The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight (1897) FULL VIDEO

 

  

The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight (1897)

Director: Enoch J. Rector

Cast: James J. Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, Billy Madden, George Siler, John L. Sullivan

Filming Date: March 17, 1897

Release Date: May 22, 1897

Country of Origin: USA

The boxing bout between James J. Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons in Carson City, Nevada on St. Patrick's Day in 1897 is seen in this documentary. It was the first feature film ever made, and it lasted for more than 100 minutes at first.

On March 17, 1897, this iconic battle was captured on 63mm film, which had an aspect ratio of roughly 1.75:1. As the resulting footage was more than ninety minutes long, Enoch Rector concurrently created the world's first known feature film by using three neighboring cameras to record the entire conflict. Approximately 25% of the movie is still in existence today.

The movie is no longer complete, but according to modern sources, it featured all fourteen three-minute rounds of the competition, which is a significant change from each round being shown as a stand-alone attraction. A five-minute opening that features previous champion John L. Sullivan (whom Corbett defeated in 1892) and his manager Billy Madden promoting the match and referee George Siler, followed by both boxers entering the ring in their robes, is also rare and historically extraordinary.

When it was republished, it featured a ten-minute epilogue of the empty ring at the finish of the fight, into which spectators eventually stormed. The film also documented the one-minute rest intervals between each round. Despite these rough estimates, the movie lasted at least 71 minutes, and most sources say it was longer than 90 or 100 minutes. In the film's conclusion, Fitzsimmons knocks Corbett out by striking him in the solar plexus, and Corbett crawls out of the camera's field of view to avoid being seen above the waist.

The Corbett–Fitzsimmons Fight is a documentary from 1897 that shows the boxing bout that took place on March 17, 1897, in Carson City, Nevada, between James J. Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons. Originally running over 100 minutes, it was the world's first feature film and the longest film ever released [citation needed]. It was directed by Enoch J. Rector.

The Latham loop is the name of the technology that made this possible. Although the device's invention is contested, Rector claimed to have created it. He filmed using three of these cameras, positioned next to each other, with 63mm nitrate film. The movie is only partially preserved. In the 1980s, Jean A. LeRoy of New York City had a print from which the known fragments were copied. The transfer was carried out using a specially designed optical printer that converted the film to 35mm film. Having an aspect ratio of roughly 1.65:1, the movie was also the first to be shot in widescreen. Luke McKernan asserted that "it was boxing that created the cinema," while Dan Streible characterized The Corbett–Fitzsimmons Fight as "one of the earliest individual productions to sustain public commentary on the cinema."

It was the first movie to ever show the championship prizefight, according to Time Warner Sports CEO Seth Abraham. Because the fight generated more revenue from box office profits than from live gate receipts, its countrywide screenings can be considered the first pay-per-view media event in boxing history. It was also incredibly successful, and the film served as a long-standing model for subsequent amusement entrepreneurs. Twenty-one jurisdictions made prizefighting illegal, and several governments and cities attempted—mostly in vain—to outlaw the movie.

The picture was considered "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and was added to the Library of Congress' National picture Registry in 2012.

The 1897 documentary The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight, directed by Enoch J. Rector, is a landmark in cinematic history, widely recognized for establishing several industry standards decades before they became commonplace. 

The film's pioneering achievements include:

Industry & Format Milestones

World’s First Feature Film: Running for approximately 100 minutes, it was the first motion picture to reach what is now considered feature length. This was a radical departure from the typical two-minute "actualities" of the era.

First Widescreen Film: Filmed in a format known as Veriscope, it utilized an aspect ratio of approximately 1.65:1 (some sources cite 1.75:1), making it the earliest known use of widescreen technology.

First Pay-Per-View Model: The film generated more income at the box office (estimated between $100,000 and $750,000) than from the live gate receipts of the actual fight, establishing a long-standing business model for sports entertainment. 

Technological Innovations

63mm Film Stock: To achieve its high-resolution wide image, Rector used 63mm nitrate film, which was nearly twice the width of the standard 35mm stock used at the time.

The Latham Loop: The production utilized the "Latham loop," a critical advancement that added a slack loop of film to reduce tension, preventing the film strip from breaking during long recordings. This technology remains essential in modern film projectors.

Continuous Multi-Camera Recording: Rector used three adjacent cameras to record the entire 14-round match continuously, ensuring that no action was missed during reel changes.

 

Social & Cultural Impact

Expanding Audiences: At the time, live boxing matches were often "men-only" events or even illegal in many states. The film allowed women to view the sport in a "respectable" theater setting for the first time; in some cities like Chicago, women made up an estimated 60% of the audience.

Legitimizing Boxing: By transforming a stigmatized, often underground sport into a mass-market spectacle, the film helped establish sports as a natural and enduring subject for motion pictures.

National Recognition: In 2012, it was added to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".