The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

326 A Motion Picture Survey The Educational Screen as the Sabbath Law is not observed, and theaters are kept open, at least a rigid censorship of the fihns shown on Sunday should be required. In fact, the two days on which children attend in such numbers, the theaters might well provide suitable films for them and encourage their attendance only on those days. Parent-Teacher clubs and other organizations interested in children should be willing to co-operate in some such program. On the other hand, fathers and mothers might hark back to their own childhood, and give of themselves on one of those days to save their children so much of the sensation and unreal in their leisure hours. IX-X-XI. In the next three questions, the pupils were asked what type of film they like, which they like best, and second best. Those named were : Comics, serials. Wild West, Travel, News, Love stories. Cartoons, Color films, and stories of crime, such as burglary or holdups. The High school girl first, last, and always prefers the love stories. The same is true of the seventh and eighth grade girls. Comics are their second choice. The lower grade girls prefer comics first, then color films and love films, cartoons and wild west. They like everything but crime. The High school boys like everything, but crime is the most unpopular type. They are not so frank in their preference for love films as the girls. They put comics, cartoons, news, and wild west before love films. But when they name their favorite actor, it is Rudolph Valentino, and the Sheik is their favorite play! The boys of the grades are more honest, or more consistent. They are unanimous for comics and wild west shows and their favorite actor is Tom Mix in Sky High. XII. Of more than a thousand films mentioned as favorites, the Sheik received nearly five hundred votes from the High school alone. It also ranked third in the grades. This probably was due to the fact that it had its first big run in one of the big downtown theaters just prior to the taking of the survey. It was, however, in the class almost unanimously preferred by the High schools. It may be said for it, that it was a cleaner play than the book of the same name, and above the average of such plays in its presentation. However, a close second was the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which ran eighteen months before the survey was taken and its choice needs no apology. It was a powerful play with a message for its day. However some cutting was required in this film in Chicago, while none was required in Evansville. This suggests the need of censorship or regulation of some kinds. The Three Musketeers was the third choice. Over the Hill, Smilin' Thru, The Birth of a Nation, Way Dozmi East, all strong plays were followed closely by Peck's Bad Boy, School Days, The Tarzan Series, Daddy Longlegs, The Kid, Fascination, Penrod, Go and Get It, The Queen of Sheba, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Beyond the Rocks, Huckleberry Finn, Thru the Back Door, and Pollyanna, all of them — with but two or three exceptions — the best productions for young people. The grade children's first choice was the Tarzan Series — the Ape-man jungle stories, Peck's Bad Boy, The Sheik (already accounted for). Over the Hill, School Days, The Three Musketeers, Penrod, Thru the Back Door, Sky High, Daddy Longlegs, Huckleberry Finn, The Four Horsemen, My Boy, Mutt and Jeff, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Winners of the West, Pollyanna, Smilin' Thru, The Yellow Arm, Ten Nights in a Bar Room, Go and Get it. The Old Sunmmin' Hole, and Chasing the Moon. With three exceptions, these also are good films. But this only justifies the taste of the youth. How many films as wholesome as these do they see, going once every week for a^