The Street (1923) ***

A classic of German expressionist cinema.

Our Hospitality (1923) ***

Southern customs are mercilessly lampooned in this Buster Keaton comedy.

Vindicta (1923)

The Hunchback Of Notre-Dame (1923) ***

The first adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel. Superior to the 1939 version, it features the definitive Quasimodo (played by Lon Chaney). The 1996 Disney version might be more entertaining, but this one is much closer to the original novel.

The Extra Girl (1923) ***

Mabel Normand's best feature film. She plays an aspiring actress trying to make it in Hollywood. Particularly memorable is a wacky scene with a lion running loose in a film studio.

Chu-Chin-Chow (1923)

The Sign Of Four (1923) ***

An adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes novel, but closer in spirit to a Louis Feuillade's serial than to an Arthur Conan Doyle's work.

Tao (1923)

Little Red Devils (1923) ***

The Pilgrim (1923) ***

Escaped convict Charlie disguises himself as a clergyman.

Koenigsmark (1923) ***

The Hell Ship (1923) ***

Victor Sjöström's last Swedish silent drama, before he went to Hollywood and made such memorable films as "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924) and "The Wind" (1928).

Three Ages (1923) ***

Buster Keaton's parody of "Intolerance".

Salome (1923) **

Great costumes. Familiar story. And a disappointingly over-dressed dance.

La Souriante Madame Beudet (1923) **

French drama about an unhappily married couple, directed by Germaine Dulac.

Coeur fidele (1923) **

Stylistically - a very impressive, innovative film directed by Jean Epstein. Thematically - a horrible, old-fashioned melodrama without any distinction whasover. Result - an interesting study in contrasts between good form and wretched content.

Shock (1923) **

Lon Cheney plays an invalid who falls in love with a banker's daughter.

Warning Shadows (1923) *

German drama about jealousy.

Scaramouche (1923) *

Mediocre costume drama set during the French Revolution.

Suzanna (1923) *

A Mack Sennett production starring Mabel Normand, but it's not a comedy, but a tedious melodrama set in California during the Spanish colonial era.

The Covered Wagon (1923) *

Hopelessly dated and unbelievably tedious western about brave pioneers on the Oregon Trail.

It's A Gift (1923) ****

Excellent comedy starring Snub Pollard as a great inventor, who pulls strings in his fully automated house and drives "magnetic" automobile. Directed by H.Fay and produced by Hal Roach.

Dogs Of War (1923) ***

Those little rascals from Our Gang fight it out in the trenches, using gas masks against skunks. There is even a little nurse to treat the wounded. Later, the boys wreck havoc in a movie studio. Harold Lloyd makes a brief cameo appearance. H.M.Walker wrote the inter-titles. Directed by R.McGowan and produced by Hal Roach.

The Dare Devil (1923) ***

A funny comedy set in a movie studio, where Ben Turpin suffers all sorts of indignities as a stunt man. It includes a classic scene with Ben tied to a post in a flooded room, while the entire crew rushes to film a burning building.

Le Retour a la raison (1923) ***

The Balloonatic (1923) ***

Buster travels in a balloon and has to survive in the wilderness. Amusing gags involving bears and virtuous dames.

Kosuzume Pass (1923) ***

The Pick Up (1923) ***

Au secours! (1923) ***

A man bets that he can spend an hour in a haunted castle. Innovative experimental film starring Max Linder and directed by Abel Gance.

The Goat Man (1923) ***

White Wings (1923) ***

Stan kidnaps a baby by mistake and the chase is on. Quite inventive, often weird comedy (cops are chained to chairs, teeth are pulled "almost" painlessly).

Prezydent Wojciechowski w Gdyni (1923) ***

The Love Nest (1923) ***

Buster finds himself on a whaling ship run by a ruthless captain.

Kill Or Cure (1923) ***

Stan is a door-to-door salesman, who also imitates birds and washes cars. A "Stan without Ollie" short directed by P.Pembroke and produced by Hal Roach.

Sunday Calm (1923) **

Our Gang goes on a picnic, leaving their parents behind.

The Soilers (1923) **

Stan is an Alaskan prospector fighting with a rival. There is even a gay cowboy! A "Stan without Ollie" short directed by R.Ceder and produced by Hal Roach.

Save The Ship (1923) **

Stan lives on a raft with his wife and her parents. Weird film with a weird ending - Stan drowns while playing cards.

Oranges And Lemons (1923) **

In this film, oranges are fruits, lemons - the people who pick them. There are many assembly-line gags as Stan tries to pack those fruits into crates. A "Stan without Ollie" short directed by G.Jeske and produced by Hal Roach.

Man About Town (1923) **

Stan follows a girl by mistake. A store detective suspects him of stealing. A "Stan without Ollie" short directed by G.Jeske and produced by Hal Roach.

Roughest Africa (1923) *

Pretty stupid short comedy about an African explorer (Stan Laurel).

Scorching Sands (1923) *

Stan plays a foreign legionnaire in North Africa. A "Stan without Ollie" short directed by George Jeske and produced by Hal Roach.

The Noon Whistle (1923) *

Stan is working for a lumber company, carrying heavy crates and dropping them on his co-workers. A "Stan without Ollie" short directed by G.Jeske and produced by Hal Roach.

