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CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS AND THE CINEMA items in the film and the less he appreciated or even assimilated the continuity of the story, to say nothing of the moral or ultimate outcome of the picture'.1 This fact can hardly be over-emphasised. 'The isolated episodes . . . repeatedly stood out in attention and in emotion. The story as a whole had little or no effect (My italics) . . . Consequently, we have no right to expect that very young children or even adolescents will make the same synthesis of a motion picture that the adult does.'
From this it is evident that the detailed facts given above about the amateurish way in which films are being released and distributed to child audiences must claim the most urgent attention of State and community, if the moral health of youth is not to be wantonly ignored and further undermined.
For who would dare to contradict the American psychologists when they write: 'An exciting robbery, an ecstatic love-scene, the behaviour of a drunkard, and the like cannot be toned down by the moral situation at the end of the picture when the episode is justified in terms of the hand of the law or the retribution of an outraged Providence. . . . The ultimate outcome of the story, the moral that honesty is the best policy, the assumption that the way of the sinner is bad, are adult generalisations. . . . Even if the picture clearly depicts this outcome it very seldom strikes the attention of the younger generation with anything like the force that it does the adult mind.'2 Nor have Messrs. Dysinger and Ruckmick, writing in 1933, omitted to anticipate the future development of the screen. For they prophesy with only too much justification: 'When the pictures are finally shown in colour . . . and when the stereoscopic effect of tridimensional perception is added . . . an irresistible presentation of reality (our italics) will be consummated. Even as they are now, however, the moving and talking pictures in their present vogue carry a tremendous sanction. When, therefore, a psychoneurotic adolescent, for example, is allowed frequently to attend scenes depicting amorous and sometimes questionably romantic episodes, the resultant effects on that individual's character and development can be nothing but baneful and deplorable. From this extreme example there are, of course, all varieties of deviation. . . .'3
I have nothing to add to these sentences, except that I read Messrs. Dysinger 's and Ruckmick's most valuable study after this chapter had already been written. This summary of its main conclusions was added to it as a postscript.
1 Ibid. pp. 1 1 6 sq. * Ibid. p. 1 1 8. * Ibid. p. 119. 141