Tweet Please ID this newly-discovered 35mm fragment.

This is the most latest new finding of an approximately 150 ft Nitrate roll from France with a German Intertitle which was located in Austria. Really to say, there's no Rene Lantini as seemingly resembles to his face appearance dispute it is a comedy short film. No head and ending footage but some nice scan of the film listed below for anyone to ID it.

[silentfilm]

It looks like it was a fun film. Shades of the Three Stooges in your last photo...

It looks like it was a fun film. Shades of the Three Stooges in your last photo...

That's the first thing I thought. It's uncanny how much the middle guy looks just like Moe!

The Moe guy looks like Harry Fox, but that's pretty unlikely as he only made a few silents.

Wow - what a pity all films didn't survive complete in this condition.

Well, I'd badly wants Rene Lantini to be here but no. Too pity as I simply cannot wait for his next appearance after I uploaded LES SUICIDES PAR PERSUASION, as my 'LUCK' chance will be taken in effect more than sooner . . .

This fragment is from a Pathé production (1909) : "Hector est un garçon sérieux" (number of catalog : 3084). The main character is played by Harry Baur. Original length : 190 meters (623 ft).

Thank you for the information above, and welcome to the board. So, we will have to wait till for a Nitrateville member named doctor-kiss who will find the corrected title and year for this one. I have already submitted a 13-seconds long video of the fragment for him to ID it much clearer at YouTube site.

Here's what I wrote to Silencebound via PM:

Apologies for my slow reply, but I was away for the past few days!

I agree with the suggestion by user Ribouldinge that this is the September 1909 French release Hector est un garçon sérieux, first seen in the US in mid-December 1909 under the title Hector, the Angel Child. I've looked at the French, German and American synopses and all the details match - from the presence of the female statuette in the background of that opening scene, to Hector's use of a candle when he goes off to his room, to the uncle wielding a large bottle both outside the café and in the bed at the end.

This was a production by Pathé's 'prestige' unit S.C.A.G.L. (Société Cinématographique des Auteurs et Gens de Lettres), which is why it looks more technically sophisticated compared to a Comica or Nizza comedy of the same period (or even a few years later).

The Pathé edge code looks to be of a type first used in 1911... but there is no reason why a prestige title from Autumn/Winter 1909 would not still have remained on Pathé's books at that date.

I wonder whether the intertitle(s) in your print may offer some further proof of the film's identity. Because Hector... was called Peter in the German and Austrian release versions! Specifically, the film was released in Austria during the week of September 9th, 1909, under the title Der schüchterne Peter (='The Shy Peter').

All the cast is composed of Parisian theatre actors of the period, and this is a very early film performance by Harry Baur (as Hector/Peter), who was a French actor of considerable note.

There are no known holdings in any FIAF archives for this title, and the Gaumont-Pathé archives likewise do not report any surviving copies. So this fragment could be quite an interesting discovery thanks in particular to the presence of Harry Baur.

Are there any other/better views of the fellow on the left in the last frame grab you posted? He looks a little like Marcel Perez/Fabré but it's hard to tell. (The guy on the far right looks like me.) Perez was appearing in films for Gaumont in 1909.

Thanks!

Ben

Yes, as far as I'm very glad to hear about, that this approx. 150ft fragment is actually the 1909 French masterpiece "Hector est un garçon sérieux". Really to say, it's no mistake about it. Still, I'm continuing working on scanning as over 500 frames was scanned this afternoon. Say about a week or more to finished it. Here's the actually intertitle shown here - only nine frames as it is the only one intertitle - in German which Hector was renamed 'Peter'. So I am wondering why the German versions has changed the stars' original stage names for foreign releases ? Well, beside that, I will credit Ribouldingue's non-username name in the ending line when release this vehicle at YouTube. I will PM him very soon. Well, this 1909 fragment's condition is very beautifully vision with clearer picture all throughout the 2,000 frames !! It has never been like this before for the 1909 item, dated nearly 110 years ago ! There is very insane funny scene after when 'Peter' entering in his bed, and . . . Many thanks to both members, Ribouldingue and doctor-kiss, for the wonderful information.

Are there any other/better views of the fellow on the left in the last frame grab you posted? He looks a little like Marcel Perez/Fabré but it's hard to tell. (The guy on the far right looks like me.) Perez was appearing in films for Gaumont in 1909.

Thanks!

Ben

Yes, as he is Harry Baur, the French star, who is sleeping on bed at left of the screen.

While scanning the remaining frames which counted up to 1,780, as what I am really afraid of, there is some missing critical scenes in the middle of the fragment film. The scanned frames showing the drunken fellows crept inside Hector's bedroom as Hector didn't pulling himself up thru the opened window as the very next scene cut only showed him fell down on the bedroom floor immediately - about 6-7 steps away from the opened window. And the other scene showed the gala party with guests including Hector and his 'unsuspected' uncle which they is dancing around next to their sides with guest ladies. I don't find them performed so drunkenly when in there as they didn't consumed the liquor by bottle, then the next scene cut shows all three guys jumped on path near Hector's place from the cart parked outside, seeming drunkenly. I was bit concerned to note that this fragment version have been shorten like the well-said 'Abridged' from originally 300 - 400 ft. Now it is about 150 ft long. Well, on the other hand which is most very fortunately, the 1914 short film "Les Suicides per Persuasion" that I recovered it two years ago, does have four separated fragment rolls which was reconstructed altogether to gain 425 ft long by me. I'd wishes that this "Hector, the Angel Child" is to be around the same as "L.S.P.P.".

I have finally finished scanning all the frames of the 1909 French short classic "Hector, the Angel Child", this afternoon. It is quite a pain-in-the-neck experience after scooped 2,511 frames which has measured at 156 feet long. That's about three minutes' running time. This film probably be shown at 14 F.P.S., not 16 F.P.S. due to walking movement physic element. It will be on "# 30 - Lost 35mm Nitrate Film FOUND !" project which will be released at YouTube and here due on the middle of May. Donation is the factor that I have been on this project for two months so please support me at all the cause. TA.

The film "Hector est un garçon sérieux" is 100% finished after scanned 2,512 frames ( nearly 3 minutes at 14 f.p.s. ) and now showing at 'Collecting and Preservation' column titled "# 30 - Lost 35mm Nitrate Film FOUND !" entry. Enjoy.