The Hornbacker-Murphy Fight

The Hornbacker-Murphy Fight

1894 · 1 min · ★ 4.7 · Action, Comedy

A referee and five fans (including a waiter in his apron) look on as two young men box. The dark-haired, slightly taller boxer throws a right and the light-haired smaller one goes down; but he's up before the referee starts counting. After the knockdown, the boxers mostly hit each other's gloves. The fans, at least one of whom is sitting inside the ring, show no animation. They're all men, dressed in a range of late 19th-century garb.

Directed by William K.L. Dickson

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

2m together

The Hornbacker-Murphy Fight

Dickson Experimental Sound Film

Both from William K.L. Dickson.

More from William K.L. DicksonSee all →

Panoramic View of Conway on the L. & N.W. RailwayPanoramic View of Conway on the L. & N.W. Railway · 1898
Panoramic View of Conway on the L. & N.W. Railway
★ 7.51898
MovieDocumentary
A hand-colored ride along the Bangor-Conwy-Colwyn Bay railroad filmed from an express train from the London and North Western Railway; Stations, vistas and a tunnel under the Conwy Castle (misspelled in the title) in North Wales.
Away AloftAway Aloft · 1899
Away Aloft
★ 7.01899
Movie
Sailors clamber up the rigging. Filmed at Portsmouth.
Duel to the DeathDuel to the Death · 1898
Duel to the Death
★ 7.01898
MovieAction
This Victorian duel between knife-wielding women was taken from an existing stage production, thought to be the Drury Lane theatre melodrama 'Women and Wine'. The actresses are believed to be Edith Blanche and Beatrice Homer.
Venice, harbour scene with gondolasVenice, harbour scene with gondolas · 1898
Venice, harbour scene with gondolas
★ 6.51898
Movie
Many gondolas in Venice harbour with a fishing boat in the background
Panorama of Grand Harbour, Malta, Showing Battleships, Etc.Panorama of Grand Harbour, Malta, Showing Battleships, Etc. · 1901
Panorama of Grand Harbour, Malta, Showing Battleships, Etc.
★ 6.51901
MovieDocumentary
Single panning shot of the Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta.
Dickson Experimental Sound FilmDickson Experimental Sound Film · 1894
Dickson Experimental Sound Film
★ 6.11894
MovieMusic
William K.L. Dickson plays the violin while two men dance. This is the oldest surviving sound film where sound is recorded on the phonograph.
Annie OakleyAnnie Oakley · 1894
Annie Oakley
★ 6.01894
MovieDocumentaryWestern
A short Edison Black Maria studio film featuring famed sharpshooter Annie Oakley, known as “Little Sure Shot.” Born Phoebe Ann Oakley Mozee in Ohio in 1860, she rose to global fame performing with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Accompanied (likely) by her husband and fellow marksman Frank Butler, Oakley’s diminutive stature belied her legendary marksmanship.
Maidenhead JunctionMaidenhead Junction · 1898
Maidenhead Junction
★ 6.01898
MovieDocumentary
Film shot by W.K.L. Dickson at Maidenhead Junction, 1898.
Danse serpentine (Annabelle)Danse serpentine (Annabelle) · 1895
Danse serpentine (Annabelle)
★ 5.91895
MovieDocumentary
In a long, diaphanous skirt, held out by her hands with arms extended, Broadway dancer Annabelle Moore performs. Her dance emphasizes the movement of the flowing cloth. She moves to her right and left across an unadorned stage. Many of the prints were distributed in hand-tinted color.
The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton's)The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton's) · 1894
The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton's)
★ 5.91894
MovieDocumentaryComedy
"A glove contest between trained cats. A very comical and amusing subject, and is sure to create a great laugh." (by Edison Films)
Blacksmith SceneBlacksmith Scene · 1893
Blacksmith Scene
★ 5.61893
MovieDrama
Three men hammer on an anvil and pass a bottle of beer around. Notable for being the first film in which a scene is being acted out.
Pope Leo XIII Being Seated Bestowing BlessingPope Leo XIII Being Seated Bestowing Blessing · 1898
Pope Leo XIII Being Seated Bestowing Blessing
★ 5.31898
MovieDocumentary
Probably the first video of a Pope: Leo XIII sits in his chair with guards and attendants, then blesses the viewers.
CarmencitaCarmencita · 1894
Carmencita
★ 5.21894
MovieDocumentary
The first woman to appear in front of an Edison motion picture camera and possibly the first woman to appear in a motion picture within the United States. In the film, Carmencita is recorded going through a routine she had been performing at Koster & Bial's in New York since February 1890.
Pope Leo XIII in His CarriagePope Leo XIII in His Carriage · 1898
Pope Leo XIII in His Carriage
★ 5.21898
MovieDocumentary
Filmmaker WKL Dickson, one-time right hand man to Thomas Edison, the 'Wizard of Menlo Park', here captures an even greater eminence, Pope Leo XIII. This was one of a series of films that exploited Dickson's unique, hard-won access to the Pontiff. Here the Pope arrives in a carriage and bestows a blessing. Whether this blessing was intended for the camera or for the audience beyond it, capturing it on film was a great prize for Dickson.
King JohnKing John · 1899
King John
★ 4.91899
MovieDrama
Based on Shakespeare's play, Act V, Scene vii: King John is in torment, and his supporters fear that his end is near. As he writhes in agony, he is attended by Prince Henry, the Earl of Pembroke, and Robert Bigot. Prince Henry tries repeatedly to comfort his delirious father, but to no avail - John's pain is too great.
Corbett and Courtney Before the KinetographCorbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph · 1894
Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph
★ 4.81894
MovieDocumentary
This fight consists of six rounds, each round on a film 150 feet long. It's an actual contest between James J. Corbett, former champion of the world, and Peter Courtney. The films are listed as "1st Round", "2nd Round", "3rd Round", "4th Round", "5th Round", and "6th Round".

