Evening star., 1933-03-26
BACKS GANGSTER
! FILMS FOR YOUNG
Secretary of National Board
of Review Denies Effect
-on Children Bad.


received the following communication
.regarding published remarks made by
hnember of the boards Executive Com
tnNtee to the effect that "gangster pic
lures are good for children:
TO the Editor of The Star
Comment entitled 'Gangster Films
and Children from the columns of your
newspaper of March 16 has Just come
to our attention. In this comment you
quote Leroy E. Bowman as saying,
'Gangster films are good for children. 1t
IT ridiculous to try to keep the ideas and
facts about gangsters away from chill
dren, who already know more about
them than their parents
Presumably the remarks quoted were
meant to represent what Mr.. Bowman
said In the course Of his address at the
annual conference of the National Board
of Review held in New York City.
Quoting from the report of that ad-
dress. MIR. Bowman said: I, for one,
regard them the gangster films) as
very wholesome. indeed. I think they
are an effort to look at life and see
what it is, because gangsterism and
racketeering are real in America, and
there is an effort, think, to get away
from some of the defensive reaction of
ignorance and to see things as they are
Later on. replying to question asked
10Y member of the conference audi
ence as to the effect of the gangster
him on children, Mr.. Bowman said: I
would much prefer to have the whole
thing quite well admitted, quite well
before us. I would much prefer, in ad-
dltion to that, to be with them (the
cnnoren) especially in these re-
view groups Creferripg to the showing
OF hlms to the National Board of Re-
views Young Reviewers Club have
seen an attitude of criticism, an atti-
tude of evaluation Now, gansters are
that Is, real. Whether we can do any,
thing about it defends first on whether
we can understand and put gangsters, in
our own thinking, where they belong.
IL does no good to gloss over with Ger
tam generalities or with maxims. It
seems to me, therefore. that it is much
more wholesome for us to meet these
questions and then to help our young
sters TO come within themselves to some
judgment
1T is possible that MIR. Bowman,s at
titude as expressed above. would not be
regarded as thoroughly deplorable
sentlment by those best able to Judge
through association with children in a
study capacity; it is probable that such
people qualified to weigh his remarks
against actual experience in child study
would not consider Mr. Bowman's utter
ahce, as coming from member of the
national Board of Review. likely to
cause the public to have little conf
oence IN the board SO long as it tolerates
sucn Ideas Perhaps Mr.. Bowman,s
remarks really represent a more scien-
tifc and conscientious social attitude
and deeper consideration of the cues
,tlon involved than the thought ex-
pressed IN the comment printed In The
,Star that, If children already know
more about gangs and gang methods
tnan their parents. they know too much.
Gang films must have been their
teachers: Is it certain that children,
VINO VIII be our citizens tomorrow
snoulo not know pretty clearly what
tne gangster evil Is? Is 1t certain that
what they have learned has been TAUGHT
Dy the motion picture? A brief glance
at newspapers, books and magazines
over the last few years will Convince
tnat lar more about gangsters has ap-
-peared there, much of it more sensa-
tlonally. than in the films. If, however.
70 quote further from the comment of
Inc Star, THE only thing that it is
NECESSARY to understand about gangs is
!lhe necessity to stamp them out" it
may may ne inquired whether such a social
,ly desirable conviction can be brought
zabout II people. adults as well as chill
Gren, are kept blind as to the disastrous
uegree to which gangsterism has
;tnrlVed IN this country and the dis
SSlrous KIND OF people that gangsters
are. very many people besides Mr..
BoWman believe that the motion pic
lures, along with the newspapers. maya
zines, books and the stage, have served
socially useful purpose in publicizing
ana keeping before the public the evils
substantially helping to create the
sentiment necessary to their destruc-
tion. '-
In the study which the National
Board OF Review is making with motion
pictures and the children of its Young
'RevleWers' Club, numbering over ZOO
young people from to Is years in
,age, and representing so or more
sSnools and boys and girls clubs in
ftne environs of Greater New York,
very !lttle evidence to date has turned
+ up 10 mdlcate that any excessive ex-
/. .chement or other deleterious effects
I. are produced in children by motion pic.
stures-and this work Is under the di-
iTectlon OF a recognized authority in the
ii1leidS OF child study and child psy-
'Scnology. This study Is steadily raising
the question, Is it the course of wisdom
10 approach criticism of films from the
tnVerslmpllf1ed standpoint that certain
ssuoJects are good for children and 9TH
yers bad? Any overdose is unwhole-
some and the cycles" in movie produc-
stlon are unfortunate, the gang and
ySuperf1clal high life films included;
inevertheless this does not justify con-
.oemnatlon o1hand Of any subject mat
ter which Is common knowledge or
Tunor to old and young alike, and it is
not matter Of agreement by any
means that evils in society should not
be given their due share of space and
time in the movies, even for children.
Home, school and other agencies should
take their part in preparing children
aor motion pictures, and it is an ideal
arrangement when parents assume the
responsibility of seeing films with their
children and seeking to share with
them their interest in that form of en-
tertalnment. But when the effort is
made to keep and common subject mat
ter from children, there is frequently
created a curiosity that results in the
EhlldS learning from unfortunate
sources, emphasizes unduly the impor-
lance of the subject, and produces an
attitude of sneaking sophistication that
Us unwholesome.
There is very little factual evidence
other than the welter of conflicting
opinions, often Of persons incompetent
to judge from professional experience
in child study, what effects movies
have on children and how attendance
at movies should be related to home,
school and other influences. OF one
hhing one may be fairly certain-the
fear that grips some adults when wit
Messing awful and "gangster" films
man has made this point elsewhere
than in the course Of his remarks at
the conference already mentioned. He
says: The significance of shooting. for
example. is not the same for the child
as for the adult. We recognize this
fact in the murderouS qualities of
many children's stories. stories not OBJ
liected to. may say. by many Of the