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216 The Educational Screen Islander. I have no acquaintance with those folk, but rather fancy even they would rebel at some of the pic- tures shown. We can never have a robust, vital and really democratic movie art unless those responsible aim at a higher level of intelligence and judgment than they have in the past. The typical movie audience today is the most supine, inert collection of humans I have ever studied. And it is because they are not called on to do anything, to cooperate in the result. Note their inexpressiveness, their lack of applause. A baseball game is a cheering experience after an evening at a picture play. I suspect a definite fraction of the movie assemblage of sleep—a restful act superinduced by the darkness, the lack of noise, and often by the temperature. Movie stories also need to be largely reconstructed, so that when once they elect to tell a tale which logically in- volves a tragic ending, they shall carry through honestly, although the much-desired ''happy ending" has to be sacrificed. Of course the answer always is, people want to be amused, and don't want the grim and the dark. My reply would be, "All right, give them comedy." But in the name of common sense, stop this nauseating supply of treacle which is an insult to the mind of anyone outside an insane asylum. Make your comedy true, and if you do give tragedy, make that true also. No self-respecting art can do otherwise, and in my opinion it would be found that a so-called general audi- ence, made up of something a littli better than morons (a modest clain to make for the Americans who atten< the movie) will appreciate and il spond to any treatment of life whicl presents the cause and effect of huma: deeds. No question that comedy 1 preferred; but lying about men an women by maudlin sentimentality o absurd violation of probability is a dubious acceptance, I believe, wl much of anybody. The foreign pic tures occasionally imported for ou benefit often put us to shame in thi matter of truth-telling. I incline t think that full as much harm is don by this sort of distortion of the fact of life, for the sake of an allege* ''pleasant ending" as by frank exhibi tion of vice. It is impossible to tak any form of theatre art seriously tha continues to serve up ideas about lifi in this fashion. The trouble with the movie so f$ is not immorality, concerning which there has been exaggerated, not to saj ridiculous censure; but that as theatn art it is for the most part dull, crude fearfully uninteresting. It is no argu- ment against this form of people'! amusement that films are shown no* fit for children. Of course not; tha' would be true of any adult art. The thing to do is to have the home func- tion and keep the little ones awaj from a place where they do not be- long! Today the movie is a cleane and more innocent entertainment thar (Concluded on page 226)