
What This Page Contains
On this page you will find a list of all 95 American silent feature films of 1925 that can be viewed online, mostly on YouTube. For each film on the list, you will find a link to the best online version(s) of the film.
Highlights of Our List of 1925 Online Films
1925 was arguably the greatest year for silent movies, as it was in this year that many of the era’s most famous and enduring films were released. In alphabetical order, here are some of 1925’s greatest hits:
- Ben-Hur, the biblical epic from MGM, starring Ramon Navarro and Francis X. Bushman;
- The Big Parade, the silents’ most well-known war drama of The Great War, starring John Gilbert and Renée Adorée;
- The Gold Rush, Charlie Chaplin’s epic of the Alaskan gold rush, a film which also featured long-time silent comic actor Mack Swain in his most memorable role;
- The Lost World, the great early science fiction film featuring extensive claymation, or stop-action, footage of a land extensively populated by dinosaurs;
- The Merry Widow, another vehicle for silent megastar John Gilbert, directed by Erich von Stroheim; and
- The Phantom of the Opera, Lon Chaney’s masterpiece, and a film which for many fans of the era represents the paragon of silent movie production.
1925 also saw the film debut of Paul Robeson, playing a drunken and wicked minister in director Oscar Micheaux’s controversial Body and Soul. Pampered Youth, an early adaptation of The Magnificent Ambersons, was released in this year.
Unusual releases for 1925 include Wolf Blood, the earliest surviving feature film to explore the possible existence of werewolves; Lorraine of the Lions, featuring Patsy Ruth Miller as a sort-of female Tarzan; and Madame Behave, a rare starring vehicle for the entertainment world’s first great drag-star, Julian Eltinge.
Fans of Clara Bow will be delighted to find five of her films from 1925 on our list. Finally, we may note that it is in our list of online films of 1925 that we first find William Powell, W.C. Fields and Constance Bennett appearing in starring roles.
Want to See Films From Other Years?
Go to American Feature Films of: 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931
Ramon Novarro in Ben-Hur (1925) Wildlife in The Lost World (1925) Jackie Coogan and Max Davidson
in The Rag Man (1925)
1925 Statistics (per the Library of Congress silent movie database):
Number of Features Released: 752
Number Extant (complete and incomplete): 391
Number Completely Lost: 361
1925 American Feature Films Available for Viewing Online
Title | # Reels | Director | Stars | Genre | Youtube Link | Comments | |
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American Pluck | 6 | Richard Stanton | George Walsh, Wanda Hawley | Comedy | Link | Extremely poor picture quality. | |
Below the Line | 7 | Herman C. Raymaker | John Harron, June Marlowe, Rin Tin Tin | Adventure, Drama | Link | A 15-minute video, representing all that survives of this film. Thanks to Robert Fells for uploading! | |
Ben-Hur | 12 | Fred Niblo, Charles Brabin, Christy Cabanne | Ramon Novarro, Francis X. Bushman, May McAvoy | Biblical drama | Link I Link II | Link I: link is to archive.org. Portuguese subtitles appear below the English intertitles. Link II: this movie can only be rented on YouTube. The film is generally listed as a 1925 movie, which would put it in the public domain, but because it was released in 1927, YouTube may consider it to be still copyright-protected. |
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Big Pal | 5 | John G. Adolfi | William Russell, Julanne Johnston | Comedy, Drama | Link | ||
Big Parade, The | 13 | King Vidor, George W. Hill | John Gilbert, Renée Adorée | Drama, War | Link I Link II | Link I: link is to archive.org.; no music. Link II: this movie can only be rented on YouTube. The film is generally listed as a 1925 movie, which would put it in the public domain, but because it was released in 1927, YouTube may consider it to be still copyright-protected. |
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Black Cyclone | 5 | Fred Jackman | Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Rex Lady the Horse | Western | Link | ||
Body and Soul | 9 | Oscar Micheaux | Paul Robeson | Drama | Link | ||
