1917 in film

Events

• January – Panthea is released, the first film from the company that Joseph Schenck formed with his wife, Norma Talmadge, after leaving Loew's Consolidated Enterprises.
• February – Buster Keaton first meets Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle in New York and is hired as a co-star and gag man.
• April 9 – Supreme Court of the United States rule in Motion Picture Patents Co. v. [Universal Film Manufacturing Co.] which ends the Motion Picture Patents Company appeal and results in the end of the company.
• April 23 – Release in the United States of the short The Butcher Boy, the first of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle's series of films with the Comique Film Corporation, and Buster Keaton's film debut.
• April 25 – Thomas Lincoln Tally, in a meeting in New York, co-founds the First National Exhibitors Circuit.
• June – Thomas H. Ince and Mack Sennett leave Triangle Film Corporation following Stephen Andrew Lynch taking control.
• September 13 – Release in the United States of The Gulf Between, the first film made in Technicolor System 1, a two-color process.
• November 9 – World's first feature-length animated film is made in Argentina by Quirino Cristiani
• December 18 – Foundation of Universum Film AG, as a propaganda film company, in Berlin.
• Movette, another revision of the 17.5 mm film format, is made available.

  Top-grossing films (U.S.)

Notable films

#

• '49–'17, directed by Ruth Ann Baldwin

  A

• The Adventurer, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, with Edna Purviance
• All Aboard, directed by Alfred J. Goulding, starring Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels
• El Apóstol , animated film directed by Quirino Cristiani –

  B

• Bestia , directed by Aleksander Hertz, starring Pola Negri –
• Betsy Ross, directed by Travers Vale and George Cowl, starring Alice Brady
• Bucking Broadway, directed by John Ford, starring Harry Carey
• The Butcher Boy, directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle, with Buster Keaton

  C

• Cleopatra, directed by J. Gordon Edwards, starring Theda Bara
• Coney Island, directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle, with Buster Keaton
• The Cure, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, with Edna Purviance

  D

• Down to Earth, directed by John Emerson, starring Douglas Fairbanks

  E

• Easy Street, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, with Edna Purviance

  F

• Fear , directed by Robert Wiene, starring Conrad Veidt –

  G

• Golden Rule Kate, directed by Reginald Barker, starring Louise Glaum
• The Gulf Between, directed by Wray Physioc

  H

• The Heart of Texas Ryan, directed by E.A. Martin, starring Tom Mix
• Hilde Warren and Death , directed by Joe May, starring Mia May –
• His Wedding Night, directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle, with Buster Keaton

  I

• The Immigrant, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, with Edna Purviance

  L

• The Little American, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Mary Pickford
• A Little Princess, directed by Marshall Neilan, starring Mary Pickford, Norman Kerry and ZaSu Pitts

  M

• The Man from Painted Post, directed by Joseph Henabery, starring Douglas Fairbanks
• A Man There Was , directed by and starring Victor Sjöström –
• The [Man Without a Country |The Man Without a Country], directed by Ernest C. Warde, starring Florence La Badie
• A Modern Musketeer, directed by Allan Dwan, starring Douglas Fairbanks
• Mothers of Men, directed by Willis Robards, starring Dorothy Davenport

  O

• Oh Doctor!, directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle, with Buster Keaton

  P

• The Poor Little Rich Girl, directed by Maurice Tourneur, starring Mary Pickford
• The Pride of the Clan, directed by Maurice Tourneur, starring Mary Pickford and Matt Moore

  R

• Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman, directed by George Irving, starring John Barrymore
• Reaching for the Moon, directed by John Emerson, starring Douglas Fairbanks
• Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, directed by Marshall Neilan, starring Mary Pickford
• A Reckless Romeo, directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle
• A Romance of the Redwoods, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Mary Pickford
• The Rough House, directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton
• Runaway Romany, directed by George Lederer, starring Marion Davies

  S

• Satan Triumphant , directed by Yakov Protazanov –
• The Scarlet Car, directed by Joseph De Grasse, starring Lon Chaney
• Seven Keys to Baldpate, directed by Hugh Ford, starring George M. Cohan and Anna Q. Nilsson; based on the 1913 novel by Earl Derr Biggers
• The Silent Man, directed by and starring William S. Hart
• Straight Shooting, directed by John Ford, starring Harry Carey
• The Sultan's Wife, directed by Clarence Badger, starring Gloria Swanson

  T

• Teddy at the Throttle, directed by Clarence Badger, starring Gloria Swanson and Wallace Beery
• Thaïs, directed by Anton Giulio Bragaglia –
• Tom Sawyer, directed by William Desmond Taylor, starring Jack Pickford; based on the 1876 novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

  W

• Wild and Woolly, directed by John Emerson, starring Douglas Fairbanks
• The Woman God Forgot, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Geraldine Farrar
• The [Woman in White |The Woman in White], directed by Ernest C. Warde, starring Florence La Badie; based on the 1860 novel by Wilkie Collins

