In 2017, a hitherto lost film from 1898 was discovered. The film showed an African American couple laughing and embracing repeatedly in a naturalistic and joyful manner, a radical departure from the racist caricatures otherwise prevalent in early cinema. After some detective work, this presenter identified it as “Something Good—Negro Kiss,” directed by William Selig and starring well-known vaudeville performers Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown. Since then, the film has been named to the National Film Registry and received widespread attention from African American media celebrities, who were drawn to its moving depiction of Black love. This talk describes this process of rediscovery, and details its significance. “Something Good—Negro Kiss,” along with other rediscoveries of early films featuring African Americans, forces a systemic rethinking of the relationships between race, performance, and the emergence of American cinema. These films provide new insights about the cinematic expression of African American affection, and how it can serve as a powerful testament to Black humanity at a time of rampant misrepresentation. This forgotten archive speaks to problems of politics and cinematic representation that are relevant today.
Presenter: