Moving Picture Age (Jan-Dec 1922)

Tanuarv. 1922 MOVING PICTURE AGE 19 GOOD BREEDING F. R. Steel President, F. R. Steel Company, Chicago GOSSARD Breeding Estates, the largest pure-bred livestock breeding organization in the world, has used two commercial films with great success in promoting the sale of its pure-bred Berkshires, Ayrshires, and Percherons. This establishment has three very large breeding plants, one located at Martinsville, a second at Paxton, Kansas, and a third at Axial, Colorado. It has the largest herd of registered Berkshires in the world, and also the largest herd of registered Ayrshires in America. In searching for a way to visualize the wonderful size and quality of this pure-bred stock for the farmer and breeder buyers in widely scattered sections of the United States where it would be impossible for these buyers to visit any of the plants and inspect the animals, motion pictures were thought of as the most feasible method. The F. R. Steel Company, which handles the advertising of the Gossard Breeding Estates, worked out a plan for making what might be called a pictorial autobiography of the development of the famous Epochal Berkshires, Ravinia Ayrshires, and Gossard Percherons owned by the Gossard Breeding Estates. Motion pictures were taken of scenes at the Gossard Breeding Estates and of the famous sires and dams of the herd, showing them in their home surroundings. Other scenes were shot at the various state fairs and national shows, where stock representing this breeding establishment were big winners. Still other scenes were taken of the epochmaking public sales, at which many world's record prices were established. A complete picture was taken of all the operations in handling, milking, weighing the milk, official testing, etc., in connection with the actual making of a world's record for milk and butterfat production by one of the famous Ravinia Ayrshires. No fictional narrative story was used in making these films, but in all cases the human-interest element was worked into the films in every way possible. One scene of a litter of little Berkshire pigs happened to develop a comedy star in the case of one little piglet, giving a scene which has never failed to bring a good laugh from any audience wherever this film has been shown. The Gossard Breeding Estates employs two traveling salesmen in the sale of its livestock ; and these films, one of the Berkshires and the other of the Ayrshires and Percherons, have been largely used by the salesmen, who carry with them portable motion-picture projectors. These films are especially useful to show before meetings of farmers and breeders, conventions, and other similar gatherings. Films have also been sent out to many of the state colleges of agriculture and placed at the disposal of a great many state leaders of county agents in all sections of the United States, and one film, with Spanish captions, is being shown in South America. Taken altogether this method has been thoroughly successful. The Gossard Breeding Estates is adding to its films right along every time and event of sufficient historical interest occurs in their field of operations. Willowmoor Peter Pan 50th, senior Ayrshire herd sire at Ravinia Report of Curriculum Committee, Visual Instruction Association of New York City THE REPORT of the Curriculum Committee of the Visual Instruction Association of New York City, as presented by Dr. Rowland Rogers, chairman of the committee and a Contributing Editor of Moving Picture Age, emphasizes the following facts : That with the development of the demand for instructional pictures there is evident a favorable change in the attitude of certain producers toward the use of films in the non-theatrical field. That certain films, such as one biblical production and a series on American authors, are indicative of the increased respect in which is held the material appropriate for non-theatrical use. That series of tests such as those conducted by Roy L. Davis (New York University), Prof. J. J. Weber (University of Kansas) and Prof. J. W. Shepherd (University of Kansas) are helping to give visual instruction a more definite and more favorable status. Summaries of the conclusions arrived at by these investigators are given. That subcommittees of the Curriculum Committee are now gathering data upon the following subjects: Biology, geography, English, civics, domestic science, continuation schools, physical education, and films for younger children. At the fall meeting of the association Dr. Ernest L. Crandall was elected president for the ensuing year. Miss Rita Hochheimer, assistant director of the Visual Instruction Department of the New York public school system, reported that the number of its biological films had been increased SO per cent, the number of films used in United States geography had been tripled, and film courses in phvsical geographv and physics were to be instituted in November, 1921. Epochal, greatest Berkshire sire of history, also shown in film Commissioner Tigert on Visual Instruction THE ANNUAL report of John J. Tigert, United States Commissioner of Education, contains several paragraphs which, while not carrying the specialized significance found in the contribution of the educator particularly trained in the use of visual aids, are interesting as reflecting the thought of an officially representative educator. According to the report : ''The film demand from educational institutions may never equal in bulk or in steady continuity the commercial demand, and yet its potential strength is sufficient to attract attention if only it can be organized and given expression. Representatives of the larger producers have declared their willingness to produce the films, provided they can be assisted in determining what is needed and can be used in the schools, and they have appealed to the bureau repeatedly to take the initiative in organizing some plan of investigation. No producer or organization of producers can afford to make the necessary analysis of school needs and educational possibilities, and they all lack the motive, the personnel, and the school contacts which are essential to the success of such a study. "In addition, much help is needed in studying the use of the stereopticon and stereopticon slides, the stereoscope, the phonograph, and other aids to instruction, to determine how much time may be used in these ways, what are the most effective and economical methods, the sources, and cost of such instructional materials, and the needed equipment."