Educational film magazine; (19-)

is for the use of all of the people of the community. It is a public building in the same sense as the free public library or municipal bathhouse. While it is true that the public school is intended primarily as a place for instruction and training of ithe young, no valid objection may be offered to its use as a public forum or meeting place. A democracy would lose its ^character if this were not the case. Why, then, may we not carry the scheme a step farther and make the public school — your school and mine—our meeting place of public entertainment as well as of public instruction, discussion, and protest? Play has iits victories no less renowned than study, work, and money-mak- ing. Play is the safety valve and at the same time the governor ijf the human engine. And the public school is just as logically jhe people's playground as it is the people's forum and the study tiall of the people's children. I The movies today are the playtoys of millions. They will not (always be, for the day will come when the motion picture will be deemed a public ally and instrument no less valuable than the daily press, perhaps more valuable. But as the screen is itill the people's playground, and gradually becoming the jjeople's subtle teacher as well, does it not seem natural that the bublic school should be the movie unit of the community, the Tiovie center to which all others in the community should be subordinated? The church has been mentioned as the natural iieighborhood picture house, but why? There are churches of various denominations in each city or town; even rural commun- ities are divided into sects; and if we adopted the church plan, '/le should have division, confusion, lack of concentration, dissi- oation of community energies. No, the public school is the nogical and the natural and the inevitable motion picture theater )f the local neighborhood, and as cities and conmiunilies tend :nore and more to subdivide into little communities or neighbor- floods the school center will tend more and more to serve as the ;liversional outlet for the residents of its own restricted section. ; What about competilion with existing movie theaters in the leighborhood, offering doubtful but sprightly entertainment and )perated solely for profit? What about competition with the •hurch which is giving mid-week picture shows to help raise lunds or attract adherents? What about competition with the jther attractions of the town or rural community, when there re any? The answer to these three questions is the same: Let the school 'enter provide the best motion picture program and project the '- -learest pictures and let the school musicians or orchestra furnish he best music, and the problem of competition will be solved. f the school movie show falls below the standard of the com- iiercial theater or the church, the crowd will flock to the better •resentation. If the school is to serve as the picture theater of be neighborhood or of the community, it must create high stand- rds and live up to them or it will not survive. And this is true hether competition exists or not. Another fundamental question arises which has to do with the ihics of the matter. Is it right for the public school to become le neighborhood picture house and deprive theater owners and lanagers of their livelihood? Is it right for a public institution '":''■> enter into competition with private citizens who pay taxes '■'''' lat their children and the children of others may receive a free Jucation? I do not know whether I am supposed to touch upon all phases f my topic, and this delicate ethical question I shall not attempt I answer or discuss at the moment. It is really a matter for the ublic conscience and if the public is satisfied on this point, no lore need be said. Major and Minor Problems Now let us consider some major problems. ■ As to the character of the motion picture programs to be of- fered in the school center, the selection of the films, the pre-view- ing and booking, the purchasing of prints when that is possible, the building up of a film library by and within "the school for community uses. All of these are large problems and have taxed and are taxing the ability and ingenuity of hundreds of school motion picture managers in all parts of the country. Within my allotted time I cannot do more than skim the surface of the possible solution of these problems. If the picture show is to be an entertainment then the films must not be dull in any one spot, but really entertaining, clean, wholesome, briorht and full of good cheer. If it is to be educa- tional—and by''this I meart of instructional,' informalional or cultural value, not necessarily didactic or pedagogical—theij the films must be carefully culled with this single end in viewJ A combination of entertainment and education requires still another standard in selecting films and making up programs. A teacher who is above the average in mefttal keenness and psychological insight can be trained to become in time a skilled specialist in program making. The rental of films, which involves pre-viewing and booking, has become in many instances a complex and difficult matter, insofar as this applies to renting from theatrical exchanges. It is largely a case of take it or leave it. Sometimes the local ex- change will have a print available for a school; often it will not be, and a substitute must be booked. Frequently the exchange will not project the picture for the booker. Sometimes the rental is high, beyond the reach even of theaters. On the other hand, most theatrical exchanges now'in most sections of the country are conscientiously striving to serve the schools and other institu- tions and organizations. Also, in many cases a special low rental is offered to the school I know of cases—many of them—in which the theater manager helps the school select and book films. The reason pictures should be viewed by the school representa- tives before showing to the, publi* is because in most instance: cuts will have to be made in' th'^ dramas arid comedies and occasionally in some short subjects. The question of a school buying prints and possessing its ow:i film library, just as it has its own book library, is an importan one and too important to discuss here with the limited time allowed. With the coming into the market of an unburnable or non-combustible film stock in the neat future, as seems likely, and the abolition of all restrictions on the storage and use of film, it will be feasible and, perhaps, advisable for many schoo!c- to possess film libraries of their cwji. Certainly community film libraries will come into being, and'from these school community centers will draw subjects for their prograuas. The convenience economy, availability and general desirability of the plan arc apparent. Shall the school movie show be free to all, or shall an admir sion fee be charged? This is a question which, I believe, mo:i school authorities have decided in favor of paid admissions, ranging all the way from a nominal price, bare;ly enough to cover the expenses, up to a price more than sufficierrt, leaving a surplu" fund for the use of the center for film and other purposes. Objections have been raised to both methods, the free and thn paid, but the latter seems the better way. It is axiomatic an 1 irue to human nature that anything which is obtained withoii cost is not appreciated. The point has been oiBde that a public (Continued on page 22)