More Like This

ManhattanManhattan · 1979
Manhattan
★ 7.71979
MovieComedyDrama
Manhattan explores how the life of a middle-aged television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress.
Godzilla Raids AgainGodzilla Raids Again · 1955
Godzilla Raids Again
★ 6.01955
MovieScience FictionHorror
Two fishing scout pilots make a horrifying discovery when they encounter a second Godzilla alongside a new monster named Anguirus. Without the weapon that killed the original, authorities attempt to lure Godzilla away from the mainland. But Anguirus soon arrives and the two monsters make their way towards Osaka as Japan braces for tragedy.
Down by LawDown by Law · 1986
Down by Law
★ 7.41986
MovieCrimeDrama
A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.
Singapore SlingSingapore Sling · 1990
Singapore Sling
★ 6.61990
MovieComedyHorror
Singapore Sling pursues Laura, a romantic memory from his past. One night, he finds himself at a mysterious villa, watching two women bury a body. He falls into their trap and, in an atmosphere of isolation and decadence, the trio act out insane pleasure games and a ritual of blood and murder.
Christmas in ConnecticutChristmas in Connecticut · 1945
Christmas in Connecticut
★ 7.01945
MovieComedyRomance
While recovering in a hospital, war hero Jefferson Jones grows familiar with the "Diary of a Housewife" column written by Elizabeth Lane. Jeff's nurse arranges with Elizabeth's publisher, Alexander Yardley, for Jeff to spend the holiday at Elizabeth's bucolic Connecticut farm with her husband and child. But the column is a sham, so Elizabeth and her editor, Dudley Beecham, in fear of losing their jobs, hasten to set up the single, childless and entirely nondomestic Elizabeth on a country farm.
Monkey BusinessMonkey Business · 1931
Monkey Business
★ 6.91931
MovieComedy
Four stowaways get mixed up with gangsters while running riot on an ocean liner.
Horse FeathersHorse Feathers · 1932
Horse Feathers
★ 6.91932
MovieComedyRomance
Quincy Adams Wagstaff, the new president of Huxley U, hires bumblers Baravelli and Pinky to help his school win the big football game against rival Darwin U.
Animal CrackersAnimal Crackers · 1930
Animal Crackers
★ 6.91930
MovieComedyMusic
The well-known explorer and hunter Captain Spaulding has just returned from Africa, and is being welcomed home with a lavish party at the estate of influential society matron Mrs. Rittenhouse when a valuable painting goes missing. The intrepid Captain Spaulding attempts to solve the crime with the help of his silly secretary Horatio Jamison, while sparring with the anarchic Signor Emanuel Ravelli and his nutty sidekick The Professor.
My Man GodfreyMy Man Godfrey · 1936
My Man Godfrey
★ 7.61936
MovieComedy
Fifth Avenue socialite Irene Bullock needs a "forgotten man" to win a scavenger hunt, and no one is more forgotten than Godfrey Park, who resides in a dump by the East River. Irene hires Godfrey as a servant for her riotously unhinged family, to the chagrin of her spoiled sister, Cornelia, who tries her best to get Godfrey fired. As Irene falls for her new butler, Godfrey turns the tables and teaches the frivolous Bullocks a lesson or two.
In Search of a Midnight KissIn Search of a Midnight Kiss · 2007
In Search of a Midnight Kiss
★ 6.62007
MovieComedyDrama
Broke and alone on New Year's Eve, Wilson just wants to spend the rest of a very bad year in bed. But, when his best friend convinces him to post a personal ad, he meets a woman bent on finding the right guy to be with at midnight.
I VitelloniI Vitelloni · 1953
I Vitelloni
★ 7.71953
MovieComedyDrama
Five young men dream of success as they drift lazily through life in a small Italian village. Fausto, the group's leader, is a womanizer; Riccardo craves fame; Alberto is a hopeless dreamer; Moraldo fantasizes about life in the city; and Leopoldo is an aspiring playwright. As Fausto chases a string of women, to the horror of his pregnant wife, the other four blunder their way from one uneventful experience to the next.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter