The following is a list of biographical films released before 1960.
1900s 1900 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressJoan of ArcSally Jackson and Graham Shirley (2006), The Story of the Kelly Gang. National Film and Sound Archive, Australia Ray Edmondson and Andrew Pike (1982) Australia's Lost Films. p. 13. National Library of Australia, Canberra. Joan of ArcJeanne Claviere
1906
Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressThe Story of the Kelly GangNed KellyFrank Mills
1909 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressThe Origin of Beethoven's Moonlight SonataLudwig van BeethovenHarry BaurThe Life of Moses.Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artist Collection, (<-book title) p.103 c.1978 by The American Film InstituteMosesPat HartiganEdgar Allen PoeEdgar Allan PoeHerbert YostSaul and DavidKing DavidMaurice CostelloKing SaulWilliam V. Ranous
1910s 1910 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressPyotr VelikiyPeter the GreatPyotr Voinov
1911
Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressSweet Nell of Old DruryNell GwynNellie StewartCharles II of EnglandAugustus Neville
1912
Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressCuster's Last Fight."Last Stand at Little Big Horn". American Experience. PBS.George Armstrong CusterFrancis FordCleopatraCleopatraHelen GardnerFrom the Manger to the CrossJesusRobert Henderson-Bland
1913 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressAdrienne LecouvreurAdrienne LecouvreurSarah BernhardtGiuseppe Verdi nella vita e nella gloriaGiuseppe VerdiEgisto CecchiThe Life and Works of Richard WagnerRichard WagnerGiuseppe BecceSixty Years a QueenGabriel A. Sivan, “George Berthold Samuelson (1889–1947): Britain’s Jewish film pioneer” in Jewish Historical Studies, vol. 44 (2012) pp. 205–206Queen VictoriaBlanche Forsythe (younger) Louie Henri (older)
1914 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressBeating BackAl JenningsAl JenningsRichelieuCardinal RichelieuMurdock MacQuarrieThe Adventures of François Villon: The OublietteFrançois VillonThe Adventures of François Villon: The Higher LawThe Adventures of François Villon: Monsieur BluebeardThe Adventures of François Villon: The Ninety Black BoxesHome, Sweet HomeJohn Howard PayneHenry B. WalthallJudith of BethuliaJudithBlanche SweetThe Life of General VillaPancho VillaRaoul Walsh (younger) Pancho Villa (older, as himself)
1915
Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressFlorence NightingaleFlorence NightingaleElisabeth RisdonMistress NellNell GwynMary PickfordThe RavenEdgar Allan PoeHenry B. Walthall
1916 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressDavid Garrick.David GarrickDustin FarnumDavy CrockettDavy CrockettDisraeliLow p.87Benjamin DisraeliDennis EadieJoan the WomanJoan of ArcGeraldine Farrar
1917 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressBetsy RossBetsy RossAlice BradyCleopatraCleopatraTheda BaraThe ConquerorSam HoustonWilliam FarnumThe Fall of the RomanovsNicholas IIAlfred HickmanAlexandra FeodorovnaNance O'NeilThe Lincoln CycleBabington & Charles Barr p.30Abraham LincolnBenjamin ChapinMy FatherAbraham LincolnBenjamin ChapinMy MotherAbraham LincolnBenjamin ChapinMyselfAbraham LincolnBenjamin ChapinRasputin, the Black MonkGrigori RasputinMontagu Love
1918 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressCasanovaRhodes, Gary D., with Richard Sheffield (2007). Bela Lugosi: Dreams and Nightmares. Collectables/Alpha Video Publishers. p. 343. Giacomo CasanovaAlfréd DeésyMy Four Years in GermanyJames W. GerardHalbert BrownThe Life Story of David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd GeorgeNorman PageWhy America Will WinJohn J. PershingHarris GordonThe Woman the Germans ShotEdith CavellJulia Arthur
1919 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressDeliveranceHelen KellerAnn MasonThe Fighting RooseveltsTheodore RooseveltHerbert BradshawPrivate PeatHarold R. PeatHarold R. Peat
