Library of Congress’ National Film Registry Movies: From Fannie Ward to Forrest Gump

The Cheat with Sessue Hayakawa and Fannie Ward. Cecil B. DeMille’s 1915 sex & miscegenation melodrama about a white woman (Fannie Ward) who becomes enslaved to a cruel, sensual, mysterious, and impeccably dressed “Oriental” (Sessue Hayakawa), The Cheat was added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 1993. Unlike Sessue Hayakawa, Broadway star Fannie Ward (1871/2–1952) never became a major movie name. Yet the ever-youthful Ward – she was 43 when The Cheat came out – did topline a couple of dozen movies between 1915–1920 (e.g., Her Strange Wedding, A School for Husbands, A Japanese Nightingale).

Library of Congress’ National Film Registry movies

See previous post: “Library of Congress’ National Film Registry: Lesbian Western & Asian-American Musical Among Entries.”

Below is a partial list of movies found on the U.S. Library of Congress’ National Film Registry (1989–2017).

• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).
• Ace in the Hole (1951).
• Adam’s Rib (1949).
• The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).
• The African Queen (1951).
• Airplane! (1980).
• Alien (1979).
• All About Eve (1950).
• All Quiet on the Western Front (1930).
• All That Heaven Allows (1955).
• All That Jazz (1979).
• All the King’s Men (1949).
• All the President’s Men (1976).
• America, America (1963).
• American Graffiti (1973).
• An American in Paris (1951).
• Anatomy of Murder (1959).
• Annie Hall (1977).
• The Apartment (1960).
• Apocalypse Now (1979).
• Applause (1929).
• The Asphalt Jungle (1950).
• Atlantic City (1980).
• The Awful Truth (1937).
• Baby Face (1933).
• Back to the Future (1985).
• The Bad and the Beautiful (1952).
• Badlands (1973).
• Ball of Fire (1941).
• Bambi (1942).
• The Band Wagon (1953).
• The Bank Dick (1940).
• The Bargain (1914).
• Being There (1979).
• Ben-Hur (1925).
• Ben-Hur (1959).
• The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).
• The Big Parade (1925).
• The Big Sleep (1946).
• The Big Trail (1930).
• The Birds (1963).
• The Birth of a Nation (1915).
• The Black Pirate (1926).
• The Black Stallion (1979).
• Blade Runner (1982).
• Blazing Saddles (1974).
• The Blood of Jesus (1941).
• The Blue Bird (1918).
• Bonnie and Clyde (1967).
• Born Yesterday (1950).
• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961).
• The Breakfast Club (1985).
• Bride of Frankenstein (1935).
• The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957).
• Bringing Up Baby (1938).
• Broken Blossoms (1919).
• Bullitt (1968).
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).
• Cabaret (1972).
• The Cameraman (1928).
• Carmen Jones (1954).
• Casablanca (1942).
• Cat People (1942).
• The Cheat (1915).).
• Chinatown (1974).
• Citizen Kane (1941).
• City Lights (1931).
• Civilization (1916).
• Clash of the Wolves (1925).
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).
• The Conversation (1974).
• Cool Hand Luke (1967).
• Cops (1922).
• A Corner in Wheat (1909).
• The Court Jester (1956).
• The Crowd (1928).
• The Curse of Quon Gwon (1916–1917).
• Czechoslovakia 1968 (1968).
• D.O.A. (1950).
• Dance, Girl, Dance (1940).
• Dances with Wolves (1990).
• Daughter of Shanghai (1937).
• The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951).
• Days of Heaven (1978).
• The Deer Hunter (1978).
• Deliverance (1972).
• Destry Rides Again (1939).
• Detour (1946).
• Dirty Harry (1971).
• The Docks of New York (1928).
• Dodsworth (1936).
• Double Indemnity (1944).
• Dr. Strangelove (1964).
• Dracula (1931).
• Duck Soup (1933).
• Dumbo (1941).
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
• Easy Rider (1969).
• El Norte (1983).
• Ella Cinders (1926).
• The Emperor Jones (1933).
• Empire (1964).
• The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
• The Endless Summer (1966).
• Enter the Dragon (1973).
• Eraserhead (1978).
• The Exorcist (1973).
• The Exploits of Elaine (1914).
• A Face in the Crowd (1957).
• Faces (1968).
• The Fall of the House of Usher (1928).
• Fantasia (1940).
• Fargo (1996).
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982).
• Five Easy Pieces (1970).
• Flesh and the Devil (1927).
• Flower Drum Song (1961).
• A Fool There Was (1915).
• Foolish Wives (1922).
• Footlight Parade (1933).
• Force of Evil (1948).
• Forrest Gump (1994).
• 42nd Street (1933).
