Film History

Film History
by Decade

Film History by Decade: Select one of the decade sections below for movie history, or select an individual year (see Greatest Films - by 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 Film History Milestones and Turning Points, Film Milestones in Visual and Special Effects (illustrated), and The Most Controversial Films of All-Time (illustrated).

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.

The History of Motion Pictures - By Decade	Individual Years and Timelines
The Pre-1920s: Film History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5	Pre-1920s Film History: Early Cinematic Origins, and The Infancy of Film Pre-1900s Film History Milestones: Up To 1889 Pre-1900s Film History Milestones: 1890-1899 1900s Film History Milestones: 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909 1910s Film History Milestones: 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919 The Greatest Films of the Pre-1920s: 1902 \| 1903 \| 1914 \| 1915 \| 1916 \| 1919 History of Sex in Cinema: Historical Overview \| Pre-1920s Movie Title Screens: (1900-1919) Greatest Last Film Lines: 1910s-1930s The Most Influential Films in American Cinema: Silent Era Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs: Silents
The 1920s: Film History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4	1920s Film History: The Pre-Talkies and the Silent Era 1920s Film History Milestones: 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929 The Greatest Films of the 1920s: 1920 \| 1921 \| 1922 \| 1923 \| 1924 \| 1925 \| 1926 \| 1927 \| 1928 \| 1929 Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1920s Greatest Silent Films Academy Awards Winners (and History): 1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30 Best Picture Milestones (late 1920s) History of Sex in Cinema: 1920-1926 \| 1927-1929 Movie Title Screens: (1920-1929) Greatest Last Film Lines: 1910s-1930s Great Film Quotes - 1920s-1930s Greatest Last Film Lines: 1910s-1930s The Most Influential Films in American Cinema: Silent Era Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1920s-1930s
The 1930s: Film History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6	1930s Film History: The Talkies, the Growth of the Studios and 'The Golden Age of Hollywood' 1930s Film History Milestones: 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939 The Greatest Films of the 1930s: 1930 \| 1931 \| 1932 \| 1933 \| 1934 \| 1935 \| 1936 \| 1937 \| 1938 \| 1939 Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1930s Academy Awards Winners (and History): 1930-31, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939 Best Picture Milestones (1930s) History of Sex in Cinema: 1930-1931 \| 1932 \| 1933 \| 1934-1937 \| 1938-1939 Movie Title Screens: (1930-1939) Great Film Quotes - 1920s-1930s Greatest Last Film Lines: 1910s-1930s The Most Influential Films in American Cinema: The 1930s Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1920s-1930s Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs: 1930s
The 1940s: Film History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6	1940s Film History: The War and Post-War Years, the Beginnings of Film Noir 1940s Film History Milestones: 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 The Greatest Films of the 1940s: 1940 \| 1941 \| 1942 \| 1943 \| 1944 \| 1945 \| 1946 \| 1947 \| 1948 \| 1949 Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1940s Academy Awards Winners (and History): 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 Best Picture Milestones (1940s) History of Sex in Cinema: 1940-1944 \| 1945-1949 Movie Title Screens: (1940-1949) Great Film Quotes - 1940s Greatest Last Film Lines: 1940s The Most Influential Films in American Cinema: The 1940s Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1940s
The 1950s: Film History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6	1950s Film History: The Cold War and Post-Classical Era, the Era of Epic Films and the Threat of Television 1950s Film History Milestones: 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 The Greatest Films of the 1950s: 1950 \| 1951 \| 1952 \| 1953 \| 1954 \| 1955 \| 1956 \| 1957 \| 1958 \| 1959 Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1950s Academy Awards Winners (and History): 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 Best Picture Milestones (1950s) History of Sex in Cinema: 1950-1954 \| 1955-1956 \| 1957-1959 Movie Title Screens: (1950-1959) Great Film Quotes - 1950s Greatest Last Film Lines: 1950s The Most Influential Films in American Cinema: The 1950s Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1950s Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs: 1950 -1959
The 1960s: Film History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6	1960s Film History: The End of the Hollywood Studio System, and the Era of Independent, Underground Cinema 1960s Film History Milestones: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 The Greatest Films of the 1960s: 1960 \| 1961 \| 1962 \| 1963 \| 1964 \| 1965 \| 1966 \| 1967 \| 1968 \| 1969 Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1960s Academy Awards Winners (and History): 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 Best Picture Milestones (1960s) History of Sex in Cinema: 1960-1961 \| 1962-1963 \| 1964 \| 1965-1966 \| 1967 \| 1968 \| 1969 Movie Title Screens: (1960-1969) Great Film Quotes - 1960s Greatest Last Film Lines: 1960s The Most Influential Films in American Cinema: The 1960s Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1960s Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs: 1960 -1966, 1967-1969
