List of rediscovered films

List of films that were thought lost but later rediscovered From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of rediscovered films that, once thought lost, have since been discovered, in whole or in part. See List of incomplete or partially lost films and List of rediscovered film footage for films that are not wholly lost.

Frankenstein (1910), the first film adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. A print was discovered in the mid-1970s.
Beyond the Rocks (1922), the film starring Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson. A print was discovered in 2003.

For a film that was not released before it was rediscovered, the year is when it was produced. The year is also italicized.

The films are listed by year, then alphabetically within each year.

Silent films

Many films of the silent era have been lost.[1] The Library of Congress estimates 75% of all silent films are lost forever. About 10,919 American silent films were produced, but only 2,749 of them still exist in some complete form, either as an original American 35 mm version, a foreign release, or as a lower-quality copy.[2]

1890s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1896Défense d'afficherGeorges MélièsGeorges MélièsThis French film was recovered in 2004. It is the oldest lost film to be rediscovered. [3]
The House of the Devil The film was presumed lost until 1988, when a copy was found in the New Zealand Film Archive. [4]
1897 Gugusse and the Automaton Unexpectedly identified in Library of Congress donation in February 2026. [5]
1898 Something Good – Negro Kiss William Selig Saint Suttle, Gertie Brown The nitrate film negative of this short was rediscovered at an estate sale in Louisiana by an archivist from the University of Southern California. It is believed to contain the earliest on-screen kiss involving African Americans and is noted for departing from the prevalent and purely stereotypical presentation of racist caricature in popular culture at the time. [6][7]
1899 Momijigari Shibata Tsunekichi Onoe Kikugorō V, Ichikawa Danjūrō IX A three-minute print was discovered around 1939 by the film historian Junichiro Tanaka, who bought the print for 50 yen; it was later acquired by the National Film Archive of Japan. Around 2006, a six-minute print was donated to the National Film Archive of Japan by film historian Motoki Yoshihiko. [8]
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1900s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1900Sherlock Holmes BaffledArthur MarvinThe names of the two actors are unknown.Running only 30 seconds, this is the first recorded detective film and the first to feature Sherlock Holmes. A paper copy was identified in 1968 in the Library of Congress Paper Print archive by Michael Pointer, a historian of Sherlock Holmes films. It was transferred to 16 mm film in the Library of Congress collection.[9]
1901The Death of Poor JoeGeorge Albert SmithLaura BayleyMade in Great Britain and lost since 1954, the film was rediscovered in 2012 and is the oldest surviving film that features a Charles Dickens character.[10]
The Triple-Headed LadyGeorges MélièsShort film rediscovered as part of the Brinton Entertainment traveling circuit of early films and magic lantern slides salvaged in Iowa in 1981, but not identified until 2015 and featured in the 2017 documentary Saving Brinton.[11]
1904A Wager Between Two Magicians, or Jealous of MyselfGeorges MélièsTwo minute-long film discovered in 2016 at the Czech National Film Archive under a donated reel with a different name.[12]
The Wonderful Rose-TreeGeorges MélièsShort film rediscovered as part of the Brinton Entertainment traveling circuit of early films and magic lantern slides salvaged in Iowa in 1981, but not identified until 2017 upon release of the documentary Saving Brinton.[11]
1904 or
1906
Living London or
The Streets of London
Charles UrbanOne reel (10 minutes) was found of this documentary of London life. The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (where the fragment was found) states it was identified by British film scholar Ian Christie as being from Living London,[13] but Urban's website claims that this is from the later documentary.[14]
1907Katsudō ShashinUnknownThe oldest animated film in Japan, lasting only three seconds. The piece of film was discovered in Kyoto on July 31, 2005.[15]
1908Bobby's KodakWallace McCutcheonEdward Dillon, Robert HarronA print was discovered in the Library of Congress.[16]
Hôtel électrique (El hotel eléctrico)Segundo de ChomónSegundo de Chomón, Julienne MathieuThis French film is in the Filmoteca Española film archive.[17]
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1910s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1910FrankensteinJ. Searle DawleyCharles OgleA print was bought by a film collector in the 1950s, who was not aware of its rarity until decades later. United States[18]
Il Guanto
(The Glove)
Luigi MaggiAlberto Capozzi, Mary Cleo Tarlarini, Mario Voller-BuzziA print bought by a private collector from a recycling centre. United Kingdom. (2015)[citation needed]
1911 The Adventures of Pinocchio Giulio Antamoro Ferdinand Guillaume In 1994, the original negative was rediscovered at Cineteca Italiana in Milan. In 2002, Time reported that a 30-minute version had been rediscovered and restored.
KarađorđeIlija Stanojević-ČičaThe first Serbian feature film, thought lost since 1928. Material from this movie was found in the Austrian Film Archives in 2003.[19]
Pictureland Thomas H. Ince Isabel Rea

King Baggot

The film was rediscovered by a researcher, Robert Hoskin, in Australia who received a print from Japan in 2015 and personally restored it over the course of one year. When the film was thought to be lost it was said that Mary Pickford played a role in it, but after a print was found it became clear that she was not in the film at all. The part that was thought to have been played by her was actually played by Isabel Rea. [20]
Their First MisunderstandingThomas H. Ince, George Loane TuckerMary PickfordThe first film that credited Pickford by name. Found in 2006 in a New Hampshire barn.[21]
1912A Fool and His MoneyAlice Guy-Blaché William HainesUnited States[22][23][24]
From the Manger to the CrossSidney OlcottRobert Henderson-BlandThe film disappeared from cinema screens for decades until Reverend Brian Hession, vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Walton, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, went on a quest to the US to find a copy of the film for re-issue in Britain. Although initially disappointed, he eventually discovered a set of negatives after searching in the vaults and cellars of old film concerns. Hession added a musical sound track and spoken commentary, and From the Manger to the Cross was re-released in 1938.[25]
A Lucky HoldupDorothy GibsonIt was found by David Navone in the early 2000s in a sea chest that he bought at a California flea market and was professionally restored by the American Film Institute. It is the only surviving film featuring actress Dorothy Gibson.[26]
In Nacht und EisMime MisuThe third Titanic movie was presumed lost around 1914, but was found in the possession of a private film collector in Germany in 1998.[27]
Richard IIIAndré Calmettes, James KeaneRobert Gemp, Frederick WardeThe first known full-length William Shakespeare film was thought to be lost, until in 1996 Oregon projectionist William Buffum donated his copy to the American Film Institute.[28][29]
En Stærkere magtHjalmar Davidsen, Eduard Schnedler-SørensenValda ValkyrienPreserved by the Danish Film Institute.[30]
1913 Laenatud naene
(Borrowed Wife)
Alfred Sällik, Paul Pinna Found in Gosfilmofond Archive (Moscow) in 2014, this comedy is probably the oldest surviving Estonian feature film. [31][32]
L'enfant de ParisLéonce PerretLéonce Perret, Louis Leubas, Maurice LagrenéeThe film was found by Henri Langlois.[33]
Os Óculos do Vovô Francisco Santos Francisco Santos, Mário Ferreira dos Santos Oldest Brazilian fiction film. Rediscovered by researcher Antônio Jesus Pfeil in 1970/80s. Four minutes of the 15-minute feature are preserved. [34]
Poor Jake's DemiseAllen CurtisLon Chaney, Louise FazendaChaney's first credited role. A fragment was discovered in 2006 among several hundred other reels of film in an English collection.[35]
Sealed HeartsRalph InceEugene O’BrienUK collector had tinted 35mm print (50 minute British version).[36]
A Sister to CarmenCharles GaskillHelen GardnerSilver nitrate positive print recovered in 1996.[37]
When Lincoln PaidFrancis FordFrancis FordWas found in 2006 in a barn in New Hampshire that was going to be demolished. [38]
1914The Active Life of Dolly of the DailiesWalter EdwinMary Fuller, Yale BossDiscovered in 2009 in the New Zealand Film Archive.[39]
The Girl Stage DriverWebster CullisonNorbert A. Myles, Edna Payne, Will E. SheererAn incomplete 35mm positive print was discovered in 2009 in the New Zealand Film Archive.[40][41]
Der Hund von Baskerville (The Hound of the Baskervilles)Rudolf MeinertFirst known adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes book The Hound of the Baskervilles.[42]
The Oath of the SwordFrank ShawConsidered the earliest known Asian American film production, it was recently discovered at the George Eastman Museum by scholar Denise Khor.[43]
The OublietteCharles GiblynMurdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush, Lon Chaney, Doc Crane, Chester Withey, Millard K. Wilson, Frank Lanning, Agnes VernonIn the summer of 1983, a nitrate print in excellent condition was discovered in Georgia. A couple rebuilding the steps of their front porch uncovered all three reels of the film, still in their metal cans.[44]
Pirates of the PlainsOtis ThayerDiscovered in 1993 in a private collection in Antigo, Wisconsin. It is thought to be the only film made by the Colorado Motion Picture Company to have survived.[45]
Salomy JaneWilliam Nigh, Lucius HendersonBeatriz Michelena, House PetersComplete nitrate copy found in Australia in 1996.[46]
The StainFrank PowellEdward José, Theda BaraA print of the film was discovered in Australia in the 1990s.[47]
A Thief CatcherCharlie Chaplin (bit part)A print was discovered in 2010 at a Michigan antique sale.[48]
Won in a ClosetMabel NormandMabel NormandDiscovered in 2009 in the New Zealand Film Archive.[39]
1915 Diplomatic Henry Sidney Drew Sidney Drew, Mrs. Sidney Drew, Florence Natol Discovered in the summer of 2017, it was scanned and restored at the University of Southern California and screened at the 2018 Pordenone Silent Film Festival. [49]
The Heart of LincolnFrancis FordFrancis FordFound in Lauro's Historic Films Archive in Greenport, Long Island, New York in 2024.[50]
A Mixup for MazieHal RoachHarold LloydFound in Gosfilmofond Archive (Moscow) in 2017.[51]
A Munkászubbony (The Work Jacket)István BródyGyula HegedűsFound in the Netherlands in 2017.[52][53]
Peculiar Patients' PranksHal RoachHarold LloydFound in Australia's National Film and Sound Archive.[54][55]
The Portage TrailOliver William LambResidents from Akron, OhioA 16-minute drama shot in Akron, Ohio, that was considered lost until Los Angeles-based Periscope Film LLC posted it for online viewing via YouTube in January, 2023.[56]
The Price of BetrayalVictor SjöströmEgil Eide, John EkmanFound by the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée in 2017.[57]
RegenerationRaoul WalshRockliffe Fellowes, Anna Q. NilssonRediscovered by the Museum of Modern Art.[58]
1916Als ich tot warErnst LubitschFound in 1994 in a Slovenian archive by the Ljubljana Film Museum and screened at the Pordenone Festival of Silent Cinema in 1995.[59]
East LynneBertram BrackenTheda BaraOne of Bara's six surviving films.[24]
Luke's DoubleHal RoachHarold Lloyd, Bebe DanielsA 28mm print of the long-lost short comedy was recovered by the Harold Lloyd Estate in October 2022 and has been deposited at the UCLA Film & Television Archive for preservation.[60]
The Moment BeforeRobert G. VignolaPauline FrederickA nearly complete print, lacking only the opening scene, was found in an archive in Rome.[61][62]
Mysteriet natten till den 25:eGeorg af Klercker[citation needed]
The NetGeorge Foster PlattBert Delaney, Marian SwayneOn April 5, 2022, Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc in cooperation with the National Library of Norway announced the discovery of this rare surviving five-reel feature film.[63][64]
PurityRae BergerAudrey MunsonThe Centre Nation de la Cinematographie film archive has a print.[24]
Sherlock HolmesArthur BertheletWilliam Gillette, Marjorie KayA copy was discovered in 2014 in the Cinémathèque Française archive. This is the only film made by Gillette, a famed stage actor best known for his portrayal of Holmes.[65]
Snow WhiteJ. Searle DawleyMarguerite Clark, Creighton HaleIt was thought to have been destroyed in a vault fire. A "substantially complete" print, with Dutch intertitles and missing a few scenes, was found in Amsterdam in 1992 and restored at George Eastman House.[66] It inspired Walt Disney to make it the subject of his first feature-length animated film.
ZeppedCharlie ChaplinA copy of this propaganda short film was found in 2009; and a second turned up in 2011.[67][68]
c. 1916 or 1917The Curse of Quon Gwon: When the Far East Mingles with the WestMarion E. WongViolet Wong, Harvey SoohooFilmed c. 1916 or 1917, apparently never released and long thought lost. Restored in 2006 by the Academy Film Archive from two reels preserved by filmmaker Arthur Dong. It is the earliest known Chinese-American feature film, and one of the earliest films directed by a woman. Parts of this are still missing.[69][70][71]
1917 BlissAlfred J. GouldingHarold LloydFound in 1978 in Dawson City, Yukon, Canada.[72]
Bucking BroadwayJohn FordFound in 2002 in a French archive. Included as an extra on the Criterion Collection Blu-ray of Stagecoach.[24]
The Dull SwordJun'ichi KōuchiThe Japanese animated film was found in an antique shop in Osaka in March 2008.[73][74]
Pay Me! (The Vengeance of the West) Joe De Grasse Lon Chaney Found in Gosfilmofond Archive (Moscow) in 2019. [75][76][77]
Polly of the CircusEdwin L. HollywoodMae MarshThe original copy was destroyed in the 1965 MGM vault fire and was considered lost for 13 years until another copy was found in 1978 in Dawson City, Yukon, Canada.[72][78]
A Reckless RomeoRoscoe ArbuckleRoscoe Arbuckle, Al St. JohnFound in an unmarked canister at the Norwegian Film Institute in 1998, alongside The Cook.[79]
1918 Amazonas, o maior rio do mundoSilvino SantosDocumentary movie about the Amazon rainforest lost between 1920s-1930s and only found out in 2023 stored in the Národní filmový archiv, mistacalogued as a 1925 US film.[80]
