The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

190 The Educational Screen Among the Producers (This department belongs to the commercial companies whose activities have a real and important hearing on progress in the visual field. Within our space limitations we shall reprint each month, from data supplied by these companies, such material as seems to offer most informational and news value to our readers. We invite all serious producers in this field to send us their literature regularly. — Editor.) Charles Ray in "The Courtship of Miles Standish" In the production of "The Courtship of Miles Standish," work on which is now under way, Charles Ray has undertaken the most ambitious picturization ever attempted of an American historical subject. This is the third poem which Mr. Ray has adapted for screen use, Riley's "The Old Swimmin'-Hole" having enjoyed a great popular success and his "The Girl I Loved," being one of the outstanding attractions of the present season. For many months the research department of Mr. Ray's organization, reinforced by a number of special experts, devoted the entire time to a painstaking study of the history and traditions of the Mayflower adventure. An exact replica of the craft which brought the Pilgrim Fathers to American shores — except that the representation is of steel construction, has been erected in the Ray studios. In existence at this time are only four accepted designs of the original Mayflower. One, made by Admiral Paris and Captain Collins from the meager information which they were able to assemble, is in the National Museum in Washington, another in the Philadelphia Commercial Museum, and a third in the possession of the Plymouth Society of Boston. The fourth, a representation in silver, is owned by the heirs of Walter Hines Page, late Ambassador to the Court of St. James, having been presented to him with the freedom of the city of Plymouth, England, a few years ago. Fortunately, these few designs agree even to the less important details of construction, so that the Mayflower to be shown in the picture may be accepted as absolutely faithful to the original. This replica was formally christened by Priscilla Alden Evans, a descendant of John and Priscilla Mullens Alden, on Forefathers Day, in December hst, when the California Chapter of Mayflower Descendants held its annual convention on the deck of the vessel. The committee of teachers of the Los Angeles High School recently requested and received an opportunity to inspect the studio vessel. In the course of their visit the teachers learned of the discovery by the Ray research staff of certain facts which were not generally recorded in the textbooks, but which are of deep historical interest. In London archives it was found that in addition to the passengers on the original Mayflower the crew of twenty-five that manned the vessel was composed largely of buccaneers and private adventurers. Most of them and many of the "extra" passengers were actually criminals recruited from English prisons, where many a merchant ship of the time was wont to gather up her men. Recognizing the educational value which the completed picture is destined to have, the Los Angeles teachers warmly congratulated Mr. Ray and his associates and expressed impatience for "The Courtship's" release for use in the schools. Similar expressions have been received from educators in other parts of the country, the Los Angeles Congregational Ministers Union has voted resolutions of endorsement, and such organizations as the Alden Kindred, the Mayflower Descendants, and the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution are manifesting deep interest in the project. Of his purpose in filming "The Courtship of Miles Standish," Charles Ray says : "I first began to give serious thought to something like this when the big foreign pictures, based upon European history, began to come to this country. The spirit shown was alien to American lines of thought, and technically the pictures were inferior to American standards. Yet they caught the imagination of Americans and drew a large patronage. "After much thought I concluded that this was because they represented something more than mere entertainment. They had in each case a great underlying idea that might be summed up I