Greatest Films

The Best Films of All Time - A Primer of Cinematic History
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Film History
by Decade

Select one of the chapters (by decade) below for movie history, or select an individual year. If you're interested in the history of film by genre type, visit the section on Film Genres, or by non-genre film category, visit the section on Non-Genre Film Categories.

See also the extensive year-by-year Timeline of Influential Milestones and Turning Points in Film History, Film Milestones in Visual and Special Effects (illustrated), and The Most Controversial Films of All-Time (illustrated).


The History of Motion Pictures
- By Decade -

Individual Years and Timelines
Herein is a series of web articles/pages to provide a comprehensive survey of the history of cinema (motion pictures, film, etc.) - the greatest entertainment art form of the 20th century

Pre-1920s Film History

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Early Cinematic Origins, the Infancy of Film

1902 | 1903 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1919

Timeline of Pre-1900s Turning Points
Timeline of 1900s Turning Points
Timeline of 1910s Turning Points

1920s Film History

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

The Pre-Talkies and Silent Era

1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929

Timeline of 1920s Turning Points

1930s Film History

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

The Talkies, the Growth of the Studios and 'The Golden Age of Hollywood'

1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939

Timeline of 1930s Turning Points

1940s Film History

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

The War and Post-War Years, the Beginnings of Film Noir

1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949

Timeline of 1940s Turning Points

1950s Film History

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

The Cold War and Post-Classical Era, the Era of Epic Films and the Threat of Television

1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959

Timeline of 1950s Turning Points

1960s Film History

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

The End of the Hollywood Studio System, and the Era of Independent, Underground Cinema

1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969

Timeline of 1960s Turning Points

1970s Film History

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

The Last Golden Age of American Cinema (the American "New Wave"), and the Advent of the Block-buster Film

1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979

Timeline of 1970s Turning Points

1980s Film History

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Teen-Oriented Angst Films, and the Dawn of the Sequel, with More Blockbusters

1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

Timeline of 1980s Turning Points

1990s Film History

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

The Era of Mainstream Films and Alternative or Independent ("Indie") Cinema; and the Rise of Computer-Generated Films; also the Decade of Remakes, Re-releases, and More Sequels

1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999

Timeline of 1990s Turning Points

2000s Films

The New Millenium, an Age of Advanced Special Effects, and the Search for the Perfect Blockbuster

2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005

Timeline of 2000s Turning Points

See The American Film Institute's listing of
100 Greatest Films (organized by decade):
America's 100 Greatest Movies (By Decade)
.




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Created in 1996-2008 © by Tim Dirks. All rights reserved.