The Corbett–Fitzsimmons Fight

The Corbett–Fitzsimmons Fight
Still photograph of the fight
Fitzsimmons on left; Corbett on right
Directed byEnoch J. Rector
Produced byWilliam Aloysius Brady
StarringJames J. Corbett
Bob Fitzsimmons
CinematographyEnoch J. Rector
Distributed byVeriscope
Release date
  • May 22, 1897 (1897-05-22)
Running time
c. 90–100 minutes
CountryUnited States
Box office$100,000–$750,000

The Corbett–Fitzsimmons Fight is an 1897 documentary film directed by Enoch J. Rector depicting the 1897 boxing match between James J. Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons in Carson City, Nevada on St. Patrick's Day. Originally running for more than 100 minutes, it was the longest film released to date; as such, it was the world's first feature film.

The technology that allowed this is known as the Latham loop. Rector claimed to have invented the device, but its invention is disputed. He used three such equipped cameras placed adjacently and filming on 63mm nitrate film. Only fragments of the film survive. The known fragments were transferred in the 1980s from a print owned by Jean A. LeRoy of New York City, the transfer done on a specially built optical printer to convert the film to 35mm film. The film was also the first to be shot in widescreen, with an aspect ratio of about 1.65:1. According to Dan Streible, The Corbett–Fitzsimmons Fight is "one of the earliest individual productions to sustain public commentary on the cinema.", while Luke McKernan declared, "it was boxing that created the cinema."

As noted by Seth Abraham, the president of Time Warner Sports, it was the first motion picture to ever depict the championship prizefight. Its nationwide screenings can be regarded as the first pay-per-view media event in boxing history, for the fight produced more income in box office than in live gate receipts, it was immensely profitable and the picture served as a long-standing model for future amusement entrepreneurs. Prizefighting was illegal in 21 states and many cities and states tried to ban the film, but their efforts to ban fight films were mostly unsuccessful.

In 2012, the film was added to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".