CHILDREN'S FILM CLUBS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5290, 31 December 1946, Page 2

CHILDREN'S FILM CLUBS

INQUIRY URGED London Children's Saturday morning cinema clubs were encouraging escapism and preparing children for mass suggestion and exploitation, said two Labour members in the House of Commons. They urged the Government to inquire into such clubs. Mr. G. W. Dumpleton (Labour, St. Albans), said that from 40,000 to 500,000 children regularly attended the 375 clubs operated by J. Arthur . Rank's Odeon and Gaumont Theattres. Along the right lines, the scheme had potentialities for great good, but there were also potentialities for great danger. He .quoted. a letter from a headmistress stating that-no factual films were shown and that the singing before the screening was designed to loosen the children's self control. A headmaster had said that on Saturday mornings most of the work done at schools was being destroyed. Mf. T. C. Skeqington-Lodge (Labour, Bedford), said an atmosphere of mass hysteria was induced by mass shieking" and lask of jiiscipline. The Under Secretary of Home Affairs, Mr. G. H. 01iver, .said there might be justification fo-r an inquiry but he had no information that the pictures were having an adverse eft'ecl on the child mind. Much was being done to improve the type of film shown.