The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Now only 50c — THE RELIGIOUS SCREEN by Wm. S. Hockman Church Dep+. Editor ... a booklet of 64 pages of information reprinted fronn the Church Department. THE RELIGIOUS SCREEN should be in every church worker's library. Send only 50c today to EDUCATIONAL SCREEN 64 E. Lake St., Chicago I, III. story proper. The performance is uneven and, in part, poorly paced. Tlie Bibletone album reproduces the complete script and pictorializes Goliath as an ugly, hair-covered, fierce-looking animal-man. It is unfortunate that the publishers felt that this device of illustration was desirable. There is no difficulty choosing between the two "David and Goliath" recordings. The even and convincing performance Claude Rains oflfers is further demonstration of his superior artistry. The Story of Daniel in the Lion's Den completes this Bibletone album. The situation introducing the story is implausible. The script is adequately written except for an extremely weak closing. The performances and sound effects are poor. All in all, the Bibletone presentations, although not as sermonizing as the Sacred records, must be classed with them as inferior to other records reviewed in this section. On the reverse of "David and Goliath" (Capitol DBS 92) Claude Rains offers one of childhood's favorite Bible stories, Joseph and His Coat of Many Colors. This is a superior recording, sensitively told. It is highly suitable for religious school use and is in all respects excellent. This can be used in the first and second grades as part of a biblical stories period and for presenting, in highly suitable manner, one of the Bible stories children remember longest. Simmel-Meservey has produced an interesting record of a religious-literary nature which will serve well in the upper elementary grades and the junior high school. It is titled Sermon on the Mount aiid The Last Supper. J. Carroll Naish reads the lines from the world famous "Pilgrimage Play" with the support of original music by Eddison Von Ottenfeld. This is an excellent recording worthy of intensive religious school use. RCAVictor's The Bible Speaks, Volume 1 (DG 32). containing three sections titled "Four Parables", "Sayings of Jesus" and "Golgotha", is a sympathetic and dignified presentation of New Testament material. The beauty of the album is a tribute to the featured artists, Raymond Edward Johnsgn as the chronicler and House Jameson. who speaks the words of Jesus. Erik Barnouw has magnificently adapted biblical text to these dramatizations of the Bible. Here the simplicity and dignity of the Bible are carried over into the aural medium exceptionally well. The discs are well suited to religious school use and are rated as excellent in all respects. They are well suited for use for stimulation, for the direct presentation of information, and for summarizing Bible study activities on the junior and senior high school levels. The material from the Old Testament, with the exception of the Claude Rains recordings, lacks insight into the real beauty and appeal of the Bible. The recordings of the New Testament exemplify that magnificence in the direct presentation of material in a simple, dignified, unaffected and altogether fitting manner. A new development within the past year in the field of rehgious recordings brings three titles from Allegro. They deal with three of the Jewish religious celebrations: Hanukkah (Allegro ay 102), Jewish Sabbath at Home (Allegro ay 103), and Tu B'Shvat (.A.Uegro ay 104). 264 These records present with simple dignity and wholesome appeal the songs associated with the holidays listed. The record devoted to "Tu B'Shvat" tells the reasons for the festival. These records can be useful in Jewish religious schools for direct instruction and in other religious schools to demonstrate the beauty of the music preserited. They can be used, too, to supplement logical explanations of the Jewish holidays when such explanations are introduced to foster better understanding and appreciation of the religious customs of men and women of the Jewish faith. It seems, then, that the secrets of successfully introducing record of religious significance are simplicity, true dignity, and real artistry both in script preparation and in performance. Asia Is Calling The first album of records produced by New World Recordings (Room 331, 156 Fifth Ave, N. Y. 10) bears the title "Asia Calling." This album contains six 12-inch 78 rpm records pressed by RCA. The content of these records is "documentary." They give us both music and speech. We hear children of Asia singing their own Christian hymns in Sunday school ; hear the folk songs of Siam and the Philippines ; hear the music of the Chinese flute and the Indian sittar ; and listen to short and inspiring messages by outstanding personalities of the Christian Orient. Here is recorded material which can be a vast resource to imaginative and careful leaders of all age groups. The singing of the Chinese Sunday school children in a heatless church on a cold February morning is a heart-melting experience which will make old and young quicken with a realization that "In Him There Is No East or West." All of this material has a very high educational potential. I am certain of this, having used parts of it with certain groups of children in my church school. Recommended. For price and further information write to the producers. — WSH. Curriculum Filmstrip The curriculum builders are beginning to catch up with the visual media. The 5S-frame filmstrip. Our Church at Home and Abroad (Pilgrim Press, 14 Beacon St., Boston 8), was produced for use with the Pilgrim Series for the Spring Quarter, 1949. It was produced from photographs showing actual situations in which the church is doing God's work in the world. Its four sections (what is the church; the church at work at home ; the church at work abroad ; and what we can do to strengthen the church) taken together cover pretty well the major areas of the church's ministry to people. There is no denominational accent, making the film useful to any church. Two scripts accompany this filmstrip — one for children and the other for young people and adults. Narrative in type, both scripts are instructive and inspiring. They don't plod — like a school boy's composition, nor do they jerk along in poor dialogue. They have the flowing, moving, well-paced character of good prose, leaving a lot of work for the pictures to do. The utilization suggestions are practical, specific, and helpful. Here is material which will have a usefulness far beyond the curriculum of which it is a part. Recommended.— WSH. Correspondence A regional denominational executive asks how he may keep up with the new materials and methods of the church field with the least expenditure of time. Of course, I suggested that he read Screen. Too, he should get his name on the mailing list for his and other denominational visual aid bulletins, catalogs and notices of new materials. De.-^r Mr. Patterson (Box 132, Abilene, Texas) : I do not know of any source of 8mm religious films. You might try writing a few of the concerns listed on page 163 of Screen's "Blue Book of 16mm Films", or Ideal Pictures Corp., Chicago. Any of our readers who know of sources are invited to write directly to Mr. Patterson . . . The grapevine reports that F. L. Fay's filmstrip. Christian Syiiibolis)n. appearing last August, is a best seller of Whittemore Associates, Inc., Boston 8. "I will soon have two new releases in teacher training Educational Screen