The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Page 362 The Educational Screeu nation's educational system, RCA out- lines its postwar suggestions to educa- tors in the booklet, "Planning Tomor- row's Schools." The school sound system, already adopted by thousands of schools and expected to be even more widely utilized in the future, the booklet says, provides a quick, easy distribution of radio pro- grams, phonograph recordings and on- the-spot vocals, as well as serving as a time-saving communication center for the school administrator. Public address equipment likewise can be employed to advantage in the school auditorium, gym- nasium or athletic stadium. Certain provisions should be made during school building construction for future develop- ments. Greater use of phonograph recordings is also visualized for the school of to- morrow, with students able to hear famous actors in recorded presentations of plays, historic speeches and diction lessons; foreign languages made easier through recordings by linguistic experts; and the world's best music brought from the concert hall to the class room. As for visual aids, RCA. research is reported to be developing improved motion picture projectors for classrooms and auditoriums. The Electron Micro- scope will be made available to schools and colleges throughout the country. Up- to-date test and demonstration equip- ment can be installed in science labora- tories. Charles R. Crakes, Educator, with DeVry Charles R. Crakes has joined DeVry Corporation, Chicago, as Executive Con- sultant on Visual Education. Mr. Crakes will be available without obligation or expense to educators interested in start- ing now to plan, prepare and equip their schools for postwar's predicted expansion in the use of visual training aids in all departments of education. For the past 20 years, Mr. Crakes has served as director and advisory adminis- trator of visual education for the public school system at Moline, III. His ex- perience includes two years as public school superintendent, 10 years as high school, and three years as junior high school principal—also eight years of practical teaching. He holds B. A. and M.A. degrees from Northwestern Uni- versity. Of him and the work planned for De Vry's educational consultant activities, Wm. C. DeVry says: "During the past 20 years, Mr. Crakes has been actively engaged in the study and development of a strong and properly functioning visual education program for public schools, on all levels from 1st to 12th grade. Fol- lowing the example of its founder, Dr. Herman A. DeVry, our company has endeavored always to be in the fore- front of visual teaching development. In Mr. Crakes, we believe, we have a spear- head for practical, proved and usable guidance for the progress in visual edu- cation that is bound to result from war- time experience." Current Film News (Concluded from page 35S) Winter Sports—skiing, skating, bob- sledding, tobogganing, etc. demon- strated by champions. New subjects are available in Official's animated cartoon series— The Little King Cartoons, Brozvnie Bear Cartoons, Dick atid Larry Cartoons. The Little King in Christmas Night is a good sub- ject to remember when planning holiday programs. A new 24-page "Pocket-Size" illus- trated catalog, covering close to 100 subjects in 8mm and 16mm, silent and sound, has just been published by Official Films. A free copy can be obtained upon request. ■ Bei.l & Howell Co., 1801 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, report that a series of visual education units, on "Optical Craftsmanship," each consisting of a ten to fifteen-minute 16mm sound motion pic- ture, a 35mm filmstrip and a sixteen- page manual, has just gone into pro- duction, under the joint auspices of the Navy and of the United States Office of Education. Titles of the units are: Finger Grinding, Pin-Bar Grinding, Fine Grind- ing, Pitch Buttoning and Blocking, Polishing, Centering and Cementing. Naval Technicians confer with W. F. Kruse, director of optical films. In answer to a question as to why this field was being fostered so ex- tensively. Commander E. B. Oliver, of the Bureau of Ships, Navy Department, explained that outbreak of the war has made imperative the immediate large- scale expansion of American production of precision optics. "Optics are the 'eyes of the Navy,' and you can't fight very well without eyes," he said. Every manu- facturer he has approached to take on the production of naval optical devices complained of lack of skilled manpower. There was, furthermore, practically no material available for the training of the new unskilled hands that had to be drawn by the thousands into the infant industry. After consultation with the War Manpower Commission, it was de- cided to add this vital new field of manpower training to the machine-shop, shipbuilding, welding and other crafts in which the USOE films have rendered noteworthy aid. When completed, the optical films, like all other USOE films, will be rented and sold through the Bell & Howell Film- sound Library. ■ Post Pictures Corporation, 723 Sev- enth Ave., New York City, has just issued a new catalog of its exclusively controlled 16mm sound films. Included are major Hollywood features avail- able for the first time in this size. These include Broadu'ay Limited, with Victor McLaglen; Captain Caution, with Victor Mature and Leo Carillo; Saps at Sea, with Laurel and Hardy; Road Show. with .Adolph Menjou and Carole Landis; Topper Returns, with Roland Young, and Joan Blondell. Post handles films for sale only and in some instances under a three-year lease, but its releases are available for rental at leading film libraries through- out the country. Copies of the catalog can be obtained on request to Post Pictures Corporation. ■ Brandon Films, Inc., 1600 Broadway, New York City, has compiled another Wartime Film Bulletin, called "One World," which is Supplement No. 2 to their General Catalog of "Movies to Help Win the War." This handy-size booklet (3V^ X 8V4) offers descriptions of selec- ted features for programs of world-wide scope—-American, British, Italian, French, Polish, Mexican, Spanish, and German features. Documentaries, Newsreel shorts on the War, and film units for United Nations Victory Programs complete the contents of this 21-page catalog, which is available free upon request. ■ Johnson & Johnson, New Bruns- wick, N. J., in cooperation with the United States Public Health Service, have produced the following 16mm sound motion picture to supplement first aid courses in schools: Help Wanted—reviewed and passed by the U S.Office of Civilian Defense and the .American College of Surgeons. The all-professional cast demonstrates the general procedure recommended for caring for victims before the arrival of the doctor. Included are sequences showing the circulatory system of the human body, methods of stopping bleeding from cut arteries and veins, treatment of shock, proper method of applying and handling various types of bandages, treatment of burns, artificial respiration, treatment of fractures and methods of transporting injured per- sons. Schools or other groups interested can secure prints on a free-loan basis. ■ Bureau of Mines, 4800 Forbes St.. Pittsburgh, Pa., has released the follow- ing 16mm sound subjects for free dis- tribution : Petroleum and Its Uses—42 minutes running lime—describing the important role played by petroleum and its prod- ucts in the daily life of the average American family. Of particular in- terest are scenes showing one of the steps in the production of synthetic rubber. Stainless Steel—29 minutes running time—the production story of a cor- rosion-resistant metal that combats rust. Each sep in the production process is depicted.