The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-04-28
HIT OR-MISS EFFECT
OF MOVIES DEPLORED

When former Postma ster General
Will H. Hays said he expects to "see
movies in every church and school in
this country" his idea was not so
Utopian as one might suppose at first
thought, declares Wyndham Phinny,
who has been making for the society
for Visual Education study OF the
motion picture needs OF the non-the-
atrical field.
ut Is estimated that $4,000 schools
and churches have already adopted
motion pictures as a means OF instruc-
ton and entertainment. Most OF the
remainder, some SOC, 900, will undoubt-
eddy follow suit as soon as there are
enough suitable films to supply them
and as soon as the prejudice which ex-
lists in certain quarters Is dispelled.
Signs that this prejudice is already
giving way are apparent in the action
of Yale university, which has begun
production Of 100 reels dealing with
every important stage in the develop
mont OF America. The editors in chief
OF the series are DR.. Max Farrand and
DR.. Frank e. Spaulding"
The educational movie has been
seriously discussed for at least twenty
years, some claiming too much for II
and others too little. According to Mr..
Phinny. however. we ard just begin
ming to glimpse the true breadth OF it's
mission. In addition to the exposition
Of the three Rs and all their ramifica-
tons, its great power can be systenat-
ically utilized for character building.
The movies hit or miss Influence for
good or evil. as the case may be, is we'll
illustrated by the way In which chill
dren answered query put by a. New
Hampshire school teacher.
Whom do you most wish to resern-
BILE when you grow up? she asked.
Out OF 20 third and fourth grade class
es the largest number of girls an
swered Teacher No one else received
more than one vote-not even mother,
When the same question was put to "a
classes in the seventh and eighth
grades, however, the answers indicated
a very different trend of thought. The
majority voted for stage favorites.
with tie between Pearl White, the
movie actress, and Anna Case, the
operate start"
Very little children do not see many
movies. Teacher. father and mother
hold first place. But the older boys and
girls widen their horizon and grow
by what they feed on"
Why not ses to it that the right
kind OF mental food Is prepared and
fed to these young, impressionable
minds while children are under the
control of parents and teachers?" ner-
tinently asks Mr. Phinny. with sha
screens help the schools can accom-
plish wonders In this direction without
the expenditure of extra time and
without having to add q new subject to-
the curriculum"
To bear out his point of view Mr.
Phinny quotes recent address 9ivAn
by DR.. Spaulding OF Yale UNIVERSITY
According to Dr. Spaulding, every i'm
portant development which makes I'm
the educational progress of the last
quarter century has represented q
business demand. and has justified IT.
self chiefly in terms Of Its contribu-
ton to material prosperity.
With the annual expenditure ~ :
billion dollars" declares Mr.. Phinny
we have achieved Industrial success
but 10 this all we want our educational
methods to achieve? In the words of
Dr. Spaulding. Is this overwhelming