Anniversary of the Revolution Dziga Vertov Lev Trozki Edited by director Dziga Vertov (marking his first film) from chronicle materials on the first anniversary of the October Revolution. The film was considered lost for a long time and was restored in its original form a century after its release by film expert Nikolai Izvolov. The premiere took place on November 20, 2018, at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam (IDFA). [81][82]
The CookRoscoe ArbuckleRoscoe Arbuckle, Buster KeatonFound in an unmarked canister at the Norwegian Film Institute in 1998, alongside A Reckless Romeo. A second print, containing more footage, was found in 2002, and the two were combined to create a restored version. However, some scenes are still missing.[79]
The Floor BelowClarence G. BadgerMabel Normand, Tom Moore, Helen DahlFound "in the estate of a Dutch collector" by the Nederlands Filmmuseum.[83][84]
1919Around the World in 80 DaysRichard OswaldConrad VeidtPrint found at the EYE film Institute in the Netherlands [85][86]
Back to God's CountryDavid HartfordNell ShipmanPrint discovered in Europe and restored in the 1990s. Scenario by Nell Shipman and novelist James Oliver Curwood.[87]
Camping OutRoscoe ArbuckleRoscoe Arbuckle, Al St. JohnReconstructed from reels found in the Nederlands Filmmuseum and Cineteca Nazionale (Rome) storage vaults in 2002.
Different from the OthersRichard OswaldConrad VeidtGerman copies destroyed by the Nazis in 1933 and thought lost since then. A copy was found in Ukraine in the late 1970s and restored by the Stadtmuseum München. One of the earliest known sympathetic depictions of homosexuality in film.[88]
The Grim GameIrvin WillatHarry HoudiniAlthough fragments of the movie were known to have survived, this was widely considered to be a lost film until it was purchased from a private collector in 2014. It was scheduled to be screened at the TCM Classic Film Festival in March 2015.
People Die for MetalAlexandre VolkoffZoya Karabanova, Yuri YurovskyThis film was considered lost until being rediscovered and shown at a Danish film festival in 1963. The version screened there had German credits and carried the alternate title Sold Soul. It was later restored and uploaded to YouTube.[citation needed]
A Romance of Happy ValleyD. W. GriffithLillian GishIt was found in the State Film Archives of the Soviet Union, which donated it to the Museum of Modern Art.[89]
Scarlet DaysD. W. GriffithRichard Barthelmess, Eugenie BessererFound in the State Film Archives of the Soviet Union, which donated it to the Museum of Modern Art.[89]
Sealed HeartsRalph InceEugene O'Brien, Robert Edeson, Lucille Lee StewartThe previously lost film was rediscovered in the United Kingdom after a film collector provided his copy to the De Montfort University’s Cinema and Television History Institute.[90]
The Loves of LettyFrank LloydLeota Lorraine, Joan Standing, Pauline FrederickFound in a European collection.[91]
The Spiders (1st of 2)Fritz LangCarl de Vogt, Ressel Orla, Georg John, Lil DagoverRestored in 1978 from a newly discovered original print, first part of a 2-part series.[citation needed]
The Valley of the GiantsJames CruzeWallace ReidFound in Gosfilmofond Russian state archives, Moscow. Digital copy given to the Library of Congress in 2010.[92]
When Bearcat Went DryOliver L. SellersLon ChaneyFound in a projectionist's collection.[citation needed]
The White HeatherMaurice TourneurHolmes Herbert, John Gilbert, Gibson GowlandConsidered to be a lost film for many years, but in 2023 a copy was rediscovered at the Eye Filmmuseum. The film will be preserved by the San Francisco Silent Film Festival under a grant awarded by the National Film Preservation Foundation.[93]
The Wicked DarlingTod BrowningLon ChaneyA copy was found in Europe in the 1990s, and now resides in the Nederlands Filmmuseum.[94]
The Witness for the DefenseGeorge FitzmauriceElsie FergusonPrint discovered in Gosfilmofond. Screened at Univ. of North Dakota. Ferguson's only surviving silent film.[95][96]
You're FiredJames CruzeWallace Reid, Wanda HawleyFound in Russian state archives Gosfilmofond, Moscow. Digital copy given to the Library of Congress in 2010.[92]
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1920s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1920Aimsir PadraigNorman WhittenVernon Whitten, Gilbert Greene, Ira AllenAlso known as "In the Days of St. Patrick", exists in the British Film Institute.[97]
AlgolHans WerckmeisterEmil Jannings, John Gottowt, Käthe Haack, Hanna RalphRecovered and subsequently screened by The Museum of Modern Art on November 29, 2010, as part of their film exhibition Weimar Cinema, 1919–1933: Daydreams and Nightmares.[98][99]
The Daughter of DawnNorbert MylesWhite Parker, Wanada Parker, Esther LeBarre, Jack SankadotyBought and restored by the Oklahoma Historical Society in 2007.[100]
Dance on the Volcano (Der Tanz auf dem Vulkan)Richard EichbergLee Parry, Violette Napierska, Robert Scholz, Bela LugosiFound in a film archive in the 1990s, albeit in its American release version.
GenuineRobert WieneFern Andra, Hans Heinrich von TwardowskiComplete copy was discovered in the Berlin film archive.[101]
Go and Get ItMarshall Neilan, Henry Roberts SymondsPat O'Malley, Wesley Barry, Agnes AyresThought lost until a print was discovered in the Cineteca Italiana film archive in Italy.[102][103]
Helen of Four GatesCecil HepworthAlma Taylor
James Carew
Found in a film vault in Quebec, Canada in 2008. However, footage from the film had been excerpted in the 1995 documentary Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood.[104]
If I Were KingJ. Gordon EdwardsWilliam Farnum, Betty Ross Clarke, Fritz Leiber, Sr.Print is held by the Library of Congress.[105]
The Spiders (2nd of 2)Fritz LangCarl de Vogt, Ressel Orla, Georg JohnRestored in 1978 from a newly discovered original print, second part of a 2-part series.[106]
Unseen ForcesSidney FranklinSylvia Breamer, Conrad Nagel, Sam De GrasseRediscovered at the New Zealand Film Archive in 2010. A video Archived July 28, 2022, at the Wayback Machine of the preserved film can be viewed at the National Film Preservation Foundation website.[107]
Der Wildtöter und ChingachgookArthur WellinBela LugosiRecovered in the 1990s, exists in private film collection.[108]
Where Are Your Husbands?Billy B. VanBilly B. VanFound in the Library of Congress film archive in June 2017 and was screened at Dexter's Inn in Sunapee, New Hampshire on July 12, 2017.[109]
Within Our GatesOscar MicheauxEvelyn Preer, Flo Clements. James D. RuffinLost for decades, a single print of the film, entitled La Negra (The Black Woman), was discovered in Spain in the 1970s. In 1993, the Library of Congress Motion Picture Conservation Center restored the film as closely as possible to the original.[110][110][111]
1921The Blue FoxDuke WorneAnn Little, J. Morris FosterPortions of the first 12 chapters of this serial exist in UCLA Film and Television Archive; parts 13–15 are believed lost.[112]
Brownie's Little VenusFred FishbackBaby PeggyRediscovered in Switzerland in 2010.[113]
The Conquest of CanaanRoy William NeillThomas Meighan, Doris KenyonFound in Russian state archives Gosfilmofond Moscow. Digital copy given to the Library of Congress in 2010.[92]
The DevilJames YoungGeorge ArlissExists in the Library of Congress film archive.[114]
Hard LuckEdward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Buster KeatonLong considered Keaton's major lost film until it was partially reconstructed in 1987. The climactic final scene was later recovered in a Russian archive.[115]
JánošíkTheodor Pištěk
Mária Fábryová
Jaroslav SiakeľThe first Slovak full feature film was considered lost until 1970, when original film producer John Zavodny donated his copy to Slovak film institute. It was then restored by Ivan Rumanovský and premiered in 1975.[116]
Ludzie bez jutra (People with no Tomorrow)Aleksander HertzPolish film rediscovered in Germany in 2015.[117]
Molly O'F. Richard JonesMabel NormandPrints exist in the Library of Congress film archive, UCLA Film and Television Archive and Gosfilmofond Russian Film Archive.[118][119]
1922Amazonas, o maior rio do mundoSilvino SantosThis Brazilian documentary of life on the Amazon River was presumed lost in 1931. It was rediscovered in 2023 in the archives of the Czech Film Archive.[120]
Beyond the RocksSam WoodGloria Swanson, Rudolph ValentinoCollector Joop Van Liempd (1913–2002) donated a large collection of film canisters to Nederlands Filmmuseum. A print of Beyond the Rocks was found among them in 2003 and restored in 2005.[121]
For the DefensePaul PowellEthel Clayton, ZaSu PittsRediscovered in 2014 in the archive of EYE Filmmuseum in Amsterdam.[122]
Kick InGeorge FitzmauriceBetty Compson
Bert Lytell
Found in Russian state archives; Gosfilmofond (Moscow). Digital copy given to the Library of Congress in 2010.[92]
Little Red Riding HoodWalt DisneyanimationOne of the first theatrical animated cartoons from Walt Disney. Found in a London film library in 1998 and restored the same year.[123][124]
The Loves of PharaohErnst LubitschEmil JanningsLong thought lost, it has been restored from various sources, though it still lacks 10 minutes of the roughly one hour and 50-minute original running time.[125]
Oliver TwistFrank LloydJackie Coogan, Lon ChaneyThought lost for half a century until found in Yugoslavia in the 1970s. [126][127]
[128][129]
Our Gang Charley Chase, Robert F. McGowan, Tom McNamara,

