The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Page 2 56 The Educational Screen ^ns. jEciEzaL ^jiLm A page edited by Arch A. Mercey Assistant Director, United States Film Service, Washington, D. C. INSTRUCTORS returning to their desks this fall will i find many reallocations of Government agencies and their motion picture divisions, brought about by the President's Reorganization Plans No. 1 and 2, effective July 1, 1939. The United States Film Service was transferred to the Office of Education, which was itself shifted to the newly established Federal Security Agency. The name of the Service has been retained, however, and its pro- duction, consultative, and distributive facilities will continue unchanged, although it is anticipated that even greater service may be given the teachers and schools of the country by this alignment with the new Federal agency. The new Directory of U. S. Government Films dis- tributed by the Film Service is now in revision and will indicate the various reorganization changes as they affect departments having motion pictures for distribu- tion. We suggest that you write for a copy of the new Directory. Among the new pictures listed in the Directory is Winter Sports in the National Forests oj California, pro- duced by the Department of Agriculture, portraying op- portunities for winter sports offered by California's national forests. Agriculture has also recently prepared teacher's guides for The Tree of Life and The ABC of Forestry. The film Picturesque Guatemala, which Agriculture has been distributing, will henceforth be distributed by the Pan-American Union. Under the De- partment of Interior is listed Service to Those Who Served. This picture has had a new section added show- ing glimpses of veterans' hospitals in the East, with scenes of the Cancer Clinic at Hincs, Illinois. The Consumers' Counsel Division (now in the Department of the Interior) has recently revised its picture Know Your Coal, the laboratory scenes from which have been particularly successful among schools. The Children's Bureau of the Department of Labor has two new pictures. One is The Feet, showing de- tails of structure and arrangement of the arches; the best mechanical use of the foot; the points of a good shoe and harmful effect of improper shoes. This film was made in cooperation with the American Posture League. The other picture is ])^ozv I Am Two, being the third in the "Judy's Diary Series." Th6 first pic- ture in the series, formerly called Judy's Diary, has been re-titled From Morning Until Night. The Child- ren's Bureau has reviewed and is prepared to recom- rpend non-Governmental films on juvenile delinquency, street safety, andirecreational programs for boys. It has also recently acquired a film strip which is for sale only, showing the effect of rickets on children and meth- ods of prevention and cure. The price of the strip is $2.00 and it is also available with Spanish titles. In addition, the Bureau has acquired two sets of lantern slides. One set is available only to physicians; the other is suitable for general distribution and covers Birth and Mortality statistics. The Navy Department has a new picture titled Re- pair, Supply, and Relief, which describes the functions of supply, repair, and hospital ships accompanying the United States fleet. About October 1, the Department will have another picture, tentatively called South American Cruise, which will be a travelog of the coast of South America with view's at the major seaport cities. The Federal Housing Administration is again mak- ing available to the public its Better Housing News Flashes. They will be lent in 35mm sound. On 16mm film, they are for sale only and no free distribution is contemplated. In this connection, the FHA has a new technicolor picture called Miracles of Modernisa- tion, which is currently being restricted to theatrical distribution. Your local theatre manager will be glad to let you know when it is to appear at your theatre. The National Youth Administration (Federal Security Agency) has three new pictures in color: NYA Builds A Seaplane Base, Youth Visits Our Na- tion's Capital, and Royalty Visits the White House. The Social Security Board has available for immediate release. Social Security for the People, running four minutes. The U. S. Housing Authority has recently released Housing In Our Time showing operation of the USHA program. Medical schools will be interested to know that the Veterans' Administration is just releasing a color pic- ture. Cancer Among the Veterans. This is a scientific picture especially arranged for the medical profession and distribution is restricted solely to medical organiza- tions and medical schools. Considerable interest has been evinced in the films mentioned in the last issue of Educational Screen as being screened at the Golden Gate Exposition. None of these films is yet available for free distribution, but the following may be purchased on proper authoriza- tion : Washington — The Nation's Capital, The Business Pulse of the Nation, Couriers of the Nation, Social Security for the Nation, and Labor in the Nation. Ap- plications for purchasing these films should be addressed to: U. S. Golden Gate International Exposition Com- mission, Department of Commerce, Washington,- D. C.