The First Interracial Kiss on (American) Television

[Maurice]

This topic's been batted around here now and then, but I was reading up on it so I thought I'd share:

July 1964
ITV's British prime time soap Emergency Ward 10 shows a kiss between black and white actors (a photo of which appears on this site).

December 11, 1967
NBC airs the TV special Movin' With Nancy, in which she shares a kiss with Sammy David Jr., albeit it looks like a cheek kiss next to the mouth (go to about 4:50 in this clip to see Nancy and Sammy smooch).

Sept. 29, 1968
CBS airs the 1st episode of season 3 of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, in which the Bonanzarosa sketch features black football star Rosie Grier, in drag, planting a smooch on the forehead of Harry Bellafonte, and then on Cass Elliott (dressed as a man). (Go to 8:20 in this clip to see those smooches.)

November 22, 1968
NBC airs the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren", in which Captain Kirk is forced to kiss Uhura (see 3:13 in this clip).
​

So, Britain beats Trek to it by almost 4.5 years. Discounting that, we have at least two kisses, albeit not on the lips, on US TV prior to Kirk and Uhura were portrayed kissing on the lips. But then it appears it's a fake kiss, like a fake punch (and Shatner says it is). So, what's the real first interracial kiss on US TV? I guess it's all a matter of opinion.

 

[SonicRanger]

Kirk and Uhura weren't even the first "interracial" kiss in Star Trek.

 

[Merky]

Interracial "kiss" on American scripted television would be the more accurate term for it, even though their lips never actually came together in a kiss and he still shoved her down. Interracial in terms of skin color too, not necessarily race. God knows how many movies came out about soldiers falling in love with Asian women. Or that other really popular show from the 1950s that the studio owners acted in...

It annoys me how much praise it gets despite how superficial it was.

 

[Robert D. Robot]

Of course, there is the classic "All in the Family" episode when Sammy Davis, Jr. kisses Archie, but that came a few years later in the 70s!.....

 

[indranee]

Kirk and Uhura weren't even the first "interracial" kiss in Star Trek.

which one was, then? I forget...

 

[lurok]

Barbara Luna (Mirror Mirror) and France Nuyen (Elaan of Troyius) both of mixed ethnic heritages, so I think that's the case ? Not sure, but someone will correct if wrong Personally I wish the Kirk/Uhura kiss myth could be consigned to history's trashcan but it's so established now I guess we just have to live with it.

 

[indranee]

Oh okay, gotcha.

 

[Merky]

Actually, Ricardo Montalban and the Girl of the Week from Space Seed would constitute more as the first interracial kiss on ST.

 

[lurok]

Actually, Ricardo Montalban and the Girl of the Week from Space Seed would constitute more as the first interracial kiss on ST.

Girl of The Week? That's no way to talk about Marla But yes, you're right. I was just thinking about Kirk's babes...

 

[Ssosmcin]

I don't know if Barbara Luna counts. Her background is listed as Italian, Hungarian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Filipino, but I think she still qualifies as "white." And that was all that mattered then: white or not-white. Or to be more accurate, black or not-black. The networks didn't seem to have as much of an issue with white kissing "off white" shall we say. They objected strenuously to a white person kissing a black person. This would exclude Montalban as well, as he had "white skin." As an example, in my last job, one of my best friends was a Cuban man. He very much considered himself white. Why? Because he had the same skin tone as the average caucasian person. Appearance was key for his judgment and probably was for the networks.

Speaking of France Nuyen, Robert Culp had no problems kissing her, his future wife, on I Spy. But the heavens would have fallen if Cosby was seen in a clinch with anyone not his color. Either way, whenever someone says "interracial kiss" in regards to Trek, they mean white/black. I Love Lucy doesn't count. Desi was "not black" and the couple were actually married. She had his babies. Was this a show with passionate kisses between them? And would it have mattered because of the pre-existing, real-life relationship? The show never would have made it to air if Desi was considered objectionable.

December 11, 1967
NBC airs the TV special Movin' With Nancy, in which she shares a kiss with Sammy Davis Jr., albeit it looks like a cheek kiss next to the mouth (go to about 4:50 in this clip to see Nancy and Sammy smooch).

I was born in that day! Anyway, it wasn't a passionate embrace, it was a friendly, affectionate kiss from Nancy to a friend of the family. Splitting hairs, but I think the distinction makes a difference.

Same thing with Smothers: it was a comedy skit with very chaste, non romantic, and comedic kisses. Trek was the first series in the US to have a (forced and fake but still) passionate kiss between two extrememly racially diverse characters. I still grant the show that much, but as far as it shattering racial taboos, I still award a shitload more credit to I Spy. Trek would have gone on just as well with or without Uhura. I Spy without Cosby? You kidding? The entire purpose of the show was to demonstrate racial equality. Today, right now, not in 200 years.

I said this before, but I Spy claimed that black and white can be brothers "today" (meaning 1965). Star Trek said "in 200 years, black people will be respected and valued by their white bosses." Only Commodore Stone really made a statement by being black. Yet nobody mentions him. Maybe because he didn't father MLK's love child.

 

[Merky]

And that was all that mattered then: white or not-white.

I already said that,

Interracial in terms of skin color too, not necessarily race.

