American Cinema in 1918

Elmo Lincoln in Scott Sidney's Tarzan of the Apes (1918)

The US Supreme Court orders the dissolution of the Motion Picture Patents Company.

Tarzan of the Apes, the first adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's King of the Jungle, is released.

Tarzan of the Apes becomes the earliest films to gross over $1m at the box office.

Key films

Worldwide silent-film star, director and creator of the enduring Little Tramp.

Influential director and producer whose spectacles helped define Hollywood feature filmmaking.

Swashbuckling silent-screen star, producer and co-founder of United Artists.

Major silent-screen actress celebrated for her work with D. W. Griffith and later filmmakers.

Pioneering director whose narrative techniques shaped early feature filmmaking, amid a contested legacy.

Groundbreaking comedienne who played a major role in Keystone’s formative years.

“America’s Sweetheart,” a leading silent star, producer and co-founder of United Artists.