Reel and Slide (Jan-Sep 1919)

REEL and SLIDE a member of The League of Curtis Salesmen, an organization of the best Curtis boys. Through the influence of Miss Orr and Helen, Bill and Tom become good friends. For the first time Tom learns that Bill earns all his spending money, and that he also has a tidy sum in the bank. Tom immediately becomes interested and through Bill meets the District Agent, who urges him to sell the Saturday Evening Post, the Ladies' Home Journal and the Country Gentleman, and shows him the prizes and profits he will receive and the advantages and business training he will secure through his efforts as a Curtis salesman. In need of money, and immensely interested in what he has heard, Tom starts on his career as a P-J-G boy. Many and serious are his adventures in his efforts to convince people that he has something to sell that everybody needs. He finds that s-a-1-e-s-m-a-n-s-h-i-p spells "hard work." Through the constant encouragement of his parents, his teacher and The Curtis Publishing Company, he keeps at it smiling — until his efforts earn for him the League Triangle. As Tom advances in salesmanship ability, he increases his efficiency in school work. He retains his love for athletics, and wins many laurels on the field and track. But "sports" are only a means to an end in his daily activities — 1the building up of his physical structure — so that he will be physically strong and mentally awake. All through the years that follow he fights his way on and up until finally he earns the rank of Master Salesman and secures a position through the Vocational Department of The Curtis Publishing Company. The story ends with Tom a successful business man, the husband of Helen, and the proud father of a son — a future P-J-G boy. The production is full of action and brings into play the many elements that enter into the psychology of a boy. One of the strong features of the film is the personal contact with big business and big men, which Tom secures through his efforts to increase his sales among the employers and employees of industrial plants, financial institutions and commercial organizations. It emphasizes the point that one of the best ways to keep a boy longer in school is to give him a spare time plan by which he may obtain practice in applying in his own life what he is learning out of books. The boy who visualizes what he learns in school upon the background of some vocation whose autlines he can discern, does more than memorize his lessons; he understands — lie wants to stay in school. Picture Theaters Now Function as Lyceum and Library By Jonas Howard AT the Pittsburgh meeting of the National Educational Association, Orrin G. Cocks, secretary of" the National Committee For Better Films, made an address before a group of prominent educators from all parts of the country. In the course of his talk he called attention to' the fact that the moving picture theater owner is becoming a greater power in the social welfare of the community than many of the people in that audience. Now, these people were all prominent welfare workers, school heads, and leaders in the educational world. It set them thinking. A great deal of comment was aroused by hrs<, statement at the time and afterward. "•■;,,/ What Mr. Cocks meant was that moving pictures. were in the hands of the commercial theater man and that moving pictures are a greater influencing power than any medium readily available to the educator. "Let me select a community's pictures," to paraphrase, "and I will mould that community's life and habits — their very thoughts and moral standards." This, indeed, is an interesting, forceful thought and cannot be easily controverted. Now, the question arises, is the average exhibitor qualified to hold such a tremendous power? Is he the type of man ordinarily who has a conscience above the 'dollar and a real interest in his community? There are rare cases when he has — more than often he has not. As a rule, he cannot be blamed ; he takes things as they come, seeks to make a profit as is his right to do, and though endowed with kindly feelings toward his patronage, is devoid of any feeling of moral responsibility. But it is important to note that this barrier is gradually breaking down. A few years ago it was almost impossible for the producer to market a scenic reel in the theaters. An industrial was out of the question. The exhibitor did not believe that his people wanted to see anything but exciting drama, with heart interest and a little of the "sex" element. Today he regularly books a news weekly and a scenic if he is progressive, and he does it for two reasons. These reasons are, first, the decline in quality of the photodramas, and secondly, the advance in quality of the scenic, news reel, topical and industrial picture. Each year finds the industrial and the so-called "short subject" occupying an increased amount of screen space in our leading theaters. These reels command fairly good prices from the theater men and once in a while they are "featured" — the highest honor that could be paid a moving picture. (Continued on page 14) Geo. D. Wright Industrial Films and Educationals, Need in Mexico By George D. Wright (Producer of "Mexico Today" and "Mexican Topicals") There is a great field for American pictures of instruction and of entertainment in Mexico and, in fact, in all the nearby Central American countries which, on account of their contiguity, can have release dates practically simultaneously with those in the United States. Among the high-class American products that Mexico ought to have are (1) wholesome feature productions ; (2) industrials, exhibiting for their benefit the latest improved processes of manufacture ; (3) educationals, i. e., visual instructionsuitable for schools' use. It will surprise most Americans unacquainted with Mexican conditions to learn that Charley Chaplin and Pearl White are the only American stars well known in the country south of the Rio Grande. Yet the names and life histories of leading French and Italian stars are quite familiar to the Mexican movie fans. Charley Chaplin is, of course, the one movie comedian of world vogue. As for Pearl White, the serials in which she appears are issued by Pathe, a French corporation with an American branch. _ Most of the American companies have no regular channel of distribution or, if they attempt it, are balked by duplicated prints from Central America or Cuba. One thing must militate against the popularity of "Americans :" the playwrights' and directors' way of making the so-called "greaser" Mexican the stock villain of our Westerns drama. Mexicans argue that such types are not truly representative of their people, and libel them before the world. It is evident that producers must treat Mexico with respect if they are to make headway in marketing their product. In mv Mexican-made pictures, "Mexico Today" and "Mexican Topicals," now being released by Educational Films Corporation of America, my aim has-been to picture <jur neighbors as they really are, and to this aim I attribute the cordiality with which my efforts have been aided both by President Carranza and the people of the Republic. In addition to the new market for feature productions that should open up in connection with world peace, there is a big potential market down there — but not yet .developed — for industrials and educationals of American manufacture. The future of Mexico must necessarily be the installation of modern methods of industry, i The machine must replace the hand, and power the village handworker.' ' The magnificent collection of industrial pictures already accumulated in America should help to teach the new wavs. Every American manufacturer or exporter seeking to introduce new processes or new articles of commerce into the Republic should be alive to the valuable help afforded him by motion pictures. Titles should be printed in Spanish, and the explanations of the mechanical processes should be in the simplest, most easily understandable terms. I have seen such ridiculous transliterated (not translated!) titles on the screen down there that the meaning of the English originals was entirely distorted. For this work persons of scientific attainments, equally versed in Spanish and in English, should be employed. As to the school situation, President Carranza has proved himself the consistent friend of popular education. Despite the post-revolutionary troubles many new institutions, both high and low, have been opened up. and the old ones re-established. Significant of the trend in Mexican affairs is the fact that whereas the Porfiristas or followers of the Porfirio Diaz regime received their training in Europe, most of the younger generation of Carranzistas have been educated in the United States. ' I do not doubt that Mr. Carranza will perceive the great advantages of visual education, and as the country grows more prosperous the government will allot a substantial portion of the school funds to the installation of projectors and the buying of educational films. Only, in these matters as in the others above referred to, American manufacturers must be alert and ready to grasp the opportunities that will present themselves. William L. Finley, president of the Oregon Audubon Society, lectured recently in Library Hall, Portland, with moving pictures on "Hunting Rare Birds and Animals." In this series Mr. Finley shows the strange antics of the spring dance of the sage grouse cock, and other unusual glimpses of birds and animals. The meeting was free.