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The common claim is that Bamforth copied Smith's film, with Smith's film in existence by November 1899. However, there are newspaper reports of screenings of "The Kiss in the Tunnel" and "The Honeymoon" at Fred McAvoy's South London Palace in December 1898 (source: South London Mail 10 Dec 1898). Neither Bamforth or Smith is named as the maker, but both titles are known releases by the former. John Barnes' "The Beginnings of the Cinema in England 1894-1901" (page 272) states that several of the Bamforth films usually dated as 1899 should "be backdated to 1898", including the two titles screened by Fred McAvoy. Can anyone provide an earlier date for Smith's film than November 1899? If not, it seems more likely he copied Bamforth. Davepattern (talk) 22:45, 2 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Since posting the above, I've read Dr. Frank Gray's chapter in "The Silent Cinema Reader" (2004) which has compelling evidence of Smith's version being filmed in February 1899, so the balance of evidence now appears to be that Bamforth's film was being screened as early as December 1898 and Smith's version likely received its first screening at the Canterbury Theatre, London, on 20 March 1899. Davepattern (talk) 15:18, 5 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
I've amended the release date from September 1899 to March 1899, as that is the date given by Dr Frank Gray in "The Silent Cinema Reader". The first screening is assumed to have been by the Anglo-American Bio-Tableaux at the Canterbury Theatre, London, on 20 March 1899. Gray notes that a cash book entry helps date the production date to February 1899. Davepattern (talk) 19:04, 5 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
