Educational film magazine; (January-December 1920)

FLASHES ON THE WORLD'S SCREEN News Notes and Comment on Educational. Industrial and Allied Films from Producers. Institutions and Organizations in the United States and Canada and Overseas IT the recent annual meeting of the Uni- tarian Sunday School Society in Bos- ton, Mass., motion pictures were dis- played for the purpose of illustrating their use in teachiiia Bible geography and in in- culcating patriotism and good morals. Three films were shown, the first picturing scenes in Palestine and other parts of the Orient. The second was entitled "The Homekeeping of Jim." a storv of the influence of environ- ment on character and the ultimate mastery ■if character over environment. The last was "The .Making of an American." dealing with an Italian who finds that he is unable lo make headway without first learning the English language and becoming a natural- ized citizen. A Community Moving Picture Council has been formed by the Federated Mothers" Club of Cincinnati. Ohio, sanctioned and spon- sored by the local Board of Education. The council has been giving weekly Saturday morning children s matinees at the Orpheum Theater. Walnut Hills, .t suburb of Cincin- nati. Some of the films shown were "Huck and Tom." "Tom Sawyer," ''Rebecca of Sun- iiybrook Farm." "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch." and other Paramount and .\rtcraft pictures, including Briggs comedies. .\mong the speakers at the recent conven- tion of the American Federation of .\rts. held in May at the Metropolitan Museum of AtU New York City, were .Mrs. George \^'. Stevens, assistant director of the Toledo Art Museum, who spoke on "How to Reach the People with Lectures, Moving Pictures, In- struction Service, etc." George W. Eggers, director of the Chicago ,^rt Institute, gave an address on "Museums as Community Cen- ters, ' in which the use of motion pictures was importantly mentioned. (Ml The Motion Picture Division of the United States Department of .Agriculture is offering a new film known as "Cotton's Worst Ene- my, the Pink BoUworm." It shows the erad- ication campaign against these pests on the Gulf Coast of Texas and how effective meth- ods are being applied to the Louisiana and Texas regions. .Aerial moving pictures of Tacoma, Wash- ington, showing the harbor, the business dis- trict and the residence section were taken from an airplane and screened for the bene- fit of delegates at the Annual Aviation Con- venli<in in San Francisco. The title of the film is "The Gateway to Rainier .National Park.'' The picture is part of the campaign which the Tacoma Commercial Club ar- ranged lo bring tourists to that city during the summer. w The Young Men's Class of the Union Sun- day School of Picher. Okla.. recently pur- chased a .Motiograph motion picture projec- tor and a special fireproof booth and plat- form was built in the church to accommo- date the machine. Religious, educational and other short subjects are being screened. Rev. Weslley Post is pastor. "The World at Columbus." which included a survey of the pageant "The W avfarer," was shown on a recent Sundav night under the auspices of the Women's Soiieties of the First Methodist Church. Gadsden. Ala. There was no admission charge and a large optienee was in attendance. The Tacoma, Wash., Settlement House has received a gift of a motion picture projector from the Raynor Chapter, .Annie Wright Seminary. The alumnae and former students of the seminary raised the money to pur- chase the macliine during the winter months and installed it as part of their work for .Americanization. Educational films, come- dies, travel pictures and good photoplays are being shown. Motion pictures were taken recently by the Western Film Co., of Roundup. -Mon- tana, of the flawing Van Duzen oil well in the Devil's Basin. Officials of local oil com- panies and Senator Breed of California were present while the camera men were work- ing. The pictures were shown in local theaters. Among the i)rominent persons taking pan in the good roads films recentlv produced in 'R'es! Virginia were Bishop \^ eekley. au- thor of "Twenty Years on Horseback.'' who took the part of the circuit rider. The coun- try doctor was represented by Dr. S. .A. Mc- Conkey. president of the \^'est Virginia Board of Health. Others in the pictures were Steele Trotter, son of President Trotter of the State University, and Miss Jean Bil- lingslea and other university students who helped to show the difference between the old methods of traveling and the new. Many West Virginia theaters have been showing these films. w A film illustrating the manufacture and operation of twist drills was shown recently at the Rice Institute