Corbett-Fitzsimmons Title Fight (1897)
Featured Nonfiction
•
19m
1897 boxing bout filmed live, considered 1st feature film despite missing footage.
While audiences today are accustomed to feature-length films, the Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight (1897) was a revelation for its time in film history. Capturing the entirety of a heavyweight boxing championship, this silent documentary stretched past the one-minute limitations of existing technology.
This innovation came from filmmaker Enoch J. Rector, who employed a new wide-gauge film format and a three-camera system. This was experimental in every sense, pushing the boundaries of what film could achieve.
The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight wasn't just long, it was also a technical marvel. Shot with a widescreen aspect ratio, it offered a more immersive viewing experience than earlier peephole machines. This experimentation with format foreshadowed future advancements in film technology.
Though only fragments of the original film remain, the Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight stands as a testament to the pioneering spirit of early cinema. It dared to be different, paving the way for the narrative and technical possibilities that came to define the art form.
Up Next in Featured Nonfiction
-
The House in the Middle (1954)
3 houses face atomic blast. Clean home survives, raising ethical questions.
Produced for the National Paint, Varnish, and Lacquer Association and the Federal Civil Defense Administration, The House in the Middle (1954) uses unconventional tactics to deliver a very specific message.
While not ex...
-
Our Day (1938)
A family challenges Depression-era stereotypes with their comfortable life & intellectual pursuits.
Created with consumer-grade equipment by a non-professional filmmaker, Wallace Kelly's 1938 silent film, Our Day, offers a glimpse into American home movie making before the widespread adoption o...
-
The Middleton Family at the New York ...
Middletons explore 1939 World's Fair, daughter falls for artist, tech & family win her back.
Produced by Westinghouse for their exhibit at the fair, The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair (1939) follows a fictional family on their visit. But, beneath its seemingly conventional facade,...
