The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

October, 193 5 Page 225 similarly paired. Students not wishing to go to the auditorium movies have provided for them vacant classrooms where they may go. We call these rooms recreation rooms. At the end of the twenty- five minute period the groups alternate. Under no circumstances are students permitted to leave the building to roam the streets or go to outside restau- rants. This rule is enforced not only for adminis- trative reasons, but because the school is provided with an excellent cafeteria and lunchroom operated l)y the Board of Education on a non-profit basis. In the noon movies, students see two reels of film per day or ten reels per week. When a feature pic- ture does not require the entire week for showing, the balance of the week is filled in with short sub- jects such as newsreels, travel talks, cartoons, com- edies and featurettes. The charge made for daily attendance is one cent per reel or ten cents per week. From these factors it is evident that the housing facilities of the school are used to the best advantage, the administrative problems minimized, and the students and teachers supplied with a choice of lunch-hour activity. The economic ad- vantages of the noon movies for the Board of Edu- cation, are the savings in salaries necessary to employ three or more very strong teachers to do police work in study halls whose enrollment many times pass the thousand mark every fifty minutes. The noon movies have proved themselves the only reliable source of income in our school espe- cially because 80% of the students of John Hay High School are girls who have slight interest in the athletic events which provide income for many schools. Funds derived from this source go to many very worthwhile school activities. It would je practically impossible to carry on an extensive irisual education program were it not for the noon levies. These funds made possible the purchase )f a Western Electric sound equipment in the luditorium, a two channel public address system ^ith a loud speaker in every classroom and office, land microphone outlets in six vital places in the fbuilding—all necessary machinery to carry on the ivisual education program — as well as helping to inance sending school teams in Stenography, Type- /riting, and Bookkeeping to state and national con- tests. In fact, our school's activities would have Isufifered tremendously were it not for the funds de- .rived from the noon movies. Perhaps you are wondering what pictures are available for school showings. All films produced by the leading motion picture producers are avail- able to schools provided they comply with certain very lenient regulations. The film programs are rented weekly and the average cost is $3.00 per reel. My selection of the school's films is made by taking the film ratings given by the Educational Screen, Parents Magazine. Motion Picture Herald, the Shozvnian, and the advice furnished by the film distributor. In addi- tion I try to see as many of the films that are recom- mended as I can, or accept the recommendation of the students and faculty. Originally noon movies were considered only as recreational films that filled a need arising from ad- ministration and housing problems. Doubtless this condition still exists in many schools where noon movies are shown. In John Hay, however, at- tempts are made whenever and wherever possible to tie the noon movie directly or indirectly with the curriculum studies. A list of the films shown dur- ing the ])ast year is evidence of the adaptability of many of the films to class work. May I point out a few of the outstanding ones that were shown this year. They are : The Conquerors, David Harum, Caro- lina, Barretts of Wimpole Street, Christopher Bean, Tugboat Annie, Oliver Tzvist, Operator Thirteen, House of Rothschild, Little Women. As you can see, these films are among the finest productions of the year 1935. There are also many other fine films that would have been suitable in part for school use, among them Queen Christina, Rasputin and the Empress, Viva Villa, Thunder Over Mexico, Eskimo, and others, but those, though they might appear suitable by their title, after preview- ing them, were questioned because they contained scenes that were too gruesome or risque for show- ing to high school students. If you will notice, my program includes some features that are very light, musical, and recrea- tional. I feel this is necessary in order to make up a well balanced program, and to offer the school a choice of desirable entertainment from which the group will get relaxation as well as mental stimu- lation. Application of the noon movies to classroom work is done directly and indirectly. The direct ap- plication of the noon movies is in the six weeks course in motion picture appreciation offered as part of the 11A English course. The text used in this course is Hoiv to Appreciate Motion Pictures by Dr. Edgar Dale of Ohio State University, a book many of you know. The 11A English teachers work very closely with me during this six week period because the noon movie feature forms the laboratory for the course in movie appreciation. This makes an ideal preparatory set-up because the entire group may see the same film at the same time. The fact that only two reels are shown each day helps in a great measure. Only a part of the film is studied at the time and opportunity for thought, review, and more detailed preparation is presented. ' Another great advantage when the school feature is used lies in the fact that the entire group may look for a definite thing that makes