The 1970s: Film History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6	1970s Film History: The Last Golden Age of American Cinema (the American "New Wave"), and the Advent of the Block-buster Film 1970s Film History Milestones: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 The Greatest Films of the 1970s: 1970 \| 1971 \| 1972 \| 1973 \| 1974 \| 1975 \| 1976 \| 1977 \| 1978 \| 1979 Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1970s Academy Awards Winners (and History): 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 Best Picture Milestones (1970s) History of Sex in Cinema: 1970 \| 1971 \| 1972 \| 1973 \| 1974 \| 1975 \| 1976 \| 1977 \| 1978 \| 1979 Movie Title Screens: (1970-1979) Great Film Quotes - 1970s Greatest Last Film Lines: 1970s The Most Influential Films in American Cinema: The 1970s Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1970s Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs: 1970-1974, 1975-1977, 1978-1979
The 1980s: Film History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6	1980s Film History: Teen-Oriented Angst Films, and the Dawn of the Sequel, with More Blockbusters 1980s Film History Milestones: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 The Greatest Films of the 1980s: 1980 \| 1981 \| 1982 \| 1983 \| 1984 \| 1985 \| 1986 \| 1987 \| 1988 \| 1989 Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1980s Academy Awards Winners (and History): 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 Best Picture Milestones (1980s) History of Sex in Cinema: 1980 \| 1981 \| 1982 \| 1983 \| 1984 \| 1985-1 \| 1985-2 \| 1986-1 \| 1986-2 \| 1987 \| 1988 \| 1989 Movie Title Screens: (1980-1989) Great Film Quotes - 1980s Greatest Last Film Lines: 1980s The Most Influential Films in American Cinema: The 1980s Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1980s-1 1980s-2 1980s-3 Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983-1984, 1985-1986, 1987-1989
The 1990s: Film History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6	1990s Film History: The Era of Mainstream Films and Alternative or Independent ("Indie") Cinema; and the Rise of Computer-Generated Imagery; also the Decade of Remakes, Re-releases, and More Sequels 1990s Film History Milestones: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 The Greatest Films of the 1990s: 1990 \| 1991 \| 1992 \| 1993 \| 1994 \| 1995 \| 1996 \| 1997 \| 1998 \| 1999 Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1990s Academy Awards Winners (and History): 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 Best Picture Milestones (1990s) History of Sex in Cinema: 1990 \| 1991 \| 1992-1 \| 1992-2 \| 1993 \| 1994-1 \| 1994-2 \| 1995-1 \| 1995-2 \| 1996-1 \| 1996-2 \| 1997-1 \| 1997-2 \| 1998-1 \| 1998-2 \| 1999-1 \| 1999-2 Movie Title Screens: (1990-1999) Great Film Quotes - 1990s Greatest Last Film Lines: 1990s The Most Influential Films in American Cinema: The 1990s Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1990s-1 1990s-2 Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs: 1990-1991, 1992-1994, 1995 - 1, 1995 - 2, 1996-1997, 1998, 1999
The 2000s: Film History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6	2000s Film History: The New Millennium, an Age of Advanced Special Effects (3-D and Performance Capture), and the Era of Franchise Films 2000s Film History Milestones: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 The Greatest Films of the 2000s: 2000 \| 2001 \| 2002 \| 2003 \| 2004 \| 2005 \| 2006 \| 2007 \| 2008 \| 2009 Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 2000s Academy Awards Winners (and History): 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Best Picture Milestones (2000s) History of Sex in Cinema: 2000-1 \| 2000-2 \| 2001-1 \| 2001-2 \| 2002-1 \| 2002-2 \| 2003-1 \| 2003-2 \| 2004-1 \| 2004-2 \| 2005-1 \| 2005-2 \| 2006-1 \| 2006-2 \| 2007-1 \| 2007-2 \| 2008 \| 2009 Movie Title Screens: (2000-2009) Great Film Quotes - 2000s Greatest Last Film Lines: 2000s The Most Influential Films in American Cinema: The 2000s Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 2000s-1 2000s-2 Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs: 2000, 2001 - 1, 2001 - 2, 2002 - 1, 2002 - 2, 2002 - 3, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007-2011
The 2010s: Film History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5	2010s Film History: Major Changes in the Film-Making Industry 2010s Film History Milestones: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 The Greatest Films of the 2010s: 2010 \| 2011 \| 2012 \| 2013 \| 2014 \| 2015 \| 2016 \| 2017 \| 2018 \| 2019 Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 2010s Academy Awards Winners (and History): 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Best Picture Milestones (2010s) History of Sex in Cinema: 2010 \| 2011 \| 2012 \| 2013 \| 2014 \| 2015 \| 2016 \| 2017 \| 2018 \| 2019 Movie Title Screens: (2010-2019) The Most Influential Films in American Cinema: The 2010s Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 2010s Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs: 2007-2011, 2012-2014, 2015-2017, 2018-2019, 2020-2021
The 2020s: Film History	2020s Film History: 2020s Film History Milestones: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 The Greatest Films of the 2020s: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 2020s Academy Awards Winners (and History): 2020, 2021, 2022 Best Picture Milestones (2020s) History of Sex in Cinema: 2020, 2021, 2022 Movie Title Screens: (2020-2029)

