A burlesque on the John Rice/May Irwin kiss in "The Kiss" (1896).A burlesque on the John Rice/May Irwin kiss in "The Kiss" (1896).A burlesque on the John Rice/May Irwin kiss in "The Kiss" (1896).
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Did you know
- TriviaThe oldest known film to depict black intimacy.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Film: The Living Record of Our Memory (2021)
Featured review
Equal time.
The so-called "May Irwin Kiss" film in 1896 created quite an uproar back in the day. Theaters often banned it and many saw it as a sign that movies were just plain evil! What occurs in this brief movie? A rather unattractive couple kiss...and over-act while doing so. That's it...no nudity, no sex, no violence...yet many locales banned it for being obscene!!!
Imagine my surprise when I recently learned that a similar film was made just two years later....and starred a black couple instead! I have no idea if a similar uproar resulted when it debuted....but the film, though very short and simple like the "May Irwin Kiss", is a much better movie. First, it's not nearly as over-acted. Second, and this I admire, the couple seemed really in love with each other.
Is it worth seeing? Well, for historical reasons, absolutely. While it's not exactly a gripping movie, it is the first time black actors are shown being intimate and they are also, fortunately, portrayed as human beings and are quite well represented.
Imagine my surprise when I recently learned that a similar film was made just two years later....and starred a black couple instead! I have no idea if a similar uproar resulted when it debuted....but the film, though very short and simple like the "May Irwin Kiss", is a much better movie. First, it's not nearly as over-acted. Second, and this I admire, the couple seemed really in love with each other.
Is it worth seeing? Well, for historical reasons, absolutely. While it's not exactly a gripping movie, it is the first time black actors are shown being intimate and they are also, fortunately, portrayed as human beings and are quite well represented.
helpful•100
- planktonrules
- Jun 12, 2019
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- Что-то хорошее
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 minute
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- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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