First period: before World War 2

In this period disabilities are seen as freakish. One third of films made before 1919 featured disabled characters, mainly because of the visual appeal of difference in silent movies.

• The Automobile Accident (Gaumont, 1904, USA) is typical. A disabled actor and his non-disabled look-alike do a 'before' and 'after', as a car runs over his legs, leaving them separated from his body.

Another early comedy genre features faking disability.

• The Beggar's Deceit (UK 1900 Dir Cecil M. Hepworth, ) has a disabled beggar propelling himself along the pavement, gaining alms and sympathy from passers-by until a suspicious policemen taps him on the shoulder, at which he springs up and runs.

The characters Crettini (Italy), Borieau (France) or Foolshed (UK, USA) featured in at least a hundred films in the early 1900s, in which the audience laughs at someone with learning difficulties. After 1908, the reworking of many classic stories eg Treasure Island (USA 1920 Dir Maurice Tourneur; USA 1934 Dir Victor Fleming, ); The Hunchback of Notre Dame (USA 1923 Dir Wallace Worsley); and Frankenstein (USA 1931 Dir James Whale) led to physical deformity and villainy becoming synonymous.

After the First World War, many films featured cures to impairments which, in reality, were incurable. This was perhaps due to the increase in impairment caused by the War. From 1912 to 1930, there were 430 feature films with disability themes. Of these, 150 or 35% had characters who eventually gain or regain the use of their sight, hearing, legs etc through corrective operations, God's will or sheer good fortune.

The enormous success of Lon Chaney is a prime example of the rise of freakishness. He specialised in roles such as Blizzard, a gangster driven to evil by the loss of his legs in The Penalty (USA 1920 Dir Wallace Worsley); Blind Pew in Treasure Island, Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera (USA 1925 Dir Rupert Julian, ), the Armless Wonder in The Unknown (1927), and Dead Legs in West of Zanzibar (1928), both by Tod Browning, USA.

This led to a huge growth in the horror movie genre.

• The film Freaks (USA 1932 Dir Tod Browning) used real disabled performers from circus sideshows. The producer was told by the studio to 'top the horror of Frankenstein'.

Over this period, some of the enduring stereotypes of disabled people in film were established.

• The 'sweet innocent' or pitiable character, eg A Blind Woman's Story (USA 1908); Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol (USA 1938 Dir Edwin L. Marin); The Two Orphans (USA 1911);
• The 'noble warrior' - showing disabled veterans and their problems with adjusting to life, eg The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (USA 1921 Dir Rex Ingram), featuring a blind veteran; The Big Parade (USA 1925 Dir King Vidor), in which a soldier who has lost a leg goes back to France to find his sweetheart; and The Dark Angel (USA 193 Dir Sidney Franklin) - a love triangle with a self-effacing, blinded officer, who hides from his former lover, so his non-disabled friend can be with her.
• The 'obsessive avenger' eg Long John Silver in Treasure Island; Captain Hook in Peter Pan (USA 1924 Dir Herbert Brenon); and Captain Ahab in The Sea Beast (USA 1926 Dir Millard Webb). One commentator points out: