1913 E5 - Paul Gagliardi

Paul Gagliardi, Teaching Associate Professor of English at Marquette University, selects almost entirely comedy shorts for his 1913 highlights, although they connect with his proto-expressionist feature pick in that they all contain morbid underbellies. And diving into the comic commentary of these works, intended or not, reflects a few things about audience reception to movies and politics of the time.

Paul is the author of All Play and No Work: The Comic Plays of the Federal Theatre Project. His website is paul-gagliardi.com.

Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five for 1913!

Films and resources mentioned:

A House Divided (1913) - Alice Guy-BlachéThe Student of Prague (1913) - Stellan RyeFatty Joins the Force (1913) - George NicholsCohen Saves the Flag (1913) - Mack SennettMabel’s Dramatic Career (1913) - Mack SennettThe Brutalist (2024) - Brady CorbetThe Jazz Singer (1927) - Alan CroslandSherlock Jr. (1924) - Buster KeatonThe Battle of Gettysburg (1913) - Charles Giblyn and Thomas InceMy Dinner with Andre (1981) - Louis MalleBy the Sea (1915) - Charlie ChaplinThe Cook (1918) - Roscoe ArbuckleMabel and Fatty Viewing the World's Fair at San Francisco (1915) - Roscoe Arbuckle and Mabel NormandThe Round-Up (1920) - George MelfordNosferatu (1922) - F.W. MurnauFaust (1926) - F.W. MurnauGrease (1978) - Randal KleiserThe Power and the Glory: The History of the World Cup - Jonathan Wilson