Film History By Genre Type

Film History By Scenes

Action Films

Adventure Films

Animated Films

Biographical Films ("Biopics")

'Chick' Flicks

Comedy Films

Courtroom Dramas

Crime & Gangster Films

Cult Films

Detective/Mystery Films

Disaster Films

Documentary Films

Drama Films

Epics/Historical Films

Melodramas or Women's "Weepers"

Musicals (Dance) Films

Road Films

Romance Films

Science Fiction Films

Sexual or Erotic Films

Sports Films

Superhero Films

Supernatural Films

Thrillers/Suspense Films

War (Anti-War) Films

Westerns

Zombie Films

Greatest Classic Chase Scenes in Films (illustrated)

Funniest Movie Moments and Scenes (illustrated)

Greatest Film Speeches and Monologues (illustrated)

Best Film Editing Sequences (illustrated)

Greatest Plot Twists, Spoilers, and Surprise Endings (illustrated)

Greatest Disaster Film Scenes (illustrated)

Greatest Movie Entrances of All-Time (illustrated)

Greatest Crowd Film Scenes (illustrated)

Scariest Movie Moments and Scenes (illustrated)

Greatest Movie Death Scenes (illustrated)

Greatest Tearjerker Films, Moments and Scenes (illustrated)

Greatest Musical Song/Dance Movie Moments and Scenes (illustrated)

Best and Most Memorable Film Kisses of All Time (illustrated)

History of Sex in Cinema: The Greatest and Most Influential Erotic / Sexual Films and Scenes (illustrated)

Alfred Hitchcock's Memorable Cameo Appearances (illustrated)

Additional Film-History Related Sections

Academy Awards (Oscars) History

Visual and Special Effects Milestones in Film History (illustrated)

Robots in Film (a comprehensive illustrated history)

Greatest James Bond Girls (illustrated)

Ranked (and Reviewed) James Bond Films

The Star Wars Saga: Reviewed and Ranked

Greatest Box-Office Bombs, Disasters, and Flops

Box-Office Top 10 (by Decade)

Filmsite's Top 100 Films (by Genre Category)

Movie Title Screens

The Most Controversial Films of All-Time (illustrated)

Sexiest Films of All-Time (illustrated)

Greatest Femmes Fatales in Classic Film Noir (illustrated)

Great Christmas Movies

Greatest Film Series-Franchises of All-Time (illustrated)

Greatest War Films (illustrated)

Greatest Westerns

Most Influential Films in American Cinema

Star Wars Films - Reviewed and Ranked (illustrated)

50 States: Most Authentic and Famous Films

Greatest Movie Props in Film History (illustrated)