but his friends only appreciate his comic talents. French comedy directed by Max Linder and produced by Pathé.

Gertie The Dinosaur (1914) ****

Gertie made her film debut in this historically important cartoon by Winsor McCay. She's introduced by her creator, reluctantly obeying his instructions to bow and raise her feet. She even drinks an entire lake! Gertie was the first important cartoon star. Her distinctly childish personality remains fresh and memorable even today.

Making A Living (1914) ***

Confusing, but fast-paced farce. Chaplin's film debut, directed by Henry Lehrman.

Kid Auto Races At Venice (1914) ***

The first appearance of Charlie Chaplin as the legendary Tramp. It's a self-reflexive look at the art of filmmaking. Directed by Henry Lehrman.

Dough And Dynamite (1914) ***

One of Chaplin's best Keystone comedies, set in a bakery. While the owner suspects Charlie of fooling around with his wife, a bunch of striking workers explode a stick of dynamite concealed in a loaf of bread. An unusually well structured comedy, co-starring Chester Conklin, and directed by Charles Chaplin.

The Rounders (1914) ***

Drunk Charlie faces the wrath of his wife. His pal Fatty has similar problems. Directed by Charles Chaplin.

His Trysting Place (1914) ****

The marital bliss isn't enough to keep Charlie at home. His handling of children leaves much to be desired and his wife Mabel is furious ("if fish is good for the brain, I ought to cook him a whale"). When Charlie goes out to buy a couple of bottles (one for the baby), he gets into a fight with Ambrose (Mack Swain) and takes his overcoat by mistake. Mabel finds a love letter in its pocket and suspects him of having an affair. "You'll be half an orphan when I get through with your father", she tells their baby. Ambrose's wife is also furious when she discovers him with a toddler in his arms. "I'll teach you to have children behind my back", she yells between kicks. Chaplin's best Keystone comedy, a flawlessly constructed gem.

The Magic Cloak (1914) **

Interesting adaptation of a L.Frank Baum's story.

Cruel Cruel Love (1914) *

Charlie is rejected by his fiancee and he tries to poison himself. Directed by George Nichols.

His New Profession (1914) **

Charlie is hired to take care of an invalid in a wheelchair. Aka "The Good For Nothing". Directed by Charles Chaplin.

Recreation (1914) *

Very weak Keystone comedy starring, and directed by, Charles Chaplin. It's all about flirting in a park and throwing bricks.

The Star Boarder (1914) **

Charlie is the landlady's pet. Directed by George Nichols. Aka "The Landlady's Pet".

Those Love Pangs (1914) **

Keystone comedy with everybody sticking forks into each other. Directed by Charles Chaplin. Aka "The Rival Mashers".

Mabel At The Wheel (1914) **

Mabel Normand wins a car race, while villain Charlie Chaplin kidnaps her boyfriend and tries to sabotage the track. A Keystone comedy co-directed by Mabel Normand and Mack Sennett.

Gentlemen Of Nerve (1914) **

Short comedy starring Mabel Normand, Mack Swain, Chester Conklin and Charles Chaplin (who also directs). It's set during car races.

L'Avenir dévoilé par les lignes de pieds (1914) ***

Innovative cartoon by Emile Cohl.

Hesanut Builds A Skyscraper (1914) ***