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Movette 17.5mm

The Movette was an unusual negative-positive
motion picture system, which was first marketed Certainly the Kodak 16mm reversal system
in the USA in 1917. announced in June 1923 proved to be infinitely
more successful and quickly replaced all other
sub-standard systems in the USA
It used a special 17.5-mm film format, with two
perforations per frame on each side. The frame Surprisingly, a few of the cameras somehow
size was 11 x 14 mm. The film was manufactured have turned up in Australia. No projectors or
by Eastman Kodak, and was supplied in cassettes films are known to be held by collectors here.
holding 50 feet of film, which ran for two minutes.
The hand-
cranked camera
retailed for $30
and the
projector for
$55. A cassette
of film sold for
$1.50, with
another $1.50
for a positive
print. A
complete outfit
could be bought
for $100.00.

MOVETTE 17.5mm FILM
NEGATIVE & POSITIVE
The inventor of the system was a Mr.
Frank L. Hough of Chicago.
The Movette Camera Company was
formed in Rochester NY, USA in
1916. In November 1917 it was
incorporated as Movette Inc., and the
plant was moved to 545 West
Avenue. In 1922 the company was
again moved, and by 1927 it had
disappeared.

In spite of everything, the Movette
had little appeal to the public.
Possibly the need and expense of a
separate positive print may have been one reason.

28 REEL DEALS December 2018