The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-08-17
BILL JOHNSON GOES TO THE
 MOVIES


 Last night as I passed the John- son house on my way home, was attracted by. the sound of voices in their garden. Late as it was, I de- cided to go in. MT Johnson and Bill were stretched out in two chairs under the big tree, and Bill was evidently describing the movie he had just seen. "He came whizz- ing down the mountain side," I heard Bill say. Gosh. how that fellow could ski! The girl was waiting for him at the foot, and they just raced off together through the wods." Anyone see them go?" asked his father. Did they! It seemed like the whole village took after them, but you heard the motor warming up in the distance, and knew they would make it." Doesn't the hero al- ways make it?" I inquired coming forward. "Oh hullo, Doctor" said Bill, jumping up to give me his chair. Yes, sure he does; that's the proper racket"
 "I see Bill views his movies with a certain amount of discrimina- tion,," I remarked after he had said good night, and Mrs Johnson had joined us That's my re- ward" exclaimed MT Johnson, flor having figone with him to count less movies when I'd rather have been home with my pipe and my wife, eh Mary?" "Yes, and talked them over with him afterwards replied Mrs Johnson, ignoring the latter part of his sentence! "we've made a great point of that, Doc tor, because you have to admit that children would get a queer idea of life if they swallowed the movie world whole"
 "I think you have hit the nail on the head, Mary" said I. "that is exactly what children do who are let loose in the movies to see what they please. They swallow them whole. You and I have a pinch of salt handy, but children accept what they see as picture of life"
 And how what they see sticks in their memory" put in MT John- son. "Even Claire, though she isn't yet eight, fairly takes us aback sometimes by coming out with something she has seen in the nov ies weks before." "Yes, shetold us all about how to catch whales one day." broke in Mrs Johnson. "and another time," and here she laughed, ''she gave me a panto- mime of girl getting engageg. as she called it. It certainly was amusing"
 t. "In other words" I remarked, "the movies are turning out to be big informal system of educa- tion. In my opinion, we've hardly begun to realize the influence they have on children's minds-more l do believe than the printed page." I'm inclined to agree witht you, Doctor" said MT Johnson, but forgetting theeducational side for moment, do you think the nov ies have any effect on the health of children?''
 "Of course anything that makes for late hours is bad in my esti- mati6n. But besides that 1t has been definitely found that the ex- citementof the movies does result In disturbing children's sleeps Even if they go in the daytime?' asked Mrs Johnson. "Yes. ev ', they go jim the daytime. l don't mean to say that all movies .,aye that effect, or that all children sleep badly afterwards: but it is something to keep in mind. There is something else to be considered too," said. "Children and young people get much more stirred up by movies than adults. 1t is nat ural for an excited child to let of steam through some bodily activ- ity. but in the movie hre can't do that. He can't shout or jump or