Welcome to The Retroformat Vault, an online archive of rare silent movies and special features, with original accompaniment by Retroformat Musical Director Cliff Retallick.

Retroformat Silent Films began as a monthly gathering of friends in the early 2000s, who crowded together in a Los Angeles apartment to watch silent movies on rare 8mm and 16mm film prints. Home movie projectors were already objects of nostalgia, although it had been less than a generation since video collecting had become an easily affordable, widely practiced hobby.

Before the 1980s, the only way to see most silent films was to mail-order an 8mm or 16mm print from a special distribution company, and/or trade with other collectors. A large percentage of the silent films released in these “retro” formats are still not available in video editions, or can only be found in poor quality editions, often accompanied by unsatisfactory, distracting music.

It is our privilege now to invite you to the party, to watch some of these rare collector’s prints with us, and discover a world of unique early cinema. Some of the films in the Retroformat Vault are acknowledged classics of their kind, but most are hard or near impossible to find. A large portion have been undeservedly, almost forgotten.

Each film is accompanied by great, original music by Cliff Retallick, Los Angeles’ most prolific and best live film accompanist, veteran performer of the Silent Movie Theater, the UCLA Film and Television Archive, the American Cinematheque, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, the Academy Museum, and of course Retroformat’s public screenings.

We work with special prints provided through the generosity of private collectors, the USC School of Cinematic Arts' HMH Foundation Moving Image Archive and the Library of Congress. All scans and preservation work are by Digital Imaging Specialist David Slaughter. Check back each month for new additions!

Your membership is crucial for the continuance of The Retroformat Vault, and forwards the mission of Retroformat Silent Films to educate and create enthusiasm about the art of silent film. In addition to the Retroformat Vault, we present free silent movie screenings with live music and discussion, for LA public school students grades 6 - 12; and present silent movies with live music in Los Angeles theaters.

For more information about us, please visit Retroformat.org. Thank you for your support!

All special contents copyright Retroformat Silent Films. For more information, visit Retroformat.org.