Sunrise

His first American production, Sunrise (1927), was another masterpiece that has been hailed by many critics as the finest silent film ever produced by a Hollywood studio; it was also one of three films to earn for Janet Gaynor the first Academy Award for best actress. Unfortunately, it was…

Murnau (Nosferatu, 1922; Sunrise, 1927).

…marriage of art and money, Sunrise (1927), remains an anomaly in the history of the film industry, for Murnau was given unusual control and virtually unlimited resources. The film still astounds critics, but it was not a commercial success, and it stunted for a time the growing stature of the…