Visual Education (Jan 1923-Dec 1924)

September, 19 2 3 Linden, New Jersey The high school paid for its projector by giving a series of three public picture shows, the films for which were furnished without charge by the company from whom the machine was purchased. A 10-cent admission fee was charged for the afternoon performances and one of 25 cents in the evening. Not only did the pupils print the tickets for these entertainments on the high school press, but they effectively publicized the shows by clever advertising posters developed through a prize contest in which pupils from first grade to high school age competed. Mason City, Iowa A group of men with the interests of boyhood at heart banded together and 221 secured enough money to pay for an appreciated gift to the gamins of Mason City streets. The gift was a portable motion-picture machine, given to the Y. M. C. A. by this group of men for the purpose of supplying occupation, education and a means of self-expression. ( To be continued ) News of the Producers, Distributors and Exhibitors NEW EXCHANGES ESTABLISHED BY NATIONAL NON-THEATRICAL A DEVELOPMENT of special interest to schools, churches, clubs and other non-theatrical filmusers is to be found in the opening of a series of exchanges in the key cities of the country by National Non-Theatrical Motion Pictures, Inc. Branch offices have to date been established in Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago, Des Moines and Minneapolis, in addition to the headquarters in New York, and if present plans materialize the list will ultimately comprise thirty principal exchanges, with sub-exchanges at intermediate points. In addition to expanding its distribution facilities, National Non-Theatrical is considerably increasing its film library. Recent acquisitions announced include "The Romance of the Republic," an eleven-reel portrayal of activities of the United States Government ; the tenreel story of "Columbus and the Discovery of America," produced by the Crusader Film Corporation and reviewed in Visual Education last October; the Eskay-Harris juvenile films, including the popular "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the LookingGlass"; and a series of two-reel regional history films, of which the New England unit is already completed, with one reel devoted to the Colonial and the second to the Revolutionary period. TWO CURRENT FILMS IDENTICAL IN SOURCE IT IS curious to note that "Rosita," Mary Pickford's newest feature, which has just opened in New York, and "The Spanish Dancer," on which Pola Negri has just completed work, are both adapted from the same play, "Don Caesar de Bazan." Although, of course, the handling of the theme differs considerably in the two adaptations, it will be unusually interesting to compare the work of these two artists in the same role. PATHE TO DISTRIBUTE YALE HISTORY FILMS WORD comes that the theatrical distribution of the thirty-three "Chronicles of America" films produced by Yale University Press has been turned over to Pathe Exchange, Inc. The arrangement does not, however, include non-theatrical distribution. The first of these units — that telling the story of Columbus — will be released on Columbus Day, October 14. CITIZENSHIP FILMS AT A MILITARY TRAINING CAMP AS is constantly becoming better understood, the army policy of our Federal government includes comprehensive and well-aimed efforts to increase, not militarism, but pride in citizenship. To this end there is held every summer in each army corps area a Citizens' Military Training Camp, which is attended by youths ranging from sixteen to twenty-two or twenty-three. These camps last one month, their schedule of 'activities including physical exercise, some military drill, morning lectures and demonstrations in citizenship, hygiene, sanitation and similar subjects, and organized athletics and games of all sorts in the afternoon hours. One of the outstanding features of the lecture periods was the presentation of two films, "Hats Off!" and "A Citizen and His Government," from the Citizenship series produced by the Society for Visual Education, Inc. The showing of the former film at Camp Custer C.M.T.C. this summer was accompanied by a fifteen-minute talk by Chaplain Futcher of the Regular Army, who reminded his hearers of the wonderful heritage of devotion and good citizenship which has come down to us in the history of our flag. As the scenes of this film were flashed on the screen, beginning with the earlier historical events connected with the development of our national emblem, the young men applauded and cheered ; and when the little fellow who is pictured as learning the lesson of respect to the flag finally stood at salute, there were not a few tear-wet eyes and gulpy throats in that audience of three thousand earnest young citizens. Many expressed themselves directly to the officers in charge of the camp as having gained, from that fifteen-minute motion picture, a clearer idea of the true meaning of our flag than they had ever received in any way before. At the showing of the two-reel film, "A Citizen and His Government," practically the same group was present. While there was not so much spontaneous applause, there was even more comment among the men for the two or three days following the program. According to the testimony of these young citizens from our middle-western cities and farms, the lessons driven home by "A Citizen and His Government" were unequaled, in clearness, simplicity and convincing quality, by any previous instruction or experience. The officers in charge of the instruction of the C.M.T.C. at Camp Custer extended to the Society for Visual Education their hearty appreciation of the patriotic service represented in formulating and distributing such excellent aids in the teaching of truer citizenship. FIELD MUSEUM OPENS PUBLIC THEATER ON SATURDAY afternoons during October and November, the newly completed James Simpson Theater of the Field Museum will give a series of free public lectures on travel and natural history, illustrated by slides and moving pictures. These will be given at three o'clock. In addition, a special series of free entertainments for children under sixteen has been arranged for Saturday mornings beginning at 10 :30. These will also be abundantly visualized, not only by slides and films, but by museum exhibits with a special bearing on the subject of the program.