• The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921).
• Frankenstein (1931).
• Freaks (1932).
• The French Connection (1971).
• The Freshman (1925).
• From Here to Eternity (1953).
• From the Manger to the Cross (1912).
• The Front Page (1931).
• Funny Girl (1968).
• Fury (1936).
• The General (1927).
• Gentleman’s Agreement (1947).
• Gertie the Dinosaur (1914).
• Giant (1956).
• Gigi (1958).
• Gilda (1946).
• The Godfather (1972).
• The Godfather: Part II (1974).
• Going My Way (1944).
• Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933).
• The Gold Rush (1925).
• Gone with the Wind (1939).
• Goodfellas (1990).
• The Graduate (1967).
• Grand Hotel (1932).
• The Grapes of Wrath (1940).
• Grass (1925).
• The Great Dictator (1940).
• The Great Train Robbery (1903).
• Greed (1924).
• Groundhog Day (1993).
• Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967).
• Gun Crazy (1949).
• Gunga Din (1939).
• Hallelujah (1929).
• Halloween (1978).
• Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976).
• Harold and Maude (1972).
• He Who Gets Slapped (1924).
• The Heiress (1949).
• Hell’s Hinges (1916).
• Hester Street (1975).
• High Noon (1952).
• His Girl Friday (1940).
• The Hitch-Hiker (1953).
• Hoop Dreams (1994).
• Hoosiers (1986).
• The Hospital (1971).
• House of Usher (1960).
• How Green Was My Valley (1941).
• How the West Was Won (1962).
• The Hustler (1961).
• I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932).
• Imitation of Life (1934).
• The Immigrant (1917).
• In a Lonely Place (1950).
• In Cold Blood (1967).
• In the Heat of the Night (1967).
• Intolerance (1916).
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).
• The Invisible Man (1933).
• It (1927).
• It Happened One Night (1934).
• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946).
• The Italian (1915).
• Jailhouse Rock (1957).
• Jaws (1975).
• The Jazz Singer (1927).
• Jezebel (1938).
• Johnny Guitar (1954).
• Killer of Sheep (1977).
• The Killers (1946).
• King: A Filmed Record…Montgomery to Memphis (1970).
• King Kong (1933).
• King of Jazz (1930).
• The Kiss (1896).
• Kiss Me Deadly (1955).
• Knute Rockne, All American (1940).
• Koyaanisqatsi (1983).
• The Lady Eve (1941).
• Lady Helen’s Escapade (1909).
• Lady Windermere’s Fan (1925).
• Lassie Come Home (1943).
• The Last Command (1928).
• The Last of the Mohicans (1920).
• The Last Picture Show (1971).
• Laura (1944).
• Lawrence of Arabia (1962).
• The Learning Tree (1969).
• Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948).
• The Life of Emile Zola (1937).
• The Lion King (1994).
• Little Caesar (1930).
• Little Fugitive (1953).
• Little Miss Marker (1934).
• The Living Desert (1953).
• Lost Horizon (1937).
• The Lost World (1925).
• Louisiana Story (1948).
• Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938).
• Love Me Tonight (1932).
• MASH (1970).
• The Magnificent Ambersons (1942).
• Make Way for Tomorrow (1937).
• The Maltese Falcon (1941).
• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962).
• The Manchurian Candidate (1962).
• Manhattan (1979).
• The Mark of Zorro (1940).
• Marty (1955).
• McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971).
• Mean Streets (1973).
• Medium Cool (1969).
• Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).
• Melody Ranch (1940).
• Midnight (1939).
• Midnight Cowboy (1969).
• Mildred Pierce (1945).
• The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944).
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947).
• Miss Lulu Bett (1922).
• Modern Times (1936).
• Morocco (1930).
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939).
• Mrs. Miniver (1942).
• The Music Man (1962).
• My Darling Clementine (1946).
• My Man Godfrey (1936).
• The Naked City (1948).
• The Naked Spur (1953).
• Nanook of the North (1922).
• Nashville (1975).
• National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978).
• National Velvet (1944).
• Naughty Marietta (1935).
• Network (1976).
• A Night at the Opera (1935).
• The Night of the Hunter (1955).
• Night of the Living Dead (1968).
• Ninotchka (1939).
• North by Northwest (1959).
• Notorious (1946).
• Now Voyager (1942).
• The Nutty Professor (1963).
• Oklahoma! (1955).
• On the Waterfront (1954).
• Once Upon a Time in the West (1968).
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975).
• Only Angels Have Wings (1939).
• Out of the Past (1947).
• The Ox-Bow Incident (1943).
• The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976).