Fred C. Newmeyer

Ernest Morrison, John Hatton, Anna Mae Bilson, Jackie Condon, Mickey Daniels, Helen Gilmore, Wallace Howe, Mark Jones, Charley Young Missing for decades, approximately half of the film resurfaced and was compiled together by 2013, before a nearly complete print was reconstructed from eight different sources in 2024. [130][131][132]
PhantomF. W. MurnauAlfred Abel, Grete Berger, Lil DagoverPrints exist in the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv film archive.[133]
Sherlock HolmesAlbert ParkerJohn Barrymore, Roland Young, William PowellFilm was restored over a thirty-year period from the original camera negatives at the George Eastman House.[134]
A Woman's Woman Charles Giblyn Mary Alden Revealed on Instagram that it was found in 2025. [135]
Three Live GhostsGeorge FitzmauriceNorman KerryFound in a Russian archive and shown publicly at British Silent Film Festival in September 2015.[136]
The Toll of the SeaChester FranklinAnna May Wong, Kenneth HarlanFound in 1985.[137]
The Young RajahPhil RosenRudolph ValentinoFilm partially found, surviving footage and still pictures were merged to make an incomplete film.[138]
1923The Call of the CanyonVictor FlemingRichard DixFound in Russian state archives; Gosfilmofond (Moscow). Digital copy given to the Library of Congress in 2010.[92]
Canyon of the FoolsVal PaulHarry Carey, Marguerite Clayton, Jack CurtisFound in Russian state archives; Gosfilmofond (Moscow). Digital copy given to the Library of Congress in 2010.[92]
Circus DaysEdward F. ClineJackie CooganFound in Russian state archives; Gosfilmofond (Moscow). Digital copy given to the Library of Congress in 2010.[92]
Defying DestinyLouis ChaudetMonte Blue, Irene RichRediscovered in New Zealand Film Archive in 2010. Video of preserved print available for online viewing[139]
The Gold DiggersHarry BeaumontHope Hampton, Wyndham Standing, Louise FazendaWith no prints of The Gold Diggers located in any archive it was for decades presumed to be a lost film. In May 2021, a collector found an incomplete nitrate 35mm Belgian print in England, which has been uploaded to YouTube. The surviving footage includes reels 1, 4, 5 and 6, although some of the extant reels have missing sections at the beginning and end of the reels. In June 2021 the same collector uploaded a digitally scanned version of the first five minutes to YouTube, with plans to scan the remaining footage.[140]
The Eternal StruggleReginald BarkerRenée AdoréeFound in Russian state archives; Gosfilmofond (Moscow). Digital copy given to the Library of Congress in 2010.[92]
The First DegreeEdward SedgwickFrank MayoRediscovered in July 2020 in the Charles E. Krosse Collection of the Chicago Film Archives in Chicago, Illinois.[141][142][143]
Love, Life and LaughterGeorge PearsonBetty BalfourFound in a small cinema in the Netherlands in 2014.[144]
MaytimeLouis J. GasnierClara Bow, Ethel Shannon, Harrison Ford4 out of 7 reels were found in the New Zealand Film Archive in 2009; preserved and available for online viewing Archived October 30, 2020, at the Wayback Machine.[145][40]
La Montagne infidèleJean EpsteinPaul GuichardA complete 28 mm copy was identified in 2021 at Filmoteca de Catalunya.[146]
The Pill PounderGregory La CavaCharles Murray (American actor), Clara BowThought for decades to be lost, filmmaker Gary Huggins recently discovered a 35 mm copy of this 2-reel film after he picked it up in the auction of items from a defunct Omaha-based distributor.[147]
Souls for SaleRupert HughesEleanor BoardmanDiscovered and restored in 2006 by Turner Classic Movies and Warner Archive Collection.[148]
The White ShadowGraham CuttsBetty Compson, Clive Brook, Henry Victor, A. B. ImesonThe first three of six reels were found in the New Zealand Film Archive in August 2011. [149]
1924Twenty Dollars a WeekF. Harmon WeightGeorge Arliss, Taylor Holmes, Edith RobertsHeld in the Library of Congress Film Archive and New Zealand Film Archive.[150][151]
The ArabRex IngramRamón Novarro, Alice TerryFound in Russian state archives; Gosfilmofond (Moscow). Digital copy given to the Library of Congress in 2010.[92]
The Breaking PointHerbert BrenonNita Naldi, Patsy Ruth Miller, George FawcettExists in the Library of Congress Film Archive.[152]
The City Without JewsHans Karl BreslauerJohannes Riemann, Eugen Neufeld, Hans MoserFound by collector in Paris flea market, 2015. Restored by Filmarchiv Austria, via crowd-funding.[153]
Dynamite SmithRalph InceCharles Ray (actor), Jacqueline Logan, Bessie Love, Wallace BeeryAn 8mm copy with Dutch intertitles from the collection of David Wyatt was found in 2023 and published on YouTube with English subtitles.[154]
Empty HeartsAlfred SantellJohn Bowers, Clara BowHeld by UCLA Film and Television Archive.[155]
Our PetHerman C. RaymakerBaby PeggyA print was discovered after a Japanese auction in October 2016.[156]
The Cat's Meow Roy Del Ruth Harry Langdon An incomplete print was posted to youtube in 3 reels, in May 2025.[157]
Peg o' the MountedAlfred J. GouldingBaby PeggyA print was discovered amongst the holdings of the Nederlands Filmmuseum.[158]
Pied Piper MaloneAlfred E. GreenThomas Meighan, Lois Wilson, Emma DunnDiscovered in a Russian film archive by historians Mark Tiedje and John Coles. It was screened in 2007 in Georgetown, South Carolina, where it was filmed. Now stored in National Film Foundation of Russian Federation Archive.[159][160][161]
Secrets of the NightHerbert BlachéJames Kirkwood Sr., Madge Bellamy, ZaSu PittsDiscovered in a basement in Mississauga, Ontario, in 2017.[162]
Venus of the South SeasJames R. SullivanAnnette Kellerman, Roland Purdu, Norman FrenchRestored by Library of Congress in 2004. Last reel of 55-minute film is in Prizmacolor. Held by New Zealand Film Archive and British Film Institute[163][164]
1925Borrowed FineryOscar ApfelLouise Lorraine, Ward Crane, Lou TellegenFound in a Czech film archive in late 2016.[165]
The Clash of the WolvesNoel M. SmithRin Tin Tin, Charles Farrell, June Marlowe, Heinie ConklinA 35mm projection print was uncovered in South Africa and repatriated to the United States. It underwent restoration and preservation in 2003. Exists in:
  • George Eastman House (Rochester, New York, United States)
  • Library of Congress (Washington DC, United States)
  • National Archives of Canada (Ottawa, Canada)
  • Filmmuseum (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
  • UCLA Film and Television Archive (Los Angeles, California, United States)
[166][167]
The Dance of the Falling Flowers (落花の舞) Unknown Matsunosuke Onoe A scene of the film that was edited out due to censorship was donated to the National Film Archive of Japan by a former deceased Interior Ministry official in 1988, but was not revealed until November 2022. No complete copy of this film has survived and only the scene that audiences could not see at the time of the release has survived. [168]
Keep SmilingAlbert Austin, Gilbert PrattMonty BanksFound in Russian state archives. Digital copy given to the Library of Congress in 2010.[92]
The Last EditionEmory JohnsonRalph LewisRediscovered at the Dutch EYE Film Institute.[169]
Seven SinnersLewis MilestoneClive Brook, Marie PrevostA private collector obtained the film, Milestone's first feature, from a closed-down cinema in Melbourne. Warner Archive Collection and Turner Entertainment planned to restore the film for a 2017 DVD release and showing at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.[170]
Wood Love Hans Neumann Werner Krauss, Ruth Weyher, Theodor Becker (actor), Valeska Gert, Tamara Geva Long considered a lost film, the North American version of the German film was discovered in Oregon in 2010, buried under a cellar floor and coated in machine oil. The UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation restored the film from a 35mm nitrate silent tinted print. Set to be screened on April 6, 2024 at the Billy Wilder Theater. [171]
1926Bardelys the MagnificentKing VidorJohn GilbertRestored in 2008 from a nearly-complete print discovered in France in 1998.[172]
The BatRoland WestTullio CarminatiPrint exists at UCLA Film And Television Archive.[173]
The Devil's CircusBenjamin ChristensenNorma Shearer, Charles Emmett MackThought to have been lost,[174] a print of The Devil's Circus was found and has been preserved by George Eastman House.[175]
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit (Unity and Law and Freedom) Joseph Delmont Paul Hartmann, Trude Hoffmann, Eugen Klöpfer, Carl de Vogt, Hermann Bachmann, Arthur Bergen, Marion Illing, Elga Brink, Clementine Plessner It was based on the film "Die entfesselte Menschheit" from 1920 (Humanity Unleashed), using previously shot scenes, adding new scenes and some documentary material. This full 90 minutes film, was restored and digitized by the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv in Berlin. [176]
His Busy HourJ. P. McGowanJames PierceThought lost until a print was discovered in the closet of a French asylum in the 1990s.[177]
Irish DestinyGeorge DewhurstPaddy Dunne CullinanThought lost until a nitrate print was discovered in the Library of Congress in 1991.[178]
Ko-Ko's QueenDave FleischerKoko the Clown (animation)Rediscovered in 2014 in the archive of EYE Filmmuseum in Amsterdam. It is an Out of the Inkwell cartoon, in which Koko the Clown designs his ideal woman.[122]
Mare NostrumRex IngramAntonio Moreno, Alice Terry[179]
A Page of MadnessTeinosuke KinugasaMasao Inoue, Yoshie NakagawaFound by the director in his garden shed in 1970; he had buried it during World War II and forgotten it, but a third of the original footage is still missing.[180][181]
Silence Rupert Julian Vera Reynolds, H.B. Warner,

Raymond Hatton

This film was long thought lost, but in 2016 La Cinémathèque Française found a copy of the film in their archives. A complete restoration was conducted with a planned debut at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in June 2017.[182] In November 2020 this film became available to watch online.[183] [182][183]
Taras Tryasilo Pyotr Chardynin Ambrose Buchma, Natalia Uzhvij, Ivan Zamychkovsky The film has long been considered lost, however, in 1998, film critic Lyubomir Goseyko found a tape on a 16-mm film in the archives of French cinematics, where it was stored under the name "Tatars". With the efforts of the National Center of Oleksandr Dovzhenko, the film was brought to Ukraine and restored. [184]
1927The Cave of the Silken WebDan DuyuYin MingzhuThought lost until a copy surfaced in 2013 in the National Library of Norway in Mo i Rana.[185][186]
A Diary of Chuji's TravelsDaisuke ItōDenjirō ŌkōchiOriginally released in three parts, all of which were long thought to be lost until portions of the second part and much of the third part were discovered and restored in 1991.[187]
Duck SoupFred GuiolLaurel & HardyThought lost until a copy surfaced in 1974.
Empty SocksWalt DisneyOswald the Lucky RabbitCartoon film made by Disney recovered in Norway in 2014.[188]
Eyes of the TotemW. S. Van DykeTom Santschi, Wanda HawleyOne of three silent films made by Tacoma, Washington based studio H.C. Weaver Productions. Thought lost until discovered in Van Dyke's archives at the Museum of Modern Art in 2014. Screened in Tacoma on September 18, 2015.[189]
Garras de oroP. P. JambrinaThe restoration of the extant footage was screened in New York City in 2008. The film has since been referred to as the first anti-imperialist film.[190]
The GorillaAlfred SantellCharles Murray, Fred Kelsey, Walter Pidgeon, Alice DayThe digital restoration debut at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival on April 14, 2024.[191]
Ham and Eggs at the FrontRoy Del RuthTom Wilson, Heinie Conklin Myrna LoyLong thought to be a lost film, a print was screened at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival in 2021 courtesy of the Cineteca Italiana.
Her Wild OatMarshall NeilanColleen Moore, Larry Kent, Hallam CooleyFound by Hugh Neely in the Czech National Film Archive in Prague in 2001 and subsequently restored by the Academy Film Archive.[192][193]
ItClarence G. BadgerClara BowBelieved lost until a print surfaced in Prague in the 1960s.
MetropolisFritz LangGustav Fröhlich, Brigitte HelmOriginal long version was presumed to be lost for decades, while the shorter cuts still survived. In 2008, two different versions of the film were found: one by Museo del Cine from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and another in the National Film Archive of New Zealand. Both versions were then edited into one cut to get as near the original version as possible.[194][195]
Mickey's CircusAlbert HermanMickey RooneyRediscovered in 2014 in the archive of EYE Filmmuseum in Amsterdam. This was Rooney's first starring role.[122]
MockeryBenjamin ChristensenLon Chaney, Barbara Bedford, Ricardo CortezThought to have been lost,[174] it was rediscovered in the mid-1970s, it is available from George Eastman House[175] and on DVD from Warner Bros.
Poor PapaWalt DisneyOswald The Lucky Rabbit3 incomplete surviving copies were found in the United Kingdom around the 2000s, all of which were sold to private collectors. In 2015, Disney found a complete copy of the cartoon in a private collection. The short was later restored and included as a bonus feature on the 2017 "Signature Edition" Blu-ray release of Pinocchio.
Sorrell and SonHerbert BrenonH. B. Warner, Anna Q. Nilsson, Carmel Myers, Nils Asther, Louis Wolheim, Mary Nolan
Tarzan and the Golden LionJ. P. McGowanJames PierceThought lost until a print was discovered in the closet of a French asylum in the 1990s.[citation needed]
Taxi! Taxi!Melville W. BrownEdward Everett Horton, Marian Nixon, Burr McIntosh, Edward MartindelDiscovered in late 2024 as a "Show-At-Home" 16mm print and was screened at the Bruno Walter Auditorium in New York Public Library for the Performing Arts on January 11, 2025.[196]
Two Arabian KnightsLewis MilestoneWilliam Boyd, Mary Astor, Louis WolheimProduced by Howard Hughes, and long thought lost until a print was found in his vault after his death.
UpstreamJohn FordNancy Nash, Earle Foxe, Grant WithersDiscovered in New Zealand in 2010 among 75 silent films being returned to the US, many of which were thought lost.[197]
Why Girls Love SailorsFred GuiolLaurel & HardyThought lost for many years, but then officially surfaced in 1985.[198]
WingsWilliam A. WellmanClara Bow, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, Richard Arlen, Gary CooperFound in the Cinémathèque Française film archive in Paris. Winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture.[199]
The Wreck of the HesperusElmer CliftonAlan Hale, Virginia Bradford, Frank MarionDiscovered at Cineteca Milano in 2025 and screened at Orinda Theatre on November 13, 2025 as a part of San Francisco Silent Film Festival.[200][201]
1928 The CameramanEdward Sedgwick, Buster KeatonBuster Keaton, Marceline Day, Harold GoodwinThe last print was presumed destroyed in the 1965 MGM vault fire. A complete print was discovered in Paris in 1968. A second, incomplete (but better-quality) print surfaced in 1991.[202]
The Cardboard LoverRobert Z. LeonardMarion Davies, Jetta Goudal, Nils AstherA print bought by a private collector from a recycling centre. United Kingdom. (2015)[citation needed]
The Constant NymphAdrian BrunelIvor Novello, Benita HumeThe film was found as a result of a 1992 British Film Institute campaign to locate missing movies. [203]
The Crimson CityArchie MayoMyrna Loy, Conrad Nagel, Anna May WongA complete print was discovered in Argentina in 2008.[204]
Forbidden HoursHarry BeaumontRamon Novarro, Renée AdoréeA complete print has survived, as well as a 16 mm reduction positive trailer.[205]
Hungry HobosWalt DisneyOswald the Lucky Rabbit, Peg-Leg PeteCartoon film made by Disney recovered in 2011 in the Huntley Film Archives.[206]
Chūkon giretsu: Jitsuroku Chūshingura (実録忠臣蔵) Shōzō Makino Sentaro Nakamura, Shōzō Makino Long thought to have been destroyed, a 66-minute print running four reels was discovered in September 2015. 130 minutes of this 1928 film are currently missing. [207]
The Mating CallJames CruzeThomas Meighan, Evelyn Brent, Renée AdoréeProduced by Howard Hughes, and long thought lost until a print was found in his vault after his death.[208]
My Son Yevgeni Chervyakov Gennadiy Michurin, Anna Sten, Pyotr Berezov In 2008, five 16mm film reels of a film without the original titles, labeled as "El Hijo del otro" ("The son of another") were found in Argentina. Copies of the film were kept in the archive of the Museum of Cinema in Buenos Aires. [209]
The Passion of Joan of ArcCarl Theodor DreyerMaria FalconettiThe truncated reissue was thought all that remained, until a complete version was found in 1981 in the closet of a Norwegian mental institution.[210]
A Race for LifeD. Ross LedermanRin Tin TinOriginally, the film was presumed to be lost. However, according to the Library of Congress Database, the film was found in the Netherlands in 2016.[211]
The RacketLewis MilestoneThomas Meighan, Marie Prevost, Louis WolheimProduced by Howard Hughes, and discovered following his death in his private collection.
RamonaEdwin CareweDolores del RíoRecovered in Prague and screened in Los Angeles in March 2014[212]
Sadie ThompsonRaoul WalshGloria Swanson, Lionel Barrymore, Raoul WalshA print was found in Mary Pickford's personal archive after her death.[213]
Sleigh BellsWalt Disney, Ub IwerksOswald the Lucky RabbitAn Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon film thought to be lost, but discovered in 2015.[214]
The Spanking AgeRobert F. McGowanMary Ann Jackson, Bobby Hutchins, Jean DarlingAn Our Gang film thought to be lost, but discovered in 1990.[215]
Show GirlAlfred SantellAlice White, Donald ReedIn 2015, a print was discovered in an Italian film archive.[216]
1929CareersJohn Francis DillonBillie Dove, Antonio MorenoA print of the silent version was discovered in the Cineteca Milano film archive. However, an all-talking version remains lost.[217]
Scarlet SeasJohn Francis DillonRichard Barthelmess, Betty Compson, Loretta Young
Synthetic SinWilliam SeiterColleen Moore, Antonio MorenoIn the late 1990s, a 35mm print of the film was discovered to survive in an Italian archive.
Why Be Good?William SeiterColleen Moore, Neil Hamilton, Bodil RosingIn the late 1990s, a 35mm print of the film was discovered to survive in an Italian archive.
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1930s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1930Wara WaraJosé María Velasco MaidanaJuanita Taillansier, Martha de Velasco, Arturo BordaThe only known surviving Bolivian film of the silent era. Discovered in a La Paz basement in 1989, it required over a decade of restoration and was not released until 2010.[218]
1931Love and DutyBu WancangRuan LingyuSilent film made in China, and rediscovered in Uruguay in the 1990s.[219]
1938As the Earth TurnsRichard LyfordDiscovered over 80 years later in Lyford's former home.[220]
Too Much JohnsonOrson WellesOrson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Mary Wickes, Arlene Francis, Ruth FordThe film was thought lost in a 1971 fire at Welles' home in Spain; footage was found in Pordenone, Italy, and restored at George Eastman House for premiere in October 2013[221]
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Sound films

