A "March of Time" presentation of the evolution of movies compiled primarily from film clips of silent movies through the early sound pictures to the present (1939) date. Industry executives such as Jack and Harry Warner, Walt Disney, Cecil B. DeMille, et al are seen taking bows in the live (non-archive) footage.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Renée AdoréeSelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |
 Gilbert M. AndersonSelf - from 'The Great Train Robbery' (archive footage) | Self - from 'The Great Train Robbery' (archive footage) |
 Theda BaraSelf - From 'A Fool There Was' (archive footage) | Self - From 'A Fool There Was' (archive footage) |
 Jackson BeckNarrator | Narrator |
 Lionel BarrymoreSelf (segment The New York Hat) (archive footage) | Self (segment The New York Hat) (archive footage) |
 Cecil B. DeMilleSelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |
| GGeorge SchaeferSelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |