The Surprise of a Knight
| The Surprise of a Knight | |
|---|---|
| Written by | "Oscar Wild" (pseudonym; the writer's real name is unknown) |
| Starring | Two uncredited male sexual performers, and one female non-sexual performer |
|
Release date
|
1929 |
|
Running time
|
10 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent film |
The Surprise of a Knight is a gay, hardcore pornographic film from the United States. Most likely released in 1929, it is notable for being the earliest known American pornographic film to depict exclusively homosexual intercourse.
The first known motion pictures depicting nude men were made by Eadweard Muybridge in the 1880s and 1890s as part of his studies of human locomotion.
Hardcore pornographic films (at the time, also called "stag films") first appeared in Europe in 1908. By 1920, the first hardcore homosexual sex acts were depicted in the film Le ménage moderne du Madame Butterfly.
However, like most of the films which came after it, Le ménage moderne du Madame Butterfly only shows male-male sex acts as deviant, firmly establishes the heterosexuality of the characters, and usually depicts gay sex acts as essentially bisexual (e.g., male-male sexual contact occurs while the men are also having heterosexual intercourse).
Most historians consider the first genuine American stag film to be A Free Ride, produced and released in 1915.
The illegality of hardcore pornographic films in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s means that no producer, performer or other credits for The Surprise of a Knight are identifiable. However, researchers have dated the film to at least 1929 (although earlier estimates placed its production in 1930). This makes The Surprise of a Knight the first known hardcore gay pornographic film in American cinematic history.
The film opens with an elegantly attired "woman" with short hair as she finishes dressing for a visitor. As the "lady" completes her boudoir, she lifts her skirts to reveal a thick patch of pubic hair. At this point, an intertitle reveals that the screenwriter is "Oscar Wild" (clearly a pseudonym).
The "lady" goes into the drawing room and offers her well-attired gentleman caller (her "knight") a drink. He refuses it, and she drinks the cocktail. They talk briefly, and then engage in passionate kissing. Whenever the gentleman caller puts his hands on the "lady's" breasts or genitals, "she" pushes his hand away. Finally, she slaps him coyly. The "lady" then apologizes for her aggressiveness by fellating her partner.
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Wikipedia