  Selected films with 1917 release dates

• January 8 – Great Expectations, starring Jack Pickford
• January 22 – Easy Street, starring Charlie Chaplin, Edna Purviance
• January 22 – Her Right to Live, directed by Paul Scardon, starring Peggy Hyland, Antonio Moreno, Mae Costello, John S. Robertson
• January 29 – A Man There Was, directed by Victor Sjöström –
• February 2 – The Marriage of Luise Rohrbach, directed by Rudolf Biebrach, starring Henny Porten, Emil Jannings –
• February 18 – The Bad Boy, starring Robert Harron, Mildred Harris, Colleen Moore
• March 3 – The Tornado, directed by John Ford
• March 5 – The Poor Little Rich Girl, starring Mary Pickford
• March 7 – The Torture of Silence, directed by Abel Gance –
• April 15 – Teddy at the Throttle, a Keystone comedy starring Gloria Swanson
• April 16 – The Cure, a Charlie Chaplin short.
• April 23 – The Butcher Boy, starring "Fatty" Arbuckle with Buster Keaton
• May 7 – Kidnapped, directed by Alan Crosland, starring Raymond McKee, Joseph Burke, and Ray Hallor
• May 14 – A Romance of the Redwoods, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Mary Pickford
• May 19 – One Law for Both directed by Ivan Abramson
• May 20 – Souls Triumphant, starring Lillian Gish
• May 21 – A Reckless Romeo, a 'Fatty' Arbuckle short.
• May – Frank Hansen's Fortune directed by Viggo Larsen –
• June 17 – The Immigrant, starring Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance
• June 24 – Wild and Woolly, starring Douglas Fairbanks
• June 25 – A Kentucky Cinderella, starring Ruth Clifford
• June 25 – The Rough House, a 'Fatty' Arbuckle / Buster Keaton short.
• June – The Labour Leader, directed by Thomas Bentley, starring Owen Nares, Fay Compton –
• July 5 – Big Timber
• July – The [Picture of Dorian Gray |The Picture of Dorian Gray] –
• August 12 – Golden Rule Kate, a drama western starring Louise Glaum
• August 20 – His Wedding Night, a 'Fatty' Arbuckle / Buster Keaton short.
• August 27 – The Little American, starring Mary Pickford; directed by Cecil B. DeMille.
• August 27 – Straight Shooting, directed by John Ford
• August 28 – Brcko in Zagreb –
• August – The Gay Lord Quex directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Ben Webster and Irene Vanbrugh –
• September 13 – The Gulf Between, All color movie.
• September 22 – Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, starring Mary Pickford
• September 30 – Camille, starring Theda Bara
• September 30 – Oh Doctor!, a 'Fatty' Arbuckle / Buster Keaton short.
• September 30 – The Sultan's Wife, starring Gloria Swanson
• September – Fear directed by Robert Wiene and starring Conrad Veidt –
• October 14 – Cleopatra, starring Theda Bara
• October 21 – Satan Triumphant –
• October 22 – The Adventurer, a Charlie Chaplin short.
• October 29 – Coney Island, a 'Fatty' Arbuckle / Buster Keaton short.
• November 9 – El Apóstol, animated by Quirino Cristiani –
• November 11 – A Little Princess, directed by Marshall Neilan, starring Mary Pickford, Norman Kerry, ZaSu Pitts
• November 12 – Harrison and Barrison, directed by Alexander Korda, starring Márton Rátkai –
• November 25 – All Aboard, a Harold Lloyd short
• November 26 – The Silent Man, starring William S. Hart
• December 10 – Tom Sawyer, starring Jack Pickford
• December 24 – Bucking Broadway, directed by John Ford, starring Harry Carey
• December – Raffles the Amateur Cracksman, starring John Barrymore

  Comedy film series

• Harold Lloyd
• Charlie Chaplin
• Lupino Lane
• ''Buster Keaton''