of Houston. Texas. This institute makes regular use of movies. The beauties of the lake section of ^lin- nesota are being recorded in a series of motion pictures. .A portion of the films was taken from a flying boat which carried threo passengers. The pictures are under the di- rection of the Ten Thousand Lakes of Min- nesota .Association, of St. Paul. W .According to one of the Chicago news- papers, going to school in that city will prove very popular next season. The Chi- cago American stated recently that "movies that will turn dry hislorv into living people setting forth from Europe on their pioneer- ing trips to .America." will be part of the daily work, and President Davis exnects the attendance to grow. Members of the Board of Education have inspected school films showing the work of colonists, astronomy vis- ualized, and geological hi.story. f Six reels of popular science subjects were exhibited to an invited audience at the Mu- seum of Natural History. New York City, a few weeks ago. The pictures were con- ceived and executed by Wm. Park and di- rected by Ashley Miller. The company pro- ducing and distributing them is the Com- munity Productions Corp.. of 46 West 24th Street. New York City. The six reels are: "Mystery of Snace": "The Livini; and the Dead": "The Earth and the Moon": "The .'^tory of the Seasons"; "God Divides the Night From the Day"; "The Winds of the World."' and "Rain, the Kingdom of the Storms.' .Although these films are made pri- marilv for educatiimal purposes, lectures or class room use, the company may decide to show them in the commercial motion pic- ture theaters because of their liieli enter- tainment value. 22 Movies for employes and their families are being given at Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the plant of the General Electric Company. Ed- ucational comedies and other subjects are, being screened. The Cosmopolitan Club of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, met at the Baptist Parish House re- cently vrith other local club women as in- vited guests. The program consisted of an address upon France by Major E. T. Flint, followed by motion pictures, showing the "Ruins of Rheims" and "Paris the Magnifi- cent" and the Red Cross photoplay "\^ in- ning Her Way." Miss Grace Bigford, principal of the Mc- Kinley School. Yakima, Wash., reports that the youngsters of her school have paid for their motion picture machine. She will at once start a McKinley School bank account, in the liope that enough funds may be ob- tained during the remainder of the year to enable the sch:,ol to have free movies in the building at least once a month. The faculty of the Lewisburg. Pa., high school have purchased a motion picture ma- cliine which will be used for educational purposes. Several educational films have been secured, including "A Trip on the Marne River"" and scenic productions of the battlefields of France as well as glass-blow- ing and other industrial pictures. These will be shown as public entertainments when the residents will be invited to contribute toward the payment of the machine. The machine has been approved by the Pennsyl- vania Department of Industry. The Dalles. Oregon. .Methodist church will use a motion picture machine to supplement the regular Sunday night services. The Young \\.omen"s Bible Class is behind the project. Educational and religious films will be shown in connection with the regular re- ligious services. This is said to be the first church in Eastern Oregon to purchase a mo- tion picture machine. Rev. Silas Johnson, pastor of Lee Street Methodist Church, .Americus, Ga.. explained to his congregation the details of a new departure in church work to be undertaken in .Americus. ■ Hereafter. Pastor Johnson says, the Lee Street Church is to be open for services seven nights each week with moving pictures as the backbone of the week-dav services. The church has already purchased and installed a complete moving picture outfit for use in connection with the new work. L'nder the supervision of the Division of \ isual Instruction, Department of Extension of the 1 niversity of Texas, motion pictures on educational subjects will be given on the campus during both terms of the summer school. The schedule for the first session includes programs on Longfellow, Steven- I son. "The Hoosier Schoolmaster" and "Lor- na Doone." For the second term, programs on Dickens. Shakespeare. Longfellow and Riley will be shown. -A picture on some scientific subject will conclude the program. "\ irgiiiia's New Hour" is a recent motion picture production exploiting the needs of good roads development in that state, with the hope of leading young men back to the farms via the automobile route.