1. a motion picture or film, especially one made in the early era of cinema
Usage: somewhat dated or nostalgic term; common in early 20th-century film criticism and history
2. a screenplay or script written for a motion picture
Usage: less common usage; primarily historical

Examples

• Silent photoplays from the 1920s remain influential in cinema history.
• She studied the great photoplays of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
• The museum exhibited posters advertising classic photoplays.
• Early photoplays relied heavily on visual storytelling rather than dialogue.
• He wrote a photoplay that was adapted into a feature film.
• Audiences flocked to theaters to see the latest photoplays of the era.