List of avant-garde films of the 1930s

A list of avant-garde and experimental films made in the 1930s. Unless where noted, all films had sound and were in black and white.

Title	Director	Cast	Country	Subgenre/Notes
1930
Bezucelná procházka (Aimless Walk)	Alexandr Hackenschmied			City film [1]
Takový je zivot (Such is Life)	Karl Junghans	Vera Baranovskaya, Theodor Pistek		Slovak avant-garde social realist feature; silent [2][3]
L'Âge d'Or	Luis Buñuel	Gaston Modot, Lya Lys, Max Ernst		Surrealist feature, produced by Charles De Noailles [4]
Autour de la fin du monde	Eugène Deslaw	Abel Gance		Extraordinary, semi-experimental "making of" documentary shot on set of Abel Gance's "La fin du monde;" silent [5]
Romance Sentimentale	Grigory Alexandrov, Sergei Eisenstein	Mara Griy		"Étude cinematographique" [6]
Mennschen am Sonntag (People on Sunday)	Curt Siodmak, Robert Siodmak, Edgar G. Ulmer, Fred Zinnemann, Rochus Gliese	Erwin Splettstößer, Brigitte Borchert		City film, partly written by Billy Wilder; silent[7]
Wochenende (Weekend)	Walter Ruttmann			Audio-only film collage; no image [8]
Studie(s) Nr. 2-4	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animations, Nr. 4 Lost [9]
R.5, Ein Spiel in Linien (Studie Nr. 5)	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation [9]
Studie Nr. 6	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation [9]
Borderline (1930 film)	Kenneth MacPherson	Paul Robeson, Hilda Doolittle		Pool film; silent [10]
Light Rhythms	Francis Brugière, Oswell Blakeston			Light-oriented, non-animated abstract film[11]
Apteka (Pharmacy)	Stefan Themerson, Franciszka Themerson			Rayographic animation, lost [12]
It's a Bird	Harold Mueller	Charles Bowers, Lowell Thomas		Semi-animated short where an egg transforms into an automobile [13]
Crying for the Carolines	Leon Schlesinger, Neil McGuire	Milton Charles		A "Spooney Melodie;" Semi-abstract music short [14][15]
Tomatoes Another Day	James Sibley Watson, Jr.			Absurdist comedy written by Alec Wilder[16]
Mechanical Principles	Ralph Steiner			Abstract film based on machinery; sometimes dated to 1933 [17]
The Story of a Nobody	Jo Gerson, Louis Hirshman			Experiment in subjective camerawork, Lost film [18]
A City Symphony	Herman G. Weinberg			City film, never shown, disassembled and partly used in Autumn Fire [19]
The Trap	M.G. MacPherson, Jean Michelson			Artkino production, Lost film [19]
The Power of Suggestion	M.G. MacPherson, Jean Michelson			Artkino production, Lost film [19]
Yamekraw	Murray Roth	Hugo Marianni & His Mediterraneans		Vitaphone "opera film" visualization of tone poem by James Price Johnson, heavily indebted to German expressionism. [20] [21] [22]
1931
Limite	Mário Peixoto	Olga Breno, Raul Schnoor		Advertised as 'pure cinema;' first Brazilian avant-garde film [23]
Na Prazském hrade (The Prague Castle)	Alexandr Hackenschmied			Semi-documentary [24]
Svetlo proniká tmou (Light Penetrates the Darkness)	Otakar Vávra, Frantisek Pilát			Photographic abstract film [25]
Studie(s) Nr. 7-9	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation [9]
Autumn Fire	Herman G. Weinberg	Erna Bergman, Willy Hildebrand		Cinematic poem; mixed nature and city film [19]
A Bronx Morning	Jay Leyda			City film; silent [26]
City of Contrasts	Irving Browning			City film [27][19]
Dance Film	Ralph Steiner			Dance film [19]
A Day in Santa Fe	Lynn Riggs, James Hughes			City film[11][28]
Hearts of the West	Theodore Huff			Genre parody [19]
Imperial Valley	Seymour Stern			Experimental documentary, sometimes dated to 1932 or 1933; Stern taken off production which was finished by others, Lost film [29][30]
Panther Woman of the Needle Trades, or The Lovely Life of Little Lisa	Ralph Steiner	Elizabeth Hawes, Morris Carnovsky		Satire, print extant at MOMA [19]
Portrait of a Young Man in Three Movements	Henwar Rodakiewicz			Feature length experimental film, begun in 1925 [31][32]
Surf and Seaweed	Ralph Steiner			Photographic abstract film, sometimes dated to 1930.[33]
Enthusiasm	Dziga Vertov			Documentary film with montage of both visuals and sound
1932
Burleska	Jan Kucera			Experimental short [34]
Pred maturitou (Before Matriculation)	Sviatopluk Immermann, Vladislav Vancura	Jindrich Plachta, Frantisek Smolík		Semi-experimental feature film [34][35]
Blood of a Poet	Jean Cocteau	Lee Miller, Pauline Carton, Odette Talazacuez		Surrealist feature, produced by Charles de Noailles; often misdated to 1930-31[36]
Koloraturen (Coloratura)	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation [9]
Ornament Sound Experiment, a.k.a. Experiments in Hand-Drawn Sound	Oskar Fischinger			Synthetic sound experiment [9]
Studie(s) Nr. 10-11	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation [9]
Studie Nr. 12	Oskar Fischinger, Hans Fischinger			Abstract animation [9]
Qué vivá México!	Sergei Eisenstein, Grigori Alexandrov	Félix Balderas, Martín Hernández		Begun in 1931, never completed by Eisenstein; edited into numerous other films [37]
Europa	Stefan Themerson, Franciszka Themerson			Abstract animation, Lost [12]
La cartomancienne (The Fortune Teller)	Jerome Hill			Tinting and hand-coloring added in the 1960s [38][39]
Destiny	Josef Berne			Dated "ca. 1932"[19]
Granite, a.k.a. The Quarry	Ralph Steiner			[19]
Harbor Scenes	Ralph Steiner			[19]
Land of the Sun	Seymour Stern			Experimental documentary [40][29]
Little Geezer	Theodore Huff			Genre parody [19][41]
Poem 8	Emlen Etting	Mary Binney Montgomery, Caresse Crosby		Dance film, shot in 8mm, silent [42]
1933
Poslovi konzula Dorgena (Consul Dorgen's Business)	Oktavijan Miletić	Šime Marov, Ivan Alpi-Rauch		Experimental dramatic short; won a prize awarded by Louis Lumière [43][44]
Na slunecní strane (On the sunnyside)	Vladislav Vancura	Filip Balek-Brodský, Hana Beckova		Didactic feature film [34][45]
Zem spieva (The Earth Sings)	Karel Plicka, Alexandr Hackenschmied			Experimentally edited ethnographic semi-documentary, with music score [46]
In the Icy Wastes of Dialectical Materialism	Luis Buñuel, Charles de Noailles			Re-edited section of L'age d'or, rendered as comedy and shown in leftist theaters in Eastern Europe; lost. [47]
Une nuit sur le mont chauve	Alexandre Alexieff, Claire Parker			First pinscreen animation, also dated to 1934, 1931 [48]
Kreise (Circles)	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation, exists in two versions, color [9]
Drobiazg Melodyjny (Moment Musical)	Stefan Themerson, Franciszka Themerson			Rayographic animation, Lost [12]
7 till 5	Norman McLaren			Amateur city film [49]
Dawn to Dawn	Josef Berne, Seymour Stern	Julie Haydon, Ole M. Ness, Frank Eklof		a.k.a. "Black Dawn," short, Naturalist melodrama[50][19][51]
Footnote to Fact	Lewis Jacobs			City film [52]
G-3	Ralph Steiner			Also dated to 1932 [19][53]
Lot in Sodom	James Sibley Watson, Jr., Melville Webber	Friedrich Haak, Hildegarde Watson		Experimental short based on Biblical story [54]
