Film and Radio Guide (Oct 1945-Jun 1946)

May, 1946 FILM AND RADIO GUIDE 53 WITHOUT DOWRY. Amkino release, produced in Russia. First, we attend a wedding; next, we and some boatmen are on the Volga; nor do we understand why we left the wedding and came to the river. This film would make a good classroom exercise for students to provide transitions between sequences. The opening promises much by contrasting the frozen face of the bride with that of her younger unmarried sister who looks ripe for a happy marriage. But as the story unfolds, she too falls into the clutches of the mercenary mother and of an ironic fate. Except for the mother and one or two others, the acting tends towards caricature. The film, on the whole, is a feeble one. Carolyn Harrow A Suggested Policy as to "Free" Films School use of sponsored instructional materials creates significant problems, yet group thought and expression on the matter has been very limited. To achieve some unity of opinion and action on these problems as they relate to audio-visual materials, numerous leaders in the field were invited to Detroit in conjunction with the Michigan Audio-Visual Conference held April 4-6. Of those invited, the following twenty-three were in attendance. Howard Allen, West Virginia University Gerald Bench, Chicago, Illinois Floyde Brooker, United States Office of Education Lester Doerr, Grand Rapids, Michigan Mark Flanders, Waterloo, Iowa Leslie Frye, Cleveland, Ohio William Hart, Dearborn, Michigan Rita Hochheimer, New York, New York Carl Horn, Michigan State Dept. of Public Instruction Ford Lemler, University of Michigan Doris Lynn, Indianapolis, Indiana Harley Lyons, Cincinnati, Ohio Lillian McNulty, Louisville, Kentucky M. Lincoln Miller, Akron, Ohio Marvin Perkins, South Bend, Indiana Paul Reed, Rochester, New York Merlin Richard, South Bend, Indiana Roy Robinson, Highland Park, Michigan Carolyn L. Schoeffler, University of Kentucky L. Merle Smuck, Baltimore, Maryland Arthur Stenius, Detroit, Michigan C. H. Tabler, Massillon, Ohio Cyril Woolcock, Royal Oak, Michigan Although those present represented direction of school audio-visual programs in areas having a total population of approximately seventeen million people, all realized that leadership in the field was represented only in part. It was not the thought of the group that their deliberations and discussions should carry finality. In order to gain benefits from the reactions of others, the statement issued by the group is being sent to selected individuals and organizations throughout the country, as well as to any others who may request it, for their comments. The group spent the better part of three days in working toward the statement hereafter given. Only the first session on April 4 was open to the press and to representatives of industrial sponsors and film producers. At this session, three distinct views were formally presented by the following individuals : Dr. S. A. Courtis, Professor Emeritus of Education, University of Michigan ; Dennis Williams, Field Supervisor, Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, Inc. ; and Allen Orth, Director of Educational Service, Department of Public Relations, General Motors Corporation. General discussion followed these presentations. In releasing the results of their deliberations, the group expressed the hope that their action might have two results : 1. That the statement would serve to focus attention on the significance of problems springing from school use of sponsored instructional materials. 2. That the statement would act as a basis for more comprehensive and detailed study of these problems. Just as the members of the group evaluated carefully each proposal placed before them, just so they expect others to evaluate the statements which follow. The result of wider examination, challenge, and criticism may be a re-emphasis of