Reel and Slide (Jan-Sep 1919)

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FEfi 18/a/g ©CI.B4264 5 6 'AND : ; h M A. G A 21 I N E VOL. II FEBRUARY, 1919 NO. 2 Films Build Future Business Men "Thomas Jefferson Morgan" Film Produced by Curtis Publishing Co. Four Reels Calculated to Instill Ambition and Show Way to Success By N. Frank Neer (Director, Vocational Division, Curtis Publishing Company) THE Curtis Publishing Company, through its Vocational Department, in carrying the idea of "building men for the future" beyond the mere commercial value the company may find in such activity, has quite naturally taken up the moving picture to further its work. Our new picture, in four reels, which has attracted much attention and elicited much praise wherever shown, is entitled, "Thomas Jefferson Morgan, P-J-G." Our production is the result of much careful thought and planning to secure a definite result. It is not merely a series of jumbled scenes interspersed with trite and preachy titles. It gets the interest of the boy and man and holds it. It drives home certain facts which are uplifting and in a dramatic manner calculated to make the facts stick. We have combined "story interest" with good sense and optimism ; there is no negative moral lesson in our reels; all are positive. The long experience in dealing with thousands of boys enjoyed by the Curtis Company, gave a pretty good notion of what our production ought to be and ought to do Our motive in producing this film was based on the following beliefs : Beliefs That Inspired Film Nine-tenths of the mischief of youngsters is not maliciou% it is only unguided youthful energy. A boy's mind is alert. His body is restless. He must be doing something. From the school hour till supper time, from supper time to bed time — something more than play is needed. Manual training has its limitations, organized play will not fill this gap in education. But in every home lie neglected means of giving its youth strengthening, character making apportionment of the day's work. Our problem then in producing our film was to explain one out-of-doors occupation which will interest the boy, keep him out of mischief by leaving him little time to get into it; which will teach him industry, courtesy, promptness and thrift; which will encourage him to meet rebuffs bravely and to stick to it — smiling. It's natural for boys to want to play, to think of the great out-doors often when their minds are supposed to be on their books. They're not bad just because they stay awav from school now and then, or because they get zero in arithmetic. To show how the home, the school and industry can co-operate in training the men of the future, "Without some outlet for his energy, he'd and to illustrate their explode." vocational plan, The 'School ivas a constant him Curtis Publishing Company has prepared its motion picture, "Thomas Jefferson Morgan, P-J-G." This depicts the career of a boy who couldn't realize that his greatest asset was concentrated boy energy. To him it was a source of constant trouble — nothing else. Fortunately, Tom's teacher understood. How she found the proper outlet for his energy, how thanks to her guidance, he grew to useful manhood, makes a screen story that provides inspiration and suggestion for all persons that are interested in education and boy welfare. Thomas Jefferson Morgan is simply a true to life type selected from among the 50,000 boys who sell the Curtis publications. Long ago this company realized and was willing to assume a measure of responsibility for the proper training of these "business men of tomorrow." Parents of their present salesboys and the men who years ago were their first Saturday Evening Post boys have expressed their appreciation of such training. In so doing they brought this company to a realization of the possibilities of greater service by a plan through which preparation for manhood should play the principal part, rather than be a mere incidental. The League of Curtis Salesmen, founded in 1914, and the Thomas Jefferson Morgan film are the result. At conventions of the National Congress of Mother and Parent-Teachers' Associations, of the International Y. M. C. A., the American Bankers' Association, and the Rotary Clubs, the picture has been enthusiastically received. The four reels can be shown on any motion picture machine. They are at the free disposal of any convention or gathering interested in the men of the future, and can be secured by addressing The Vocational Division, Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Pa. Synopsis of the Film "Thomas Jefferson Morgan, P-J-G." "Thomas Jefferson Morgan, P-J-G.," is a well-built, pleasant-faced boy of twelve or thirteen years — typical American out-of-doors boy. He has freckles, a grin, rather than a smile, and a cow-licked hair-part, superinduced by water, and with no desire or ambition to succeed in anything but baseball. To him Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson and "Home Run Baker" were the three greatest Americans in history. He got infinitely more joy out of the ole swimmin' hole than out of the three r's. Tom's teacher, Miss Orr, recognizing these tendencies in her pupil, remonstrates with him for his inattention to his studies, but is told that "I'm gonna quit school when I'm fourteen, anyway." Much disturbed over this apparent restlessness, Miss Orr interviews Tom's mother and suggests that "If Tom is given a chance to get some business experience outside of school he will realize the value of learning all he can." Through a fight in the school yard between Tom and Bill, rivals for the friendship of Helen, a classmate. Miss Orr learns of Bill's work as a P-J-G boy. She questions him about the meaning of a bronze triangle pin which he wears „.-,,. , . ,. j ,. \i and discovers that he is The Curtis culmination — an assured position. source of trouble to