1920s 1920 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressHeadin' HomeBabe RuthBabe RuthIf I Were KingFrançois VillonWilliam Farnum
1921 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressDisraeliBenjamin DisraeliGeorge Arliss
1922 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressDick Turpin's Ride to YorkDick TurpinMatheson LangNeroNeroJacques GrétillatPeter the GreatPeter the GreatEmil JanningsA Prince of LoversLord ByronHoward Gaye
1923 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressBonnie Prince CharlieCharles Edward StuartIvor NovelloFriedrich Schiller - Eine DichterjugendFriedrich SchillerTheodor LoosGuy FawkesGuy FawkesMatheson LangLandru, the Bluebeard of ParisHenri Désiré LandruWilhelm SichraThe Little NapoleonNapoleonEgon von HagenPaganiniNiccolò PaganiniConrad VeidtRichard the Lion-HeartedRichard IWallace BeeryThe Ten CommandmentsMosesTheodore RobertsRameses IICharles De Roche
1924 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressBeau BrummelBeau BrummelJohn BarrymoreThe Dramatic Life of Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnGeorge A. Billings
1926 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressDavy Crockett at the Fall of the AlamoDavy CrockettCullen LandisJosef Kajetán TylJosef Kajetán TylZdeněk ŠtěpánekThe Life Story of Charles ChaplinCharlie ChaplinChick WangoNell GwynNell GwynDorothy GishNelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount NelsonCedric Hardwicke
1927 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressThe King of KingsJesusH. B. WarnerThe Loves of CasanovaGiacomo CasanovaIvan MozzhukhinThe Life of BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenFritz KortnerNapoléonNapoleon BonaparteAlbert Dieudonné
1928
Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressDream of LoveAdrienne LecouvreurJoan CrawfordLutherMartin LutherEugen KlöpferThe Passion of Joan of ArcJoan of ArcRenée Jeanne FalconettiThe PatriotTsar Paul I of RussiaEmil JanningsTracy the OutlawHarry TracyJack HoyUna nueva y gloriosa naciónManuel BelgranoFrancis X. Bushman
1929
Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressThe Divine LadyEmma HamiltonCorinne GriffithLord Horatio NelsonVictor VarconiDisraeliBenjamin DisraeliGeorge Arliss
1930s
1930 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressAbraham LincolnAbraham LincolnWalter HustonBilly the KidBilly the KidJohnny Mack BrownA Lady's MoralsJenny LindGrace MooreThe Loves of Robert BurnsRobert BurnsJoseph HislopLudwig der Zweite, König von BayernLudwig II of BavariaWilliam Dieterle
1931 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressAlexander HamiltonAlexander HamiltonGeorge ArlissDreyfusAlfred DreyfusCedric HardwickeMata HariMata HariGreta GarboYorckLudwig Yorck von WartenburgWerner Krauss
1932 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressJenny LindJenny LindGrace MooreRasputin and the EmpressGrigori RasputinLionel BarrymoreAlexandra FeodorovnaEthel BarrymoreNicholas IIRalph MorganSilver DollarYates MartinEdward G. Robinson
1933
Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressThe BoweryChuck ConnorsWallace BeerySteve BrodieGeorge RaftIn the Wake of the BountyWilliam BlighMayne LyntonFletcher ChristianErrol FlynnThe Private Life of Henry VIIIHenry VIIICharles LaughtonQueen ChristinaQueen Christina of SwedenGreta GarboVoltaireVoltaireGeorge Arliss
1934 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressThe Barretts of Wimpole StreetElizabeth Barrett BrowningNorma ShearerRobert BrowningFredric MarchCleopatraCleopatraClaudette ColbertJulius CaesarWarren WilliamMark AntonyHenry WilcoxonThe House of RothschildMayer RothschildGeorge ArlissThe Iron DukeArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonGeorge ArlissLove TimeFranz SchubertNils AstherMadame Du BarryMadame Du BarryDolores del RíoLouis XVReginald OwenThe Mighty BarnumP. T. BarnumWallace BeeryNell GwynnNell GwynnAnna NeagleThe Rise of Catherine the GreatCatherine the GreatElisabeth BergnerThe Scarlet EmpressCatherine the GreatMarlene DietrichWaltzes from ViennaJohann StraussEdmund GwennJohann Strauss IIEsmond KnightViva Villa!Pancho VillaWallace Beery