• Paths of Glory (1957).
• Patton (1970).
• The Pawnbroker (1965).
• The Pearl (1948).
• The Perils of Pauline (1914).
• Peter Pan (1924).
• The Phantom of the Opera (1925).
• The Philadelphia Story (1940).
• The Pink Panther (1963).
• Pinocchio (1940).
• A Place in the Sun (1951).
• Planet of the Apes (1968).
• Point Blank (1967).
• The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917).
• Porgy and Bess (1959).
• The Power and the Glory (1933).
• The Power of the Press (1928).
• The Prisoner of Zenda (1937).
• The Producers (1968).
• Psycho (1960).
• The Public Enemy (1931).
• The Quiet Man (1952).
• Raging Bull (1980).
• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
• A Raisin in the Sun (1961).
• Rear Window (1954).
• Rebel Without a Cause (1955).
• Red Dust (1932).
• Red River (1948).
• Regeneration (1915).
• Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980).
• Ride the High Country (1962).
• The River (1937).
• Road to Morocco (1942).
• Rocky (1976).
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).
• Roman Holiday (1953).
• Rose Hobart (1936).
• Ruggles of Red Gap (1935).
• Sabrina (1954).
• Safety Last (1923).
• Salome (1922).
• Salt of the Earth (1954).
• Saturday Night Fever (1977).
• Scarface (1932).
• Schindler’s List (1993).
• The Searchers (1956).
• Seconds (1966).
• Sergeant York (1941).
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954).
• 7th Heaven (1927).
• The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958).
• Sex Lies and Videotape (1989).
• The Sex Life of the Polyp (1928).
• Shadow of a Doubt (1943).
• Shadows (1959).
• Shaft (1971).
• Shane (1953).
• She Done Him Wrong (1933).
• Sherlock Jr. (1924).
• Shock Corridor (1963).
• The Shop Around the Corner (1940).
• Show Boat (1936).
• Show People (1928).
• The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
• Singin’ in the Rain (1952).
• Sky High (1922).
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).
• So’s Your Old Man (1926).
• Some Like It Hot (1959).
• The Son of the Sheik (1926).
• The Sound of Music (1965).
• Spartacus (1960).
• Stagecoach (1939).
• A Star Is Born (1954).
• Star Wars (1977).
• State Fair (1933).
• Steamboat Willie (1928).
• The Sting (1973).
• Stormy Weather (1943).
• Stranger Than Paradise (1984).
• A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).
• The Strong Man (1926).
• Sullivan’s Travels (1941).
• Sunrise (1927).
• Sunset Blvd. (1950).
• Sweet Smell of Success (1957).
• Swing Time (1936).
• Tabu (1931).
• The Tall T (1957).
• Tarzan and His Mate (1934).
• Taxi Driver (1976).
• The Ten Commandments (1956).
• The Terminator (1984).
• Tess of the Storm Country (1914).
• Thelma & Louise (1991).
• The Thief of Bagdad (1924).
• The Thin Blue Line (1988).
• The Thin Man (1934).
• The Thing from Another World (1951).
• This Is Spinal Tap (1984).
• Three Little Pigs (1933).
• 3:10 to Yuma (1957).
• To Be or Not to Be (1942).
• To Fly (1976).
• To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).
• Tol’able David (1921).
• Tootsie (1982).
• Top Hat (1935).
• Touch of Evil (1958).
• Toy Story (1995).
• Traffic in Souls (1913).
• The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945).
• Trouble in Paradise (1932).
• 12 Angry Men (1957).
• Twelve O’Clock High (1949).
• Twentieth Century (1934).
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1914).
• Under Western Stars (1938).
• Unforgiven (1992).
• Vertigo (1958).
• The War of the Worlds (1953).
• The Wedding March (1928).
• West Side Story (1961).
• Where Are My Children? (1916).
• White Heat (1949).
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
• Wild and Woolly (1917).
• The Wild Bunch (1969).
• Wild River (1960).
• Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957).
• The Wind (1928).
• Wings (1927).
• Within Our Gates (1920).
• The Wizard of Oz (1939).
• Woman of the Year (1942).
• A Woman Under the Influence (1974).
• The Women (1939).
• Woodstock (1970).
• Wuthering Heights (1939).
• Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).
• Young Frankenstein (1974).
• Young Mr. Lincoln (1939).

National Film Registry/Library of Congress website.

Image of Fannie Ward and Sessue Hayakawa in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry entry The Cheat: Paramount Pictures.

“Library of Congress’ National Film Registry Movies: From Fannie Ward to Forrest Gump” last updated in March 2018.