Early Movie Firsts
From the earliest feature film to cinema's first sex scene via the inaugural epic.
The Story Of The Kelly Gang (1906)
Not the UK, not the USA and not important silent movie pioneers Germany and France. No, the first ever feature-length film was made in Australia. With only nine minutes of footage still in existence, it’s hard to judge what the thing might have been like in its entirety. As for what we have to go on, the hammy acting - courtesy of director Charles Tait’s family - is balanced out by dramatic framing and a pacey shootout finale that features Ned Kelly’s actual body armour. It’s nine-year run in Australian cinemas makes modern movie shelf lives appear pretty feeble.
The Birth Of A Nation (1915)
While goodies in white and baddies in black has long been an accepted narrative convention, DW Griffith’s use of Ku Klux Klan cavalry as heroes ensured that cinema’s first epic was a triumph of bad taste. Originally called The Clansman, the production used white actors blacked up as ‘negro savages’ while the premiere packed the foyer with actors in full KKK regalia. None of which hindered the picture’s box-office performance, where even a £2 entrance fee didn’t dissuade millions of Americans from experiencing Birth.
Extase (1932)
Then named Hedwig Kiesler, studio goddess - and inventor - Hedy Lamarr caused a stir in this Czech movie by romping naked in the woods before humping a random passer-by. A scandalised US banned the scene on the grounds that it was “corrupting”. Amused at such prudishness, Hitler allowed audiences in Nazi Germany to enjoy the movie until it emerged that Hedy was Jewish. Then he banned it too.
Excellent piece, Richard.
Excellent piece, Richard.