Moving Picture Age (Jan-Dec 1922)

February, 1922 MOVING PICTURE AGE 25 poses of the lesson, and the facts that are being presented visually. The volume shows evidence of careful preparation by capable hands, and warrants examination by every instructor who has installed or is contemplating the installation of safety standard projection equipment. The Fox Film Corporation, 55th Street and 10th Avenue, New York City, announce the opening of an Educational Division and also an Industrial Division. The two new divisions are to be under the direction of Mr. Herbert E. Hancock, formerly director of Fox News. The Educational Division has access to hundreds of thousands of feet of negative appropriate for the preparation of valuable instructional reels, and work has already been started upon the selection of the finest material in this group. ******** A number of universities and other educational institutions have adopted James R. Cameron's volume, "Motion Picture Projection," as the standard authority* on projection, according to Mr. Cameron. The book, consisting of 560 pages, and thoroughly illustrated, is based upon experience gained over an extensive period that included the instruction of thousands of disabled soldiers for the Red Cross and other rehabilitation agencies. The International Alliance, whose opinion is considered final by theatrical projectionists, has endorsed "Motion Picture Projection." ******** Visual Symphony Productions, Inc., 220 W. 42d Street, New York City, announces a series of productions of most unusual and valuable character. Twelve famous operatic selections have been chosen, with care as to their screening potentialities; these have been visualized in from 1,000 to 1,500 feet of film each, and have been perfectly synchronized to the music of their respective selections. Real artists have been chosen for the interpretations. For instance, Adolph Bohm, ballet master of the Metropolitan Opera, is to appear in the "Dans Macabre." The twelve selections to be reproduced are : Saint-Saens' "Dans Macabre" ; DeBussy's "Fann" ; Beethoven's "Pastoral Symphony"; the Japanese Melody from Tschaikowsky's "Nutcracker Suite" ; the Rimsky-Korsakoff "Scheherazade" ; Schumann's "Scenes from Childhood," in eleven lj4-minute versions; Wagner's "Flying Dutchman" ; Tschaikowsky's "Marche Slave" ; Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite" ; Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" ; Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance," and Mendelssohn's "Fingal's Cave." Interesting' Men on the Boulevard This series would bring before you men prominent in the commercial phases of visual instruction, for these individuals have played an important but generally unrecognized role in stimulating th« use of visual aids beyond their immediate interests. No particular sequence has been employed in the series Herman A. DeVry THIS gentleman with the name so familiar in the non-theatrical field (we regret that his disregard of such vanities as photographs prevents the reproduction of his smile here) would seem to have rightful reason for mention in this column. When a man has exhibited educational films and worked to produce finer means of projection over a period of 24 years, as has Mr. DeVry, he is a non-theatrical pioneer in every sense of that sometimes abused expression. In 1898, in Kansas City, Missouri, this pioneer projected his first educational film— the machine being a Lumier projector, and the film a few views taken in France. In 1899 he exhibited motion pictures at the Omaha Exposition, and in 1900 Mr. DeVry screened the first version of the Passion Play. At this time most cities of from 25,000 to 30,000 population did not have electric lights; and in the few exceptions the current was available only at night. This projection specialist claims that even during these early perambulations he had conceived a vague idea of a projector built in a vestpocket edition. As the years went by, Mr. DeVry studied various plans, discarding many possibilities that looked promising at first glance ; but in 1910 he came upon the thought of building the projector within its own carrying case. At the time when Mr. DeVry started to experiment with this plan in his basement, none of the successful projectors weighed less than 100 pounds when packed for transportation; no projector motor weighed less than 30 pounds, and no incandescent lamp was available for projection purposes. These are some of the problems that this pioneer faced — and overcame. And perhaps the best evidence of Mr. DeVry's progress is to be found in the fact that the DeVry factory, using over 100 employes, has supplanted the little basement workshop where the initial work on the DeVry projector was done. On the Visualization of Geography FROM the New York State Education Department is received a pamphlet that should prove of marked service to the user of visual aids in geography: "Outline of Visual Method as Applied to the Teaching of South America." The material is compiled under the supervision of Alfred W. Abrams, Chief of the Visual Instruction Division of the Education Department, from whose able pen comes the contribution in the National Academy of Visual Instruction official department this month. The pamphlet's scope is best indicated by an itemizing of the subheadings, which are as follows : Equipment Required ; The Teacher ; In Which Grade ; Time Required ; Time to Be Given to Pictures; Number of Slides to Be Used during One Exercise; The Study Period ; Map-Drawing ; Use of the Textbook ; Relation to English ; On Teaching Latitude ; Testing Pupils ; Place Work ; Use of Drill Map ; Some General Suggestions ; Reorganization of Ideas, and Results. The practical application of the instructional data is found under the final subheading — Outline of Study with Some Teaching Points of Particular Pictures and Illustrations of Procedure. Here are listed for each country the slides to be used, points to be emphasized, the significant maps, and suggestive questions, that develop the teacher's most constructive thought on each topic. A Visual-Instruction News Letter FROM the Visual Instruction Service of the North Dakota Agricultural College, at Fargo, comes an interesting and valuable news letter concerning the local and general progress of visual instruction. Films and slides distributed by the institution are listed ; practical advice for the care of films and slides is furnished ; names of individuals obtaining good results by means of various forms of visual instruction are printed; and the bulletin contains considerable miscellaneous information that applies to visual instruction in the school, church, farm bureau, and community center. The subscription price of the news letter is 25 cents, based on a minimum of four issues annually; the number of issues is increased if the amount collected will pay for the printing of additional numbers. THE SALE IS ON Master pictures based on the writings of the greatest masters. The world's best literature unfolded on the screen. New and used prints offered for outright sale. Also negatives. Biblical, historical, literary. The cream of the film market at your disposal. Don't write — telegraph. NON-THEATRICAL EXCHANGES WIRE FOR TERRITORY We have secured tile exclusive rights for several classic features. Territories are being allotted now. Write for the exclusive rights of films that are in great demand among schools, colleges and universities. CLASSIC FEATURE FILM COMPANY 51 East 42nd Street, New York City A Clearing House for Films of Merit