THE RETROFORMAT VAULT
Lon Chaney and John George in
the Unknown (1927)
Lon Chaney and John George in
the Unknown (1927)
The Retroformat Vault is a one-of-a-kind online archive of rare silent movies and special features. Here you will find Retroformat's exclusive digital scans of films from the USC HMH Foundation Moving Image Archive and other private collections, plus restorations by the Library of Congress and more, with brand new additions every month!
Featuring our own high quality scans and new soundtracks by Musical Director Cliff Retallick, the Retroformat Vault is a cinematic time capsule, with an entire library of dozens of films & features. Starting at only $5 a month, the Vault is now offering FREE 7-day trials... Join today!
CURRENT VAULT EXCLUSIVES:
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We are proud to announce the newest addition to our growing online library, Mary Pickford's My Best Girl (1927), complete with original music by Cliff Retallick. Released just weeks after The Jazz Singer, this beloved romantic comedy became Pickford's farewell to silent films. Audiences who had adored "America's Sweetheart" for nearly two decades rediscovered exactly why they loved her. Funny, romantic, and endlessly charming, My Best Girl remains one of the crowning achievements of silent cinema. Rather than rely on her established image, Mary Pickford reinvented herself as Maggie, an ordinary working girl navigating love, family, and heartbreak. The result was one of the finest performances of her career. She and Charles "Buddy" Rogers fell in love making this delightful romantic comedy. Ten years later, they married, and remained together for the rest of Pickford's life. Their chemistry is unmistakable on screen, helping make My Best Girl one of the most beloved love stories of the silent era. Directed by Sam Taylor, My Best Girl balances laughter and heartbreak. Taylor collaborated on many of Harold Lloyd's greatest comedies, including Safety Last (1923), Girl Shy (1924), The Freshman (1925) and For Heaven's Sake (1926). His experience in crafting precisely timed visual humor is evident throughout My Best Girl. From comic family chaos to genuine emotional moments, it's a masterclass in storytelling from one of Hollywood's greatest periods. |
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Stark Love (1927), released by Paramount Pictures, was shot entirely on location in the Great Smoky Mountains near Robbinsville, North Carolina, and features an almost entirely amateur cast, with leads Forrest James and Helen Mundy delivering authentic performances, expertly directed by Karl Brown. Loaded with anthropological detail from a forgotten way of life, it stands out as a distinctive production in both concept and execution. The production's unconventional practices, such as using natural light and forgoing makeup, add to the film's uniqueness.The production's unconventional practices, such as using natural light and forgoing makeup, add to the film's uniqueness. Not commercially available elsewhere, Stark Love has been accessible to scholars mainly through unscored video copies made from the surviving Czech archival print, preserved at the UCLA film library and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Available now exclusively for members of the Retroformat Vault with brilliant new music by Cliff Retallick, scanned from a priceless, rare 16mm print found in the University of Southern California HMH Foundation Moving Image Archive! |
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Three faces of evil! With your membership in the Retroformat Vault, you can become an expert on 3 different silent film versions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde... John Barrymore's tour de force performance in 1920 was more than just an assignment for him; it was a labor of love. His contortions during the transformation from handsome Dr. Jekyll into the bent-over, hideous Mr. Hyde are truly mesmerizing, and remain haunting, even after 103 years. The 1912 single reel version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde starring future director James Cruz (The Covered Wagon [1920]) is the oldest surviving film version. Pioneer Film Corporation rushed the 1920 low budget version starring Sinclair Lewis into production to compete with Paramount-Artcraft’s John Barrymore version, releasing it just days after the Barrymore film. The result has become a favorite silent movie for fans of “bad cinema.” |
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It's the Old Army Game is a timeless comedy masterpiece featuring an almost youthful W.C. Fields performing bits from his vaudeville act and other routines that were developed further in films of the 1930s, especially the classic It’s a Gift (1934). Flapper icon Louise Brooks is stunning in this, her fourth film. Although her part is subservient to that of Fields, her presence dominates every scene she is in. This dynamic duo of humor and grace appeared on the silver screen together one time only. A treasure trove of wit & heart. |
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Preceding Mickey Mouse by nearly a decade, Felix the Cat was the most beloved, and fully developed, animated character of the Silent Film Era, as popular as Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin. His scrappy personality, idiosyncratic mannerisms and magical problem solving were known to audiences around the world. First drawn by Otto Mesmer of Pat Sullivan Studios in 1919, loosely based on an animated Charlie Chaplin that Mesmer had previously drawn. Felix was given his own series by 1921 and quickly became the first cartoon character to be a box office draw in his own right. The image of Felix pacing with his hands behind his back, deep in thought, became a trademark, as did his expressive and useful tail, which could become an exclamation point or a question mark, or transform into a pencil or even a shovel when needed. A century later, Felix is still one of the most recognizable cartoon characters in the world.
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One of the greatest horror films of the Silent Era, The Unknown (1927) proves that silent films can be just as creepy and suspenseful as any modern flick. Legendary Lon Chaney is mesmerizing in this twisted tale of a criminal who will stop at nothing to win the heart of a beautiful circus performer- even if it means amputating his own arms to conceal his identity. Joan Crawford plays the part of Nanon, circus performer and the object of Lon Chaney’s affection. With a runtime of just over an hour, The Unknown makes a perfect bite-sized introduction to the world of silent cinema.
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Oscar Micheaux's Within Our Gates (1925) is the earliest known surviving film directed by an African American, available now in the Retroformat Vault with brilliant new music by Cliff Retallick. A hard hitting, extraordinary film that explicitly portrays the racial situation in the United States during the early 20th century, it was was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1992. Believed lost for decades, a single print entitled La Negra (The Black Woman) was discovered in Spain in the 1970s. In 1992, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant."
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The Retroformat Vault is a one-of-a-kind online archive of rare silent films for our members, featuring brilliant new music by Retroformat Musical Director Cliff Retallick. See our 'The Vault' page for more information, or click below to join now. Members in the Los Angeles area can also claim discounts on tickets to our local shows!
Sign up now to watch and enjoy many great silent films, cartoons, serials, and more!
MORE VAULT EXCLUSIVES WITH ALL NEW MUSIC INCLUDE
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AND MANY MORE FEATURES & SHORT FILMS
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