Greatest Movie Entrances: One of the most striking elements in any film is the sudden or memorable appearance of one of the main characters or stars. Often, film entrances are not very extraordinary, but now and again, there are some that are visually spectacular, attention-getting and skillfully executed. Although it would be impossible to compile a list of every single memorable movie entrance ever screened, this collection moves toward that goal.

Here are a few of the clues to a "great" movie entrance:

• a long, suspenseful, slow teasing building up to the reveal of the character, prefaced by glimpses or references to the character by others
• a slow pan from a person's legs ('feet-first') or other extremities to their face
• a sudden, abrupt, and striking introduction
• an initial dark, silhouetted, outlined or distant appearance, then sometimes slowly revealed by light
• the transformative reveal of a person with a new or second identity

The following illustrated list, in unranked chronological order, presents a solid collection of the most classic film entrances or bows of film characters in cinematic history. These include film scenes from the silent era, the classic film period, and modern-day.