The first-ever film ever taken of a tornado was in 1953.
They're no more common now than they were in previous centuries, but it took decades after movie cameras were invented for a tornado to "cross paths" with one. Why? Because they were large, specialized, and expensive, and rare.
Today, you can watch most significant tornadoes from multiple angles in high definition on YouTube within an hour or two of their touching down.
The first-ever flying saucer video was also taken in the mid-20th century.
Ditto the first Sasquatch.
Either the ET's and those big hairy dudes are a LOT more clever than we thought, smartphones are UFO and Sasquatch repellent (think mosquito spray), or...
Well, you do the math. lol