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The film caused a scandalized uproar and occasioned disapproving newspaper editorials and calls for police action in many places where it was shown. One contemporary critic wrote, "The spectacle of the prolonged pasturing on each other's lips was beastly enough in life size on the stage but magnified
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The film contained the very first kiss on film, with a close-up of a nuzzling duo followed by a short peck on the lips ("the mysteries of the kiss revealed"). The kissing scene was denounced as shocking and obscene to early moviegoers and caused the
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about actors kissing on stage. The article discussed the controversy surrounding onstage kissing and, along with an illustration of the Irwin and Rice kiss, referred readers to
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The Edison catalogue advertised it this way: "They get ready to kiss, begin to kiss, and kiss and kiss and kiss in a way that brings down the house every time."
170:) is an 1896 film, and was one of the first films ever shown commercially to the public. Around 18 seconds long, it depicts a re-enactment of the kiss between
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and the Edison film. The campaign sought to bring attention to the newspaper, play, and movie all at once. The film was shown during demonstrations of the
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essay by Daniel Eagan in
America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, Bloomsbury Academic, 2010
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The film was sold to exhibitors for $ 7.50 ($ 232 in 2020) and it was being shown at the end of almost every show by the fall of 1896.
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Perhaps in defiance, and "to spice up a film", this was followed by many kiss imitators and take-offs, including
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Gaudreault, André and
Lacasse, Germain (1996). "The Introduction of the Lumière Cinematograph in Canada",
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to call for censorship and moral reform, as kissing in public at the time could lead to prosecution.
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the film was released in either April or May 1896, and was publicized in a sponsored article in the
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America's Film Legacy: The
Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry
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was initially against the film, stating that "I shall have to consider replacing Miss Irwin" in
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411:"Preserving the Silver Screen (December 1999) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin"
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to gargantuan proportions and repeated three times over it is absolutely disgusting."
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Dengler, Ralph S.J. (1979). "The First Screen Kiss and "The Cry of
Censorship"".
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In 1999, the short was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States
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588:"Brief Descriptions and Expanded Essays of National Film Registry Titles"
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Film
Registry - National Film Preservation Board - Library of Congress
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in the United States. At the time, Edison was working at the
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For a number of years, it was believed that a showing of
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498:from the original on November 26, 2022 – via
634:Stardust and Shadows: Canadians in Early Hollywood
549:The Chap-book, Volume 5, Number 5, July 15, 1896
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978:Edison Gower-Bell Telephone Company of Europe
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193:. The film was produced in April 1896 at the
316:However, according to Dengler (1979) in the
1416:United States National Film Registry films
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178:from the final scene of the stage musical
435:"Complete National Film Registry Listing"
389:had already exhibited different films in
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664:Continuum International Publishing Group
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973:Edison and Swan Electric Light Company
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562:Journal of Popular Film and Television
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318:Journal of Popular Film and Television
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374:was the first film publicly shown in
247:The film was one of the last shot at
216:and selected for preservation in the
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393:24 days earlier, on June 27, 1896.
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1401:Obscenity controversies in film
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1003:Edison Portland Cement Company
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1219:The Execution of Mary Stuart
993:Edison Manufacturing Company
494:. June 8, 1896. p. 11.
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1200:Tales from the Bully Pulpit
983:Edison Illuminating Company
349:Something Good – Negro Kiss
339:Something Good – Negro Kiss
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866:Edison's Phonograph Doll
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932:Incandescent light bulb
775:video and biography of
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207:West Orange, New Jersey
1116:Theodore Miller Edison
1033:Mine Safety Appliances
968:Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
856:List of Edison patents
656:Eagan, Daniel (2010).
492:The Buffalo Commercial
355:The Kiss in the Tunnel
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218:National Film Registry
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74:Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
715:Grahame-Smith, Seth.
692:Duke University Press
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307:Roman Catholic Church
197:of Edison, the first
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46:1895 Broadway musical
1361:1890s American films
1300:Pearl Street Station
988:Edison Machine Works
896:Quadruplex telegraph
717:The Big Book of Porn
249:Edison's Black Maria
1396:Works about kissing
1366:1890s romance films
1310:Thomas Edison House
1295:War of the currents
947:Thermionic emission
942:Nickel–iron battery
922:Edison–Lalande cell
917:Consolidated Edison
766:Library of Congress
439:Library of Congress
214:Library of Congress
161:The Rice-Irwin Kiss
1274:Edisonian approach
614:, Volume 5, No. 2.
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155:The May Irwin Kiss
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16:1896 American film
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1243:A Night of Terror
861:Carbon microphone
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281:Charles Frohman
271:The Widow Jones
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238:as Billie Bikes
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181:The Widow Jones
167:The Widow Jones
152:(also known as
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475:Williams 2008
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31:William Heise
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1064:Depot Museum
937:Movie camera
910:Advancements
871:Edison screw
803:, pages 4–5
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104:Running time
81:Release date
40:
1211:Productions
1059:Black Maria
952:Ticker tape
927:Fluoroscopy
881:Kinetoscope
847:Discoveries
622:Works cited
513:Foster 2000
415:www.loc.gov
358:(1899) and
205:studios in
203:Black Maria
199:film studio
27:Directed by
1351:1896 films
1345:Categories
1176:Literature
1079:State Park
1054:Birthplace
891:Phonomotor
886:Phonograph
801:0826429777
648:1550023489
597:2018-12-26
535:2024-08-03
463:Eagan 2010
444:2020-11-18
420:2020-11-18
397:References
243:Production
108:18 seconds
1269:Edisonade
1251:Kidnapped
1047:Monuments
901:Tasimeter
777:May Irwin
275:Vitascope
236:John Rice
230:May Irwin
176:John Rice
172:May Irwin
143:Full film
64:John Rice
60:May Irwin
1227:The Kiss
1152:" (1998)
961:Ventures
793:The Kiss
783:The Kiss
772:The Kiss
761:The Kiss
755:AllMovie
750:The Kiss
739:The Kiss
684:(2008).
631:(2000).
496:Archived
391:Montreal
372:The Kiss
362:(1900).
360:The Kiss
352:(1898),
300:Reaction
149:The Kiss
121:Language
56:Starring
37:Based on
22:The Kiss
1283:Related
788:YouTube
255:Release
113:Country
92:1896-04
90: (
1254:(1917)
1246:(1911)
1238:(1910)
1230:(1896)
1222:(1895)
1203:(2004)
1195:(1898)
1187:(1886)
1168:(2020)
1160:(2017)
1145:(1940)
1137:(1940)
1103:Family
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380:Ottawa
376:Canada
342:(1898)
124:silent
1262:Terms
1165:Tesla
1126:Films
1118:(son)
1112:(son)
797:ISBN
744:IMDb
721:ISBN
696:ISBN
668:ISBN
643:ISBN
224:Cast
189:for
174:and
164:and
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48:by
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94:)
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