Underplayed Gems

The Gordon Sisters Boxing (1901)

The Gordon Sisters Boxing poster
Directed by
Edwin Stanton Porter
Genre
silent film, boxing film
Country
United States
Runtime
1 min
Rating
5.7 of 10 from 7 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Two women boxers perform a sparring exhibition in a park setting. The film captures their athletic skill and lively movements.

energeticlightheartedsportyhistoriclivelystylish

What happens

The Gordon Sisters Boxing is an American short black-and-white silent film directed by Thomas A. Edison. It is one of the earliest female boxing movies. Edison's film catalogue describes the film as follows: “Champion lady boxers of the world. Here we depict two female pugilists that are really clever. They are engaged in a hot and heavy one-round sparring exhibition, which is photographed against a very pleasing background, consisting of a park, with marble entrance and walk, and beautiful trees and shrubbery. The exhibition is very lively from start to finish; the blows fall thick and fast, and some very clever pugilistic generalship is exhibited.” In an analysis of boxing in the context of modernism, Irene Gammel argues that the scene's “symmetry and beauty [gesture] towards the artfulness of boxing as a cultivated sport.” In addition, she argues that the women's choreographed movement shows “their boldly modern female physicality and sportsmanship.” (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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