1920s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1929DragFrank LloydRichard Barthelmess, Lucien Littlefield, Kathrin Clare Ward
The LetterJean de LimurJeanne Eagels, Reginald Owen, Herbert Marshall, Irene Browne, O.P. Heggie, Lady Tsen Mei, Tamaki YoshiwaraThe film was rediscovered in June 2011, when a restored version was released on home video by Warner Bros. as part of its Warner Archive Collection.[222][223]
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1930s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1930Bed and BreakfastWalter FordeJane Baxter
Richard Cooper
Sari Maritza
Alf Goddard
It was found as a result of a 1992 British Film Institute campaign to search for lost films.[203]
Follow ThruLloyd Corrigan
Laurence Schwab
Charles 'Buddy' Rogers
Nancy Carroll
Zelma O'Neal
Jack Haley
Thought to be lost until a complete print was discovered in the 1990s. Restored and preserved by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
MambaAlbert S. RogellJean Hersholt
Eleanor Boardman
Ralph Forbes
Footage from the final reel (stored at the UCLA Film and Television Archive) and all the Vitaphone soundtrack discs for this Technicolor film were originally thought to be the only elements from the film to survive. A complete print of the film, running nine reels, and four soundtrack discs were discovered in Australia in 2009.[224]
1931DráculaGeorge MelfordCarlos Villarías, Lupita TovarThis Spanish-language version was made at night, while Tod Browning's Dracula was filmed during the day, using the same sets. It was considered lost until a print was rediscovered in the 1970s.[225][226]
EuropaStefan Themerson, Franciszka Themerson??Based on Polish poet Anatol Stern’s 1925 futurist poem, this avant-garde film - with its strong anti-fascist agenda - was seized by the Nazi Party in 1940 and considered destroyed. However, it was rediscovered in 2019 in Berlin's Bundesarchiv, and was reshown for the first time as part of the 65th BFI London Film Festival.[227]
The Smiling LieutenantErnst LubitschMaurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, Miriam HopkinsRediscovered in Denmark in the 1980s.[228]
The Stolen JoolsWilliam C. McGannAll-star castMade for a charity, film was discovered in the 1990s in the UK under its alternate title The Slippery Pearls. Another print was later found in the US under the alternative title.[229][230]
Street Across Vladimir Suteev, Lev Atamanov Originally titled Pinwheel, also known as The Sleep of a Transport Official, this is a Soviet propaganda animated film from 1931. It was the animation debut of the famous director, children's writer and illustrator Vladimir Suteev and was the first Soviet original sound cartoon. The cartoon was thought to be lost until found in the Czech film archives. The cartoon was first shown in 2013 at the Russian Gosfilmofond festival "Beliye Stolby" (White Pillars) and is now available on YouTube.[231] [232]
1932Condemned to DeathWalter FordeArthur Wontner
Gillian Lind
Gordon Harker
Cyril Raymond
It was found as a result of a 1992 British Film Institute campaign to search for lost films.[203]
His LordshipMichael PowellJerry Verno
Janet McGrew
Declared to be "Missing, Believed Lost" by the British Film Institute, but a copy was subsequently found.[203]
The Old Dark HouseJames WhaleBoris Karloff
Melvyn Douglas
Gloria Stuart
Thought lost for decades; filmmaker Curtis Harrington discovered a print in the Universal Studios vault, which was restored by Eastman House.[233][234]
RynoxMichael PowellStuart Rome, John LongdenFound in the vaults of Pinewood Studios in 1990 and was subsequently transferred and restored by the BFI National Archive.[235]
1933Berkeley SquareFrank LloydLeslie Howard, Heather Angel, Valerie TaylorRediscovered in the 1970s.[236]
Blood MoneyRowland BrownGeorge Bancroft, Judith Anderson, Frances DeeIt was considered a lost film for nearly 40 years before resurfacing.[237]
DelugeFelix E. FeistSidney BlackmerFor many years, Deluge was thought to be a lost film, but a print dubbed in Italian was found in a film archive in Italy in the late 1980s. Before the discovery, the only part of the film known to have survived was the impressive footage of the tidal wave destroying New York City, which was used in the Republic Pictures serials Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc. (1941) and King of the Rocket Men (1949).[238]
The GhoulT. Hayes HunterBoris Karloff, Ernest ThesigerA damaged and incomplete copy was found in Czechoslovakia in the 1970s, but a nearly-pristine print was located in the archives of the British Film Institute.[239]
Hello Pop!Jack CummingsTed Healy, The Three StoogesA full Technicolor print was found in Sydney, Australia, in January 2013.[240]
It's Great to Be AliveAlfred L. WerkerRaul Roulien, Gloria Stuart, Edna May OliverUnavailable for several decades after its release, this film was officially considered lost. The Museum of Modern Art in New York premiered a restored version in 2017.[241]
Laughter in HellEdward L. CahnPat O'Brien,
Gloria Stuart,
Merna Kennedy
Long thought to be lost, a print of this chain gang drama was found in mid-2012 and was screened by the American Cinematheque in Hollywood in October of that year.[242]
Ojo Okichi (Miss Okichi)Kenji MizoguchiIsuzu YamadaThis film did not actually appear in official filmographies of Mizoguchi until a print was discovered in the vaults of Shochiku studios in 2008.[243]
Der Sieg des GlaubensLeni RiefenstahlAdolf HitlerThis 64-minute documentary was ordered to be destroyed by Adolf Hitler for showing Nazi party member Ernst Röhm, who had been murdered on Hitler's orders. A copy was found in East German archives in the 1980s.[244]
This Week of GraceMaurice ElveyGracie Fields, Henry Kendall, John StuartThe comedy turned up as a result of the British Film Institute's 2010 drive to find missing films.[245]
1934Crossroads of Youth (청춘의 십자로)Ahn Jong-hwaFound in 2007.[citation needed][246]
Hitler's Reign of TerrorMichael MindlinFound in Belgian customs in 2013.
Of Human BondageJohn CromwellLeslie Howard, Bette DavisThe negative was discovered to have been destroyed in 1964 when actress Kim Novak requested a print. A copy was recovered several years later.[247]
Murzilka in Africa [ru; uk] Yevheniy Horbach [uk; ru], Semen Huietskyi [uk] Soviet propaganda animated film made in the Ukrainian factory "Ukrainfilm" in Kiev. The film was considered lost until August 6, 2018. It is now available on YouTube.[248] [77]
1935Charlie Chan in ParisLewis SeilerWarner Oland[249]
Kliou the TigerHenry de La FalaiseThe first feature film shot in Indochina and the last commercially released American silent film. It was also the last American feature film to use the 2-color Technicolor process. A black and white print was recovered from the collection of Jerry Haber in the early 2000s.[250]
Oidhche SheanchaisRobert J. FlahertyMaggie Dirrane, Colman 'Tiger' King, Michael Dirrane, Patch 'Red Beard' RuadhA recording of traditional Irish storytelling, and the earliest Irish language sync sound film. A fire was believed to have destroyed all copies in 1943, but a nitrate print was discovered in 2012 in Harvard University's Houghton Library. A restored 35mm version premiered in 2015.[251]
Princess KaguyaYoshitsugu TanakaIchirō Fujiyama, Kazuko Kitazawa, Hyō Kitazawa, Hideko HigashiMusical film recovered by the British Film Institute in May 2015.[252]
SheLansing C. Holden, Irving PichelHelen Gahagan, Randolph Scott, Helen MackAn original print was discovered in Buster Keaton's garage.[253]
Tag der Freiheit: Unsere WehrmachtLeni RiefenstahlAdolf Hitler, Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess, Heinrich HimmlerThought to have been lost following World War II, an incomplete print running 28 minutes was discovered in the 1970s.[254]
Yowamushi ChinsengumiKon IchikawaCartoon film recovered in the United States in 2014.[255]
1936The Flying DoctorMiles ManderCharles Farrell, Mary MaguireThe first eight of nine reels were saved by an Australian office worker who noticed a truck loaded with film cans driving past his window on its way to dispose of them. He gave chase in his car and rescued the film, which included the incomplete print of The Flying Doctor. Two years later, the shortened British version was discovered. Despite this print having been "totally rearranged," its eighth and last reel was found to take up exactly where the Australian one left off.[256][257]
Diwata ng KaragatanCarlos Vander TolosaMari Velez, Rogelio de la RosaOldest surviving Filipino film. All films made in Manila were destroyed during the World War II in 1941 and it is among thought lost until a edited down French-dubbed copy were tracked down in Cinémathèque royale de Belgique film archive in Belgium in 2025.[258]
1937Summer RainMario MonicelliThe first film to be directed by the then 21-year-old Italian director Mario Monicelli, with the pseudonym of Michele Badiek. Never published for theatrical release, it was thought to be a lost film until 2011, when some fragments were discovered in the editor's personal archive.[259]
ZamboangaEduardo de CastroFernando Poe, Rosa del RosarioThis film, produced in the Philippines, was thought to have been lost until Nick Deocampo found an original copy in the United States Library of Congress.[260]
1938Buzzy Boop at the ConcertDave FleischerMae QuestelA cartoon starring Buzzy Boop, the cousin of Betty Boop. Rediscovered in Russia in 2019 and restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.[261]
1939L'espoirAndré MalrauxAndrés Mejuto, Nicolás Rodríguez, José Sempere, Julio PeñaIt was finished in July 1939 and shown twice in Paris, but Francoist regime applied pressure to censor it. All known copies were believed destroyed in World War II, until one was found and the film was reissued in 1945. In Spain, it was not screened until 1977.[262]