Border Vengeance | 5 | Henry S. Webb | Jack Perrin, Josephine Hill | Western | Link | No music. | |
California Straight Ahead | 8 | Harry A. Pollard | Reginald Denny, Gertrude Olmstead | Comedy | Link | ||
Capital Punishment | 6 | James P. Hogan | Clara Bow, George Hackathorne, Elliott Dexter | Drama | Link | No music. | |
Clash of the Wolves | 7 | Noel M. Smith | Charles Farrell, June Marlowe, Rin Tin Tin | Adventure | Link | ||
Coast Patrol, The | 5 | Bud Barsky | Kenneth MacDonald, Fay Wray | Action, Drama | Link | Picture quality poor. | |
Cobra | 7 | Joseph Henabery | Rudolph Valentino, Nita Naldi | Drama | Link | With English intertitles and Italian subtitles. | |
Coming of Amos, The | 6 | Paul Sloane | Rod La Rocque, Jetta Goudal | Drama | Link | Link is to archive.org. No music. | |
Cyclone Cavalier | 5 | Albert S. Rogell | Reed Holmes, Carmelita Geraghty | Comedy | Link | Film desperately needs restoring. | |
Daddy's Gone a- Hunting | 6 | Frank Borzage | Alice Joyce, Percy Marmont | Drama | Link | No music; film desperately needs restoring. | |
Dancers, The | 7 | Emmett J. Flynn | George O'Brien, Alma Rubens | Drama | Link | Link is to archive.org. No music. | |
Daughters Who Pay | 6 | George Terwilliger | Marguerite De La Motte, Bela Lugosi, John Bowers | Drama | Link | ||
Dick Turpin | 7 | John G. Blystone | Tom Mix, Kathleen Myers | Period drama | Link I Link II | Link I: organ score. Link II: live organ accompaniment. form Circle Cinema: artist appears in large inset. This film needs restoring. |
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Don Q, Son of Zorro | 11 | Donald Crisp | Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Astor | Adventure, Period drama | Link | ||
Eagle, The | 7 | Clarence Brown | Rudolph Valentino, Vilma Bánky | Action, Comedy | Link | ||
Flashes of Action | 5 | n/a | n/a | Documentary, War | Link | No music. | |
Flying Fool, The | 5 | Frank S. Mattison | Wanda Hawley, Gaston Glass | Comedy | Link | ||
Free to Love | 5 | Frank O'Connor | Clara Bow, Donald Keith | Drama | Link | No music; film needs restoring. | |
Freshman, The | 7 | Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor | Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston | Comedy | Link I Link II | Link I: with orchestra score. Link II: with piano score; video has brief 2-minute intro. |
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Go West | 7 | Buster Keaton | Buster Keaton, Kathleen Myers | Comedy | Link I Link II | Link I: organ score. Link II: small ensemble score. |
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Gold Rush, The | 9 | Charlie Chaplin | Charlie Chaplin, Mack Swain | Adventure, Comedy | Link | ||
Goose Woman, the | 8 | Clarence Brown | Jack Pickford, Louise Dresser, Constance Bennett | Drama | Link I Link II | Link I: with piano score by David Gill; unfortunately not great picture quality. Link II: with small ensemble score; a bit better picture quality; marginally colorized; intertitles have Spanish-translation voiceover. |
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Grass: a Nation's Battle for Life | 7 | Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack | Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack | Documentary | Link | Picture quality poor. | |
Greed | 10 | Erich von Stroheim | Gibson Gowland, Zasu Pitts | Drama | Link I Link II | Link I: full 10 reel film, linked to archive.org. Link II: full film available only for rent on YouTube. This is the 4-hour version, in which 2 hours of stills are added to recreate original lengthier film. |
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Head Winds | 6 | Herbert Blaché | House Peters, Patsy Ruth Miller | Drama | Link | No music; film needs restoration. | |
Her Sister From Paris | 7 | Sidney Franklin | Constance Talmadge, Ronald Colman | Comedy | Link | ||
Hurricane Hal | 4 | John P. McCarthy | Jack Mower, Alma Rayford | Western | Link | No music. | |
Kentucky Pride | 7 | John Ford | Gertrude Astor, J. Farrell MacDonald, Henry B. Walthall | Comedy | Link | No music. | |
Lady of the Night | 6 | Monta Bell | Norma Shearer, Malcolm McGregor | Drama | Link | English intertitles, with Spanish subtitles. | |
