New-York tribune., 1921-06-05
: CHURCf1'S INTEREST IN MOTION PICTURES

- ECENT and increasing agitation by
clergymen and church workers
IN against certain types Of films has mis-
led many people into believing that the
Church is opposed to motion pictures. Pre-
.;sely the contrary is true. From every
mart of the United States, from England and
China and every country where the Church
is at work comes the story of deep and
growing interest in the movie. In the small
est mission outpost, as we'll as in the con-
rested centers of the large cities, clergymen
and social workers are studying the motion
uicture field, with the purpose OF determin-
ING how best to use the screen in their work.
Letters are constantly coming to my desk ask
ing for information regarding equipment for
psrish houses and inquiring where one
should write to secure films that can be used
for entertainment and instruction.
When the producers first considered pos
sible demand from the churches for films it
was evidently their thought that the churches
would require films Bible subjects only.
This was perhaps natural mistake, for GER
tain denominations have frowned on ali things
theatrical, damning the theater as an organi-
cation bent on debasing the morals of the
public. But the percentage of denominations
holding such views is small. 1t is a conserva
tive estimate to say that 90 per cent of all
church people believe in the theater as, on
The whole, a worthy medium of entertain
ment
Furthermore, it ought to be remembered
that the Church was the foster mother of the
modern drama. As early as the closing part
CT the tenth century the mystery play began
its development not only under the auspices
of the Church, but as a part of the
service, the clergy themselves acting the
various characters At a time when congre-
cations were composed of people largely un-
lettered the dramatic presentation of the
Church's teaching filled a real need. The
great festivals of the church year offered a
special opportunity for vivid portrayal, and
It was the custom to produce at such seasons
elaborate mysteries, which gave to these holi-
Gay occasions that emphasis on playgoing
which still survives. AS the plays became
secuarized they were produced first in the
ehurchyard and later ON movable stages in
the public squares, but church people had
from that day keen interest in the drama.
A checking over of the audience at the
average movie theater would show that p
large majority of those present were mem
bers or adherents of some church. Many
clergymen are baseball fans, but many are
also movie and theater fans And the pic
lures they see are seldom Biblical pictures
Why, then, suppose that the Church, COM
posed largely of people who attend the thea
Ter and the movie, should be interested chiefly
in pictures based on Bible stories? Being nor
nal human beings, they are interested in
normal human entertainment.
And SO one finds that the demand from
churches for pictures is in no way primarily
demand for Bible pictures What clergy.
men want in films is wholesome drama and
comedy, and travel and educational pictures:
pictures that may be shown in parish houses
on week nights to audiences made up of the
same sort of people who go to the commercial
houses.
But there is no doubt, growing demand.
also, for really high class Bible films for use
IN the services on Sundays, and especially for
Sunday schools, demand which is not being
met in any adequate way by producers,
though several companies are now making
plans to reproduce the stirring scenes of the