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The beginning of this list starts with just a few of the lost films of the silent era. Many, many more films have been lost than those titles noted in this section’s lists. Educated guesses estimate that only 10 to 15 percent of the films made during the silent era survive today.

Many more films (especially titles of minor importance) will be added as this online list grows. Also, we will add information on modern preservation efforts and information on institutions that can accept charitible donations for film preservation.

Whether by mistake or not, we previously listed the Wallace Beery, Raymond Hatton and Louise Brooks film Now We’re in the Air (1927) as a surviving film. Any notes to support such a claim have been misplaced or never were based in fact. In the absense of reliable information to the contrary, we have listed the film as presumed lost.

Information on the status of films previously listed here as lost: A complete print of Josef von Sternberg’s The Exquisite Sinner (1926) and a print (missing the last reel) of Lillian Gish’s final MGM film The Enemy (1927) are known to exist in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film archive. The Roscoe Arbuckle and Buster Keaton two-reelers The Rough House (1917) and Back Stage (1919) also survive. An early Mary Pickford IMP film, In the Sultan’s Garden (1911), exists in the Library of Congress film archive. A print of Norma Talmadge’s Camille (1927) exists (with fragments missing) in the film collection of The Douris Corporation. The films Drag (1929) and Wonder of Women (1929) are known to exist in a major American film archive. Abel Gance’s La Roue (1922) exists in a nearly complete form. Purity (1916) exists in a film archive in France. Approximately half of The Flaming Frontier (1926) has been discovered in France. Solax’s A Fool and His Money (1912) has been found. Max Comes Across (1917) is known to exist. A print of The Boob (1926) has been shown, with German intertitles, on German television. The Rough Riders (1927) exists in the Museum of Modern Art, with a fragmentary print in the Library of Congress film archive. You Never Know Women (1926) and $20 a Week (1924) both exist in the LoC archive. A 16mm reduction print of The Ridin’ Rowdy (1927) exists in a private collection. A 35mm nitrate print of Oh, Baby! (1918) exists in a private collection in England. The Irish film Aimsir Padraig AKA In the Days of St. Patrick (1920) survives in the National Film Archive of the BFI. Genuine (1920) largely exists in a fragmentary print. Prints of X-Rays (1897) and Whaling Ashore and Afloat (1908) along with incomplete prints of Fanchon, the Cricket (1915) and Ultus, the Man from the Dead (1916) exist in the National Film Archive of the British Film Institute. His Wedding Night (1917) survives. Approximately 32 minutes of John Ford’s The Scarlet Drop (1918) survives. Approximately three reels of John Ford’s A Gun-Fightin’ Gentleman (1919) exists. Two reels of John Ford’s The Secret Man (1917) exist in the Library of Congress. John Ford’s Hell Bent (1918) has existed for years in the Czechoslovak Film Archives. D.W. Griffith’s Scarlet Days (1919) is in the MoMA film archive. Suzanna (1923) survives in an incomplete print. Fourteen of 15 episodes of Beatrice Fairfax (1916) exist in the Library of Congress film archives. All episodes of Louis Feuillade’s serial Judex (1916) are known to exist. A fragmentary print (approximately two reels) of Inside of the White Slave Traffic (1913) is known to exist. Georg al Klercker’s Mysteriet natten tell den 25:e (1916) has survived. Why Be Good? (1929) has survived, with sound elements intact. Five reels of the serial Secret Service Saunders (1925) have survived in a private collection. The Constant Nymph (1928) has survived as a 16mm reduction print. The Library of Congress holds a complete print of If I Were King (1920). John Ford’s Bucking Broadway (1917) has survived in a French film archive. Double Trouble (1915) starring Douglas Fairbanks exists in the Douris Corporation film collection. Three episodes of the Thanhouser serial Zudora (1914) exist, but still must be considered a lost serial. Approximately half of Our Gang (1922) exists in a few separate prints. A print of East Lynne (1916) exists. The Max Linder films Max and His Taxi (1917) and Max Wants a Divorce (1917) have survived. Most of the serials A Dangerous Adventure (1920) and The Blue Fox (1921) have survived. At the Duke’s Command (1911) survives. The Mary Pickford IMP films The Mirror (1911), ’Tween Two Loves (1911), Maid or Man (1911), Sweet Memories of Yesterday (1911), While the Cat’s Away (1911) and A Manly Man (1911) have survived. The serial The Masked Rider (1919) has been recovered in an incomplete print by The Serial Squadron. Señorita (1927) has survived in a private collection. Georges Méliès’ early film Defense d’afficher (1896) has been recovered. Beyond the Rocks (1922) featuring Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino has been recovered by the Nederlands Filmmuseum. Jephtah’s Daughter: A Biblical Tragedy (1909) and Youth (1915) survive in the British Film Institute film archive. Thanhouser’s The Image Maker (1917) exists in a private film collection. Approximately 30 minutes of Bardelys the Magnificent (1926) has survived in a private collection. Under Two Flags (1912) survives in the British Film Institute film archive. All but the last reel of Sorrell and Son (1927) has survived. An incomplete print of Silas Marner (1916) exists at the Library of Congress. A print of Pied Piper Malone (1924) survives in the Gosfilmofond archive in Russia. A restoration of the Kalem version of The Colleen Bawn (1911) was completed in 2001 by the National Archives of Canada. The Breaking Point (1924) survives in the Library of Congress. The Herbert Brennon version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913) survives in the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The Prisoner of Zenda (1913) survives in prints held by The Library of Congress and George Eastman House. The Rescue (1929) survives in an incomplete print held by George Eastman House. Der Hund von Baskerville (1914) has survived in the Gosfilmofond film archive. The Sarah Bernhardt La Tosca (1909) has survived in a print held of the British Film Institute. The first five reels of The Magic Flame (1927) survives at George Eastman House. His Lordship’s Dilemma (1915), starring W.C. Fields, survives in a French-language version in Belgium. An incomplete print of The Young Rajah (1922) with Rudolph Valentino has survived. Approximately half of John Ford’s Mother Machree (1928) survives in two American archives. Alraune, die Henkerstochter, genannt die rote Hanne (1918) survives in a 16mm print held by George Eastman House. The Lighthouse Keeper (1911) survives in a color-tinted print held by the LoC. A Winter’s Tale (1910) survives in George Eastman House, and is now available on DVD. A Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic (1929) has survived in a privately-held 16mm reduction print. Rotaie (1929) has survived in both its original silent version and the 1931 sound rerelease. A print of His Busy Hour (1926) was recovered in the late 1980s.

As information is provided that adds films that are presumed lost to this list, and information that happily allows us to remove film from this list, we would like to extend our thanks to those people who took time to share their information and expertise.