SHOP KISS, THE
IMDb >
The Kiss (1896)
![[Add to My Movies]](http://i.media-imdb.com/images//tn15/button_addtomymovies.gif){kind=small}
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglinestrailers and videospostersphoto galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Kiss (1896)
advertisement
photos
board
trailer
details
Overview
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 win moreUser Comments:
They get ready to kiss, begin to kiss, and kiss and kiss and kiss in a way that brings down the house every time. moreCast
(Credited cast)
Additional Details
Also Known As:
The May Irwin Kiss (USA)The Rice-Irwin Kiss (USA)
The Widow Jones (USA) (alternative title)
more
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
1 minCountry:
USAColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 moreSound Mix:
SilentMOVIEmeter: 
14% since last week
why?
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Edison's most popular release of 1896; a reenactment of the final scene of the stage musical The Widow Jones. moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for The Kiss (1896)Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| She's the Man | The Seven Year Itch | The Phantom of the Opera | European Rest Cure | The Woodsman |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Short section | IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |
In 1896 the Edison Company purchased the rights to a motion picture projector that had been invented by C. Francis Jenkins and Thomas Armat. The projector was renamed the Vitascope and had its commercial debut on April 23, 1896. During its first year the most popular film shown using the Edison vitascope was the May Irwin Kiss.
May Irwin who was a Canadian actor, comedienne and singer. Her first starring role on Broadway came in 1895 in a musical comedy created for her by J.J. McNally, called The Widow Jones. In one key scene at the end of the play, Irwin and her co–star, John C. Rice, kiss each other with something of a flourish. Many were scandalized when they recreated their stage kiss for Edison's camera the following year, and one clergy member denounced the film as "a lyric of the stockyards". Critic Herbert Stone complained, " . . . neither participant is physically attractive and the spectacle of their prolonged pasturing on each other's lips was hard to beat when only life size. Magnified to gargantuan proportions and repeated three times over is absolutely disgusting!" Despite, or perhaps because of these derisive reviews, the May Irwin Kiss became the most popular film produced that year by Thomas Edison's film company.