A 90-minute boxing match in 1897 established the commercial viability of feature-length films
The 1897 recording of a 90-minute heavyweight boxing match proved that audiences would pay for feature-length films, establishing the financial model for the modern movie industry.
Cinema's transition from short novelties to feature-length narratives was catalyzed by the 1897 'Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight'. Filmed by Enoch Rector in Carson City, Nevada, the production spanned 11 reels and lasted a staggering 90 minutes. To accommodate such a massive amount of film, Rector utilized the 'Latham loop,' a mechanical innovation that prevented the long celluloid strips from snapping under the tension of the camera's pull.
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