Lady Windermere's Fan | 8 | Ernst Lubitsch | Irene Rich, May McAvoy, Ronald Colman | Comedy | Link | ||
Lady, The | 8 | Frank Borzage | Norma Talmadge, Wallace MacDonald | Drama | Link | One reel of this film does not survive. Picture needs restoring. | |
Last Edition, The | 7 | Emory Johnson | Ralph Lewis, Lila Leslie | Crime, Drama | Link | ||
Lazybones | 8 | Frank Borzage | Buck Jones, Madge Bellamy | Comedy | Link | ||
Lightnin' | 8 | John Ford | Jay Hunt, Madge Bellamy | Comedy | Link | ||
Little Annie Rooney | 9 | William Beaudine | Mary Pickford, William Haines | Comedy, Drama | Link | ||
Lorraine of the Lions | 7 | Edward Sedgwick | Norman Kerry, Patsy Ruth Miller | Adventure, Drama | Link | No music; film needs restoring. | |
Lost World, the | 10 | Henry O. Hoyt | Wallace Beery, Bessie Love | Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi | Link I Link II Link III Link IV Link V | Link I: traditional organ score. Link II: traditional small ensemble score. Link III: small orchestra score, slightly more contemporary (The Alloy Orchestra). Link IV: mixed contemporary soundtrack. Link V: alternate mixed soundtrack, heavy on drums (ie. "jungle"-style music), and with added sound effects. |
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Love Gamble, The | 6 | Edward LeSaint | Lillian Rich, Robert Frazer | Drama | Link | ||
Mad Whirl, The | 7 | William A. Seiter | May McAvoy | Drama | Link | No music. | |
Madame Behave | 6 | Scott Sidney | Julian Eltinge, Ann Pennington | Comedy | Link | ||
Man on the Box, The | 8 | Charles Reisner | Syd Chaplin, Alice Calhoun | Comedy | Link | ||
Merry Widow, The | 10 | Erich von Stroheim | John Gilbert, Mae Murray | Drama | Link 1 Link II | Link I: good version with organ score. Link II: unrestored and restored versions, side-by-side. |
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Midnight Girl, The | 7 | Wilfred Noy | Lila Lee, Gareth Hughes | Drama | Link | Picture quality poor. | |
Midshipman, The | 8 | Christy Cabanne | Roman Novarro, Harriet Hammond | Drama | Link | No music. | |
Monster, The | 7 | Roland West | Lon Chaney, Gertrude Olmstead | Comedy, Horror | Link | ||
My Lady of Whims | 7 | Dallas M. Fitzgerald | Clara Bow, Donald Keith | Comedy | Link | ||
Mystic, The | 7 | Tod Browning | Aileen Pringle, Conway Tearle | Drama | Link | No music; with English intertitles and French sub-titles. | |
Night Club, The | 6 | Paul Iribe, Frank Urson | Raymond Griffith, Vera Reynolds | Comedy | Link | No music; picture quality not good. | |
Oh, Doctor | 7 | Harry A. Pollard | Reginald Denny, Mary Astor | Comedy | Link | ||
Pampered Youth | 7 | David Smith | Cullen Landis, Alice Calhoun, Allan Forrest | Drama | Link | Appears to be a 28-minute abridged version of original 7-reel film; may be only surviving footage. | |
Parisian Love | 7 | Louis J. Gasnier | Clara Bow, Donald Keith | Crime, Drama | Link | ||
Paths to Paradise | 7 | Clarence C. Badger | Betty Compson, Raymond Griffith | Comedy | Link | No music. | |
Perfect Clown, The | 7 | Fred C. Newmeyer | Larry Semon, Dorothy Dwan | Comedy | Link | No music. | |
Phantom of the Opera, The | 10 | Rupert Julian, Lon Chaney, Ernst Laemmle | Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin | Horror | Link I Link II Link III Link IV Link V Link VI | Link I: Carl Davis small orchestra score. Link II: full orchestra score. Link III: traditional-style organ score, improvised live by Moshe Ariel Garelin. Link IV: piano score. Link V: live contemporary-style score, by RPM Orchestra. Link VI: with original Vitaphone soundtrack from 1929 re-release. |
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Plastic Age, The | 7 | Wesley Ruggles | Donald Keith, Mary Alden, Henry B. Walthall | Comedy | Link | Video begins with nice tribute to Clara Bow. Film starts at 3:25. | |
Pony Express, The | 10 | James Cruze | Betty Compson, Ricardo Cortez | Western | Link | ||
Prairie Pirate, The | 5 | Edmund Mortimer | Harry Carey, Trilby Clark | Western | Link | Aspect-ratio off (video is too wide). | |
Pretty Ladies | 6 | Monta Bell | Zasu Pitts, Tom Moore | Comedy | Link | ||
Primrose Path, The | 6 | Harry O. Hoyt | Clara Bow, Wallace MacDonald | Drama | Link | Picture quality not great. | |
