10 Lost Films You Can't Watch Anymore

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at movies lost to time that we’d love to see most.

“Her Friend the Bandit” (1914)

This is one of the few lost films of the celebrated actor Charlie Chaplin. It was directed by Chaplin and his frequent collaborator Mabel Normand. This silent film, released in 1914, was 18 minutes long, making it hardly a movie by today’s standards. Reviews were positive when it came out, with critics raving about how funny it was. Chaplin plays a bandit, who crashes a party hosted by Normand until the police – played by the famous Keystone Cops – arrive to remove him. Hopefully, a copy of it is hidden away in someone’s private stash, which has been the case for other lost Chaplin flicks. So we might see it someday, but who knows when.

“The King Kong That Appeared in Edo” (1938)

While “Godzilla” from 1954 is often considered the first kaiju movie, this King Kong flick predates it by over 15 years. It came out five years after the giant ape’s big screen debut, but it was surprisingly the second Japanese King Kong picture. The first came in 1933 and is also lost to time. It’s less interesting than the 1938 feature, though, as it’s just three short comedy reels. “The King Kong That Appeared in Edo” was released in two parts and includes an ape suit created by Fuminori Ohashi, who later worked on “Godzilla”’s costume. Unfortunately, about 90% of all Japanese movies made before 1945 have been lost, so it’s unlikely this will ever turn up.

“Il mostro di Frankenstein” (1921)

Also known as “The Monster of Frankenstein” in English, this Italian picture was one of the first big-screen adaptations of Mary Shelley’s famous 1818 novel. It’s also one of the first Italian horror films, although horror wasn’t as well-defined a genre as it is today. All that remains of the movie are promotional pamphlets and posters. It was screened in places like Belgium, Egypt, and France, where it even got a localised dub. Even then, the full film was rather mythical, as it was heavily censored. It was praised for Umberto Guarracino’s performance as Frankenstein’s monster, but other than that, it wasn’t a hit. The plot summary is unclear, but we know it wasn’t a wholly accurate novel adaptation.

“A Country Hero” (1917)

Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was one of Hollywood’s biggest names in the 1910s. He frequently collaborated with Buster Keaton, another A-lister from the era. All of these movies are still available, except for “A Country Hero,” which is lost to time. It’s the only missing Buster Keaton silent film, but a few details and still images exist. It’s set in Jazzville, with Arbuckle playing a blacksmith madly in love with a teacher, played by Alice Lake. This was also Buster Keaton’s father Joe’s acting debut. Buster played the “village pest,” and hilarity ensued, taking the form of car chases, fight scenes, and a lot of water trough gags.

“The Miracle Man” (1919)

This Lon Chaney movie has been partially found, but don’t get your hopes up just yet. They’ve only found 3 of 80 minutes so far. If you don’t know Chaney, he’s another one of the silent film era’s most celebrated actors. This was one of his earliest performances, and made him a star almost overnight. The plot focuses on a group of four criminals scheming to get rich by grifting a town near Boston. It was being shown in cinemas until 1927, but somehow it’s almost entirely lost. On the bright side, there was a 1932 remake, which isn’t lost, but it’s not the same as the original.

“Cleopatra” (1917)

Only about 60 seconds of this 90-minute-long historical drama have survived. It’s noteworthy for being one of the most celebrated films featuring Theda Bara. She was a sensation in the silent film era, making more than 40 films between 1914 and 1926. “Cleopatra” was also one of her most expensive films, and one of the earliest historical dramas. It was lost in a tragic Fox Studio fire in 1937, which claimed a ton of silent films. Fascinatingly, someone began a project to reconstruct it during the 2010s, cobbling together over 400 stills, but this has yet to see the light of day.

“The Mountain Eagle” (1926)

Many cinema fans consider Hitchcock one of the greatest directors of all time. The vast majority of his movies are still preserved, but the second one he directed, “The Mountain Eagle,” is entirely lost. This is likely because no one particularly cared for it. It was met with lukewarm reviews at best, and even Hitchcock once said he was glad it was lost. It’s his only feature-length film that’s been completely lost. A poster and a handful of stills exist, but these stills were taken on set and don’t come from the finished product. We also have Hitchcock’s notebooks, meaning we have more knowledge of the film’s production than the finished product.

“The Oregon Trail” (1936)

John Wayne is hands down one of the most famous American actors of the 20th century. He began acting during the 1920s and didn’t stop until he died in 1979. While he’s become controversial in recent decades for his political views, he’s still a major historical figure. “The Oregon Trail” was released three years before his mainstream breakthrough in 1939, and it’s one of his first westerns. All we know is he plays a retired army captain who is on a mission for revenge against his father’s killer. About 40 images taken on set still exist, but that’s all that remains.

“Humor Risk” (1921)

The Marx Brothers were one of cinema's original comedy teams. They became major celebrities in the 30s, but their first film is unique among all others. This was “Humor Risk,” released in 1921. It failed to make a splash, and they didn’t create a movie again until 1929. Few details have survived, but we know it was a parody of the 1920 movie “Humoresque.” We don’t even know who played what character. Some say all copies were destroyed, while others claim that friends of the brothers salvaged one copy. Yet another researcher says Groucho Marx himself destroyed the sole copy, but that’s unconfirmed, so it might show up someday.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple” (1928-31)

This 27-Hour-Long Action Flick May Be the First Martial Arts Movie

“Andy Warhol Films Jack Smith Filming ‘Normal Love’” (1963)

The NYPD Stole This 4-Minute Short Film in 1964, & It’s Since Been Lost

“Dracula's Death” [aka “Drakula halála”] (1921)

Dracula’s First Appearance in a Movie Has Been Completely Lost

“London After Midnight” (1927)

This is, hands down, one of the most sought-after lost films in history. It’s another Lon Chaney movie, but from the peak of his career. He plays three characters in total, with one being very vampiric. The last copy was lost in a fire in 1965, and no one has found another copy since. At least 200 stills exist, which were used to make a reconstruction in 2002 using the original script. A poster from the era also exists, which was sold to Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett in 2014 for almost half a million dollars. At least there was a remake in 1935, called “Mark of the Vampire,” giving us a decent idea of the original.

Which of these lost films would you most like to see recovered? Let us know down in the comments section!