Film and Radio Guide (Oct 1945-Jun 1946)

10 FILM AND RADIO GUIDE Volume XII, No. 4 hell ; that Hersay says her chocolate will out-bake the Otherher’s chocolate two to one ; that if you eat raisins you will go straight to heaven when you die ; but why die when you can follow the advice of Meetthepolicician Insurance Company and live to help it profit by your policy? Some 0 f these promotional motion pictures, which are made to train the young mind how to shoot (for, not at, the producer) , have their propaganda so cleverly masked that it is only by careful analysis, and long experience in watching their wily ways, that one can detect the “sleepers.” But as sure as the sun arose this morning, the “sleepers” are there, and the more carefully they are hidden the more poisonous and dangerous they are. And to you, Mr. Promoter, who cunningly advise newcomers to this field, even those who have reached high places, that it was only because of these “free(?)” (what price freedom!) pictures that schools were able to purchase projectors, and through these purchases encourage the production of regular, educational films, we say : if ever there was a Simon-pure sausage argument (baloney), this is it. As one who has been active in this field for thirty years, let me say that nothing has held back, nor is anything now holding back, the production and sale of legitimate, educational motion pictures more than the best (and I emphasize “best”) of these promotional films, because the better they are the more their competition hinders the sale and distribution of bona-fide educational pictures! And to you teachers, supervisors, and anyone else who condones their use, let me say that to be honest in your philosophy, you should at least charge these advertisers for their graft (and it is a graft) instead of allowing them to enter your classroom in their free, unfettered way. The “hardhearted” theater man is better than you are, for he took these ads from his screen years ago on the ground that his patrons paid their way into his theater to be amused and not to be “sold” a bill of goods. And you, Mr. and Miss Teacher, who are allowing the helpless youngsters under your charge to be sold a “bill of goods,” without paying a cent, in a tax-supported public school, to which your charges are compelled to go by law, are like the Judas-sheep in the slaughter pens, and if the Powers That Be do not punish you, you deserve to meet with hot-feet hereafter. We believe there is no argument you may present which will condone this betrayal of your trust! If there is, or if you think there is, with the permission of the editor of this publication, we shall give you space in our columns to present your case, reserving the right to our own rebuttal. Copyright, 1946, B. A. Aughinbaugh BEHIND THE SCREEN CREDITS Like two-legged human actors, four-legged horse actors must learn how to act before they can appear before the movie cameras. Many acting horses are put through their dramatic paces at Jack “Swede” Lindell’s ranch in San Fernando Valley, which is unofficially known as “The Equine Academy of Dramatic Arts.” Officially, the school is known as the Blanch-Lin Ranch, and its entrance requirements are snootier than those of the most BY HELEN COLTON exclusive finishing school. Each pupil gets Swede’s personal tutoring. Since he can handle only about 16 pupils at one time, he admits only those animals which are registered thoroughbreds of blooded lines like the Arab, American Standard-bred, Percheron, and Morgan lines of horsebreeding. The curriculum is an easy one. No poring over ancient history, foreign languages, civics, or economics. All a pupil at this school needs to learn is how to register surprise, fear, interest, rage, and affection, and to charge forward, walk forward, and rear up on hind legs. It’s an acknowledged fact that movie acting is done almost entirely with the eyes, which mirror the actor’s emotions. This is just as true of animals as it is of humans, and so Swede has to evoke in the eyes of his horses expressions which are most closely akin to the expressions which convey certain emotions in human eyes. It’s all done by