The Adventures of Mark Twain (Warner Bros.) (1944)

among the hundreds of educational magazines and newspapers published in cities across the country has resulted in the most complete educational coverage ever accorded a motion picture. Besides the space Re a | At wee an Ss eh gh at & ee aot Ss fo : 8 =“ Soe &: € RTS os illustrated here, (above: 2 page picture spread in Scholastic, still and lead review in Child Life, 1 page of pictures and comment in Open Road For Boys) the film was also accorded cover and 5 pages in Film & Radio Discussion Guide Magazine, as well as extensive plugs in the Phi Beta Kappa Key Report, Student Life, Wilson Library Bulletin, American Library Association publications and State Teacher Magazine. books for prizes. Baltimore, Md. Boston, Mass. Buffalo, N.Y: Chicago, III. Cincinnati, O. Cleveland, O. Columbia, Mo. Elmira, N:Y: Hartford, Conn. Memphis, Tenn. SCHOLASTIC ESSAY CONTEST @ A national Essay and Editorial Writing Contest on the subject of Mark Twain was sponsored by Scholastic Magazine in cooperation with the Mark Twain Association in the various school newspapers and magazines throughout the country. In addition to war bond and cash prizes, Harper Bros., Garden City Publishing Company and Limited Editions, all publishers of Mark Twain books, made avail able a quantity of sets of Mark Twain is, in my opinion, one of the best teaching tools yet i ty developed for the difficult task of making a theatrical feature of true educational value. @ Mark Twain visited or lived in many cities across the entire country. If yours is in the list below, then search your newspaper morgue for old items of special interest, for advance or current display for school bulletin boards, in bookstores, department stores, etc., or in your own lobby. The cities are: New London, Mo. New Orleans, La. New. York: IN. Y; Carson City, Colo. Norfolk, Va. Philadelphia, Pa. Quincy, Ill. Sacramento, Cal. St. Joseph, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. San Francisco, Cal. for distribution to schools, _ liWashington, D.C. SCHOOL PROMOTION: VAST COVERAGE IN EDUCATIONAL FIELD @ An intensive publicity campaign PRAISE FOR SCHOOL AIDS EDUCATIONAL SCREEN EVOTED 10 AUDIO VISUAL AIDS IN EDUCATION The Adventures of Mark Twain EAE is a theatrical production that should win not only high success at the boxoffice but enthusiastic” approval and support frony the whole educational field It not only brings to life for the rising generation a great American writer who died a generation ago, but will seta host of young and old to reading, or re-reading. the works of the ever beloved Mark Twain. The schools will have no excuse for failure to get maximum educational. values from this theatrica! achievement. Warner Brothers’ Educational Bureac has taken care to provide teachers with everything needed: (1) Three mimeo sheets give full technical data on the film, the elaborate cast of 119 names, and a finely detailed and complete synopsis of the picture contents ; (2) .\ Discussion Guide (described below); (3) A Pictorial Map, as colorful as Mark Twain's career, visualizing events where they occurred in this country and abroad, the sequence shown by serial numbers as hewildering in their unpredictable jumps as the performance of his famous Jumping Frog. This map is an irresistible feature for the school Bulletin Board. The Discussion Guide deserves particular comment. This fine bit of work moved our old friend, William F. Kruse. Manager Films Division, Bell and Howell Company. to a pitch of enthusiasm quite equal to our own— and we quote: “Unquestionably the picture is one of the finest contributions of the industry, and this Guide “Willard Givens, in an excellent introduction, points out that its purpose is ‘to give the teacher a dignified and useful instrument for correlating a good motion picture that is intrinsically educational with the study in the classroom’. The organization of the Discussion Guide is sound. It begins ‘Using this Brochure’ and continues with biographical notes, an appreciation by George .\de. significant details on the making of the picture. the social back ound of Mark Twain's life, suggested projects. discussion topics, essay subjects, library activities, a list of Mark Twain's books, and another list of works about him. Two 5 x 8 stills are slipped into the brochure for use on the bulletin board. Tee oily ‘plug’ that Warner gets, and it is entirely justifiable, is a list of other forthcoming films, definitely with ‘school’ possibilities. “I would like to see this type of campaign put on for every educationally worthy theatrical film, in the hope that the welcome given to such pictures by the school population would encourage all producers to raise their sights as Warners have done and convince all that they are thus contributing permanent values to our national culture, the usefulness of which extends far beyond the last theatrical run. It is a pity that this film, like other outstanding Warmer productions, is not to be available in 16mm for actual school use.” The whole field will welcome such a move if and when it comes. N.L.G. @ Reproduced here from Educational Screen Magazine is one of many raves accorded Warner’s educational aids for “Mark Twain.” ‘This can be reprinted or blown up direct. from pressbook to accompany other materials described in these pages braries, etc. Here's What You Can Do Locally @ The same set-up as used in the Scholastic Magazine “Mark Twain Contest’ can be staged locally, with prizes promoted from local book stores. Contest entries should be in the form of essays or editorials on the influence of Mark Twain on young America. School periodicals sponsor the contest and print winning essays. @ Arrange at the earliest possible occasion to present a preview of “The Adventures of Mark Twain’ for the educational leaders, civic leaders and key newspaper and radio reporters in your city. Their comments and endorse ments should be widely used in schools and libraries and in your lobby. @ Suggest to the leading school authorities in your community that one school day be set aside as ‘‘Mark Twain Day,” with appropriate school ceremonies honoring the great American. Special arrangements for school children to see “The Adventures of Mark Twain” on that day may be set up. @ One of the neatest and most complete school tieups was made for the special advance Pittsburgh show ing on the Warner circuit. You can follow this plan for local promotion. ‘The Pittsburgh plan included special reprint (in offset) of 5,000 copies of ‘“The Jumping Frog of Calaveras. County,” Mark Twain story, for distribution to every English class in the city, with teachers instructed to have students submit book reports on this story; distribution of 5,000 brochures by the Board of Education throughout Pittsburgh schools; distribution of Study Guides to all teachers; awarding of 50 free tickets to “Mark Twain” to students turning in the best book reports; poster and photo coverage of all school bulletin boards. ie.