Pueblo chieftain., 1921-09-26
THE PICTURE VS.. THE BOOK
By Frederic j. Haskin.

BY Frederic ]. Haskin.
New York City, Sept. 23.-Tcach it
books!
This suggestion, long championed by
such ardent educators as Mr.. II, G.
Wells, is now meeting with widespread
approval in this country. After many
years of patient obSCurity, the educa
tional film is distinctly coming into
its own. Not only is it greatly in de-
mand by public schools. universities
and churches, but the general public
is showing an unexpected enthusiasm
for IT. Producers of educational fca-
lures arc finding it difficult to supply
all the orders they receive for home
projection machines, whilo New York
moving picture theatcrs have recently
discovered, somewhat to their own
amazemont, that an exceptional ami
mai or travel picture, properly fea-
tured attracts as many patrons as an
all-star theatrical film.
The fact is that large numbers of
people who would be bored by most
travel books and who would be in
capable of concentrating on a scientific
article, are quite eager to absorb in
formation thru the comfortable med
ium of the. screen, Tho reading Of
books, with the exception of light,
popular fiction, requires understanding
and imagination on the part of the
reader, while looking at a film docs
not Many unkind things have been
said against the movies. but this may
be said in their favor: They arc max
ing the average American better in
formed. They are bringing to the great
mass of people who cannot afford to
travel. glimpscs of foreign lands, In
terestinG personalities and curious
facts. In other words, they arc dis
seminaung useful knowledge in
painless, effective fashion.
The extent tn which edu@a iopa
hlms arc used is now so vast that n
combination OF theatrical pro-
duccrs was recently formed IL es:ab-
lish exchanges thruout the United
states for tho distribution OF pictures
OF purely educational character.
This combination plans to enlarge tho
lcld for their products. but in the
meantime it is kept busy supplying the
field which already exists.
MOVIES IN CHURCH AND HOME
According TO one of these producers,
there arc 1900 churches in this coun-
try which regularly use motion pic
turcs. of which the Roman Catholic
churches number 1000 and the Meth
odist lc,Io0. Departments OF visual edu-
cation have been established in most Of
our universities, while projection ma
chimes arc owned by nearly go per cent
OF our elementary schools.
Then there arc humorous organiza-
tons and clubs which use educational
movies as "A regular thing. Among
these there arc the Y. NJ G. A. and
Y, w. &. a., tho American Federation
of WomCn's Clubs, and societies de-
voted to nature study, animal lore
welfare work, health. civics. drama
history and travel. The use Of moving
pictures among such societies is grow
ing at such rapid rate that tho T.
manufacturers now producing standard
portable projectors arc planning to
turn Thorn dttrtrr- I,n
at the rat" OF 200 to t,5O0 week In
order To keep up with tho cNtraordi-
nary demand.
Tho educational film has also become
an Indispensable feature OF tho large
manufacturing plant. which uses 1,
not only to advertise it's goods but for
educational work among it7 employee.
safety first films have done more
than any other ono thing, Il i- said.
10 cut down tho number of Industrial
accidents. while they have also been
instrumental in smoothing out differ
oncoH existing between employers and
employee. II I, estimated that there
are 5000 manufacturers in this coun-
try who provide moving pictures for
their employees every day at noon. ono
large mining corporation has built nine
moving picture thca,ers for tho bcnc-
1T of It's workers. one Of which cos.
800 .oca.
Besides the-. pcrmanen. rource. Of
demand. there is an ovcrrrorirr
c'nmor for non-thcatricsi films for use
In private homes. Nobody boalirca
how many portable projecting ma
chimes arc In uHo In private homes"
says ono producer OF educational fos-
turcs. There arc 5000 OF those In
use In tho United States. and probably
1900 more which arc idlc because IL l-
impossible to supply pictures for them
For these wc arc asked to mako ur !.
program with comedy suitable for
children. travciorur. an educational
MIN. and perhaps pictures Of tho habits
OF Wild animals. or Amcricanlxa,ion
propaganda.
"or" Of tho very ir,rortnn. uses Of
tho n-ih"1tric1i picture IL putting
hnnricluiEniion into homes In a
language that oven m iiiitcrsto !mml-
grant can understand
SCIENCE TAUGHT mr. FILM
You can teach all sorts OF Hrirn-
tic facts hy aim. which YOU can't
with books. because people won't take
Tho trouble to read them. Health
boards. for Instance, can put their les
SONS across in pictures ar they can
IN M other way We have ono picture
Tiled 'UnhnokinE tho Hookvorm'
which y unknown 10 tho thcatrr. going