"IDEAL FILMS."

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18362, 21 April 1925, Page 9

"IDEAL FILMS."

MUNICIPAL THEATRE IDEA, THE CHURCHES' APPROVAL. '■' Phis Council of Christian Congrega tious heartily supports the proposal that the City Council shall have th>' new Concert llall so designed that it shnll also fulfill the requirements of an up-to-date picture theatre for children. It recommends that the City Council shall also endeavour to make arrangements with the Education Department to supply approved films, especially thoso closely related to school lessons, and that a lecturer be appointed. It also recommends to the City Council for consideration the report of the Victorian Council of Education on "Tho Moving Picture in Relation to Child.' M That resolution and also the following oue were passed at the meeting of tho Council of Christian Congregation* last night:—"That candidates for the Mayoralty and City Council be asked if they will support these proposals." Mr J. C. Prudhoe reported on "Muni eipal Pictures for Children," and in doing so produced u report by a committee of the Victorian Council of Edu-

cation ou "The Moving Picture in it* Relation to tho Child." He was not aware that any similar enquiry into thp subject had ever been made in New Zealand, but the Victorian report seamed to him sufficiently informative to warrant the conclusion that it would be in the interests of tho community to provide a picture theatre for children, in which an effort could be made to fulfill the ideal conditions set forth in that report, affecting the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual welfare of the children. A children's picture theatre, under municipal ownership and management, would eliminate tho need for tho earning of profits which were of such iniportanco in the eyes of the management of proprietary concerns; and it should provide an important countor-attraction to pictures that, even if not harmful to adults, were decidedly so to children, and yet were shown indiscriminately to adults and children alike. The value of moving pictures for educational purposes was now recognised by the Education authorities in New Zealand, who had authorised the screening of suitable films in public schools by meaus of a portable plant. Whilst it might be necessary to use theso for country schools, yet in a city like Christchurch it should bo possible, and an advantage, to show educational pictures in a municipal theatre under more favourable conditions than were possible 'With a portable plant in schoolrooms not designed, for the purpose. Tho decision of tho city to build a Concert Hall afforded an exeellcnt opportunity of showing what_ could bo done in giving a right direction to a means of instrnction and reercation that had com© to stay, and that was likely to affect the lives of ehlldrea for good or for ill. Although the circumstances might not bo' on "all fours" with tho Victorian ones, j%t the human nature of the children w» the same. There wero qnestiona of overcrowding, eye-strain,-intervals, the effect oft the emotions to be considered, and tho concert, hall would provido an opportunity to present films under ideal conditions. At present films wero divided by the censor into two classes "approved for adults," and "open to all," but children wero admitted to the first elass when they were with their parent®. It was unfortunate that the child could see those pictures if he waa •with a parent. He considered it would be a sensible thing to make certain pictuMS suitable for "adults only," and to refuse children admission under any circumstances. He cited the case of an eight-year-old boy who had been found with a revolver in his possession, and who had explained that he' had received the idea "from the movies." "Suggestive attitudes" and scenes in which '' a man made love to another man i wife" were bad for the young. If a .proper censorship could not be provided by the Government, then the city should endeavour to seo that its children were shown, suitablo pictures. He understood that, the Mayor (Mr J. A. Fleshcr) and Labour councillors ha«i stated they were in favour of the scheme. .« . The Rev. W. J. Williams said no hoped the object aimed at would 1* attained. There was no doubt that * groat dc?l of harm was being done b* some classes of pictures, ana he though* that tho scheme might convert an evil. into a good. , _ r Mr C. E. Ferris said that some of 11* Prudhoe's comments had made M® think that the scheme was the better of two evils. Personally he thought anything in the shape of an evil ahMM ho eliminated. He was not sure that the cinema was such an aid to education as some people believed. A committee consisting of the members of too Council and also of some educationists should bo set up to report on the matter before the Council definitely committed * tS The Rev. J. J. North considered that legislation' would be necessary to restrain children from attending the "more animated" shows in the city, if tho City Council 3tartcd the sober ontertainment. Mr W. T. Jones considered the suggestion bristled with .danger and difficulties, and that tho Couneil as a Christian body should not support it Mrs Eva Roberts thought that if the last speaker had been to some sham* he would do anything to endeavour to stop the children from seeing «onie pictures. * "I don't know whether any or you go to the pictures or not," said the chairman, Archdeacon Haggitt, ' but I sometimes go in the hope of getting a good laugh, and I very often get it." It was when the pictures dealt with religion and other subjects that they made him angry. One could not tell a picture by its title, and sometime*, when at the pictures with his children, he had received "shocks" whieh bad made him inclined to go out of the ( theatre. Some antidote for the evil of the pictures was needed, and at tho Municipal Theatre the children would not como by so much harm as they might otherwise. Without further discussion, - the motions were passed, several voiees being raised against them.