The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

328 A Motion Picture Survey The Educational Screen popular novels of the day, together with many historical and Biblical subjects. The High school students asked for such plays as : Seventeen, Silas Marner, Qiientin Diirward, Call of the Wild, Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Girl of the Limherlost, Tale of Tzvo Cities, Bible Stories, especially the New Testament, Count of Monte Crist o, Ivanhoe, Little Colonel Series, Ben Hur, Robin Hood, St. Elmo, Julius Caesar, Shepherd of the Hills, etc. The grade school children prefer Robin Hood to all other stories (it has since been filmed and justifies their judgment). Others were Huckleberry Finn, The Little Colonel Series, Little Women Series, Rip Van Winkle, already filmed, and many Bible stories, preferable from the Old Testament, like that of Ruth, Moses, Joseph, David, Daniel; Heide, Robinson Crusoe, King Arthur and His Court, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Roland the Noble Knight, Buffalo Bill, Alice in Wonderful, Ann of Green Gables, AH Baba and the Forty Thieves, The Wizard of Oz, Sapphire Signet, Treasure Island, Daniel Boone, The World War, Oliver Tmist (since filmed). Miles Standish, etc. Many which they have named have been filmed, either prior to or since their choice was written, and it is to be hoped that many more in this class are to be produced in the near future. Of the more than a thousand dififerent plays requested, comparatively few could in any way be questioned either for their morality or for their adaptability to the screen. Other similar lists taken from the choice of children over the various sections of the community would be invaluable in their suggestions to the producer of Motion Pictures. If to their work was brought also the very frank criticism of these young minds it might be possible to crowd out much of the sex stuff, crime, and other abnormal phases of our not too perfect adult world from the sensitive gaze of our nation's youth as they seek amusement in the motion picture houses of our land. Totals and Averages of Replies to Motion Picture Questionnaire, Evansville Public Schools High School Grade School Girls Boys Girls Boys No. of pupils answering 891 754 1687 1667 Average age 14.9 15.7 12. 11.7 Age when saw first movie 5 . 5 6.2 5.5 5.2 Go regularly 266 239 670 765 How often per week 1.6 1.3 1.5 1.6 No. blocks to Theatre 14.7 12.4 9. 10.7 Admission fee 28 28 17 14.5 Day go oftenest Sun. Sat.&Sun. Sat. Sat. Day go next oftenest Sat. Sun.&Sat. Sun. Sun. FILMS LIKED BEST Comics Serials Wild West Travel fihns News films Love stories Cartoons Color films Crime, burglary, etc 279 439 864 830 49 57 287 238 165 312 499 1205 135 95 268 166 111 99 127 127 649 89 744 106 18 49 173 96 17 7 141 43 59 70 125 219 SPECIAL INFORMATION Go with parents 386 191 911 436 Go with chums 744 633 1053 1156 Like movies better than spoken plays 436 472 883 1234 Never saw a movie — Grade school, 6 boys, 3 girls' — High school, 1 boy Never go — Grade school, 4 boys and 8 girls — High school, 3 boys — 1 (Grade) girl goes twice a year — 1 (H.S.) boy "not interested" — 1 (Grade) girl does not like them Go 8 times a week— 1 Central High School boy (Father owns a show) Go 7 times a week— (Grade) 14 boys, 7 girls— 21 — (H. S.) 1 boy, 1 girl2 Go 6 times a week— (Grade) 3 boys, 3 girls— 6 — (H. S.) 4 boys, 3 girls— 7 Go 6 times a week— (Grade) 17 boys, 11 girls— 28 \ — (H. S.) 1 boy— 1