Educational film magazine; (19-)

MOVIES IN SMALL TOWN CHURCH (Continued from paf/e if) picture exhibition in the church building Fri- day evenings, the pastor booking the pictures. We purchased a portable moving picture ma- chine, which has given very satisfactory service. At the sr.me time we purchased a special screen, with an aluminum surface, which rolls up like a curtain when not in use. Thus our pictures show as well as the finest theater in the country. Right here I want to remark that when a church does decide to use motion pictures, the best arrangements to that end ought to be secured. We don't want people to say that the church is handing out inferior programs, but on the contrary we want people to advertise that their church is giving the best. Other- wise, churches had better leave moving pic- tures alone. Ali, Expenses Paid Our church can show pictures more reason- ably than a theater, for there is no rental charge or other overhead expense, which makes it almost impossible for small towns to get the best pictures. Furthermore, I utilize the enthusiasm of the boys and I have a good staff of high school boys to help me, and the only charge for their services is to give them a free admission to the show. On Friday evenings we charge 25 cents for adults, 15 cents for children. For 10 months we have used a picture nearly every week and have paid all expenses except the initial cost of the machine. This winter we expect to do better than that. Some of the best pictures that we have used are: Baby Marie Osborne in The Little Patriot Marguerite Qark in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Mary Pickford in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Bessie l.ove in Carolyn of the Comers Marion Davies in Runaway Romany Mae Mar.sli in Polly of the Circus Mae Marsh in Sunshine Alley, Doris Kenyon in Street of Seven Stars Doris Kenyon in Inn of Blue Moon, Mae Marsh in The Glorious Adventure, These are all excellent numbers for entertain- ment. With these we have used the Bray pictograph and the Ford Weekly service. There is nothing better. The animated car- toons at the close of each Bray pictograph are particularly popular with the children. In Post Falls 1 have used a few pictures in connection with a Sunday evening service. From the Manger to the Cross, a seven-reel picture of the life of Christ, was used last Easter time. It is by all odds the finest life of Christ on the screen and is scripturally cor- rect. The scenes are wonderful. The Real Roosevelt, Satan on Earth and The Pit and the Pendulum were two-reel subjects that fitted in well with a cliurch service. The Good Samari- tan proved a fine picturization of the parable linked with a riK>dern application. Through the State University, at Pullman, Wa.shington, I was enabled to use How Life Jieyins, an educa- tional pre.sentation of the great mystery of life. It is a wonderfully produced picture and ought to l)e seen l)y parents with tlieir children everywhere. The church that uses this will do its coiimiunity a great service. I was in- strumental in securing for this section the missionary photoplay. Problems of Pin-Ilole Parish. It has a good message. Tiiixos TO Avoid There seem to be many new moving jiicture enterprises that think the churches legitimate prey for their schemes of "building up the church.'' Some of these may prove all right, others need to be looked on with suspicion. As a pastor who has been experimenting with this picture game for a long time, I want to emphasize how needful it is to guard against impositions. In selecting pictures for the edification or amusement of our people the greatest care must be exercised, or the pictures we show will prove only harmful instead of helpful. I have had a few "off-color" titles sent to me in reliance, on the agent's promise that it was O. K. for my church. The agent in the offices of our moving picture exchanges are not good judges, at present, as to what is suitable for a cliurch. I have let every exchange that I have had any dealings with know at once, and in language that they can understand, that I can't use pictures that may have suggestive scenes; in other words, "leg shows, nightgown or pajama scenes," or a comic after the style of the Harry Lloyd, "knock 'em down, drag 'era out" exhibitions. The studios have repeat- edly sent me pictures which they describe as the "non-theatrical" series, which means that these pictures have gone the rounds of the theatres, are reasonably familiar to theater audiences, and so are released to schools and churches. Such pictures cannot be recommended. I have named one or two that are good, but the others are not safe. There are too many bed- room scenes. I have found that it pays to run over the picture in advance if at all uncertain about the morality of the subject-matter, and then cut objectionable scenes. Dr. Harrison of Sacramento, referred to at the beginning of this article, sees every picture before he shows it in his church, and if there are objectionable scenes has his operator cover the lens until the scene has passed off the screen. Summary of Results In summing up the results for my church in using moving pictures, I submit the fol- lowing: (1) It enables me to make tlie church a center for wholesome recreation. (2) It creates in iny comnmnity a favorable im- pression toward the preacher from those who are ordinarily hostile or quite indifferent to the church. <3) It gives me an opportunity to get a hold on the young people, for the boy and girl today is picture crazy. Hence the pastor enters boldly into one of their chief joys. They accept him unquestionably as friend. (4) In my Sunday services I have found the moving picture a powerful medium for the presentation of gospel truths, and it draws the people I most want to reach. I have a point of contact with then that otherwi.se I would not have. And to these I add a fifth, for I have found a few good souls whom I have alienated from niy church by using .such a "worldly" inst'J']^- nicntality. There are many Christian people 1h every community who don't like to see pictures in the church. But on the whole I have found ' them courteous to the pastor's desire to make the church count for the most, and even they are being slowly convinced that motion pic- tures can be used for the building up of the kingdom of God. CHURCH CINEMA IN OPERATION (Continued from page 10) ' more than doubled. Thus it was not crov hunger that impelled us to introduce the c ema; it was an.earnest desire to become b ter fitted for the service of God in our co munity, and to promote Christian intelligei to this end. It may be interesting to note a that the church thus pioneering has a crec able missionary record. Last year over fo dollars per family went to missionary objec Results Looking back over the year's experience w the cinema we think of it in terms, not money or crowds, but of added intelligence, ^ ion, world-outlook, urbanity, moral and sj itual inspiration, and safeguards. Our p pie have begun in a new way to understa some of the world's best literature, to live ir larger world, in fact to realize world-citizi ship in quite a new way, as they have stud other people on the screen. Under the n influence they must become less provincial, the world of literature, science, and travel being brought to their doors. The very char itself from the old unbroken routine of drei toil on the farm is not unimportant, and, 1 sides, the screen is an excellent antidote idle gossip. It crowds worth-while topics ii conversation, and the young people arc longer compelled to go to questionable pla of amusement. The church surrounds th with a healthy and interesting moral envir ment, and they respond with increased loya to her. The parents likewise appreciate cinema. One farmer, discussing an offer the disposal of his farm and the removal his family to another community, was he! to remark, "It means something to be m a church like ours." He was thinking of little boy's welfare, and he decided to stay the old farm. And when the little lad grc up he, too, will be more content to remain the farm. Thus the cinema will do much solve the rural problem But to make it most effective as a servi of the church in Canada we need the co-ope tion of an intercliurch committee with cxi ing exchanges, or the setting-up of Canad centers of distribution for the many cxcdl standard films on Biblical, religious, missii ray, and ethical now available in the I'ni States, through such institutions as the Int national Qiurch Film Corporation. Tlien shall prove in the language of the Daily I press that "the film is mofe than aniusenif to make laughter and to charm; it is a school and pulpit." Hi