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Pathe
Baby
was
the trade name for a 9.5 mm home movie system introduced in
France for Christmas 1922. An extensive catalog
of existing Pathe Freres films were issued in this new format.
The first were only 30 feet long -- about 90 seconds of
cranking. But the innovative freeze frame mechanism lengthened
the showing time by not wasting footage on title cards. In 1924,
film length was increased to 60 feet. In 1928, Super reel films
that were 300 feet long were introduced. 9.5 mm persisted as the
'standard' format in Europe thru the 1950's. |
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Pathex
was
the trade name of Pathe Exchange, Inc., Pathe's US subsidiary.
In America, film exchanges distributed movie releases to
theaters. The 9.5 mm format was introduced in America for
Christmas of 1925 (Model D projectors). A lot of money was spent
but Kodak, with 16 mm and then 8 mm, blew Pathe 9.5 mm out of
the North America market. The Great Depression did not help, by
1932 it was over. In 1935 the remaining Pathex 9.5 inventory was
sold to M.H. Schoenbaum of Plainfield, NJ who carried on a
film/parts business thru the 40's. Does anyone know of him or his
descendents?
Note: The slot for the American flywheel-drive motor (far
left in the photo) was
cut in New Jersey -- often they nipped the medallion
soldered on in France. |
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At
the right is W.C. Fields shooting a home movie with a
Pathex Camera (his hand position and the strap on top show that
his camera had the add-on, clockwork motor). My grandfather (Guy
Milner aka "Milner the Great") was a vaudeville
magician on the Keith circuit (the K in RKO) and knew him well.
Before his movie career, WCF was a world-class vaudeville juggler.
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| My
silent movie pages: |
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Coming Attractions, click Glass
Slides |
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Books, click Photoplays |
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Exhibition License #1, click Plumas
County, CA |
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35mm projector, click Model
1909 (Pathe New York) |
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35mm projector major competitor, click Powers
# 5 |
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my guy, click W.S. Hart
(Pathex released one 3-reeler) |
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my gal, click Theda Bara
(Pathex released one 2-reeler) |
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| My
Pathex (Pathe Baby) pages: |
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Some of my PB collection, click photographs |
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U.S. released films, click Pathex
Films |
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Sample U.S. film, click Our
Gang |
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Early French films, click 1923
Pathe Baby |
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British films, click Pathescope |
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the catalog, click Pathe
9.5mm Equipment |
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Links
to other 9.5 sites are listed below:
(Felix was a favorite in Europe) |
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To
convert 9.5 movies to VHS, contact:
For
replacement shutter / flywheels contact:
Warton
Parfitt
in the UK
(originals are potmetal and are often swollen or broken)
Visit
Group 9.5 (the 9.5mm club in the U.K.) at www.Pathescope.freeserve.co.uk/Pathe95.htm
Learn
about 100 years of film sizes (history of film formats) at www.xs4all.nl/~wichm/filmsize.html
(click the link at the bottom of the page
to see much more)
Don't
miss Grahame Newnham's homepage at www.Pathefilm.freeserve.co.uk/
(sells fresh 9.5mm film as well as misc.
and collectible films)
Visit
Pierre Gauriat's homepage at www.pierreg.free.fr/cine95/index.html
(bilingual with charts for comparing
9.5mm to other formats) |
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| Bore
yourself silly with Jerry Wagner's hobby pages at www.libertyship.com |
For info, parts, equipment or films, click wagner@ourtoolbox.com |
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