Educational film magazine; (19-)

^angements regarding customs clearance and censorship, we Were disappointed in not receiving the promised church service if missionary and other religious films. Fortunately, however, .3ur plant was not to remain idle. We were able to secure some •splendid pictures from the Provincial Moving Picture Bureau, the Department of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment, the Department rf Trade and Commerce, Specialty Film Import, Ltd., Famous Players Film Service, Famous-Lasky Film Service, the Fox Film Corporation, the United Artists' Corporation, and the Regal iFilms, Ltd., the last-named releasing Ford pictures. With the lelp of lists from these exchanges and the Canadian Moving Picture Digest we learned what films were on the Canadian iBarket. Then enlisting the aid of the Educational Film Maga- iJINE, of New York, and other similar magazines, we selected a jist of recommended films and secured press-sheets of the same, and finally selected the most suitable for our use. Thus with the ■sympathetic interest of the above department and exchanges we were able to hold our inaugural service on November 21, 1919, d since then have had a plentiful supply of good pictures. Friday Evening Program ir year was divided into two seasons. During the winter pionths we put on a weekly Friday evening service of five reels. Including educational, agricultural, scenic, industrial and news jpictures, offering a splendid opportunity for community educa- tion. Different phases of farm life were dealt with, also schools, good roads, hydro-electric service and other subjects of practical interest. During the summer months, a series of great photo- plays were shown, including Les Miserables, Evangeline, The pife of Nelson, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Rebecca of Sunnybrook farm. The Miracle Man, Everywoman and Pollyanna. Each picture was well advertised in advance. Programs were printed, ihe local newspapers cooperated, and large posters were put up. interest was stimulated, moral values indicated, and reading .■encouraged. Attendance The attendance from the first was good but especially so when 'photoplays were screened. When the first great feature was shown the large country church was packed and many could not get in, and with each succeeding picture the crowds grew. Every evening people were turned away. Then we darkened the win- dows and gave two showings, at 7 and 9 p.m., and still the accom- modation was taxed to utmost capacity and some were turned away. Everybody seemed to be out, young and old, no matter 'how busy the farming season. The farmers left their seeding, ' haying and harvesting and brought their younger children to the first showing at 7. The young men and women stayed home to attend to the evening work, and came at 9 o'clock. All classes and creeds were represented, Roman Catholic and Protestant. It was a real community service appreciated by all. In keeping with the place the best of order obtained. Singing and orchestral music was interspersed through the service, slides being freely - Jsed. Sunday Evening Service Throughout the year a single reel was usually shown at the - beginning of the evening service on Sunday evening. In the absence of definitely religious films we made the best use of pictures available. Several on Canada's treatment of the returned soldier were easily adopted for addresses on reconstruction. One /|5n tuberculosis fitted in with a health talk on "Tuberculosis jjSunday." Another, dealing with medical inspection of public schools, served as a prelude to an address on "Educijtion.". TheiJ other pictures served as striking points of contact ;to ii}UStratd and emphasize religious truth. A picture showing th^ greal'waste of water power in Canada was very effective in conneiction'with a sermon on the sin of waste, especially of manhood and woman- hood, of unused moral and spiritual forces: John 6:12. Another picture showing a German submarine in Toronto harbor gave an impressive departure for a sermon on the need of home missions, and some wonderful scenics filled the atmosphere with, reverence, the earth as well as the heavens declaring the glory of God and the firmament showing his handiwork. As the pictures were thrown on the screen, the pastor quoted here and there a verse of Scripture in passing comment, and then as the full congrega- tion sang from the slide some old appropriate hymn, he must have been dull who could not sense the Presence and deaf who could not hear Him speak. Often we were remindedithat "The Earth is crammed with Heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only they who put off their shoes . , . ." ■1 -,. Sometimes the Sunday evening sermon was linked up with. a coming Friday evening picture. "The Christ Way with a Bad Man" ponted to the moral wealth of Les Miserables, or "The Ministry of Gladness" unfolded the Christian teaching of Polly- anna. On two Sunday evenings the features Fire&.of Faith, a Salvation Army picture, and The Bluebirtl, from Maeterlinck's wonderful drama, were shown. - ■■ ^ (To be concluded iri July issue) FILM THOUGHTS FROM A CITY PASTOR Pictures Counteract Influences of Commercial Theaters—Church Movie Show a Family Affair REV. PAUL E. BAKER, the "little minister" of one of New York's uptown churches, Morningside Presbyterian Church, has like many others in the service been looking about for an appropriate and attractive means of making the church a place "where folks like to come to." As so many others of his profession have done, realizing that when the world decides to move, they must pick up traps and hurry along with it, he has embraced the advantages of the screen to persuade his people that the church can provide for them among its many blessings, entertainment just as good as the theater. And so he writes in a letter to this magazine the following interesting account; "During the past winter we showed both moving picture flhiis ainl lantern slides in the Morningside Presbyterian Cluirch. We found the interest in such evening programs very encouraging, and believe that it repays all the effort necessary to present such a display. Any student of human nature realizes that the appeal to the eye is much greater than the appeal to the ear. Mhn companies are getting out a large number of pictures that are especially fitted for display in churches. The church that fails to utilize tliis splendid method of spreading the message of "good-tidings," and is able to do so, is not abreast with modern life. "The Church has always been slow to adojit [irogressive thought and nietho<ls. In many cases it has been well for the Church that it moves carefully. But the movie has demonstrated, its usefulness for service in the kingdom. The church that presents good pictures is counteracting the influences of pictures displayed in commercial houses which are not always of the higher type. The screen will not interest merely one group in tlie church as do most other services. The chil- dren, the parents and the grandparents will attend the church movie in a body. I, for one, after having had i)ictures displayed in the church feel that they have a vital service to render for the Kingdom of God, with the provision added that they be carefully chosen. The public is interested in them and will attend tlieii- message with eagefness. "If women's clubs or individual women want to be instrumental in bringing better films before their children—and no one disputes tliat such action is needed!—they have the power in their own hands. They have only to do as they have done in countless .other nuitters; use the united purchasing power of their dollars and the united weight of their influence for the good film and against tlie bad." 13