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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1617

Something Good – Negro Kiss

18981 minUnited States
Romance

Synopsis

Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown hold hands, exchange kisses and playfully negotiate an embrace. Their relaxed interaction gives this brief scene an intimacy unusual in surviving images of Black performers from the period.

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Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs
0:48
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Selig Polyscope or William Selig · Public domain

This copy runs shorter than the reference runtime. Editing and playback speed can differ between editions.

Cast

DirectorsWilliam Selig

Historical context

The copy shown here is the longer version identified in Norway's national film collection. The film's affectionate portrayal differs from the racial caricatures prevalent in much contemporary entertainment.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 22, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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