Mr. Motorboat's Last Stand	John Flory, Theodore Huff	Leonard Stirrup		Satire [19][51]
Oil—A Symphony in Motion	M.G. MacPherson, Jean Michelson			Only extant Artkino production[19][39]
Oramunde	Emlen Etting	Caresse Crosby, Mary Binney Montgomery		Dance film [39][55]
Pueblo	Seymour Stern			Experimental documentary; never finished, Lost film [29]
Synchromy	Mary Ellen Bute, Lewis Jacobs, Joseph Schillinger			Abstract animation, never completed [56]
Tilly Losch in the Dance of Her Hands	Norman Bel Geddes	Tilly Losch		Dance film, dated 1930-33 [39]
Deserter	Vsevolod Pudovkin	Boris Livanov, Vasili Kovrigin		Asynchronous use of sound and image [57]
Prostoy sluchay (A Simple Case)	Vsevolod Pudovkin	Aleksandr Baturin, Mariya Belousova		Naturalist drama, begun in 1931; silent [58]
1934
Marijka nevernice (Faithless Maritza)	Vladislav Vancura	Hana Maria Pravda		Semi-experimental feature [34][59]
Žijeme v Praze (We Live in Prague)	Otakar Vávra			City film [60]
La Joie de vivre	Anthony Gross, Hector Hoppin			Stylized, surreal animated film [61]
Liebesspiel	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation, first exhibited posthumously; silent [9]
Muratti Greift Ein (Muratti Gets in the Act)	Oskar Fischinger			Dancing cigarette animation, color [9]
Quadrate (Squares)	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation, silent [9]
Rectangles	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation, silent, unfinished [9]
Ein Spiel in Farben (A Play in Colors)	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation, a.k.a. Studie No. 11a, color [9]
Studie Nr. 13 (Coriolan Fragment)	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation, unfinished [9]
Camera Makes Whoopee	Norman McLaren			Amateur film; montage experiments [62]
Café Universal	Ralph Steiner			Satire featuring members of The Group Theatre [19]
The Furies	Slavko Vorkapich			Surreal special effects insert for feature, "Crime without Passion" [63]
Hands	Ralph Steiner, Willard Van Dyke			Sponsored by the Works Project Administration; also dated 1936-7 and edited into later films [64][18]
The Hearts of Age	William Vance, Orson Welles	Virginia Nicolson, Orson Welles		Amateur experimental film, made at the Todd School, Chicago [39]
Prisoner	Roman Freulich	George Sari, Jack Rockwell		Expressionistic short, made in Hollywood, lost film [19]
Rhythm in Light	Mary Ellen Bute, Ted Nemeth, Melville Webber			Abstract animation [65]
Sweet Land of Liberty	Leo Hurwitz			Satirical documentary; Lost film [66]
Happiness (1934 film)	Aleksandr Medvedkin	Petr Zinoviev, Elena Egorova		Soviet satire; stylized, silent [67]
1935
Listopad (November)	Otakar Vávra, Alexandr Hackenschmied			[68][34]
Poison	Man Ray	Man Ray, Meret Oppenheim		Double "portrait" film of Ray and Oppenheim [69]
Komposition in Blau (Composition in Blue)	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation in Gasparcolour [9]
Muratti Privat	Oskar Fischinger			Dancing cigarette animation [9]
Pink Guards On Parade	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract advertisement, unfinished; completed in 2000 by William Moritz [9]
Zwarcie (Short Circuit)	Stefan Themerson, Franciszka Themerson			Abstract animation, music by Witold Lutoslawski, Lost [12]
Color Cocktail	Norman McLaren			Abstract animation; lost film [70]
Polychrome Phantasy	Norman McLaren			Abstract animation, color [71]
Ghost Town: The Story of Fort Lee	Theodore Huff, Mark Borgatte			Semi-documentary [27]
