The authors of the Film 100 Web site (discontinued and unavailable) and published book in 1998 ranked the one hundred most influential people in the history of the movies. (The Film 100 - available in book form - expanded the data originally published on the Film 100 site.)

Facts and Commentary About the List:

• A list of film's most important visionaries were assembled, collecting only the names of those whose work and techniques had been felt by millions of moviegoers.
  
• The list celebrated individuals who produced effects that directly or indirectly created changes in the way films were made, seen, distributed, and preserved. The list traced back the ripples of influence to their originators, and gave credit where credit was due.
  
• Just about every inventor and scientist connected to the film industry was originally on the list, but most were edged out by businessmen who exploited their invention.
  
• Notoriety or fame played no part in the selection.
  
• Joint contributions were treated as a single entry, and large governing bodies like the Screen Actors Guild were not eligible.
  
• Innovations that have been credited to an anonymous person were not considered.
  
• The list had to be whittled down to one hundred names which meant a long and difficult elimination process, before assigning the final ranked positions. Consequently, many popular persons were not included in this compilation.
  
• Following each entry are some selected or recommended films that illustrated each person's influence and innovations.

The Life of an American Fireman (1903)
The Great Train Robbery (1903)
Tess of the Storm Country (1914)

3 Charlie Chaplin
(1889-1977)
Actor, Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Composer; "The Little Tramp"

5 Orson Welles
(1915-1985)
Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Actor

Citizen Kane (1941)
Blink and you're bound to miss an innovation. Chock full of film firsts, this is the measuring stick of great films. Notice the absence of titles at the beginning. Listen for music that stops dead on a character's main line. Look at the details--because you can; deep focus lets you view scenes, like Susan's suicide attempt, from front to back rather than side to side.
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
Probably not the finished vision Welles hoped for. But there are still touches of visual beauty, fancy camerawork, and crisp dialogue in every scene. Much like KANE, this film benefits from the ensemble that Welles would never gather again.
Touch Of Evil (1958)
Considering Welles was handed a bad script, a shoestring budget, and 42 days to shoot, this is a masterstroke. Dennis Weaver puts in a surprisingly strange part, and the dingy locations upstage the actors. Don't just look at it, listen. Radio stations, intercoms, and buzzing neon lights are cleverly used to enhance the mood.

7 Walt Disney
(1901-1966)
Animator, Producer, Executive

11 John Wayne
(1907-1979)
Actor, Legendary Cinema Star - the "Duke

13 Billy Bitzer
(1872-1944)
Pioneering Director of Photography