Proud Flesh | 7 | King Vidor | Eleanor Boardman, Pat O'Malley | Comedy | Link | Picture quality not good. | |
Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman | 6 | King Baggot | House Peters, Miss Dupont | Crime, Drama | Link | ||
Rag Man, The | 6 | Edward F. Cline | Jackie Coogan, Max Davidson | Drama, Comedy | Link | With Russian intertitles only. | |
Red Kimona, The | 7 | Walter Lang, Dorothy Davenport | Priscilla Bonner, Carl Miller | Biography, Drama | Link | ||
Riders of the Purple Sage | 6 | Lynn Reynolds | Tom Mix, Mabel Ballin | Western | Link I Link II | Link I: piano score. Link II: vintage orchestra soundtrack. |
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Ridin' Wild | 5 | Leon De La Mothe | William Barrymore, Pauline Curley | Western | Link | No music. | |
Road to Yesterday, The | 10 | Cecil B. DeMille | Joseph Schildkraut, Jetta Goudal | Drama | Link | No music; picture quality fair. | |
Romola | 12 | Henry King | Lillian Gish, Dorothy Gish, William Powell | Period drama | Link | ||
Sally of the Sawdust | 10 | D.W. Griffith | Carol Dempster, W.C. Fields | Comedy | Link | Featuring original piano score by Keith Taylor. | |
Salvation Hunters, The | 6 | Josef von Sternberg | George K. Arthur, Georgia Hale | Drama | Link | ||
Secrets of the Night | 7 | Herbert Blaché | James Kirkwood, Madge Bellamy | Comedy | Link | ||
Seven Chances | 6 | Buster Keaton | Buster Keaton, Ruth Dwyer | Comedy | Link I Link II | Link I: with traditional small ensemble score. Link II: live improvised organ accompaniment. |
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Shore Leave | 7 | James S. Robertson | Richard Barthelmess, Dorothy Mackaill | Comedy | Link | No music. | |
Smouldering Fires | 8 | Clarence Brown | Pauline Frederick, Laura La Plante | Drama | Link | ||
Soft Shoes | 6 | Lloyd Ingraham | Harry Carey, Lillian Rich | Western | Link | About two reels worth of film, of the original six, are lost. | |
Soul-Fire | 9 | James S. Robertson | Richard Barthelmess, Bessie Love | Drama | Link | ||
Stage Struck | 7 | Allan Dwan | Gloria Swanson, Lawrence Gray | Comedy | Link | ||
Stella Dallas | 11 | Henry King | Ronald Colman, Belle Bennett | Drama | Link | English intertitles with Spanish subtitles. | |
Tumbleweeds | 7 | King Baggot, William S. Hart | William S. Hart, Barbara Bedford | Western | Link I Link II | Both uploads are 1939 re-issue of the film, now including 8 minute introduction, William Hart's famous "farewell address" to the audience. Link I: piano score. Link II: vintage orchestra accompaniment, probably original 1939 score. |
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Unchastened Woman, The | 7 | James Young | Theda Bara, Wyndham Standing | Drama | Link | ||
Unholy Three, The | 7 | Tod Browning | Lon Chaney, Mae Busch | Comedy, Drama | Link | ||
Up the Ladder | 7 | Edward Sloman | Virginia Valli, Forrest Stanley | Drama | Link | ||
Waking Up the Town | 6 | James Cruze | Jack Pickford, Claire McDowell | Comedy | Link | No music. | |
White Outlaw, The | 5 | Clifford Smith | Jack Hoxie, Marceline Day | Western | Link | No music; the LOC list describes film as lost. | |
Winds of Chance | 10 | Frank Lloyd | Anna Q. Nilsson, Ben Lyon | Adventure, Drama | Link | No music. | |
Wizard of Oz, The | 7 | Larry Semon | Larry Semon, Dorothy Dwan, Oliver Hardy | Comedy, Fantasy | Link | ||
Wolf Blood | 6 | George Chesebro, Bruce Mitchell | George Chesebro, Marguerite Clayton | Drama | Link | ||
Woman of the World, A | 7 | Malcolm St. Clair | Pola Negri | Comedy, Drama | Link | ||
Womanhandled | 7 | Gregory La Cava | Richard Dix, Esther Ralston | Comedy | Link | ||
Zander the Great | 8 | George W. Hill | Marion Davies, Holbrook Blim | Comedy, Drama | Link | Film desperately needs restoring. |
American Feature Films of 1925 Commercially Available,
But Not Yet Uploaded Online
The goal is to get the films listed below uploaded to YouTube. All of these films are in the public domain. However, any musical accompaniment is likely not in the public domain, and may be flagged by YouTube; consequently, you may wish to upload them without any soundtrack (or add your own). And of course, IF YOU ADD A NEW FILM TO YOUTUBE, LET US KNOW, and we will link to your video.
