Something Good – Negro Kiss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Something Good – Negro Kiss |
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| Directed by | William Selig |
| Starring | Saint Suttle Gertie Brown |
| Distributed by | Selig Polyscope through Sears & Roebuck |
| Release date(s) | 1898 |
| Running time | 29 seconds (first rediscovered version) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | silent |
Something Good – Negro Kiss is a very old short film from 1898. It shows a couple kissing and holding hands. This film is special because it's thought to be the first time African Americans were shown kissing on screen. It was also different from other films of its time. Many early films showed unfair or silly pictures of Black people. But "Something Good" showed a loving, normal couple.
For a long time, this film was lost. No one knew where to find it. But in 2017, it was found again! Because it is so important, the film was added to the American National Film Registry in 2018. This registry keeps a list of films that are important to American culture.
Contents
Making the Film: How It Was Created
In "Something Good," a well-dressed African American couple shares several kisses. They also hold hands and laugh together. People who have seen the film say their acting feels very real and joyful. It shows a true connection between them.
Different Versions of the Film
In 2021, a slightly longer version of the film was found. This version shows the couple before they kiss. It includes moments where they are talking and getting ready to hug. This longer film might have been made for people in other countries. Back then, filmmakers sometimes sold different versions of their movies. The longer version also looks a bit different. The camera was further away, and the actors were on opposite sides. No one knows if this was a mistake or done on purpose. Some experts think the longer film feels more like a stage show, while the shorter one feels more romantic.
Who Was in the Film?
The film starred two stage performers named Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown. Saint Suttle wrote music for popular plays. Gertie Brown was an actress who performed in vaudeville shows. Vaudeville was a type of entertainment with many different acts, like singing, dancing, and comedy. Suttle and Brown were also dance partners. They were part of a group called The Rag-Time Four. This group performed different kinds of the popular cakewalk dance. They might have been at the film studio to perform a cakewalk when they made this film.
The film was made in Chicago by a director named William Selig. He was a pioneer, meaning he was one of the first people to make movies. Selig used his own special camera to film "Something Good." His company, Selig Polyscope Company, sold the film. It was even sold through the Sears & Roebuck mail order catalog! This meant people could buy the film from a catalog and have it sent to their homes.
Finding the Film Again: Its Rediscovery
The original film for "Something Good" was made on a special type of film called nitrate film. This kind of film can be dangerous because it can catch fire easily.
How the Film Was Found in the US
In 2017, an expert from the University of Southern California found the film at a sale in Louisiana. Experts at the University of Southern California and the University of Chicago studied the film. They looked at its age and how it was made. This helped them figure out when and where it was produced. The University of Southern California now owns the rights to the restored version of the film. They shared it online on Vimeo.
How the Film Was Found in Norway
In 2021, the slightly longer version of the film was found in the National Library of Norway. This copy was part of a collection found in a barn in a town called Leksvik. It was kept there until authorities said it was a fire risk. People believe the film came to Norway when a Norwegian filmmaker brought film reels home from the US a long time ago.
At first, this copy was mistakenly thought to be a film by the famous Lumière brothers. But when news of the 2017 discovery in the United States came out, the National Library in Norway looked at their film again. They then realized it was "Something Good." Even after being scanned twice, the film still has some spots. But films from that time were not always made perfectly, so these spots might have always been there. The film is slowly wearing out, but it is kept safe in very cold storage in northern Norway.
Before these discoveries, not much was known about "Something Good." It was sometimes mentioned with other films from that time, including some that were unfair to Black people.
