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THE ADULT AND THE CINEMA lies in the instincts which respond, and in the intensity of their responses. Whereas I respond to the shooting scenes, my neighbour may respond to Miss BacalPs 'sex appeal'.)
So far, psychologists have left us completely in the dark with regard to these experiences, We have neither adequate descriptions of the processes involved, nor a satisfactory and accepted instinct psychology which could be applied. There appear to exist only psychologies, but not yet one psychology as a branch of an integrated social science.
Against the background of these very tentative remarks we can now turn to those accounts in our documents which tell us of the direct moral influence of films (see Nos. 7, 10, 11, 13, 16, 31, 32, 38, 39, 4°> 4®, 4®, S*i 56> 58> 59> 6o> 6l> 63). An analysis of these parts of our material clearly indicates the immense constructive possibilities of film. They can build up and strengthen individual, group, and state morale, but they can also undermine and destroy them completely.
I believe our contributors generally tend to prove the positive and constructive effect of films and I see no reason to contradict them. Films like The Song of Bernadette, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Gentle Sex, The Way Ahead, The Lamp Still Burns, Tawny Pipit, The Way to the Stars, and many others may have helped many millions to a greater awareness of their individual and civic responsibilities, without interfering with their natural desire for 'entertainment' and 'escape'. Yet the films just mentioned form in no way the majority of British and American film production. One need only glance through the Monthly Film Bulletin of the British Film Institute in order to see what type of film still prevails and must prevail as long as the State leaves it to 'private enterprise' alone to decide what films ought to be made and distributed. For it is not the production of films which is the crux of the matter. One need only mention films like Message from Canterbury or the many first-rate Russian and French films which are shown only in special theatres like the 'Academy' or 'Tatler' in London to illustrate this point. 'The Public' does not get the films it wants; the managers of the big exhibitor circuits ultimately form the public taste.
Clearly the box-office returns are only a very crude method of measuring public taste. A film, for example, like Going My Way was never expected to be such a roaring box-office success as it turned out to be. Undoubtedly the buyers and previewers of the circuit which acquired the film were unable to gauge the deep-seated need of the British war-time public for a simple and sincere religious
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