1896. An 18-second film was released and was shown commercially to the public. The aforementioned film depicts the final scene of the stage musical The Widow Jones, where two characters share a kiss. While the kiss in the film may just have been two seconds long, it was enough to “[bring] down the house every time” it was shown. But why so much commotion over just a 2-second kiss? It was because this was the first time a kiss was filmed and shown to the public.
… this short film marked a thrilling shift in what movies could do, and what audiences could expect from the fledgling new medium.
More details about this over at JSTOR Daily.
(Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)