Le jour se lèveMarcel CarnéJean Gabin, Jules Berry, ArlettyWhen RKO acquired the distribution rights to Le Jour se lève in preparation for remaking it as The Long Night, they also sought to buy up and destroy all available prints of the original film. For a time, it was thought that the French film had been lost completely, but copies reappeared in the 1950s.[263]
SmithMichael PowellRalph Richardson, Flora RobsonA short film made to promote an ex-servicemen's charity. It was shelved because of the start of World War II and was not shown publicly, nor was it even mentioned by Powell in his autobiography. A copy was found in 2003 and it had its first public screening in the UK in 2004, 65 years after it was completed.[264]
TevyaMaurice SchwartzMaurice Schwartz
Julius Adler
Long thought lost, a print was discovered and restored in 1978.[265]
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1940s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1940ConfuciusFei MuTang Huaiqiu,
Zhang Yi,
Sima Yingcai
A print was anonymously donated to the Hong Kong Film Archive in 2001.[266]
Kampf um Norwegen – Feldzug 1940Martin Rikli
Werner Buhre
No cast listedConsidered a lost film for many years. The Berlin Bundesarchiv held only a few clips of the film. However, a complete nitrate copy surfaced on an Internet auction in 2005. The Norwegian college professor and media expert Jostein Saakvitne discovered this and purchased the copy.[267]
Swiss Family RobinsonEdward LudwigThomas Mitchell,
Edna Best
Walt Disney bought the rights to the film, because he did not want people comparing it with his 1960 version. It was believed that Disney destroyed all copies until it was released briefly from their Vault DVD Collection in 2010, sold by Turner Classic Movies only..[268][269]
1941KukanRey ScottNo cast listedAn extant print of this Academy Award-winning documentary was located by Hawaiian filmmaker Robin Lung.[270]
This Man Is DangerousLawrence HuntingtonJames Mason, Gordon McLeod, Mary ClareShown on British television as late as 1987 before being lost. Formerly on the BFI 75 Most Wanted list, a copy was discovered in 2017 with title cards for its US title, The Patient Vanishes.[271]
1943DeadlockRonald HainesJohn SlaterIts appearance on the BFI 75 Most Wanted list led to it being found.[245]
1944Melusine Hans SteinhoffOlga Chekhova, Siegfried BreuerBelieved to be lost until the late 1990s, the film had its premiere on March 2, 2014, in Berlin.[272][273]
Welcome, Mr. Washington Leslie S. HiscottBarbara Mullen, Donald Stewart, Peggy CumminsA wartime drama, Welcome, Mr. Washington was listed as one of the British Film Institute's "75 Most Wanted" lost films for some years.[274] In early 2016, a complete print had been discovered in a locker in London's Cinema Museum, giving Cummins the opportunity to see the film on her 90th birthday. It was screened at BFI Southbank in late January 2016.[275][274][275]
1945For You AloneGeoffrey FaithfullLesley Brook, Dinah Sheridan, Jimmy HanleyAnother film on the BFI 75 Most Wanted list. On July 31, 2019, a 16mm safety print was uncovered by Ray Langstone at the UCLA Film and Television Archive using their online searchable database, being held as part of the Mel Torme Collection.[276]
Momotaro: Sacred SailorsMitsuyo SeoNo cast listedJapan's first feature animated film. Presumed to have been confiscated and burnt by the American occupation, but a negative was found in Shochiku's vault in 1984.[277]
1946Spree for AllSeymour KneitelA Famous Studios' Noveltoon featuring Snuffy Smith. Most prints, including the original negatives, were destroyed by request of King Features Syndicate (owners of the character), but a 16mm print of the film in black and white with French subtitles was found on eBay and uploaded to YouTube in 2016. An English print, also in 16mm, was discovered in the same year at the BFI archives and uploaded to YouTube in 2022.[278]
1949Aux quatre coinsJacques RivetteFrancis BouchetRivette's first short film, long believed to be lost until Rivette's widow found a copy in their apartment shortly after Rivette's death in 2016.[279]
The Queen of SpadesThorold DickinsonAnton Walbrook, Edith Evans, Yvonne MitchellThe rediscovered film was re-released in British cinemas on 26 December 2009.[280]
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1950s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1950Double ConfessionKen AnnakinDerek FarrAfter being listed on the BFI 75 Most Wanted, the film was available on DVD for a short time. The only known 35mm print is in a private archive in the UK.[245]
Guilty BystanderJoseph LernerZachary Scott as Max Thursday, Faye Emerson as Georgia.Based on the novel of the same name by Wade Miller (New York, 1947).[281]
Le quadrilleJacques RivetteJean-Luc Godard, Anne-Marie CazalisRivette's second short film, long believed to be lost until Rivette's widow found a copy in their apartment shortly after Rivette's death in 2016.[279]
1952Le divertissementJacques RivetteSacha Briquet, Olga WarenRivette's third short film, long believed to be lost until Rivette's widow found a copy in their apartment shortly after Rivette's death in 2016.[279]
Hammer the ToffMaclean RogersJohn Bentley, Patricia Dainton, Valentine DyallOn the BFI 75 Most Wanted list. A DVD was released by Renown Films in March 2016, coupled with the earlier Mrs Prym of Scotland Yard.[282]
Salute the ToffMaclean RogersJohn Bentley, Carol Marsh, Valentine DyallSequel to Hammer the Toff and also one of the BFI 75 Most Wanted. Released by Renown Films in 2013.[283]
1953Small Town StoryMontgomery TullyDonald Houston, Susan Shaw, Alan Wheatley, Kent WaltonAnother of the BFI 75 Most Wanted. It has been found and released by Network Distributing on DVD. [284]
The Tell-Tale HeartJ. B. WilliamsStanley Baker20-minute British adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's psychological drama, rediscovered in 2017 when Jeff Wells, a 16mm enthusiast, found the reel in his loft in Drummore, near Stranraer. It is now digitally restored and is available to watch online. [285]
1954 Akuma ga Kitari te Fue o Fuku Sadatsugu Matsuda Chiezō Kataoka, Mitsuko Miura One of six adaptations of the Kosuke Kindaichi series starring Kataoka. The movie, as well as two other movies of the adaptations which are still missing, was considered lost until in 2024 when NHK reported that Naotaka Yamaguchi of Nishogakusha University found the film. [286]
1955The Noble ExperimentTom GraeffTom GraeffSurviving print found by Elle Schneider in Los Angeles, now in UCLA Film and Television Archives.[287]
1956 A Girl in the Jungle Mikhail Tsekhanovsky Vladimir Volodin, Erast Garin, Vera Bendina Soviet animated-drawn film based on the Indian folk tale The Tiger, the Brahmin and the Jackal. It was extensively searched for in 2000s and 2010s and was officially declared lost in the Soviet TV and Radio archive Gosteleradiofond. A copy was found in Yugoslav Film Archive in 2014, but that copy was never released to the viewers. In 2018 a vintage VCR enthusiast purchased an old Soviet video tape recorder and discovered an old damaged tape. On that tape the missing cartoon was identified, digitized, and uploaded to YouTube[288] with a request for the public to help with the restoration. With the extensive efforts and help of the online community, the cartoon was restored. The restored version is now also available on YouTube.[289] [290][291]
1957Final CurtainEd WoodDuke Moore, Dudley ManloveFound and restored in 2011, premiered in 2012 at the Slamdance Film Festival.[292]
Second FiddleMaurice ElveyAdrienne Corri, Thorley Walters, Lisa GastoniAnother member of the BFI 75 Most Wanted that is now available on DVD.[245]
TurangBachtiar SiagianNizmah Zaglulsyah, Omar Bach, Ahmadi Hamid, Hadisjam Tahax, Tuahta Perangin-angin, Zubier LeloBelieved to be lost, Turang was found in late 2023 in the Gosfilmofond archive. This Indonesian film was screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in February 2025.[293]
1958Portrait of GinaOrson WellesGina LollobrigidaThe short documentary was filmed in 1958, but was not aired on television at that time. Welles left the only print in a hotel room, and it ended up first in the lost-and-found department, then in a storage facility. It was rediscovered in 1986. After Lollobrigida saw it when it finally premiered, she took steps to have the short documentary banned.[294]
1959ShadowsJohn CassavetesBen Carruthers, Lelia GoldoniCassavetes showed a first version of his film only a handful of times, then scrapped it and re-shot the movie entirely. The first version was found in 2004 at a sale of items lost on the New York City Subway, and tracked down by cinema historian Ray Carney.[295]
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1960s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1960 Private Property Leslie Stevens Corey Allen Crime drama set in Los Angeles, also starring Warren Oates and Kate Manx. Condemned by the National Legion of Decency, it was re-released in 2016 to critical acclaim.[296]
LindaDon SharpCarol White, Alan RothwellOn the BFI 75 Most Wanted list of lost films,[297] it has now been found and is due to be shown on Talking Pictures TV in August 2025.[298]
1961 Chasing Two Hares Viktor Ivanov Oleg Borisov, Marharyta Krynytsyna Comedy film based on the eponymous play by Mykhailo Starytsky. The original Ukrainian-language version was rediscovered in 2013.[299][300]
1962Big and Little Wong Tin BarLung ToJackie ChanChan's film debut. Thought to have been lost until a copy was uploaded to YouTube on February 3, 2016, most likely recorded off of TVB's Classic Movies channel.[301]
CrosstrapRobert Hartford-DavisLaurence PayneBritish B-movie thriller much criticized at the time for its violence. The film vanished without trace for decades until a negative print was found in a film lab in the early 2010s. [302]
On the Harmfulness of TobaccoPaul NewmanMichael Strong25-minute short, based on a Anton Chekhov play of the same name, filmed entirely at a Yiddish theater on the Lower East Side. Newman could not find distribution and had his name taken off the film. Rediscovered in the 2000s, shown at Lincoln Center in 2017. [303][304]
Pages of DeathCharles KeatingTom HarmonAnti-pornography short produced by Charles Keating. A faded 16mm print was discovered in the Moving Image collection at the Oregon Historical Society in late 2015. When lost, the film was ranked No. 14 in Gambit Magazine's list of 15 Films Lost to Time. [305][306]
1964Batman DraculaAndy WarholJack SmithAvant-garde film featuring Batman and Dracula. Thought to be lost for years until footage appeared in Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis in 2006.[307]
Richard Burton's HamletBill ColleranRichard BurtonBy contractual agreement, all prints of the film were to have been destroyed after its theatrical run. However, a single print was discovered in Burton's garage following his death.[308]
1965 Penis A. J. Rose Jr. A silent black and white film. Surviving print found at The Film-Makers' Cooperative in 2021, with a digitized version published on the Internet Archive. [309]
1966IncubusLeslie StevensWilliam ShatnerSurviving print found at Cinémathèque Française with French subtitles.[310]
The Naked FogJoe SarnoTammy Latour
Gretchen Rudolph
Exploitation film thought lost or destroyed for many years until found for sale as part of an eBay film lot. Restored by Film Movement for DVD & Blu-ray.[311]
1967Sailor and the Devil Richard Williams
Errol Le Cain
Professor Alex Bradford (singing voice) An animated short film, thought lost in the fire at Williams' Soho studio until it was discovered in 2021. The original negatives were donated to the British Film Institute in hopes of restoring the film. [312]
The Story of Hong Gil-dong Shin Dong-hun South Korea's first animated feature (traditional animation). It was believed that none of the prints of the film had survived to the present time, but in 2008, a 16mm print was found in Japan. [313]
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1970s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
19701985Joe NagyMark Evans Austad
George Putnam
Bill Jorgensen
Maury Povich
Environmentally-themed mockumentary produced by Metromedia Producers Corporation depicting a hypothetical near-future ecological crisis, presented as a simulated newscast with real-life Metromedia news personnel playing themselves. Although heavily promoted, the film only aired twice before seemingly disappearing without a trace. The University of California, Berkeley eventually obtained a copy in two parts and added it to their digital archives.[314][315][316]
Heartbeat in the BrainJoey MellenAmanda FeildingTrepanation film with Feilding drilling a hole in her own head. Was due to be screened by Feilding at the ICA in April 2011; however, she did not in the end take part in the event.[317]
Sex Power [fr]Henry ChapierAlain Noury
Jane Birkin
Juliette Villard
After a brief, limited theatrical release, the film was placed in storage and was presumed lost. The film was rediscovered and subsequently remastered for DVD release in 2010. Notable in part for its soundtrack by acclaimed composer Vangelis.[318]
1971Bun-rye's StoryYu Hyun-mokYoon Jeong-hee
Lee Soon-jae
Heo Jang-kang
Although once thought to be lost, a print was recovered overseas and restored by the Korean Film Council, which screened the film at their theater in northern Seoul on May 18, 2009.[319]
NecromaniaEdward D. Wood, Jr.Maria Arnold
Rene Bond
Believed lost for years until an edited version resurfaced at a yard sale in 1992, followed by a complete, unedited print in 2001.[320]
Wake in FrightTed KotcheffGary Bond
Donald Pleasence
Chips Rafferty
For many years, Wake in Fright enjoyed a reputation as Australia's great "lost film." The film's editor, Anthony Buckley, found the negatives for it in a shipping container labelled "For Destruction," in Pittsburgh, PA, USA.[321]
The Young MarriedsEdward D. Wood, Jr.Louis Wolf
Patti Kramer
Believed lost for years until rediscovered in Canada in 2004.[322]
1972An American Hippie in IsraelAmos SeferAsher Tzarfati
Lily Avidan
Shmuel Wolf
Once thought lost, it was rediscovered decades later.[323]
MarjoeHoward Smith, Sarah KernochanMarjoe GortnerWinner of the 1972 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, the film was long unavailable and the original stock had deteriorated past the point of recovery. In 2002, the original negatives and related materials were rediscovered and restored.[324]
1973AmoreHenry ChapierDaniel Quenaud
Sonia Petrovna
Julian Negulesco
After a brief, limited theatrical release, the film was placed in storage and was presumed lost. The film was rediscovered and subsequently remastered for online release in 2012. As with Chapier's earlier Sex Power, it's partially notable for its soundtrack by Vangelis.[318]
1974DerangedJeff Gillen
Alan Ormsby
Roberts BlossomDisappeared after its release in 1974 and was later rediscovered in Florida in the mid-1990s.[325]
Leonard Cohen: Bird on a WireTony PalmerLeonard CohenVanished after being edited at Cohen's insistence; discovered in 2009, released on DVD in 2010 and in theaters in 2017.[326]
1975The IntruderChris RobinsonMickey Rooney
Ted Cassidy
Yvonne De Carlo
Shelved by the distribution company, with the original negatives destroyed. It was considered lost until a print was discovered in storage in 2012. A Blu-ray was released by Garagehouse Pictures on August 1, 2017.[327]
The Amusement ParkGeorge A. RomeroLincoln MaazelAfter being shown at a Romero retrospective in 2001, the only known copy went missing until it was rediscovered in 2017.[328]
1976 Chess of the Wind Mohammad Reza Aslani Fakhri Khorvash, Mohammad-Ali Keshavarz, Akbar Zanjanpour, Shohreh Aghdashloo Only screened once before the 1979 Revolution in Iran and then thought to be lost after being banned. It was rediscovered in 2014 by accident and restored over the next six years. After being re-screened in 2020, it was released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2022 by The Criterion Collection, as part of a Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project box set. [329]
Big Banana Feet Murray Grigor and David Peat Billy Connolly Documentary about Connolly's 1975 tour of Ireland at the height of The Troubles.[330] Lost for decades until a single copy was found at the Pacific Film Archive and restored.
1978Showdown at the Cotton MillChi Ping Chang
Peng Chang
San Lin Chen
Wu MaDiscovered in a Taiwanese film vault by Rarescope.[331][332]
Tadhana Nonoy Marcelo Pandy Aviado
Estrella Kuenzler
Known as the first-ever Filipino animated feature film, the 35mm print was destroyed during the Marcos regime. Surviving copies were discovered by Mowelfund Film Institute and Pandy Aviado in 2018. [333]
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1980s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1980Black AngelRoger ChristianTony VogelRediscovered in December 2011 by an archivist at Universal Studios.[334]
1985Santo Gold's Blood CircusSanto RigatusoSanto GoldRediscovered in 2008, its release has been sought by the producers.[335]
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1990s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
1990 Werewolf Hour Igor Shevchenko Mikhail Pakhomenko, Alexander Baluev The film was shown once on the night air of the Tonis TV channel in 1990. The Werewolf Hour was considered lost for 31 years until interested activists of the lost media community began searching for it in early 2021. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, all rights to the TV movie were completely transferred to the Ukrainian TV channel Tonis, which ceased to exist in 2017. Gosteleradiofond, the National Library of Ukraine, the Alexander Dovzhenko National Center and the Odesa Film Studio gave a negative answer to the question of whether they have such a film in their archives. Finally, The Werewolf Hour was found in the archives of the Gosfilmofond. After the copyright issue was resolved, the film was published on April 28, 2021, on the YouTube channel "Odesa Alternative" - the creative studio of Igor Shevchenko". [336]
1991KhraniteliNatalya SerebryakovaVictor Kostetskiy, Elena SoloveyThe miniseries was broadcast once in 1991 by Leningrad Television and then thought lost, only to be rediscovered 30 years later. It includes scenes of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry that were omitted from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy.[337]
1993AntifaustGeorg FriesenVictor Avilov, Nikolay Lebedev, Vadim Ghems, Olga DanilovaThe film was considered lost for a long time, until on July 13, 2021, people from the VKontakte community "From Outer Space" digitized a VHS copy of the film, which was kept by one of the cinematographers Dmitry Ermakov.[338]
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2000s

More information Year, Film ...
YearFilmDirectorCastNotesRef
2000Monarch John WalshT. P. McKenna, Jean Marsh, James Coombes, Peter Miles After its initial premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival, the original negative was rediscovered in 2014, and the film was subsequently re-released. [339]
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