The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

October, 193 5 Page 227 here portrayed every possible emotion, the fear of the children who were robbed of their freedom by the jealousy of the father, the joys of the family when the father is away, the mannerisms of the im- petuous Browning, the spirit of revolt in Henrietta and Elizalieth. hysteria as portrayed by Arabel at the news of Elizabeth's departure, the stuttering of the ])rother in the father's presence and the expres- sions of domination by the father. For weeks the Dramatic classes kept utilizing the wealth of ma- terials found in this film. In Home Economics, the costumes and furniture of this period proved most interesting. Here were splendid examples of mid- X'ictorian lighting fixtures, Chippendale chairs, tea sets, a quilted sofa, and heavy window drapes. From the analysis of these films it is very evi- dent that their showing two reels per day, as we do in the noon movies, affords the students an op- portunity to analyze and digest the depth of produc- tion and to a]j]>reciate the enormity of research, the perfection of detail and the immensity of study necessary to make a great picture play. It seems a great misfortune that opportunities like these can- not be made available to every school system when one considers the millions of dollars spent yearly to ])roduce these pictures which portray, in many cases, true life situations and authentic manners and customs of the time, in such a way that the student may easily understand them. It seems that it is the duty of us school teachers to use all those excellent pictures that are available, and then use our influence to impress upon the motion picture producers, the need for more of the better type films. And finally what social values do these films have ? Dr. Edgar Dale in his book Hoiv to Appre- ciate Motion Pictures, describes social values very excellently. Were yeni to step into our auditorium during a luncheon period, you would marvel at the astounding efi'ect the picture is having on the stu- dent. First of all, interest lies entirely in the pic- ^Hture: no teacher supervision is necessary. Why ^Should there be? Notice how every mood and emo- ^Hion expressed by the actors are being lived by the ^B^roup. Everyone seems to have eyes for the screen ^^lone and ears for the voice of the actors; everyone is swayed this way and that by the characters. The children are living the experiences portrayed by the film. When the two reels end, then comes the speculation, the guess at the answer to the problem at hand or the solution of the situation presented. Isn't it wonderful to have the student come face to face with life's problems and seek a desirable so- lution? An excellent film finds the desirable solutions through the use of desirable traits. To the student is presented the consciousness that only through good and righteous living can happiness and suc- cess be achieved. He gets a sense of a fair play and justice. He realizes the pit-falls of life. Alaybe some of these life situations fit into his life; here is his problem. Maybe the jealous and paternal love expressed in the Barretts of Wimpole Street con- trasted with the close family tie shown in the House of Rothschild changed the students' attitude toward their famih', friends, and even teachers. I wonder many times how far the noon movies go toward atTecting the habits and attitudes of the children. In John Hay every class teacher is urged to rate his class students for habits and attitudes commend- able or to be developed. The scale employed is known as "Habits and Attitudes Desirable for So- cial and Vocational Acceptability." How far or how much the films affect the student for this rat- ing I don't know, but it seems that living the good protrayed by the film, facing life experiences, some of them comparable with classroom situations, must have some effect on their attitude toward the classroom. Dr. Thomas Briggs of Columbia expresses his philosophy of Education as the "ability to teach people to do those desirable things they are going to do anyway." Our noon movies, by careful se- lection, surely tend toward teaching the students to desire worthwhile motion pictures. If our noon movies can build up in them a standard of judging desirable films, a taste for the good by showing them good, then, on the whole, our young people form their own standards of good taste. What they need most is film guidance and the noon movies give rightful guidance. And finally, I see in a good film a true picture of what Mr. Charles H. Lake, superintendent of Cleveland Schools, meant when he said to the ex- tension high school senior class: "Success in life depends on the development of three things, cour- age, unselfishness, and good taste." An embodi- ment of these character traits is found in any good film. In conclusion, when one considers the wealth of materials in classical and historical films, and when one realizes the carefulness of research and cost of production, it seems unfortunate that these films so worthwhile as teaching tools do not find through the media of the noon movies a more definite place in the curriculum of more schools. Dr. Walter Dill Scott Sees Greater Use of Sound Films, Other Devices, in Future Speaking of the University of the future, Dr. Walter Dill Scott, President of Northwestern Univer- sity, recently stated that, "The direct cost of instruction per student will be greatly decreased. It has already been demonstrated that a professor may lecture to 500 students as effectivelv as to 50."