Something Good – Negro Kiss (1898) William Selig

Описание: Something Good – Negro Kiss is an 1898 short film produced and directed by William Selig , starring Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown . Originally created as a parody of    • Il bacio (1896) William Heise  , it is notable for being the first film to depict a kiss between African Americans.
Presenting a version with black actors was a way to play with the social taboos of the era. But the performers, Suttle and Brown, managed to instill such dignity that the work transcended simple parody.

Chapters
00:00 - Titles
00:06 - Something Good
00:57 - Film Analysis and Context by ‪@iconaus‬

This is not the original footage, but a second version that came to light in 2021, though it was filmed in the same year with the same actors. In the original version, the framing was closer and the actors' positions were reversed.

Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown were two entertainers from the world of vaudeville; both were members of the dance quartet The Rag-Time Four , which performed popular cakewalks to music composed by Saint Suttle himself.

William Selig was a true pioneer of the early film industry and the founder of the Selig Polyscope Company. Before entering the world of cinema, he had gained extensive experience in traveling minstrel shows and magic acts, which deeply influenced his approach to visual entertainment.
Using his own modified version of the Lumière cinématographe, Selig became one of the first filmmakers to establish a studio in Chicago and later helped pioneer the move to Hollywood.
His distribution of Something Good through the Sears & Roebuck mail-order catalog played a crucial role in bringing early motion pictures to a wide, mainstream audience across America.

#kiss #williamselig #saintsuttle #gertiebrown

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