The Washington times., 1915-02-05
.PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS "
What Children Want
Most To See In
The Motion
Pictures.
~ GARDNER MACK.

Numerous attempts have been
made throughout the country re-
Gently to discover what the children
ike best In motion pictures and why
they like them at ell. Organizations
OF social service workers, newspapers
and individual investigators have
participated In these inquiries and
some rather interesting data has
been secured. 1t will be remem-
bered that Washington school
teacher. on her own Initiative, made
an investigation by means Of which
she discovered the intense interest
tho children take In the pictures and
was converted from an opponent Of
the rum to one Of its most enthusi-
astic advocates by what she found
out.
Her advocacy Is based on the fact
that the pictures offer great oppor-
tunitv to assist the school teacher.
and that 1t 10 the duty Of the teach
er to do everything possible to fur
ther this. She found that the char
acter of pictures that seemed most
popular could be greatly improved.
In fact. the pictures that drew the
most comment from her scholars
were Of kind she could not recom-
mend. But she realized the possi-
bilities of the film. and IL doing her
ment.
The answers that have been received
by other Investigators have been Of
q similar character. In the city OF
Davenport, Iowa. the Friendly House
Association offered prize to the
child that would write the best essay
on the subject Of why children 20
@ won by eompositlon "s wr,e,en tsne by
seventh grade school pupil on an
industrial picture showing the re-
moval of stumps by dynamite. The
glst Of some of the other replies re-
ceived has been prepared nv r. II.
Madison and Incorporated In an
AS he has tabulated them they are:
Sixth grade bOy--Panama canal
He was 80 interested In the motion
picture Of the Panama canal that
he went to the public library for
books to follow the subject further in
books.
"Girl-drama liked this picture
because it showed kindness and
thoughtfulness of the little boy
scenic-'The reason ] liked
this picture Is because IT has helped
me IN my geography, and In my COM
position work.
"Bcy-'The pictures which I liked
best were those which showed the
way animals and birdsslive.
"Giri--.Those I like best are the
"eduoationals" OF the different things
one may never see In lifc:
"Boy-'The picture ] like best Is
Mutt and JEFF. because the little man
JEFF was mock on the bricks and he
seen stars and when he got up he
had IA balk and blue eye and he had
a boump on the back OF his head, and
his colths was toure and he! he!
Mutt was a brick
"Girl-comedy-'O afternoon !
went to the Friendly House. and
when I came out was sick to my
stomach. I had laughed so much
y-Western--'When ] go to
picture show I generally look for
place where they have Western
dramas generally there Is such pretty
scenery. Another thing Is Western
picture Is generally exciting ana
thrilling. which ! like
Early replies to the Minneapolis.
Mimi, Tribune include the following
reasons why children go to the pic
ture shows:
because they are unhappy.
1T is the best rest for q tired per-
son.
BECAUSE 1t is lonesome at home.
''They have nothing else 20 do.
Boys evidenced a liking for cow
boys Indians and comedy policemen
Early returns In Minneapolis
showed the Popularity OF the foliow.
.rh. Trey o. Hearts The Million
Dollar Mystery.' and Tho Peri's OF
Pauline'"