Moving Picture Age (Jan-Dec 1922)

March, 1922 MOVING PICTURE AGE 11 MISSIONARY MESSAGES George L. White Joint Division Secretary, American Baptist Home Mission Society THE PASTOR of a church in southern California, learning that I had been with our missionaries among the Indians and had taken some pictures that were being shown in our churches, requested me to visit his church to give a lecture on our Indian work, and show the pictures. An appointment was made for a certain date, and the matter of my going to his church A Mono Madonna; Preaching to Indians in the Open; Missionary Teaching an Indian to Read the Bible was settled. As he was leaving it was mentioned incidentally that my material was moving pictures. At once he showed deep concern and said, "I am afraid that we cannot have them." I asked him why he had changed his mind so suddenly, and he replied, "Why, our people would not approve of having moving pictures in the church 1" I reminded him of the invitation he had given me to show pictures, which he evidently thought were to be projected with a stereopticon, and asked him what his objection was to the motion pictures. All he could say in reply was, "Why, they move !" It is true that in many churches they do not want things to move, or, at any rate, to move with rapidity. Such churches may have a temporary following, but in this progressive age they will not interest their communities to any great extent. It will not be many years before churches that take that position cannot be found. Similarly, many sincere people and churches in the time of my grandparents objected to the use of an organ, piano, or violin as being instruments of the devil. When my grandfather, who was in charge of the music in a certain church about the middle of the last century, used a clarinet upon a special occasion, one old lady arose from the congregation and, striding down the aisle indignantly, declared so that all could hear her, "Well, if they are going to try to praise the Lord on a stick, I'm going home !" Treatment of the Mono Indians Seventy years ago the Mono Indians of California were driven from the San Joaquin valley into the Sierra Nevada mountains by the white men. Hundreds were killed, others died later of exposure and starvation. They have since been a forgotten people. They were not wards of the Federal government nor of the state of California. They had no reservation, nor land allotments, nor public schools, nor medical attention. They existed as so many coyotes in the hills. Their chief contact with the white man was through the gambler, the bootlegger, and similar characters. It seemed that no man cared for them. Ten years ago our missionaries went among them and immediately found a remarkable response. They now have four wellorganized churches and several mission stations. Upon the solicitation of our missionaries, the government has made land allotments, established public schools, and given medical attention, and the Monos are now counted as people. They have been taught cleanliness, the proper preparation of food, and the care of their homes and their children. They have been brought into proper contact with a better class of white men and have been taught to work. They are now a peaceful, industrious, happy, God-fearing people. Such a transformation of life within a period of ten years has seldom been seen before in any part of the world. We desired that more of our people should know about the accomplishments in that mission field, and it was proposed that motion pictures showing the progress of our efforts among those people should be taken. Indians are shy about having their pictures taken, but because of their absolute confidence in us and because they were assured that the pictures would be used to show the people a thousand miles away what the "Jesus Road" had done for them, their council approved the plan and we secured four reels of the most interesting, informing, and inspiring Indian pictures that have ever been taken. A total of 150 Indians placed themselves at our disposal, and we photographed the material surrounded by the remarkably picturesque hills and mountains to the south of the Yosemite Valley. The pictures, as taken, show the people in their original condition — ignorant, dirty, drunken, diseased, hopeless, neglected. Through remarkable progress and an entire change socially, industrially, intellectually, and religiously, they are shown in their advancement to the new life of today. It has been my privilege to exhibit these pictures and others in scores of churches. The result is the same everywhere — our people have a new heart interest in our missionary endeavors and give more liberally for the support of all of our denominational mission work. Stereopticon pictures during the past years have enabled us to see the people in many mission fields, and that has helped. Moving pictures not only reveal to us the general appearance of the people and their surroundings but even their thoughts and feelings. Therefore the emotional and spiritual values of motion pictures in presenting the needs of a mission field are far above those of still pictures. They live; they stir our people to laughter and tears; they give information and arouse the sympathies, and they stimulate the will to definite action. When as genuine in character as those suggested above, they are most effective evangelistically also. Experience has taught that just as we now appreciate good music in connection with a spiritual appeal and use it effectively, so also we can use motion pictures with remarkable power in presenting the message of good news and in leading both young and old into the "Jesus Road." CLASSROOM FILMS Orrin G. Cocks Secretary, National Committee for Better Films, Nezv York City THIS selected list includes pictures of certain peoples, with their manners and customs. It does not indicate industries, typical animals, plants or nature studies. This material has been carefully examined and selected by the National Board of Review. It is understood that all of these films are available for rental. THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD (Exclusive of North America) WEST INDIES Title Reels Description Source A Banana Special 1 Raising, market ing bananas Ed. Film (Bruce) A Little Atlantic 1 General views F. P.-Lasky (Holmes) The Narrow Winding Road 1 Jamaica, West Indies Ed. Film (Bruce) St. Kitts, St. Croix, Bar badoes 2 Kineto Tropical Nights 1 West Indies Ed. Film (Bruce) Under Cuban Skies 1 Havana and har bor F. P.-Lasky (Holmes) Water Trails 1 Jamaica, rivers Ed. Film (Bruce) SOUTH AMERICA Title Reels Description Source Adam and Eve in the Andes 1 Scenes on Lake Titicaca Ed. Film The Amazon Jungle Multiple Film Market Art Is Everything 1 Santiago Ed. Film Ascending Coconada V2 Brazil Kineto Review The Bottom of the World 2 Shackleton's ex ped. Rob.-Cole Cataracts of the Iguazzu 1 Brazil F. P.-Laskv (Holmes) Fire 1 Fire brigade Ed. Film Frozen Thunder 1 Glaciers of Straits of Magellan Ed. Film