Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1933)

20 MOTION PICTURE HERALD June 3, 1933 BABEL OF FILM FINDINGS IN NAME OF SCIENCE SCORED BY GOLDSMITH Public Propaganda for SelfCentered Movements Abets Orgy of Surveys, Misusing Nannes, Says SMPE President An ''extraordinary babel" of so-called scientific findings on the psychology of motion picture entertainment, particularly on the child mind, with misuse of the names of leading educators and other public men and women to exploit those conclusions, is the result of an orgy of surveys, investigations and studies undertaken "to forward self -centered rather than altruistic and scientific movements," Dr. Alfred N. Goldsmith, president of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, declared in a paper presented before the New York Section Saturday. Instead of following recognized procedure in scientific studies, procedure which would place the conclusions of investigators before a jury of their peers in the particular field, public propaganda has been substituted, said Dr. Goldsmith. And Dr. Goldsmith speaks as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow of the American Physical Society, and Fellow and Director of the Institute of Radio Engineers, as well as SMPE executive. Schools' Prestige Misused "Scientific research receives the doubtful credit for conclusions that could not possibly have been conceived in the scientific spirit," he said. "The prestige of leading universities and colleges of the country is being misused. A galaxy of 'names,' in the form of sponsoring committees for pseudoscientific conclusions, is made to serve as the basis for fund-raising campaigns," while "the new style, apparently, is to have the findings interpreted weeks and even months before the real findings are published." Dr. Goldsmith applied his point to a paper by Rev. W. H. Short, director, Motion Picture Research Council, which was read before the SMPE at its Spring Meeting, and "presumed to be a synopsis or general summary of an investigation of certain motion picture questions, carried out through support granted by the Payne Fund of Ohio." Layman Summarizing Results Discussing Rev. Short's paper in some detail. Dr. Goldsmith declared: "The investigation is presented as having a scientific aim, and its results are to be given in a series of volumes shortly to be published. The authors of these volumes are assumed to be qualified scientists in the educational field. It is understood that Mr. Short, in presenting the results of their investigations for several months in advance of their publication or presentation to any competent scientific body, is acting as a layman summarizing and presenting the results and conclusions of a group of scientists. "Having thus had our attention attracted to his recent presentation, reference was had to a sketch in 'Who's Who' about Mr. W. H. Short. This discloses that he is neither a doctor of science nor a doctor of medicine. He is a bachelor of divinity, ac cording to that record. He was ordained a Congregationalist minister in 1897. He has been the secretary of various fund-raisingcampaigns directed towards the promotion of public movements. Finaly, he is listed. as the author of a report called 'A Generation of Motion Pictures, 1928.' A study of that paper and its history became of interest." "Collection of 'Horrors' " Of that document, termed a "collection of 'horrors' " allegedly found on the screen practically since its inception, and based upon newspaper clippings, Dr. Goldsmith said : "A newsaper item to the effect that several small children had to be taken from a hall exhibiting a Jack-in-the-Beanstalk picture, partly because the music played by the orchestra was so loud that it had unnerved them, forced the conclusion that 'Picture Realism Sends Tots Out Crying.' . . . "It was such meat as this that was fed to psychological investigators in order that scientific conclusions might be drawn therefrom. But apparently Mr. Short's own committee did not consider this document sufficiently 'scientific' ever to authorize its open publication. Other Fantastic Conclusions "Further preliminary studies subsequently circulated declared that the reputation of movie children was very much lower than that of non-movie children. Yet in the very same breath the statement was made that movie children rated Protestant ministers and social workers higher than did nonmovie goers ! "Again, movie children were named oftener as best friend, it was said, than non-movie children ; movie children read more books, more magazines ; they are more admired and more sociable than non-movie children. And yet all this is contradicted in this study by the conclusion that movie children stand lower in the eyes of their classmates. "Worst of all, perhaps, is the discovery that the college professor stands lower than the popular actor in the eyes of movie children. To the question, 'Would you rather be a college professor or a popular actor?' most of the movie children said, we are told, 'A popular actor.' " Even Pillow-Fights! Dr. Goldsmith cited incidental matter from other so-called "preliminary studies,", such as ten picture-going youngsters awakening at midnight to engage in a pillowfight, sub-breathing supposedly induced by sitting humped up in a theatre, 100 Chicago children admitting that they bit their fingernails at the "movies." Returning to Mr. Short, Dr. Goldsmith added : "In Mr. Short's recent paper before this Society it is stated that a number of children were taken to motion picture theatres and after the performance their heart-beat rate was measured and the amount of movement (motility) during sleep was determined. It is stated that the heart-beats were accelerated and that the motility in sleep was increased. A number of puzzling questions, the answers to which do not appear in Challenges Conclusions in Paper by Rev. W. H. Short on Effects of Pictures on Child, And Blame for PillowFights the paper, at once arise. Among these questions are : "Precisely what problem was being investigated? Was it the effect of motion pictures on heart-beat or pulse rate and sleep motility? Or was it the beneficial or injurious effect of motion pictures on children ? . . . "And further, on physiological effects : Would not the prospect of a vacation trip, or of a 'treat' of ice cream or some other popular delicacy quicken the pulse and add to sleep motility? How about the effect of a new doll on a small girl, or of an Indian costume (complete with feathers and tomahawk) or a baseball bat and catcher's glove on a small boy? What About Christmas? "But suppose motion pictures do quicken the heart-beat? "There is scarcely an activity of normal childhood that does not have the same result. Running to school, playing ball, cheering the school team to victory, thrilling to a patriotic appeal, playing cops and robbers — all of these usually stimulate heart action. Do children sleep entirely without motion' on Christmas Eve, and is their pulse rate constant while enjoying their newly-acquired gifts on Christmas Day? "Probably the widest survey of the influence of motion pictures on children is that included in the report of the British Commission on Educational and Cultural Films. That report sums up the investigations of a competent observer as follows: " 'My general impression, after reading a fairly large mass of evidence carefully, is that there is no need for serious alarm. . . . These children at least seldom see anything ori the films in which virtue and right are not merely ultimately, but immediately, triumphant ; that is, at the end of twenty minutes. Evil, on the films, never pays.' " MGM Gets Battery of New Sound and Film Printers Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has ordered a battery of the recently developed Bell & Howell automatic sound and picture film printers to be installed in the company's studios in Hollywood. The printer permits simultaneous printing of sound waves and picture records on talking motion picture films used in theatres, instead of printing sound and pictures separately. Reqal Names Ontario Manager Gordon Lightstone has been appointed manager of the Ontario branch of Regal Films, Ltd., with headquarters in Toronto. He succeeds the late Henry V. O'Connor who had held the post for 16 years. Lightstone has been head salesman at Regal's Toronto office for many years.