Film history—with its star-studded blockbusters, celebrity triumphs and tragedies, and mind-blowing technological advances—is as dramatic as the medium itself.
From the earliest days of the silent film era through the advent of today’s stunning computer-generated imagery, audiences around the world have been captivated by the silver screen. According to Nielsen ratings, more than 26 million Americans tuned in to watch the 2018 Academy Awards, and in recent years, box office profits exceeded $11 billion in the U.S. alone. Fans cannot get enough of their favorite films and actors, and routinely create and visit websites packed with little-known facts and photos.
Stacker sifted through sources, including film and history databases, critics’ compilations, and entertainment news sources to compile this list of most memorable movie moments from 1918 through 2017. What was happening in Hollywood the year you were born?
1918: Warner Bros. is born
Warner Bros. // IMDB
Warner brothers Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack, the children of Polish immigrants, purchased property on Sunset Boulevard for $25,000 and relocated their Pennsylvania-based film company to sunny Hollywood. Warner Bros. West Coast Studios would evolve into one of the world’s largest and most innovative film companies.
1919: Erich von Stroheim, triple threat
Universal // Wikimedia Commons
Austrian native Erich von Stroheim made his Hollywood debut as a writer, director, and leading man with his feature “Blind Husbands.” Notoriously difficult to work with, this legendary silent screen director went on to produce nine films and. In later years, Stroheim starred alongside Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard,” playing her devoted servant.
1920: Pickfair
Unknown // Wikimedia Commons
Before Brangelina or Kimye, there was Pickfair. Silent screen film star Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., presented a lavish estate, appropriately christened Pickfair, as a wedding gift to his sweetheart, Mary Pickford. The property boasted 22 rooms and what is thought to be the first swimming pool in Beverly Hills.
1921: The Original Latin Lover
Paramount Pictures // Wikimedia Commons
Rudolph Valentino, an Italian immigrant who became famous as the original Latin Lover, made his mark in 1921 with not one, but two blockbuster films. “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” became the highest-grossing film in silent screen history, while “The Sheik” cemented Valentino’s status as a sex symbol.
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