Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph
Encyclopedia
Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph (also known as Edison Kinetoscopic Record of Boxers and The Corbett-Courtney Fight) is an 1894
American
short
black-and-white
silent film
produced by William K.L. Dickson and starring James J. Corbett
. It was only the second boxing match to be filmed following The Leonard-Cushing fight which had been filmed by Dickson on June 14, 1894.
The films are listed as "1st Round," "2nd Round," "3rd Round," "4th Round," "5th Round," and "6th Round". Only one partial round of the original six rounds remains intact.
match under special conditions that allow for it to be filmed and displayed on a Kinetograph
. The match consists of six one-minute rounds. James J. Corbett was a boxing hero of the time while Courtney was the underdog.
, which had begun making films in 1890
under the direction of one of the earliest pioneers to film William K.L. Dickson. It was filmed entirely within the Black Maria
studio at West Orange, New Jersey
, in the USA, which is widely referred to as "America's First Movie Studio". It was filmed on September 7, 1894.
According to the Internet Movie Database
the film was made in a 35 mm format with an aspect ratio of 1.33 : 1. The movie was intended to be displayed through means of a Kinetoscope
.
has now expired and it is freely available on the internet to download. A copy is kept by the Library of Congress
and can be viewed on their American Memory
website. In 1997 it was featured in the Sports on the Silver Screen, an anthology, narrated by Liev Schreiber
, which looks at sports in cinema from the earliest silent films. It also included on disc one of the DVD Edison: The Invention of the Movies.
1894 in film
-Events:* January 7 - William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film.* January 7 - Thomas Edison films his assistant, Fred Ott sneezing with the Kinetoscope at the "Black Maria."...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
short
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
produced by William K.L. Dickson and starring James J. Corbett
James J. Corbett
James John "Gentleman Jim" Corbett was an Irish-American heavyweight boxing champion, best known as the man who defeated the great John L. Sullivan. He also coached boxing at the Olympic Club in San Francisco...
. It was only the second boxing match to be filmed following The Leonard-Cushing fight which had been filmed by Dickson on June 14, 1894.
The films are listed as "1st Round," "2nd Round," "3rd Round," "4th Round," "5th Round," and "6th Round". Only one partial round of the original six rounds remains intact.
Plot
James J. Corbett and Peter Courtney both take part in a specially arranged boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
match under special conditions that allow for it to be filmed and displayed on a Kinetograph
Kinetoscope
The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device. Though not a movie projector—it was designed for films to be viewed individually through the window of a cabinet housing its components—the Kinetoscope introduced the basic approach that would become the standard for all cinematic...
. The match consists of six one-minute rounds. James J. Corbett was a boxing hero of the time while Courtney was the underdog.
Production
The film was produced by the Edison Manufacturing CompanyEdison Studios
Edison Studios was an American motion picture production company owned by the Edison Company of inventor Thomas Edison. The studio made close to 1,200 films as the Edison Manufacturing Company and Thomas A. Edison, Inc. until the studio's closing in 1918...
, which had begun making films in 1890
1890 in film
-Events:* William Dickson completes his work for Thomas Edison on the Kinetograph cylinder either in this year or 1889. Monkeyshines No. 1 becomes the first film shot on the system.-Films:...
under the direction of one of the earliest pioneers to film William K.L. Dickson. It was filmed entirely within the Black Maria
Edison's Black Maria
The Black Maria was Thomas Edison's movie production studio in West Orange, New Jersey. It is widely referred to as America's First Movie Studio.- History :...
studio at West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
, in the USA, which is widely referred to as "America's First Movie Studio". It was filmed on September 7, 1894.
According to the Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
the film was made in a 35 mm format with an aspect ratio of 1.33 : 1. The movie was intended to be displayed through means of a Kinetoscope
Kinetoscope
The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device. Though not a movie projector—it was designed for films to be viewed individually through the window of a cabinet housing its components—the Kinetoscope introduced the basic approach that would become the standard for all cinematic...
.
Cast
- James J. CorbettJames J. CorbettJames John "Gentleman Jim" Corbett was an Irish-American heavyweight boxing champion, best known as the man who defeated the great John L. Sullivan. He also coached boxing at the Olympic Club in San Francisco...
as Boxer (Boxing hero of the time) - Peter Courtney as Boxer (Underdog)
Current status
As a film produced prior to 1923 its copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
has now expired and it is freely available on the internet to download. A copy is kept by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
and can be viewed on their American Memory
American Memory
American Memory is an Internet-based archive for public domain image resources, as well as audio, video, and archived Web content. It is published by the Library of Congress...
website. In 1997 it was featured in the Sports on the Silver Screen, an anthology, narrated by Liev Schreiber
Liev Schreiber
Isaac Liev Schreiber , commonly known as Liev Schreiber, is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s, having initially appeared in several independent films, and later mainstream Hollywood films, including the Scream trilogy of...
, which looks at sports in cinema from the earliest silent films. It also included on disc one of the DVD Edison: The Invention of the Movies.