Exhibitors Herald (Jul-Sep 1922)

MARTIN J. QUIGLEY Publisher & Editor * ISSUE OF * September 23. 1922 Entertainment That Educates By MARTIN J. QUIGLEY '"THE higher uses of the motion picture, involv■■■ ing its educational and inspirational possibilities, have long been the subject of comment and speculation by persons who have followed intelligently the development of this new form of expression. Recently the circle of those who offer comment and speculation along this line has so widened that on every hand we hear the matter talked of. Publications covering a broad range of subjects are giving much space to it and there is hardly an assemblage of persons engaged in the teaching profession where the subject of what could be accomplished for young America with the right kind of motion pictures is not vigorously discussed. Hence, the stage is well set and the time is most opportune for an undertaking of the Fox Film corporation, to be announced soon, which is aimed to produce a series of motion picture subjects of an educational character. But the effort of the Fox organization does not stop merely with the production of subjects that inform and instruct: it insists further that these subjects also afford genuine entertainment. And this latter stipulation places the matter in a decidedly significant light. * * * THERE has been but little educational production of a creditable character. It is because of this that pedagogic authorities have not had much to justify an approval of motion pictures as an instrument of education. They have freely credited its possibilities and they have, in fact, been among the most outspoken in the prediction of the future possibilities of pictures along this line. And what little creditable material has been issued has been of such a dull and monotonous complexion that it has had but little to hold the interest of either child or adult. We do not mean that there has not been a wealth of geographic, scenic and other films of a similar type which are broadly informative but cannot be considered as strictly educational. Pictures to be strictly educational must tell enough and show enough of a single topic to be able to convey an intelligent understanding of that topic. Miscellaneous collections of informative items have been available but these have fallen short of any mark beyond that of passing interest because they have merely hit about at random without conveying any adequate idea of any particular subject. There have been also grossly sinister phases of this educational picture matter. Behind the cloak of "educational" there has been slipped out a variety of nondescript stuff, all of it with some ulterior motive behind it. usually in the nature of commercial propaganda. Out of this unsatisfactory situation there now comes the effort of the Fox organization. According to information disclosed the Fox plan is to issue for theatrical circulation a series of instructive subjects with each subject so produced that it will entertain as well as instruct. * * * THE significance of this undertaking is very great. In the first place, such pictures will supply a demand from pedagogic quarters that the industry as a whole could not long afford to ignore. Secondly, they place in the hands of the theatreman an instrument that will certainly be productive of excellent results in gaining the attention of the best people of his community and in the end winning these as allies against professional reformers and other unreasonable assailants of the screen. The industry can gain little even in the >vay of remote results from the production and exhibition of pedagogic films which would be made under educational auspices and shown in schools and churches. The industry is on trial in the theatre. It is there that the case must be proven that the men responsible for theatrical production are awake to their responsibilities and opportunities. Hence, it is essential that the industry's educational subjects be suitable for exhibition in theatres and this can only be accomplished by making them of a definitely entertaining character. The Fox organization in this matter has identified itself with a highly commendable undertaking. The reputation of the company augurs well for the quality of the product, and the policy behind it. as explained to us, insists that the pictures be entertaining as well as educational, thereby making them suitable for the theatres where they will do the most good in improving the public relations of the business and giving the exhibitor a spot in his program that he can be proud of before the most fastidious critic of the screen.