Film and Radio Guide (Oct 1945-Jun 1946)

44 FILM AND RADIO GUIDE Volume XII, No. 5 the classroom via the air waves. Warren Kay, of the schools radio staff, tells a story about how an animal acquired some characteristic of his appearance, or, it may be, of his disposition. Combined with these tales are facts about the nature and habits of the animal. The facts help to clear up common misconceptions. They also encourage the proper care of domestic animals and pets. Attendance at the Zoo has increased because children want to see the animals they have heard about; members of the Zoo’s population have become popular radio “personalities.” Besides encouraging trips to the Zoo, the program has created an interest in animal lore and in science generally. All of these programs on science are planned by the Radio Office of the Philadelphia Public Schools, in cooperation with the institutions involved. Teachers’ manuals for all the broadcast series are made available by the radio stations WFIL and WIP to every teacher in the grades to which the program is directed. USE OF VISUAL AIDS IN THE OKMULGEE CITY SCHOOLS BY W. MAX CHAMBERS Okmulgee, Oklo. Since the beginning of World War II, there has been such a turnover of personnel in small school systems that audio-visual programs have suffered temporary setbacks. Okmulgee’s motion-picture machines have been idle for some time. Stereopticon slides have been used spasmodically. The recording machine has found little use by speech classes in the last three years. Speech-correction teachers, like other highly skilled people, went away to build airplanes. W. Max Chambers, Superint'endent of Schools, Okmulgee, Oklahoma. The movie camera, which was formerly employed to record outstanding student activities, is no longer is use, because of shortage of films and lack of personnel to operate the camera. Now that the war is over, and l)ersonnel, equipment, and supplies will once more be available, plans are developing for an audio-visual program to supl)lement practically every learning situation in the entire school system. The program has developed to such a point that in this school system of 3,000 boys and girls a full-time director of audio-visual programs is highly desirable. Finding such a trained person for immediate employment, however, is out of the question. An audio-visual program committee of teachers, two from each school, led by the elementary curriculum supervisor and working in conjunction with the Visual Education Department of the University of Oklahoma, will make recommendations to the superintendent and Board of Education at the close of the current semester. "Best" Pictures of 1945 The Film Daily’s recent annual poll of newspaper, magazine, and radio critics resulted in the following verdict regarding films of 1945; HEST DIRECTION H1;NRY king for “Wilson” (20th Century-Fox). OTTO PREMINGER for “Laura” (20th Century-Fox). ALFRED HITCHCOCK for “Spellbound” (David 0. Selznick-UA). WILLIAM DIETERLE for “Love Letters” (Hal Wallis-Paramount). ELIA KAZAN for “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (20th Century-Fox). OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAYS “WILSON” — Lamar Trotti (20th Century-Fox). “LAURA” — Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, Betty Reinhardt (20th Century-Fox). “THE STORY OF G.I. JOE”— Leopold Atlas, Guy Endore, Philip Stevenson (Lester Cowan-UA). “LOVE LETTERS”— Ayn Rand (Hal Wallis-Paramount) . “A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN” — Tess Slesinger, Frank Davis (20th Century-Fox). OUTSTANDING PHOTOGRAPHY “THE FIGHTING LADY” (Technicolor)— U. S. Navy photographers, under supervision of Com. Edward .1. Steichen (20th Century-Fox). “W I L S 0 N” (Technicolor) — Leon Shamroy (20th Century-Fox). “ANCHORS AWEIGH” (Technicolor) — Robert Planck, Charles Boyle (M-G-M). “NATIONAL VELVET” (Technicolor)— Leonard Smith (M-G-M). “A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS (Technicolor) — Ray Rennahan (Columbia). “T H E PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY’’ — Harry Stradling (M-G-M). Wilson, Darryl F. Zanuck’s brilliant 20th-Fox production which brought to the screen the life and times of the Princeton educator who became the 27th President of the United States, was rated 1945’s Number One feature release by 481 American critics and reviewers for press and radio who participated in The Film Daily’s poll. Following are the top 25 pic