Evening star., 1928-04-22
News and Comment
BY W. n. I-ANDVoldT.

, TT was learned also that high school
children have formulated for them
selves standards Of pictures such, for
instance, with the boys, as Beau
Geste." The Big Parade" "Old IRON
sides" Ben -Hur." THE Better Ole"
The Four Horsemen OF the Apoca-
lypSe," and, with the girls, the pictures
chosen by the boys and THE Vanish
ing American" The Scarlet Letter"
The Winning OF Barbara Worth"
stella Dallas" and Brown OF Harvard"
Astounding as IT may seem, both the
boys and girls rejected "A Kiss for
Cinderella" as too imaginative: child
ish," kindergarten stuff" while one OF
the boys declared Barrie's beautiful
fantasy "a picture for a girl not for a
boy" The research confirmed previous
researches notably that conducted in
1928 by Mr.. Clarence Arthur Perry of
the Russell Sage Foundation. that there
is q tendency in girls to dislike screen
comedy and iii boys to dislike screen
romance. The Indiana ladies found
that the girls have. or at least express,
a greater senSitiveneSS TO ethical QueS-
tions: that they like TO have their SYM
psthieS appealed to and their good taste
not offended Their report states.
Whatever may be said against the
Mann School pupils seem to have used
the movies as a school of dramatic
criticism, and they have formed for
themselves standards and an interesting
body of opinion. Among the boys were
found some very good screen critics"
The report closes with the inquiry, will
a boy or girl who sees so or so screen
successes a year. with the illustrated
news and educational or travel pictures.
have much respect for the opinion of
an educator who denounceS the evil
effects OF motion pictures. and i'll the
same breath declares that he or she sell
dom wastes time at the movieS?"
HAvE the good older people become
so wise and so refined in this
present day and generation that "a
little child shall lead them? Anyhow.
as the chap who is forced into
corner on an unstable contention fire.
Quently exclaims, it looks very much
as IL our young people have not be-
come as much contaminated by the
movies as their elders. and perhaps
this is because they really know less
Of the wickedness Of the world and
their healthy bodies are less tempted
by il. Much as has been said of our
cations into the facts are proving most
embarrassing TO the opinions and
hsrangues with which We good people
of the earlier days are wont to aSsail
the modern boys and girls. These
good ladies OF Indiana and others like
them elsewhere seem TO be establish
ing petty clearly that our young peo-
pie low how to take care of them
selvea This is rank heresy. of course.
even 4 ii is a glorious hope for the
future of American youth. Our little
boys seem TO like Wild West pictures.
comedies and news reels. and our little
girls pictures that touch the higher
emotions of womanhood. reSenting
what they feel is bad. and letting the
deeper problems fly over their little
heads. II certainly seems to cast
doubt on the wisdom of some of our
leading educators who want to let the
ehildr' q know all about things in order
to protect their innocence and natural
purity But philosophers will differ |
they always have done so, and why |
not now Of al times?
A ND this brings US to the lady club |
members of Texas. who want Will |
H Hays eliminated from the motion |
clair bonds and the Teapot Dome scan |
dal. There are many close observers |
Of the movie. those who have had to /
be because of their avocations rather /
than from natural inclination, who be- |
lteve that Mr.. Hays can put up a /
pretty strong argument against the |
IL he feels so inclined. and /
that he will come pretty near TO es- /
tablishing his claim with his accom-
plishments since his connection with |
the movies. Certainly the general run |
of pictures is cleaner than before his |
advent. and that in itself is a big |
achievement. There is not time or |
space here TO detail Mr. Hays other |
accomplishments In the upIift of the |
movies; but it is confidently believed |
they are sufhcient to warrant a careful |
examination of the facts by the Texas |
ladies before they go too far. Perhaps |
this examination may impress them |
with the conviction that, however |
naughty Mr.. Hays may have been In |
other lines. the good he has done for |
the movies entities him 10 remain with |
them, even though ultimately IL may !
be concluded that he should be spanked |
for his other faults Certainly this /
situation iustifies the reference 10 the |
old maxim, Think carefully before |
fnkr l.