1920s KODAK CINEGRAPH ADVERTISING 16MM MOVIES FILM

The popularity of 16 mm movies was immediate resulting in a chain of Kodak processing laboratories throughout the world. The Kodascope projector & the Cine-Kodak camera, with a tripod included cost a very expensive $335.00. The average  person couldn't afford the package, considering a basic new Ford automobile cost $550.00 in 1923.  Kodak was originally going to use  a 17.5 gauge, pioneered by the  French Pathe Company, which was  half of  35mm,  but  16  mm was finally  chosen because of safety reasons, since 35 mm was on a nitratestock, making it  flammable  & dangerous for home use. Kodak chose the uneven 16 mm, to discourage the cutting  of 16 mm film from the unstable 35 mm stock.  After discussions with researchers from Victor &  Bell & Howell, Kodak decided that 16 mm should be made only on a safety based stock called acetate. An important  decision Eastman Kodak made to promote the newly available 16 mm film  format, was to not only agree to process film in their own cameras, but film shot on rival cameras.

Formed in 1924 by William Beach Cook. Kodak begins operating THE  KODASCOPE LIBRARIES in the spring of 1925, around various parts of the country in regional offices and local camera stores. An early precursor to the video tape rental  store, Kodak leased negatives of fine grain prints from a variety of Hollywood producers and  made stunning amber and sepia tinted prints for rental purposes. If a person wanted to join the library, there was a fee of $25 which was refunded when the customer decided to end the service. All the features used for Kodascope prints were professionally edited and ran no longer than 5 reels, shorts and cartoons were generally unedited. During the years the Kodascope Libraries are in business, over 700 films are listed in the catalogs,  including the shorts of  Larry Semon, Charlie Chase, Laurel & Hardy, Felix the Cat cartoons, Fleischer's Out Inkwell series, & Charlie Chaplin comedies. Many of the great features of the 1920's could be rented including  

        THE LOST WORLD, THE COVERED WAGON & THE PONY EXPRESS

The first catalog is published in 1925 with new editions following in 1926,1928,1930,1932, 1936,& 1938. The catalogs cost 25 cents & were over 100 pages. An interesting forward in the catalogs states; "Kodascope films are 16 m/m (5/8 inch) in width and are made on slow burning film, which is free from insurance restrictions and does not require a fireproof booth".   By 1933  3 catagories were available-16 mm  silent, 16 mm sound & 8mm  silent.  As with most film libraries opening in the next few years the Kodascope Library operated with the subtle intent of selling more of Kodak's new 16 mm Kodascope projectors by making a greater number of  films available for owners of home projectors.  In 1932 an 8 mm library is introduced.