The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Page 306 The Educational Screen scriptions are given of the contents of each film, while the "Appraisal" gives the educational rating of the film, pri- mary purposes for which it may be used, and indicates other purposes for which it may be useful. A sentence on the quality of the photography tells whether it is "excellent, fair or good." Suitable grade levels are also indicated. In addition to the alphabetical list- ing, the film titles are also classified by subject and curriculum areas. When a film may be used in several subjects, it is included under each. Recordings for School Use: A Catalog of Appraisals, 1942. (Radio in Edu- cation Series)—J. Robert Miles, with special Appendix by R. R. Lowder- milk—World Book Company, Yonk- ers, N.Y. $1.24. The evaluation of recordings was carried on in connection with the Evaluation of School Broadcasts Pro- ject. Ohio State University. Teachers and administrators in some fifty public schools assisted in the research. The Introduction provides a basis for selecting and using school record- ings. The Catalog is arranged accord- ing to the following subjects: Social Studies and Science, Literature, For- eign Languages, Elementary School, Miscellaneous. The appraisals are constructive and very specific. Teachers everywhere will be greatly aided in their purchase of recordings by the excellent informa- tion contained in this book. Appraisals are based on the findings of classroom tryouts and of expert sub- ject matter judgment on over one thou- sand recordings. The notations com- prise a general rating, school subject in which the recording has been found most useful, full technical specifications and a description of the program con- tent. The volume also includes helps on the selection and use of a record-play- er, and the addresses of producers and distributors. SOURCES OF INFORMATION Descriptive Catalogue of Sound and Silent Films (16mm); Classified List- ing of Titles for Sound and Silent Films. M. R. Klein, Director, The Educational Museum, 4914 Gladstone Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. These bulletins are in loose-leaf form for the use of the classroom teachers of Cleveland. The titles listed have been selected and previewed by various department heads and curriculum cen- ters with the purpose of supplying a modern visual aid for instruction. Basic Field Manual: List of Publi- cations for Training, Including Train- ing Films and Filmstrips. FM 21-6 Superintendent of Documents, Wash- ington, D. C. 1942. A listing of the films now available to the armed forces for training. Dis- tribution and untilization of these mate- rials are under the direction of Captain Charles F. Hoban, Jr. Although the manual is now available for public dis- tribution, few of the films or filmstrips are generally available. However, the quality of the materials is outstanding and the manual is important for future reference. Motion Pictures— Not for Theatres (Continued from fiac/e 304) Some of the reels were to be for showing to the general public in hope of teaching disease prevention to the citizenry. The recent list of medical motion pic- tures under the aegis of Eastman Teaching Films numbers approximately eighteen, many of the items in three reels apiece. There are also half a dozen or so sub- jects produced by the organization "in cooperation with" the department of bi- ology and public health of the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology. On the whole, a very generous supply for pur- poses of testing a division of the field which, like the others, had not proved sufficiently interested to justify immediate continuance of the program. Among the doctors who had been most interested in the medical films project of the American College of Surgeons before the Hays cooperation was accepted, and most an.xious to get on with it, were Doctors J. Eastman Sheehan, eminent plastic surgeon, and Cherry, distinguished in another operating specialty. Individu- ally and quietly, they carried on their private investigations of the field, and were surprised one day to discover that they had reached Carpenter and Goldman by different routes. Dr. Cherry was es- pecially anxious to use a natural color process in his work, and Carpenter and Goldman, through an alliance with Charles Urban, possessed some Kinema- color cameras. With one of these Dr. Cherry moved into New York's Post- Graduate Medical School and Hospital for some experimental shots. Dr. Shee- han also made some in plastic operations. Sheehan and Cherry then decided to join forces to produce a series. But they presently quarreled and separated. How- ever, Sheehan continued alone, and su- pervised the making of about thirty reels by Carpenter and Goldman. In the mean- time the apparatus used was considerably improved, and an especial projector was built for Sheehan to use in a successful demonstration at Havana. The Post- Graduate board went on record as favor- ing production of surgical films by this method, and Sheehan embarked upon a still heavier output. The laboratory was busily editing approximately 9,000 feet more for him, while he himself had gone with completed reels to lecture at McGill University in Canada. He was awaiting the time to show those reels when the film caught fire and the precious special projector was wrecked in trying to ex- tinguish the flames. After that Dr. Shee- han was discouraged. In 1931, in preparation for the George Washington Bicentennial celebration the following year, Eastman Teaching Films produced the official motion pictures for the Government Commission so industri- ously headed by Representative Sol Bloom, purporting to show numerous scenes from the life of the Father of His Country. Production of the original Eastman Teaching Films series ceased about the first of July, 1932, the Company feeling, reasonably enough, that, for that present, it had made sufficient contribution there. The subjects made previous to 1933, how- ever, have been kept continuously avail- able to educators. The school tests were faithfully carried out as promised, and, in 1929, Dr. Finegan described in various places the encouraging results. Yes, schools could use instructional motion pic- tures to advantage. The full report of the experiments were published during 1929 under the general authorship of Ben D. Wood, of Columbia University, in collaboration with Frank N. Freeman, of the University of Chicago, in a book en- titled. Motion Pictures In the Classroom. As said before, the selling of Eastman Teaching Films has continued. In order to extend their use, an especial sales or- ganization was built with recruits from the book merchandising field—on the theory that salesmen trained there would be unusually familiar with the educa- tional approach. The immediate source of such personnel was the G. & C. Mer- riam Company, of Worcester, Massachu- setts, publishers of li'chstcr's Dictionary. From the sales department there was taken a group headed by W. H. Mad- dock. In this manner the enterprise was rejuvenated. In 1933 Eastman Teaching ing Films, Inc. was absorbed by the par- ent company, Eastman Kodak Company, and became officially the Teaching Films Division of the Eastman Kodak Com- pany. W. H. Maddock, who up to that time had been sales manager for Eastman Teaching Films, Inc., was made manager of the Teaching Films Division of the Eastman Kodak Company and has con- tinued in that position since 1933. New productions were made, some by arrangement with current explor- ing expeditions—the Thaw Expedition was one. Several recent geographical films have been photographed by that active American wanderer and lecturer, Julien Bryan. And there was a pleasant screen sojourn in the restored colonial capital of Williamsburg, Virginia. The latest Eastman catalog lists over three hundred films on Agriculture, Applied Art, Geography, Health, History, Nature Study, Science and Industry. Extra atten- tion has been gained by the supplemen- tary reels because they have been made as silent productions causing them to be cited in certain quarters as proof that sound films are not always to be preferred after all. It is certain though, that this interpretation was not intended by the Eastman Company, or by Ken R. Ed- wards, who has been in charge of the photographic end of this work. (To be conf/niied)