The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Page 310 The Educational Screen NEW FILMS OF THE MONTH As They Look to A Teacher Committee Conducted by L. C. LARSON Instructor in School of Education Consultant in Audio-Visual Aids Indiana University, Bloomington Campus Frontiers (Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio), 28 minutes 16mm., sound, kodachrome. For information write Presi- dent A. D. Henderson, Antioch College. Shows how Antioch College has "pushed its campus into the mills, the stores, the offices of America." Introductory campus scenes show the students in classrooms, conferences, and campus activities. Students are then shown at work on some sixty jobs in three major areas: business, social science, and industry and research. The picture shows a reporter interviewing a police sergeant, an accountant with Inter- national Printing Ink, a student at work for American Air- lines, another at the National Broadcasting Company in Radio City. Other scenes show other students on such jobs as school teachers, recreational directors, social case workers, and research assistants. Finally, "Campus Frontiers" follows students into war industry and science. A student tests a giant searchlight at Sperry Gyroscope; another operates desulphurizing equip- ment he helped to design for Ethyl Gasoline; another pre- pares medicines in the Abbott Laboratories. Between each group of jobs, scenes on the campus show the students bringing experiences from their jobs to the classroom. The film shows journalism classes studying the problems of publishing a newspaper and relating these prob- lems to their actual work experiences; sociology classes sup- plementing the textbook material with the knowledge they had gained in settlement houses and hospitals. Closing scenes reveal that it is the experience gained from sharing life as it is lived that enables Antiochians to run their own school government and to enjoy very democratic principles. Committee Appraisal: Directed and photographed by Chuck Klein, an upperclassman at Antioch College, this films shows how the study of contemporary America vita- lizes liberal education, gives the students vocational guid- ance and experience, helps develop interest and skills in democratic processes, and enables students, through alter- nating study and work, to aid in the national war effort. Wings of Youth (National Film Board of Canada, Ottawa) 19 minutes, 16mm, sound. Purchase price $30 or loan. For information write Miss J. Margaret Carter, National Film Board of Canada, 84 East Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois. The film opens with scenes of aerial dogfights from the last war; the commentator explains that one out of every This monthly page of reviews is conducted for the benefit of educational film producers and users alike. The comments and criticisms of both are cordially invited. Producers wishing to have new films reviewed on this page should write L. C. Larson, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, giving details as to length, content, date on which the film was issued, basis of availability, prices, producer, and distributor. They will be informed of the first open date when the Teacher Committee will review the films. The only cost to producers for the service is the cost of transporting the prints to and from Bloomington. This Cost Must Be Borne By The Producers. Assisted by CAROLYN GUSS and VIOLET COTTINGHAM Extension Division Indiana University, Bloomington three pilots in the last war was a Canadian. The post-war activity of Canadian flyers was devoted to exploration of the far north and forest patrols. The film then proceeds to describe Canada's present war activity in the skies. Scenes of young men enlisting, or schools being built, of huge airplanes being constructed, of planes, of hangars, of planes arriving from Britain and from Australia, and of the feverish activity to train pilots and crews for defense and offense. The intensive ground training is depicted as the men receive exhaustive physical and mental examinations, be- come accustomed to high altitudes by spending time in the decompression chambers, learn the feel of the plane in the Link trainer, attend schools for math and radio backgrounds, and learn to fly by instruments. The scene then shows the service crews at school and at work on the planes. The crews of the huge bombers are shown learning to bomb on paper, to develop accuracy with guns, to work as teams. Following the nine weeks of intensive training, the pilot is ready for his first solo. The instructor gives the young pilot his last instructions, and the pilot is shown on his own in the skies. Graduation day arrives and the men receive their wings and are inspected by an important air marshal! of the last war. Upon graduation, the pilot receives further training by flying larger planes in battle formation and working with full crews. The film closes with shots of planes over Sydney Bay and New Zealand and a final salute to the youth who fly the planes. Committee Appraisal: This film could be used to gain some idea of Canada's war efifort, methods of training and schooling airmen, and the progress Canada has made in aviation. The film would be an interesting one to use with the U. S. Army Air Force film, "Wings Up." World of Plenty (British Information Services, 360 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago) 45 minutes, 16mm, sound. Purchase price $47.00. Produced by Paul Rotha for Ministry of In- formation. Apply to distributor for rental sources. Dis- cussion guide available from Educational Film Library Association, 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City. This film presents the three constant problems of food— production, distribution, and consumption. By pictures, diagrams, and commentary, the film points up that food is man's chief security. The first of three parts, "Food As It Was," presents the condition in prewar days—over- production and destruction of food to maintain prices even though there were hungry malnourished people. Shots of coffee being dumped, of wheat and grain being burned vita- lize the diagram which explains the amount of food de- stroyed in proportion to that produced. Scenes of Amer- ica's poorly-fed families living in hovels symbolize the one-third of the population of the LTnited States that is under-nourished. The British prewar situation is clearly illustrated by diagrams which show the amount of food imported to feed Britain's people. Diagrams show that in spite of the presence of malnutrition, experts had increased the average physical strength and life span. The second part, "Food As It Is," emphasizes the stra- tegic importance of food in this war. Animated maps ex- (Coiitimied on page 312)