Here’s a link to download the classic silent comedy: Sherlock Jr. (1924). Unfortunately, Internet Archive doesn’t give you the option to stream this movie, and the download file is a whopping 700MB.

That said, this is one of Buster Keaton’s best films. At 44 minutes, its length is somewhere between a short and a feature, though the intricacy of the gags and surreal jabs at cinematic conventions (a sleeping Keaton walks into a movie screen and joins a parallel story) make this one of the finest comedies ever made — silent or sound.

Here’s a link to stream the classic cartoon: Bamboo Isle (1932). Betty and Bimbo are shipwrecked on a South Seas island, which gives Betty the perfect excuse to go native with a grass skirt and floral lei. Two years later, the Hayes Office production code would be in full force, and skimpy clothing — even on an animated character — would be strictly forbidden.

If you prefer to download this public domain cartoon, you can visit here.

Here’s a link to stream the classic silent comedy short: The Playhouse (1921). Before computer-based special effects, there were in-camera special effects. The cameraman (in those days, almost always a man) would roll the film back and hand-crank a second shot at exactly the same speed as before. That challenge was multiplied to an almost impossible degree in Buster Keaton’s The Playhouse (1921), where Keaton plays every cast member in a theatrical production.

If you prefer to download this public domain short, you can visit here.

Here’s a link to stream the classic silent short: Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902). Created by pioneer filmmaker Georges Méliès, Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) is filled with fanciful images and ideas relating to space travel.

The sequence where the space capsule crashes into the Man in the Moon is one of earliest examples of stop-motion photography. That technique was the basis for many of the special effects in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Star Wars (1977).

If you prefer to download this public domain short, you can visit here.

Here’s a link to stream the classic social drama: Meet John Doe (1941). Though it can be more heavy handed than Frank Capra’s other films (such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and It’s a Wonderful Life), this one is a cut above similar social dramas from the time period.

If you prefer to download this public domain feature, you can visit here.

Here’s a link to stream the classic silent horror film: Nosferatu (1922). The first — and creepiest — adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Drawing on his art history background, director F.W. Murnau creates a subtly menacing atmosphere, intensified through striking visual compositions and innovative special effects. Max Schreck, who plays the title role, seems to have been born to play the part. His last name is the German word for scream, fright, or fear.

Fascination with this film continues up to the present day. Shadow of a Vampire (2000) is an account of the film’s production, except it presumes that Schreck was a real vampire.

If you prefer to download this public domain film, you can visit here.

Here’s a link to stream the classic silent comedy short: One Week (1920). Buster’s rival mixes up the numbers on a build-it-yourself house. This short and Cops (1922) are a great place to start if you’re not familiar with Buster Keaton’s work.

If you prefer to download this public domain short, you can visit here.

Here is a link to stream what may be the earliest celluloid film. Roundhay Garden Scene (1888) was shot by Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince using the Le Prince single-lens camera.

Thomas Edison’s assistant, W.K. Laurie Dickenson, is often credited with building the first movie camera, movie projector (the “Kinetoscope”), and movie studio (the “Black Maria”). The first short films produced at Black Maria include “Fred Ott’s Sneeze,” “Buffalo Bill’s Shooting Skill,” and “Boxing Cats.” By 1894, the public could see these and similar films at Kinetoscope Parlors established in cities around the U.S., including New York and San Francisco. Only one person could view a Kinetoscope at a time, so the parlors had multiple machines lined against a wall.

Here’s a link to stream the classic film noir: D.O.A. (1950). A man is desperately trying to find out who gave him a slow-acting poison. He doesn’t have much time, as the poison will kill him in just a few days. This is one of the top film noirs and not to be confused with the lesser 1969 and 1988 remakes. D.O.A. is an abbreviation for “Dead on Arrival.”

Here’s a choice bit of dialogue from the movie:

Homicide Detective: Can I help you?
Frank Bigelow: I’d like to see the man in charge.
Homicide Detective: In here…
Frank Bigelow: I want to report a murder.
Homicide Captain: Sit down. Where was this murder committed?
Frank Bigelow: San Francisco, last night.
Homicide Captain: Who was murdered?
Frank Bigelow: I was.

If you prefer to download this public domain feature, you can visit here.

Here’s a link to stream an early Popeye cartoon: Little Swee’ Pea (1936). This is one of the Fleischer Studios’ Popeye cartoons, which are far superior to the later ones produced when Dave Fleischer was no longer at the helm. In Little Swee’ Pea, Popeye invites Olive Oly to the zoo — only she’s too busy to go out with him. So Popeye takes Sweet Pea instead. Check out the multi-plane backgrounds that provide a more realistic sense of perspective and movement.

If you prefer to download this classic public domain cartoon, you can visit here.