I have a major pet peeve when it comes to TOS and race relations/human rights. The show gets way too much praise for only throwing a bone and pulling the "token black character" card, having misogyny that was shooting through the roof and Spock, the poster child of "biracial offspring" being a joke when it came with dealing with that struggle throughout the show's initial run. It was like, " Yeah, people marry outside their race but the kid still will have a shitty life and ultimately will have to choose one or the other. He can't be both "



.... Maaaannnnn... as a biracial woman of color, TOS had some episodes that made me scream inside.

 

[lurok]

And that was all that mattered then: white or not-white. Or to be more accurate, black or not-black. The networks didn't seem to have as much of an issue with white kissing "off white" shall we say. They objected strenuously to a white person kissing a black person.

That was clearly the issue for the time - and we all know why - but not for today. If viewed in current context, the Kirk/Uhura 'non-kiss' is still not first interracial kiss. But the mythos survives. Maybe if OP original title had been: first black/white kiss: then maybe have a more interesting springboard. But interracial...no.

 

[Merky]

If viewed in current context, the Kirk/Uhura 'non-kiss' is still not first interracial kiss.

Exactly. If the term " interracial " is going to be used then has to be taken into account every relationship on television at that time that dealt with two individuals of different race, regardless of skin color as skin color does not equal race.

Star Trek had the first fake kiss between a white man and a black woman but did it break racial barriers? No, it was done a decade or so prior.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Actually, Ricardo Montalban and the Girl of the Week from Space Seed would constitute more as the first interracial kiss on ST.

Montalban is from Mexico but his parents were from Spain. So unless "Spanish" is a different "race" than other Europeans, I dont think that counts. If it did, then Shatner (or Nimoy) kissing any non Jewish woman does.

 

[Ssosmcin]

And that was all that mattered then: white or not-white.

I already said that,

Indeed you did. Well, consider that backing up your point.

I have a major pet peeve when it comes to TOS and race relations. The show gets way too much praise for only throwing a bone and pulling the "token black character" card.

Yup, I agree with that too. I admit what they did was not "common" but it was also not "earth shattering" either. I still give them credit for not paring Kirk with Chapel and letting it go at that. It was a conscious decision on somebody's part; the writer, Freiberger, or Justman, but not Roddenberry - he wasn't around. Although he was assigned and happily took credit. But generally, Trek was still a predominently white man's universe at that time. Check out The Cage: the Enterprise was lily white aside from one mute Asian.

" Yeah, people marry outside their race but the kid still will have a shitty life and ultimately will have to choose one or the other. He can't be both "

It's a lot more common now, and I would hope easier on the kids than before. But there's a bigot in every group, or just a mean spirited bully who isn't aware of the power of words.

.... Maaaannnnn... as a biracial woman of color, TOS had some episodes that made me scream inside.

I can imagine!

 

[lurok]

Actually, Ricardo Montalban and the Girl of the Week from Space Seed would constitute more as the first interracial kiss on ST.

Montalban is from Mexico but his parents were from Spain. So unless "Spanish" is a different "race" than other Europeans, I dont think that counts. If it did, then Shatner (or Nimoy) kissing any non Jewish woman does.

Can't speak for Montalban, but Spanish people do have infusion of genetic material from non-European (Nordic?) races. I wouldn't say Spanish are different race per se, but peoples with a varied race mixture. But let's face it, the whole race/genes/ethnicity issue is so confusing And I'm no geneticist. Spock's heritage suddenly becomes so much simpler

 

[Hambone]

Aren't Shatner and Nichols of the same race? The human race?

The first interracial kiss on TV was when Lassie kissed Timmy. Or would that be interspecies?

 

[lurok]

Aren't Shatner and Nichols of the same race? The human race?

The first interracial kiss on TV was when Lassie kissed Timmy. Or would that be interspecies?

species But right on first. Still, even in this day and age, race/racism/xenophobia/etc, etc could be regarded as a major issue...

 

[Pauln6]

Actually, Ricardo Montalban and the Girl of the Week from Space Seed would constitute more as the first interracial kiss on ST.

Montalban is from Mexico but his parents were from Spain. So unless "Spanish" is a different "race" than other Europeans, I dont think that counts. If it did, then Shatner (or Nimoy) kissing any non Jewish woman does.

Can't speak for Montalban, but Spanish people do have infusion of genetic material from non-European (Nordic?) races. I wouldn't say Spanish are different race per se, but peoples with a varied race mixture. But let's face it, the whole race/genes/ethnicity issue is so confusing And I'm no geneticist. Spock's heritage suddenly becomes so much simpler

There is a lot of arabic dna in Spain due to Moorish occupation. The dark latin complexion of European ethnicity is attributable to this.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Actually, Ricardo Montalban and the Girl of the Week from Space Seed would constitute more as the first interracial kiss on ST.

Montalban is from Mexico but his parents were from Spain. So unless "Spanish" is a different "race" than other Europeans, I dont think that counts. If it did, then Shatner (or Nimoy) kissing any non Jewish woman does.

Can't speak for Montalban, but Spanish people do have infusion of genetic material from non-European (Nordic?) races. I wouldn't say Spanish are different race per se, but peoples with a varied race mixture. But let's face it, the whole race/genes/ethnicity issue is so confusing And I'm no geneticist. Spock's heritage suddenly becomes so much simpler

Thats probably true of most areas of Europe that were once part of the Roman Empire, the various Muslim Caliphates or located near Asia or Africa. Shatner and Nimoy certainly have "Non-European" ancestry.