Educational film magazine; (19-)

1 II1IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I Illllll RELIGIOUS THE CHURCH CINEMA IN OPERATION A Canadian Church and Its New Ally—The Inside Story By Rev. M. C. Mackinnon Pastor, Hallville Presbyterian Qiurch, Mountain, Ontario, Canada -.i-.ii-y'' !a-';Tiy- EVERYWHERE people were talking about a New Era and a Forward Movement, and it was generally realized that a new day, great with task, had dawned for the Christian Church. We needed no new gospel for the regeneration of individual or society, but we needed a fresh interpretation and new applications of the Gospel we had. More than anything else we needed new methods. Our farmers were keeping abreast of the times, employing new methods and acquiring new equip- ment almost every year. Why couldn't the Church have new equipment and employ modern methods? It clearly seemed small wonder that so many churches were inefficient. Indeed the wonder was that churches were as efficient as they were. What other institution could have retained even her measure of vitality and usefulness without employing modern methods and equipment? Why Not a Church Cinema? There was the cinema, mould- ing the thoughts of millions of people every week and very im- properly a rival of the church. A powerful agency, it was at first ignored by all except commercial amusement houses, but was now adopted by industry, schools, col- leges, universities," Y. M. C. As., Red Cross societies, and provincial, state and national governmental departments, and at last by the Church. This remarkable invention seemed to hold tremendous possi- bilities for good; why allow the devil or secularism a monopoly on it? Clearly in the creative mind behind all inventive genius no such monopoly existed. Realizing this, churches, Protestant-Catholic and Roman Catholic in the United States of America were already using the cinema as a factor in church activities. In England also at least two dioceses were arranging for a weekly "Church Pictorial." Any doubt of the new movement was swept away by the news of that epoch- marking event, the centenary celebration of the missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Columbus, Ohio, where gathered in 1919 the world's greatest motion picture audience before the world's largest screen. The cinema was officially adopted for the service of Christ. Local Obstacles Overcome At Mountain, Ontario, these developments were followed with great interest, and the announcement that the International Church P'ilm Corporation of New York would soon provide a pEV. M. C. MACKINNON is a native of Prince Edward Island. He *■ studied at Dalliousie University; I'restiyterian ColleKe, Halifax, Nova ,»;cotia: Columbia University and Union Tlielosical Seminary. New York City, takiiiK tlie M. A. degree at tlie former and tlie B. D. degree at tbe latter institution. Mr. Mackinnon has spent tbe past year in Iiirtlier study at Edinburgh, Scotland. He writes the editor concerning this article: "Partially as indicative of tbeir anpreciation of the church cinema the congreftation of 113 families recently increased their mini^^ler's salary from JlROO to ?;inoo. As to the church cinema movement in Canad.i the situation is neculiarlv difflcult and we bone tliat some of the existing institutions in the United States nniy soon open in) dis- IribulinK centers in Canada for their oictures suitable for church use. Many inquiries for flhns are being made by Canadian churches." weekly film service suitable for church use was received witl delight, inasmuch as it promised to place the church cinem: within our reach. Formidable obstacles still remained, however the most obvious being the lack of electric light. But a willini people easily overcome obstacles. At a full congregational meet ing, after a sermon on "The New Church for the New Day," th pastor proposed a church cinema for community service. H offered to procure a projector for the purpose if the congregatl would instal an electric-light plant. The offer was accepted a: the congregation decided unanimously by standing vote to augurate a regular weekly cinema service. A oneJ-year cbntr was signed with the International, a 3 k.w. Delco lighting pla? was installed, a regulation firf proof booth was built in th' auditorium as the onlv suitabj :.s . ' . 1 place available, and a new & Power's Camerograph was set fully equipped with rheosti motor drive, and nitrogen lam A 600-watt lamp was found give ample light. Our policy wl to have only the best standar equipment and to this end nothin was neglected. All requirem^ffi of the fire underwriters w.« met, inspection was satisfactoril passed, and our church now h the most up-to-date cinema-equi ment for showing standard fil without marring to any degree appearance of the auditorium. deed, one might enter and seated without noticing either booth or the screen. The lattl was a spring-roller ■ screen roll up to the ceiling wb*n'hof-4n u^ and the former ..was. snugly s4 pended from the ceiling over the main entxstpce, . J A licensed operator was next needed. We had none in tl community and could scarcely afford to hire one. The situatiC was met by the pastor who had studied a text-book on the subjt and acquired further knowledge and experience in various mo ing-picture booths from Halifax to Montreal. This enabled hi to pass the necessary examination before the rnspector ai become a licensed operator. Film Service , The question of film service offered the next difficulty^ Tl International Church Film Corporation were for the time unab to keep their contract. They had set themselves a great task ai had allowed themselves too little time to organize a service f several thousand churches. Besides,' they had no dfetrfbutf) center in Canada. The result was that although we had ma 12