Moving Picture Age (Jan-Dec 1922)

10 MOVING PICTURE AGE February, 1922 fulness, the absolute necessity and Tightness of joyous laughter. The Extension Division considers both problems noted above as important, but considers them separately — listing its films separately for each kind of service, and pointing out consistently to its patrons the difference of purpose. Classroom Films An aspect of the schoolroom use of film at present being interestingly developed in Utah is the circuiting of films through country districts where the schools are far enough apart to make transportation an important factor. Superintendent Howard Alston, of South Summit District, is conducting some original experimentation, in cooperation with our Bureau, with results that promise to prove beneficial to the entire state. Jordan District, Salt Lake County, is a pioneer in the systematicuse of films for the classroom. A committee of classroom teachers at Jordan High school, under direction of Orson Smith, chairman, is doing some notable work. This committee, by careful planning, is avoiding for its school the danger of haphazard, and hence wasteful, use of educational films. Films come to the school regularly once a week, and are prepared for. The following excerpts from an instruction sheet, placed by the committee in the hands of each teacher who uses films, are self-explanatory: Films must be regarded as a teachers' aid. not an entertainment for the class. Their serious purposes are to give a better understanding of the subject than can be obtained otherwise, and to make the facts so vivid that they will be retained. Film lessons should therefore be as definitely and as well planned as any regular lesson. The film lesson should come at such a time as to correlate best with regular classwork. It may come as a summary of a series of lessons, as a topic in such a series, or as a means of introducing a new subject. The committee shall collect literature on all films available, group the same according to subjects concerned, and present to each teacher a list of the material of interest to his department. Teachers shall then go over this material, point out all material desired, tabulate it, giving the date on which it will best correlate with regular classwork, and shall file this with the committee, which will do all in its power to get the material when ordered and see that it is properly projected. The Extension Division is aiding with instructional films two state-wide community interests: (1) the intense activities for health and (2) efforts for more effective Americanization of our alien population. So great are the possibilities for visual education in both these fields that the service here may develop to amazing proportions. Service in Recreational Films In the recreational field the situation is rather unique. Every city and town is divided, under one church, into wards; there are, for example, about 48 wards in Salt Lake City and its suburbs. Each ward has a meeting house. The majority of these wards are at present working intensively on the problem of presenting their own motion-picture programs before their own people. The University Bureau of Visual Instruction is being called upon continually by entertainment committees of the wards for help in "putting over" these weekly shows — a service which is gladly rendered. Many of the wards put the selection of their entire bookings for the year in the hands of the Bureau. Parent-teacher associations and other nonsectarian groups are also working effectively on the problem of locating the better recreational films. Typical of the sort of results that are being attained with better-film recreational programs in Utah, and also of the methods of getting those results, may be mentioned three cases: the Parent-Teachers' Saturday-morning matinee for children, in Salt Lake City; the every-other-weekly free community programs at Heber City, directed by the superintendent of schools and financed by the Board of Education; and the Friday "Movie Nights" at the high school in Logan, fathered by the high-school principal, Norman Hamilton. In all three cases the projects had behind them enthusiastic advocates whose efforts were not to be hampered by the hostility of the commercial interests or the indifference of" the public; their success has been proportionately great. Elements of Success in Recreational Programs Some general conclusions drawn from these successes may be of interest. The first element of success, it was discovered, lay in a careful selection of programs; making them not too heavy, not at all didactic, strong in dramatic appeal, judiciously tempered with comedy. The second element of success lay in perfecting the mechanical end of projection. Advocates of better-film community {Continued on page 35) MORE CLASS FILMS Orrin G. Cocks Secretary, National Committee for Better Films, New York City NORTH AMERICAN HISTORY Title Reels Description Source Western Plateaus 1 Regional, non-in flam, stand, film Soc. Vis. Ed. What Is a Mexican? 1 Citizens Ed. Film When the Mountains Call 2 Mt. Adams Ed. Film Where Clouds Come from Vz Trip to lake where clouds form Ed. Film Where Trout Abound Vz California Pathe Rev. 20 Wind Goddess 1 Washington Scenery Realcraft Wolf of the Tetons 1 Wyoming, dog and wolf Ed. Film Wonderlands of the West 2 Colorado, Royal Gorge Ed. Film Wonderful Niagara % Points of interest Ed. Film World o' Dreams i Selected beautiful scenes Ed. Film World's Road i Oregon scenes on Columbia River Ed. Film Yankee Land Vz New England Pathe Rev. 102 Yellowstone Vz Pathe Yellowstone Park 1 Y. M. C. A. Yosemite Park Vz California ; color Pathe Rev. 14 Yosemite Park Vz Pathe Rev. 16 Yosemite Valley 1 • Ford (Fed. , Film) Yosemite Valley 1 Y. M. C. A. NORTH . AMERICAN PEOPLE Title Reels Description Source Eagle and the Fawn, The 1 Indian love story Ed. Film Eskimotion Picture 1 Anthropology — Eskimos Ed. Film Family Trees Vz N. W, Coast In dians Ed. Film First Amer. Apart. House V Canyon El Rito de les Frijoles Ed. Film Great Melting-Pot jtfV Pathe Rev. 67 Habitations of Man l Cliff-dwellers Nat. NonTheat. Humoresque 6 Comedy drama, Amer.-Jewish life F. P.-Lasky Indian Summer 1 Indians at home Prizma (Select) Last of the Seminoles 1 Everglades Prizma Lone Indian 1 Anthropology F. P.-Lasky Passing of the Crow 1 Crow and Chey enne Indians Ed. Film Red Trail's End 1 Taos Indians Chester (Ed. Film) Tale of the Far North 1 Anthropology — Eskimos Ed. Film Vanishing Race Vz Blackfoot Indians Kleine Wards of the Nation 1 Indian reservation Ford (Fed. Film) Wasmanipal Week-End 1 Canadian Indians Chester (1st Nat.) Yakimac Indians, Wash ington 1 Gaumont News 18 PATRIOTISM Title Reels Description Source Bob Hampton of Placer 7 Custer frontier drama 1st Nat. Land of Opportunity 2 Drama, spirit of Lincoln Select One Law for All 2 Western drama Universal Uncle Sam of Freedom Ridge 8 Amer. League of Nations drama Nat. NonTheat. (Exchanges listed on page 36)