28mm Pathe film "LA LORGNETTE INDISCRETE" FR 1910 comedy

Here is another very old film - the 28mm film gauge was introduced by Pathe Freres around 1912, so we know that this little comedy film was made in France before then. The reference number in the UK Pathe 28mm catalogue was G016b (normally two little shorts were supplied on the one film spool).
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The original French cinema release title in 1910 was "La Lorgnette Indiscrete" - a simple English translation would be "The Indiscreet Telescope" - a cheeky fellow spots various scenes from his balcony with his telescope.
A clever little comedy film made over 100 years ago!
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The 'KOK' used on the title refer to the name of the 28mm projector - maybe connected to the well known Pathe cockerel trade mark.
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I don't think this item was later issued on the 9.5mm 'home movie' film gauge ....
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(Thanks to enthusiast Martyn Stevens for this excellent transfer!)
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More information about the 28mm film gauge at
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www.pathefilm.uk/twentyeight/28kok.htm
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(I make no money from these uploads)

[@institutionoffrenchlanguga2830]

This is a very interesting film and very possibly the oldest film that you have in your collection. Although the KOK came out in 1912, films for it were from all years before that date This particular film is one of the earliest. It is, in my view, Zecca's Ce que l'on voit de mon sixième, known in English as Scenes from my Balcony, which was apparently originally shot in August 1901 although it does not appear to have been released until 1903 (with about a minute cut from the original). There is a fragment of film that purpose to be this film. It is not. It does not show a man on a balcony but a crazy old scientist was above the rooftops of Paris. That fragment is in fact a later film by Zecca, Ce que l'on voit de a Bastille (1905). La Lorgnette indiscrète (it was known in English simply as The Indiscreet Lorgnette, at least in the US) is clearly a "vieux farceur" (old joker) viewing neighbours from his sixth-floor balcony. Interestingly the KOK version, at three minutes, reintegrates whatever scene was cut in 1903 (at a guess the scene of the old transvestite) and is he same length (60m) as the film originally shot in 1901. I have, under another alias, written notes on both films on IMDB.

[@SuperWindows78]

3:03: RARE

[@robfriedrich2822]

I never knew about 28 mm.
I heard about 17.5 mm, a low budget cinema format not mend for home use, so it wasn't required to avoid nitro celluloid and it was simply done by splitting 35 mm footage.
Has 28 mm center perforation as known from 9.5 mm, so the picture size is nearly like 35 mm?

[@95filmforever]

Hi Rob - all the Pathe sub-standard ('home movie') formats 28mm / 17.5mm & 9.5mm were on safety film stock. The 17.5mm has slightly different sprocket holes so not compatible with 'half 35mm' used in professional filmmaking for economical soundtracks etc. Check out the pages on my web-site at www.pathefilm.uk All the best! Grahame N.