Glumov's Diary (1923) *

A short film by Sergei Eisenstein, but a rather insignificant one.

Bed Time (1923) ****

An excellent Koko The Clown cartoon.

Felix In Hollywood (1923) ****

After many complications (involving shoes and bubble gums), Felix finally comes to Hollywood and tries to imitate Charlie Chaplin. Fast paced, very inventive cartoon directed by Otto Messmer.

Felix The Ghost Breaker (1923) ****

Trapped (1923) ***

Koko fights against a giant spider.

One Hard Pull (1923) ***

Al Falfa's tooth is aching and he desperately tries to pull it out. Produced and directed by Paul Terry.

La Voix du rossignol (1923) ***

A bird is singing to a little girl at night. Probably the first animated film in color, quite beautiful.

Rhythmus 21 (1923) ***

A purely abstract German animated experimental short film by Hans Richter. The work on the film started in 1921, but the first public screening was only held on July 6th 1923 in France. Over the next few years, Richter had worked on the film and extended it to almost seven minutes. Eventually, he split it up and called them "Rhythmus 21", "Rhythmus 23" and "Rhythmus 25". Thus, he insinuated that 21 meant 'released in 1921'. He thereby tried to predate Walter Ruttmann who on April 27th 1921 screened the first abstract film, "Opus I".

Alice's Wonderland (1923) ***

Contrary to what Walt Disney always said, everything didn't start with a mouse, but with Alice. And this was Disney's first cartoon about a live-action heroine in an animated universe. It's quite dated, but its historical importance is enormous.

Felix Gets Broadcasted (1923) ***

Lulu (1923) ***

An Italian animated film directed by Segundo de Chomon.

Smart Salesman (1923) *

A travelling salesman tries to con Al Falfa and his animals. The farmer tries various acrobatic tricks. Produced and directed by Paul Terry.

Top 10 Films of 1922

1. "Nosferatu" (F.W. Murnau, Germany)

2. "Nanook Of The North" (Robert Flaherty, Pathe)

3. "Dr Jack" (Fred C. Newmeyer, USA)

4. "Grandma’s Boy" (Fred C. Newmeyer, Pathe)

5. "Tess Of The Storm Country" (John S. Robertson, United Artists)

6. "Oliver Twist" (Frank Lloyd, First National)

7. "Love One Another" (Carl T. Dreyer, Germany)

8. Once Upon A Time (Carl T. Dreyer, Denmark)

9. "Beyond The Rocks" (Sam Wood, Paramount)

10. "Shibukawa Bangoro" (Kokichi Tsukiyama, Japan)

Other great films:

The Toll Of The Sea

Top 10 Guilty Pleasures of 1922:

1. "Dr Mabuse" (Fritz Lang, Germany)

2. "Haxan" (Benjamin Christensen, Denmark)

3. "Foolish Wives" (Erich Von Stroheim, Universal)

4. "Kino-Pravda No 7" (Dziga Vertov, Russia)

5. "E piccerella" (Elvira Notari, Italy)

6. "Lucrezia Borgia" (Richard Oswald, Germany)

7. "Orphans Of The Storm" (D.W. Griffith, United Artists)

8. "Manslaughter" (Cecil B. DeMille, Paramount)

9. "Rok 1963" (Edward Puchalski, Poland)

10. "Jocelyn" (Léon Poirier, France)

Short Top 10:

1. "Cops" (Eddie Cline, Buster Keaton, First National)

2. "Pay Day" (Charles Chaplin, First National)

3. "The Sawmill" (Larry Semon, Norman Taurog, Vitagraph)

4. "The Blacksmith" (Malcolm St. Clair, Buster Keaton, First National)

5. "Daydreams" (Eddie Cline, Buster Keaton, First National)

6. "The Paleface" (Eddie Cline, Buster Keaton, First National)

7. "My Wife's Relations" (Eddie Cline, Buster Keaton, First National)

8. "Scrooge" (George Wynn, UK)

9. "The Electric House" (Eddie Cline, Buster Keaton, First National)

10. "The Frozen North" (Edward F. Cline, Buster Keaton, Metro)

Cartoon Top 10:

1. "Jumping Beans" (Dave Fleischer, Winkler)

2. "The Original Movie" (Tony Sarg, USA)

3. "Bubbles" (Dave Fleischer, Winkler)

4. "Les Grenouilles qui demandent un roi" (Wladyslaw Starewicz, France)

5. "Felix Saves The Day" (Otto Messmer, Winkler)

6. "Puss In Boots" (Walt Disney, USA)

7. "Cinderella" (Walt Disney, USA)

8. "Little Red Riding Hood" (Walt Disney, USA)

9. "The Four Musicians Of Bremen" (Walt Disney, USA) 

10. "Aschenputtel" (Lotte Reiniger, Germany)

Weak films of 1922:

Blood and Sand
Down To The Sea In Ships
Flesh And Blood
The Headless Horseman
Mud And Sand
Peg O' My Heart
Phantom (Germany)
Robin Hood
Sherlock Holmes
Sky High
Three Must-Get-Theres

Weak shorts:

Some Baby
Tommy Tucker's Tooth

Weak cartoons:

Chemistry Lesson
Jack The Giant Killer
Two Of A Trade