Title | Director | Stars | Buy From | Notes | |
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Are Parents People? | Malcolm St. Clair | Betty Bronson, Florence Vidor | Grapevine Oldies.com | ||
Battling Bunyon | Paul Hurst | Wesley Barry | Grapevine | ||
Beyond the Border | Scott R. Dunlaph | Harry Carey | Oldies.com | ||
Braveheart | Alan Hale | Rod La Rocque, Lillian Rich | Grapevine Oldies.com | ||
Calgary Stampede, The | Herbert Blaché | Hoot Gibson | Grapevine Oldies.com | ||
Charley's Aunt | Scott Sidney | Syd Chaplin | Grapevine Oldies.com | ||
Circle, The | Frank Borzage | Eleanor Boardman | Oldies.com | ||
Confessions of a Queen | Victor Sjöström | Alice Terry, Lewis Stone | SHOF | SHOF #215 | |
Crackerjack, The | Charles Hines | Johnny Hines | Grapevine Oldies.com | ||
Custer's Last Fight | Francis Ford | Francis Ford | Oldies.com | Expanded version of two-reel 1912 film. | |
Demon Rider, The | Paul Hurst | Ken Maynard | SHOF | SHOF #131 | |
Early Bird, The | Charles Hines | Johnny Hines | Grapevine Oldies.com | ||
East Lynne | Emmett J. Flynn | Alma Rubens | SHOF | SHOF #220 | |
Flaming Waters | F. Harmon Weight | Malcolm McGregor | SHOF | SHOF #12 | |
Flashing Steeds | Horace B. Carpenter | Bill Patton | Grapevine | ||
Galloping On | Richard Thorpe | Hal Taliaferro | Grapevine | ||
Girl of Gold, The | John Ince | Florence Vidor | Oldies.com | ||
Headlines | Edward H. Griffith | Alice Joyce | Grapevine | ||
His Master's Voice | Renaud Hoffman | Thunder the Dog | Grapevine Oldies.com | ||
His People | Edward Sloman | Rudolph Schildkraut | Grapevine | ||
Kit Carson Over the Great Divide | Frank S. Mattison | Roy Stewart | Grapevine Oldies.com | ||
Labor's Reward | n/a | n/a | Grapevine Oldies.com | Mainly a series of title cards, and a two-reel drama. | |
Lights of Old Broadway | Monta Bell | Marion Davies, Conrad Nagel | SHOF | SHOF #207 | |
Little Girl in a Big City, A | Burton L. King | Gladys Walton | Oldies.com | ||
Lucky Devil | Frank Tuttle | Richard Dix | Grapevine | ||
Miss Bluebeard | Frank Tuttle | Bebe Daniels | Grapevine | ||
Paint and Powder | Hunt Stromberg | Elaine Hammerstein | Oldies.com | ||
Prince of Pep, The | Jack Nelson | Richard Talmadge | Oldies.com | ||
Ranchers and Rascals | Leo D. Maloney | Leo D. Maloney | SHOF | SHOF #95 | |
Rattler, The | Paul Hurst | Jack Mower | Oldies.com | Part of a Bob Burns double-feature. | |
Return of Grey Wolf, The | Jack Rollens | James Pierce | Grapevine Oldies.com | ||
Savages of the Sea | Bruce Mitchell | Frank Merrill | SHOF | SHOF #190 | |
Shock Punch, The | Paul Sloane | Richard Dix | Grapevine | ||
Sporting Venus, The | Marshall Neilan | Blanche Sweet, Ronald Colman | SHOF | SHOF #218 | |
Swan, The | Dimitri Buchowetzki | Frances Howard | Oldies.com | ||
Too Many Kisses | Paul Sloane | Richard Dix | Oldies.com | ||
Webs of Steel | J.P. McGowan | Helen Holmes | Oldies.com | ||
Who's Your Friend? | Forrest Sheldon | Francis X. Bushman Jr. | Oldies.com | Part of Francis X. Bushman Jr. double-feature. | |
Wild Horse Canyon | Ben F. Wilson | Yakima Canutt | Oldies.com | Part of the Yakima Canutt Collection. | |
Wild Horse Mesa | George B. Seitz | Jack Holt | Grapevine Oldies.com | ||
Wolfheart's Revenge | Charles R. Seeling | Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams | Oldies.com SHOF | SHOF #103 | |
You're Fired | Paul Hurst | William Bailey | Oldies.com |