Every time this famous tracking shot from WINGS (1927) makes its rounds on the internet, it is met with shock and disbelief that a movie so old could do something so interesting.

For the record, silent films were just as visually inventive (if not more so) than movies today.

To answer some questions before they pop up...

The camera is suspended from a platform so it can glide over the tables. The actors move (along with the table) out of the way before the dolly runs them over

Doing it any other way would be impractical, as the camera was too heavy

And also yes, that is a lesbian couple sitting at the one table. This movie is precode, so censorship was not as extreme in Hollywood.

Though certain states did have their own censorship rules in place, but that is a completely different story.