Gypsy Night	Josef Berne, Harold Hecht			Musical short, set in a Gypsy camp, color [72]
Hollywood	Vic Kandel, Robert Del Duca			Satire, Lost film [66]
Kinetic Molpai	Ted Shawn	Ted Shawn and his Men Dancers		Modern dance film [73]
Pie in the Sky	Ralph Steiner, Elia Kazan, Molly Day Thatcher, Irving Lerner	Elia Kazan, Russell Collins		Satire [74]
Synchromy No. 2	Mary Ellen Bute, Ted Nemeth			Abstract animation [75]
1936
Cernobílá rapsodie (Black and White Rhapsody)	Martin Fric			City film [34]
Redes	Emilio Gómez Muriel, Fred Zinnemann	Silvio Hernández, Rafael Hinojosa		Cinematography by Paul Strand, music by Silvestre Revueltas; Eisenstein-influenced revolutionary film [76]
Hell Unlimited	Helen Biggar, Norman McLaren			Anti-war political short [77]
145 W 21	Rudy Burckhardt	Paul Bowles, Aaron Copland		[78]
Allegretto	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation, black & white, 2 versions [9]
Dada	Mary Ellen Bute, Ted Nemeth			Abstract animation [79]
Rose Hobart	Joseph Cornell	Rose Hobart		Collage film [80]
1937
Silnice spívá (The Highway Sings)	Elmar Klos, Alexandr Hackenschmied			Experimental advertising film[81]
Przygoda Czlowieka Poczciwego (The Adventure of a Good Citizen)	Stefan Themerson, Franciszka Themerson			Satire [12]
Even—As You and I	LeRoy Robbins, Harry Hay	Hy Hirsh
Escape	Mary Ellen Bute, Ted Nemeth, Bill Nemeth			Abstract animation [82]
An Optical Poem	Oskar Fischinger			Abstract animation, distributed by MGM, color [9]
Parabola	Mary Ellen Bute, Ted Nemeth, Bill Nemeth, Rutherford Boyd			Abstract animation [83]
Seeing the World No. 1: A Trip to New York CIty	Rudy Burckhardt			City film[11]
1938
Bookstalls	Joseph Cornell			Collage film, title added posthumously; Silent [11][84]
Carousel: Animal Opera	Joseph Cornell			Collage film [11]
The Children's Jury	Joseph Cornell			Collage film, Silent [11]
The Children's Trilogy: Cotillion, The Midnight Party, The Children's Party	Joseph Cornell			Collage film, put into a final form by Larry Jordan ca. 1967-70, Silent [11]
Fragment from Caroland's Mansion	Frank Stauffacher			[85]
Jack's Dream	Joseph Cornell			Collage film, put into a final form by Larry Jordan ca. 1970 [11]
Thimble Theater	Joseph Cornell			Collage film, title added posthumously; Silent [11]
Tree Trunk to Head	Lewis Jacobs	Chaim Gross		Semi-documentary, silent [86]
1939
Love on the Wing	Norman McLaren			Abstract animation, color [87]
Scherzo	Norman McLaren			Abstract animation, color [88]
Stars and Stripes	Norman McLaren			Abstract animation, color [88]
The City (1939 film)	Ralph Steiner, Willard Van Dyke			City film for New York World's Fair, written by Pare Lorentz[89]
Dance of the Colors	Hans Fischinger			Abstract animation, color [9]
Haiti	Rudy Burckhardt			[90]
Spook Sport	Mary Ellen Bute, Ted Nemeth, Norman McLaren			Abstract animation, color [91]

References

• Jan Christopher Horak, ed. Lovers of Cinema: The First American Avant-Garde, University of Wisconsin Press, Madison WI 1995
• Paul Rotha and Roger Manvell, "Movie Parade: A Pictorial Survey of the Cinema" London: The Studio, 1936
• Parker Tyler, "Underground Film: A Critical History" New York: Da Capo Press, 1995 (originally published in 1969)
• David Curtis, "Experimental Cinema" New York: Universe Books, 1970
• Bruce Posner, ed. Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant-Garde Film, Black Thistle Press/Anthology Film Archives, NYC 2001