Moving Picture Age (Jan-Dec 1922)

'There is no one sleeping or disputing during a motion-picture program," says Mr. Stebbins, a successful user of farm-bureau films RURAL EXHIBITIONS in MONTANA Murray E. Stebbins Agricultural Agent, Valley County, Montana Y; 'ES ; I know he will be here," says Chris Sorensen, the secretary and treasurer of the Barnard Farm Bureau Community, as numerous inquiries from boys, girls, and old folks are put to him concerning the county agent who is dated to put on a motion-picture program for their community. "He will surely be here, for that is one man in the county that always keeps his appointments, rain or shine; if Old Lizzie cannot get through he will be here on horseback and give us a talk anyway ! "Let us call the meeting to order and dispose of some important business before the county agent arrives, and then we'll be ready for the program and can get home earlier. We have a project leader to be appointed on the blackleg project, the subject of this evening's program, and two fields to select for tillage demonstrations and a grower of registered Grimm alfalfa seed and two growers of certified seed corn." Now for a bird's-eye view of Barnard Community. We must travel 63 miles from the railroad over rough prairie trails. The meeting-place in the community is a lonely schoolhouse, 24 by 36 feet, built on a clay hill, without a tree, fence, or farmhouse in sight. The building is not finished on the inside, and has far more the appearance of a granary than a place of learning. Even though a farmhouse cannot be seen there are 87 people present, coming 15 and 18 miles to enjoy the program. It is 8 :30 and the business is nearly completed when John Black, the president's boy, sights a Ford coming over the hill and shouts, "Here comes the county agent !" All is excitement ; the dogs bark, the children run down the road to meet the oncoming car. As the Ford rolls up to the schoolhouse at least two dozen questions are fired at once, from as many people : What are the road and from amusements like motion pictures. Therefore these programs have both educational and social value, even though the films are all industrial. These people, 60 and more miles from the railroad, enjoy the motion-picture programs much more than the townspeople or those living closer to town. A large number of children six to ten years old are thus shown motion pictures for the first time, and women have told me more than once that they had not seen a motion-picture program for five, six, and seven years, meaning that they had not been to a railroad town in that length of time. To think of those children and women out on those bleak, lonesome prairies without entertainment of some kind besides dancing, would inspire any farmbureau organization or board of county commissioners to purchase a portable motion-picture machine to be used for extension work in the county. The children sit on the floor close to the curtain and laugh nearly all the time ; they laugh at everything that moves ! When they see a cow or horse or sheep walking around they will just laugh and hallo. Who could think of keeping fun from these children? It is worth all it costs to see and hear them. Some of these children 60 miles from the railroad have never seen a movingtrain, and they enjoy themselves and get acquainted with the outside world. The writer always feels well repaid for his efforts when the children start to laugh and enjoy themselves. The plan generally followed is to use one comic or a film for children, for at every meeting there are from 15 to 35 children, and the program would not be complete if some attention were not paid to them. They need the education as well as the old folks, and often these youngsters serve as stepping-stones in putpictures about? How many reels? Any comics? etc. ting the work on in a successful way in a community. Films Hans comes in with the curtain and hangs it on the two spikes, showing farm life in all its stages please more and take better in place from last time. Black carries in the films and projector, than films on some other subjects. If the subject-matter is familiar the county agent lines the Ford up to the window, and in about material it seems to receive more favorable comment than foreign twenty minutes the program is on in full blast, with everybody subject-matter, completely happy. The program over, the ladies prepare a lunch of coffee, sandwiches, and cake while the county agent discusses the project work with the men. Finally someone remarks that it is forty-five minutes past midnight, and he will have to hurry home in time for chores. You can judge also that the agent is glad to get a few hours' sleep, for he had that day conducted a blackleg demonstration, vaccinating 105 head, given instructions in roping and treating animals, and driven 93 miles in these efforts to assist the farmers. The use of a motion-picture projector in this Montana county is quite different from using one in a schoolroom or church. Valley County is nearly one hundred and fifty miles long north and south and about seventyfive miles wide east and west, with one railroad running east and west across the southern end of the county. This leaves the majority of the country a great distance from the rail Morgan Hill Community Hall: Not a Wonderful Specimen of Old English or Colonial Architecture, and Yet the Institution of Motion Pictures Enables Mr. Stebbins to Bring Recreation and Instruction to His Various Communities at Such Common Centers 15 Accomplishing Definite Aims To get project work before a community it is necessary to get the people together, and, once together, put them in a pleasant mood. Then they are in shape to take hold of a program of work with spirit; and while in this mood they will also give good attention and thus have a much better understanding of the work than could be obtained in any other way. The people come out to the meeting and see a few reels on the subject, and then it is an easy matter to get them to adopt the work and select a good leader. There is no one sleeping or disputing during a motion-picture program. When a film program is announced a good attendance is assured ; about 90 per cent of the people in a community will be there, rain, snow, or blizzard. How much more encouraging and how much (Continued on page 26)