It’s award season but who needs those talkies? We sure don’t! And since the Academy Awards weren’t a thing in 1918, I think it’s high time we make our own silent film award. We’re going to choose the Best Picture for 1918.
Here’s what you have to do:
Comment and nominate your picks.
Any feature-length film (shall we say 4 reels or more?) from any country that was released in 1918 is eligible. Feel free to second anyone else’s choices.
That’s it! Please have fun and I will start up voting on the final picks next week. The number of rounds will depend on how many films are nominated.
I hereby nominate Stella Maris (1918) as Best Picture of 1918 with The Whispering Chorus as the runner-up.
For a bit of inspiration, here are the other films of 1918 I have reviewed. You are by no means limited to this list and there are many, many other films from 1918 available to view, I just haven’t gotten to them yet. Feel free to think outside the box as long as the picture was originally four reels or longer.
Obviously, a lot of films are lost and this will be very much the best of what survives and is available for viewing but we’ll do the best we can. I am looking forward to your choices.
***
Like what you’re reading? Please consider sponsoring me on Patreon. All patrons will get early previews of upcoming features, exclusive polls and other goodies.
Movies Silently 
Elmo Lincoln should definitely win in the “Manliest Man named Elmo” category.
He’d dominate
Mickey, Die Augen der Mumie Ma, and any and all Mary Pickford features in a dead heat for first!
Yes, plenty of great stuff despite the propaganda boom of wartime Hollywood.
I’d go with “Stella Maris” for Best Picture. Mary Pickford most definitely gets my vote as best actress.
I’ve never seen Stella Maris (he said, sheepishly). Any suggestions on how to see it? There’s a 2000 DVD by Milestone, but that’s out of print; used copies are going for $60 on Amazon. Any suggestions on places to look for it?
Since it is totally out of print, I have zero qualms about sharing this archive.org link:
https://archive.org/details/STELLAMARIS1918MaryPickford
Thanks a lot! This I must see.
From 1918 I’ve only seen films I don’t want to nominate. On the other hand, several interesting films are hard to obtain. 1919 is a totally different case…
Yes, I had a bit of trouble tracking down material for 1917 and 1918 but 1919 was just brilliant.
Somewhat similar in plot and setting, but I’m fond of both ‘Mickey’ and ‘M’liss.’ But for Best of 1918 honors, I think I’d go with ‘Stella Maris.’
Wings and Trail of ’98 to vie for best picture.
Love the idea of four reels or longer for best film, but no categories for best lead / supporting actor / actress, short, comedic short or any of the other genres?
If it’s merely a matter of overwhelming logistics, just shout! Happy to help in any way, shape or form 🙂
Yes, we’re just keeping it simple for now, especially since we just had an enormous 1918 movie star tournament.
Please ignore previous stupid nominations. I’ve now read your post properly and nominate Whispering Chorus.
I’d go along with Stella Maris and The Whispering Chorus as frontrunners, but I’m going to throw in Hearts of the World as at least a likely nominee in 1918.
Stella Maris is my favorite out of the feature-length 1918 movies I watched. By the way, would Victor Sjöström’s The Outlaw and his Wife be eligible?
That one kind of straddles two years, doesn’t it? Well, since release dates were a bit more fluid in the silent era, I am going to say go for it.
As I have something of a taste for mystical & morbid movies, I’ll nominate The Whispering Chorus and The Outlaw and His Wife to share first place in 1918. Second place would go to Eyes of the Mummy & third possibly to The Blue Bird, though I agree with much of your review, especially the bit about cats!
As I was doing a final viewing before discarding of my video tapes last year, I watched The Heart of Humanity for the first time in a long while. I decided to hold on to it as it fell into that category “not worth replacing with a disc but something I might want to view again.” It is all very well to consider the “infamous scene” too horrible, but the murders of marginalized types or minority groups in our present world show how little things have changed in the century since the Great War!
Yes, old school propaganda shows just how little humanity has changed.
As someone who has done alternate Oscars before, I thoroughly endorse this notion of the Silent Film Awards! Choosing 1918’s Best Picture is relatively easy, though – it’s Stella Maris, hands down.
Hi, My first choice would also be Stella Maris. Followed up by.- 2) Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley 3) Old Wives For New 4) The Outlaw and his Wife.