  Births

• January 2 – Vera Zorina, German-Norwegian ballerina, theatre film actress, and choreographer
• January 3 – Jesse White, American actor
• January 5 – Jane Wyman, American actress
• January 10 – Hilde Krahl, Austrian actress
• January 21 – Lally Bowers, English actress and singer
• January 24 – Ernest Borgnine, American actor
• February 6 – Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian-American socialite and actress
• February 15 – Sam Kydd, British actor
• February 16 – George N. Neise, American actor
• February 21 – Lucille Bremer, American actress and dancer
• February 25 – Brenda Joyce, American actress
• March 2 – Desi Arnaz, Cuban-American actor, musician, producer, and bandleader
• March 12 – Googie Withers, English actress and dancer
• March 22
• *Virginia Grey, American actress
• *Paul Rogers, English actor
• March 23 – Kenneth Tobey, American actor
• March 30 – Herbert Anderson, American character actor
• April 2 - Dabbs Greer, American character actor
• April 9 – Brad Dexter, American actor and film producer
• April 14 – Valerie Hobson, British actress
• April 15 – Hans Conried, American actor and comedian
• April 16 – William Benedict, American actor
• April 17 – R. G. Armstrong, American character actor and playwright
• April 28 – Robert Cornthwaite, American actor
• April 29
• *Celeste Holm, American actress
• *Maya Deren, American experimental filmmaker
• May 1 – Danielle Darrieux, French actress, singer and dancer
• May 3 – Leopoldo Trieste, Italian actor, film director and script writer
• May 5 - June Lang, American actress
• May 7 - David Tomlinson, English actor and comedian
• May 10 – Margo, Mexican actress and dancer
• May 16 – George Gaynes, Dutch-American singer, actor, and voice artist
• May 18 – James Donald, Scottish actor
• May 21 – Raymond Burr, Canadian actor
• May 22 -
• *Nathan Davis , American actor
• *Sid Melton, American actor
• May 25 – Steve Cochran, American actor
• June 2 - Max Showalter, American actor and musician
• June 3 – Leo Gorcey, actor, comedian
• June 7 – Dean Martin, American singer, actor, and comedian
• June 8 – George D. Wallace, American actor
• June 18
• *Richard Boone, American actor
• *Ross Elliott, American character actor
• June 22 – Russell Wade, American actor
• June 30
• *Lena Horne, American singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist
• *Susan Hayward, American actress
• July 1 – Virginia Dale, American actress
• July 8 – Faye Emerson, American actress
• July 17 – Phyllis Diller, American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician and visual artist
• July 26 – Lorna Gray, American actress
• July 27 – Bourvil, French actor and singer
• August 6 – Robert Mitchum, American actor
• August 8 – Earl Cameron, Bermudian actor
• August 12 – Marjorie Reynolds, American actress
• August 13 – Gloria Dickson, American actress
• August 17 – Gianni Agus, Italian actor
• August 25 – Mel Ferrer, American actor, director, and producer
• September 9 – Rolf Wenkhaus, German child actor
• September 11 – Herbert Lom, Czech-British actor
• September 18 - June Foray, American voice actress
• October 2 – Charles Drake, American actor
• October 7
• *Helmut Dantine, Austrian-American actor
• *June Allyson, American actress
• October 11 - J. Edward McKinley, American character actor
• October 16 – Alice Pearce, American actress
• October 17 – Marsha Hunt, American actress
• October 22 – Joan Fontaine, British-American actress
• October 24 – John Alvin, American actor
• October 26 – Virgílio Teixeira, Portuguese actor
• November 2 – Ann Rutherford, Canadian-American actress
• November 4 –
• *Leonardo Cimino, American actor
• *Virginia Field, British actress
• November 13 – Robert Sterling, American actor
• November 30 - Ilse Steppat, German actress
• December 7 – Hurd Hatfield, American actor
• December 12 – Margaret Marquis, Canadian-American actress
• December 13 - John Hart, American actor
• December 18 - Ossie Davis, American actor, director, writer, and activist
• December 22 – Frankie Darro, American actor
• December 28 - Kim Chan, Chinese-American actor and producer

  Deaths

• February 21 – Fred Mace, 38, American actor & comedian, What Happened to Jones, His Last Scent, A Lover's Might, The Love Comet
• March 6 – Valdemar Psilander, 32, Danish actor, Rytterstatuen, Lykken, Lydia, Klovnen, Favoriten, In Defense of a Nation, John Redmond, the Evangelist
• July 2 – Herbert Beerbohm Tree, 64, English stage & screen actor, Beerbohm Tree, The Great English Actor; Henry VIII; Macbeth; Trilby; The Old Folks at Home
• October 13 – Florence La Badie, 29, American actress, The Man Without a Country, War and the Woman, The Woman in White, When Love Was Blind
• October 25 – Jack Standing, 31, English actor, With Hoops of Steel, The Curse of Eve, The Innocent Sinner, The Price of Her Soul, One Touch of Sin
• November 5 – , 46, American actor and director
• November 18 – Nino Oxilia, 28, Italian director, Rapsodia satanica, Blue Blood
• December 20 – Eric Campbell, 38, Scottish actor, The Immigrant, Behind the Screen, The Count, Easy Street, The Adventurer[The Adventurer |], The Cure[The Cure |]

  Film debuts

• Maude Allen – The Moth
• Eduardo Ciannelli – The Food Gamblers
• Jackie Coogan – Skinner's Baby
• Marion Davies – Runaway Romany
• Vittorio De Sica – The Clemenceau Affair
• Richard Dix – One of Many
• Fritz Feld – The Golem and the Dancing Girl
• John Ford – Straight Shooting
• Ferdinand Gottschalk – Please Help Emily
• Taylor Holmes – Fools for Luck
• Leslie Howard – The Happy Warrior
• Isabel Jeans – The Profligate
• Buck Jones – A Rough Shod Fighter
• Madge Kennedy – Baby Mine
• Bela Lugosi – Leoni Leo
• Bert Lytell – The Lone Wolf
• May McAvoy – Hate
• Chester Morris – An Amateur Orphan
• ZaSu Pitts – Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
• Marjorie Rambeau – The Greater Woman
• Gustav von Seyffertitz – Down to Earth
• Amy Veness – Please Help Emily
• Clifton Webb – National Red Cross Pageant
• Marjorie Wood – National Red Cross Pageant
• Loretta Young – ''The Primrose Ring''