1935 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressAnnie OakleyAnnie OakleyBarbara StanwyckClive of IndiaRobert Clive, 1st Baron CliveRonald ColmanDiamond JimJim BradyEdward ArnoldDrake of EnglandFrancis DrakeMatheson LangGolgothaJesusRobert Le ViganHarmony LaneStephen FosterDouglass MontgomeryMutiny on the BountyWilliam BlighCharles LaughtonFletcher ChristianClark Gable
1936 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressDaniel BooneDaniel BooneGeorge O'BrienDer Kaiser von KalifornienJohn SutterLuis TrenkerThe Great ZiegfeldFlorenz Ziegfeld Jr.William PowellHearts DividedElizabeth 'Betsy' PattersonMarion DaviesJérôme BonaparteDick PowellNapoleon BonaparteClaude RainsMary of ScotlandMary, Queen of ScotsKatharine HepburnThe PlainsmanWild Bill HickokGary CooperThe Prisoner of Shark IslandSamuel MuddWarner BaxterRembrandtRembrandtCharles LaughtonRhodes of AfricaCecil RhodesWalter HustonRobin Hood of El DoradoJoaquin MurrietaWarner BaxterThe Story of Louis PasteurLouis PasteurPaul MuniSutter's GoldJohn SutterEdward ArnoldWhom the Gods LoveWolfgang Amadeus MozartStephen HaggardThe White AngelFlorence NightingaleKay Francis
1937 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressAuld Lang SyneRobert BurnsAndrew CruickshankFire Over EnglandElizabeth IFlora RobsonThe Great GarrickDavid GarrickBrian AherneThe Life of Émile ZolaÉmile ZolaPaul MuniParnellCharles Stewart ParnellClark GablePeter the FirstPeter the GreatNikolai SimonovThe Toast of New YorkJames FiskEdward ArnoldVictoria the GreatQueen VictoriaAnna NeagleWilliam TindaleWilliam TyndaleAlan WheatleyYoung PushkinAlexander PushkinValentin Litovsky
1938 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressAdrienne LecouvreurAdrienne LecouvreurYvonne PrintempsThe Adventures of Marco PoloMarco PoloGary CooperAlexander NevskyAlexander NevskyNikolay CherkasovBoys TownEdward J. FlanaganSpencer TracyThe BuccaneerJean LafitteFredric MarchAndrew Jackson Hugh SothernThe Childhood of Maxim GorkyMaxim GorkyAleksei LyarskyThe Great WaltzJohann Strauss IIFernand GraveyIf I Were KingFrançois VillonRonald Colman Marie AntoinetteMarie AntoinetteNorma ShearerThat Mothers Might LiveIgnaz SemmelweisShepperd StrudwickSaint Theresa of LisieuxThérèse of LisieuxIrène CordaySixty Glorious YearsQueen VictoriaAnna NeagleSuezFerdinand de LessepsTyrone Power
1939 Film Subject(s) Lead actor or actressConquest of Peter the GreatPeter the GreatNikolai SimonovDrums Along the Mohawkhttps://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E02E1DE143EE432A25757C0A9679D946894D6CFNicholas HerkimerRoger ImhofThe Flying IrishmanDouglas CorriganDouglas CorriganFrontier MarshalWyatt EarpRandolph ScottThe Great Victor HerbertVictor HerbertAllan JonesImmortal WaltzJohann Strauss IPaul HörbigerJesse JamesJesse JamesTyrone PowerFrank JamesHenry FondaJuarezBenito JuárezPaul MuniKaiss wa leilaQaysBadr LamaLayla Al-AamiriyaAmina RizkLenin in 1918Vladimir LeninBoris ShchukinThe Mad EmpressCharlotte of BelgiumMedea de NovaraMan of ConquestSam HoustonRichard DixNurse Edith CavellEdith CavellAnna NeagleOn His OwnMaxim GorkyAleksei LyarskyThe Private Lives of Elizabeth and EssexElizabeth IBette DavisRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexErrol FlynnThe Story of Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham BellDon AmecheThomas A. Watson Henry FondaThe Story of Vernon and Irene CastleVernon CastleFred AstaireIrene CastleGinger RogersSwanee RiverStephen FosterDon AmecheTower of LondonRichard III of EnglandBasil RathboneYoung Mr. LincolnAbraham LincolnHenry Fonda
1940s 1940