Movie Makers (Jun-Dec 1928)

Will YOURS be a MOVIE SUMMER? New Developments in Home Movie Field Simplify Summer Movie Problems VACATION time is almost here. Where are you going to be — abroad with your camera, at home, in the mountains, or at the shore? Wherever you may be you will find lots of use for your camera in recording for all time the joys you are experiencing day by day. Your movie camera will make it a truly unforgetable summer. And how about the evenings? Not so much chance to take pictures then, you say. No, but a wonderful time to see the ones you have taken, and under ideal conditions. You'll have your projector with you, of course, unless you are traveling abroad, and what could be more delightful than an outdoor movie show in your own garden or on the porch, where cool breezes will add to your comfort. Daylight saving makes darktime come late, so that after a day filled with tramping, tennis, swimming or business, you and your friends will all be glad to relax and let the silver screen do the entertaining. And here is your chance, lucky projector owner, to make yourself a very popular member of your colony. Have a carefully planned movie program once or twice a week. "That's a good idea," you say, "but how can I do it that often? I won't be making new films that fast, and I can't lug with me all the films I own." Quite right. That would be foolish. Besides, probably it would not give you enough variety, because the chances are that the films you have bought are mostly travel, or war films, Lindbergh pictures or cartoon comedies. They wouldn't offer enough variety for many evenings. When you come right down to it, if you are giving a regular show you probably want a good feature picture like the regular theatres have. Then for your surrounding bill you can introduce one or two news, travel or cartoon films, and also your own latest record of the things you and the other spectators have been doing. You see, if you show a four or five-reel feature that will use up an hour to an hour and a quarter, and since a two-hour show is legitimate, you can arrange quite a varied program from among the films you have on hand, including the ones you have taken yourself. Your rental library can, of course, supply the feature films for you. As the latest development in home movies, you can now make arrangements 402 By Katherine M. Comstock before you go away for a feature film or any other type of shorts you desire, to be sent you on a definite night, or alternate nights, each week. Rest assured that it will be there on time. This dealer service is constantly improving; it will continue to improve as the demand for service grows. Rental libraries are equipping to keep you supplied all summer with entertaining films, whether you are in the mountains or at the shore; whether you prefer travel pictures, comedies, features, or sports studies. All you have to do is to talk it over with your dealer. Ask him to keep you informed about the new films that are constantly being released in 16mm size. Tell him to ship you a weekly or semi-weekly program. You may make your own selections from the descriptive catalogues or the dealer will be glad to do this for you. Let him know the type of subject you and your family enjoy most; inform him whether there will be children in the audience, and if so about what age. Then leave it to him to prepare a carefully balanced program of the length you desire. On Friday evenings or on Tuesdays and Saturdays, as the case may be, your films will be on hand and you can start your show assured of a highly pleasant evening for yourself and your guests. All this can be arranged at a minimum of trouble for you and at an almost negligible cost above the regular rental rates. You lucky folks who are going abroad will be seeing so much that you won't want to watch movies in the evenings, but how about the members of your family who can't get away? To an extent you can arrange for them to travel with you. Study that itinerary of yours and inform the family just where you will be each week. Then they can order travel films of that particular country and visualize the interesting places your letters describe by actually seeing in movies the countries you are visiting. How much more interested they would be if they could follow you in this way! And when you get back home with the films you have taken while abroad the family will be even more anxious to see them. They have become acquainted with the country through films they have procured, but yours will show the things that interested you most; and, besides, you yourself have taken them. Though it is frequently stated that "comparisons are odious," they are nevertheless distinctly human and sometimes very interesting. Along about August probably will come 0the annual tennis tournament in your particular community, and already some of you are working to improve your game. Why not get additional help by studying actual strokes used by professionals — such men as Vincent Richards or William Tilden 2d? You can either rent or buy such films, which contain slowmotion shots of these stars in action. Or if your hobby is golf there are available films which analyze the strokes of Bobby Jones, Frances Ouimet, Harry Cooper and other stars in slow motion. You will find a study of these films a most effective form of coaching. As for the children, three or four months' vacation is a long time away from school, and of course they love movies. All children do. Well, why not combine the two? Educational movies are abundant — the ways of children in foreign lands, nature studies of animals or flowers, science, outdoor sports, etc. Probably the best way to educate them painlessly is not to give them too much at a time, but to run in one or two educational or travel films, and perhaps a comedy, in the early part of your show, and then send the youngsters off to bed while you enjoy the feature. You will find that you enjoy the educational film just as much as they do. At most camps for both boys and girls the educational film is a regular part of the weekly program. Once or twice a week they have a movie show — out doors in fair weather and in the recreational room if stormy. Popular comedies or a feature picture vary the program, but >_ne good travel picture and at least one educational are sure to appear. The children love them. So if your youngsters don't go to a regular camp don't deprive them of this opportunity to be as well posted as their schoolmates when they get back in the fall. The things they learn now through authentic films they will never forget. Various film companies, realizing how popular {Continued on page 419)