BERNARD'S PICTURES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 24, 29 September 1913, Page 3

BERNARD'S PICTURES.

THE ESSAY COMPETITION. The following are winning ,pri ieessays in the competition for the best essay written by school children, the subject being ‘'Bernard’s Pictures: Their value as an educational factor and enteretainment.” The essays were handed in to the manager (Mr Will Diamond), at the matinee on Saturday, and the results announced at the close of the performance and also in the evening. The judges were Mr R. Masters (member of the Education Board), Mr T. Boyle (Pembroke Road School), and Mr Mitchell, of the Daily News staff, New Plymouth. I.—MISS GWYNNE BOYLE. Age, 13 years, Pembroke Road. I have attended picture entertainments in Auckland, Wellington, Hamiltdn, and Stratford, and for comfort, brightness and attractiveness I consider His Majesty’s “Theatre equal to the Lyric in Auckland, and an improvement on the others I have seen. The up-to-date way the Theatre is furnished is a lesson in itself, and adds much to the enjoyment and education of the hundreds who attend each week. Mr Diamond, the obliging manager looks after the comfort of the public, as well as their education. He and Madame Bernard have been successful in every \vay, and have made their picture entertainments very popular. They take care to secure for the town the best films that arrive in the Dominion, and enable the people to enjoy the same class of entertainment as is provided in the large cities. It would be impossible to praise the pictures too much, for they are doing such a useful work in providing a healthy amusement for hundreds of people who, need just this kind of enjoyment. Before His Majesty's Theatre was opened there was no permanent amusement for people to attend, and many young men and boys ' spent their evenings, wandering about the streets. Now, for the sum of one shilling, an evening’s entertainment that leaves the mind full of interesting and useful knowledge may be enjoyed by everybody. A great many of the films shown have been specially chosen to teach people to be good, and I know that they do, for I have often seen

picture© that have taught many good, lessons on doing what is right. Others have been chosen to teach us to love and obey our parents, to be kind to the old and feeble, and to be truthful". and honest. Madame >' Bernard takes care that pictures bf this kind are regularly shown, for she knows how vhJtrable they are to both young I and people to love and do what is, right, are really-more useful than those that j instrr|ct f and things. People cannot be good unless they are happy. His Majesty’s Theatre is the place where you forget allyouf. treble#., 7 ,Tho pomi c part of the entertainment, and the music are specially prepared to make people forget their worries. A night,at the pictures, j will ; drive i away all troubles, and miseries, and make one [bright and s for «. a- whole week. The pictures selected to -teach us about far-a\vay..countries and the people who live in them are, beautiful, as well as instructive, Without travelling thousands of miles and spending big sums of money one can learn much about the people of different cpuntries, their interesting habits,.,peculiar customs, and the means by which they live. Indeed,, pictures are far more useful than books, as a means of education, for they 'bring right before the eyes the things that looks can only describe. I read the other day where a great man said the trup value of picture© as educators and teachers was not understood. He said he believed that in a short time school-children would be compelled to attend pictures a part of each day to give them pleasure and education at the s,ame time, and I think he is right, Education by means of pictures is always looked forward to by boys and girls, and I hope Madame Bernard will give a matinee every Saturday afternoon during the summer. [Awarded 60 points; possible, 100.] lI.—MASTER FRANK GRANT. Age, 13 years v .. Stratford.. ! As pictures are now being used for educational and entertaining purposes, Stratford, is fortunate in having such an up-to-date picture theatre, which is so ably run by Madam Bernard. The picture© are shown nightly with changes on Mondays and Thursdays, and to add to the enjoyment of pat-j rons, there is a first-class orchestra conducted by Mr Sid Bernard. Madam Bernard has secured the sole right of pictures for Stratford from Messrs John Fuller and Sons. Those pictures enable us to observe the habits and customs of other people, of strange birds and wild animals, the scenery of other lands, and important industries and events which we would not otherwise he able to see. As in most up-to-date theatres, the apparatus is worked by electricity, and a strong electric light is used in the operating room. Some pictures are taken at a very great risk, as in the cases of mountain scenery and wild animals, and when we are looking at the films in the theatre we hardly ever think of the danger that, perhaps, the camera man has undergone to obtain them for our benefit. Moving pictures give employment to thousands of persons, and in the United States alone about half a million people are engaged in making appliances and producing and exhibiting films. Many pictures, especially those of ancient times, cost large sums of money, as the actors have to be transported to suitable places, and while they are preparing and rehearsing (which may take some time) they ask for high salaries. These, together with other expenditure, soon help to make a large hill;

and if, as is some times the case, a slight hitch occurs and the picutre is condemned by the manager and everything has to be done over again, by the time the film is ready to be shown the cost will probably amount to some thousands of pounds. But no ex-' pense is spared to obtain a reallj good picture. For some time inventors have been at work trying to make the phonograph and the lantern work together so that at the same time it may be possible to see a great actor and hear his words, or a great singer and hear his song. The chief trouble is to get a device for making the pictures and the phonograph keep exact time, but such a difficulty will no doubt be overcome, and trials have already been made with machines which have given satisfactory results. By the help of moving pictured rare and interesting experiments may be made and exhibited to students all over the world; movements of animals too quick for the human eye to detect may be studied on the screen, and there can be no doubt that moving pictures will be a help to education. Madame Bernard has done much to further popularise the entertainment by introducing singing competitions for local airVateurs and also this, the latest idea, essay-writing. (Awarded 50 points.) WISE AND OTHERWISE. EXCERPTS FROM THE "ALSO STARTEDS." , Erica Simmons, aged 10, who was awarded 48 'points, being third in the competition, has the following sentence: '\Some pictures teach you history, because.of the wars, while others teach ypu not to be selfish. The dramas show you that goodness is always rewarded and wickedness is always punished/' Another, describing the evening at His Majesty's, says: "Then comes change of spool, but ,you are kept merry during those anxious moments by Mr Diamond's eagerly looked-for song."

"The pictures are very educational to young and old," states one, "as most of them are not to be seen in New Zealand."

Again : "We paid our small mite and presented our tickets to a very jolly' looking gentleman, whom we afterwards found out was the w6rthy manager, Mr Will Diamond."

Shades of Stratford! "The dramas which Madame Bernard screens are very,good, costing large sums of # money and would be a credit to Shakespeare!" •

"Madam Bernard and' Mr (Difcimbnd are very generous and where evei' help is needed' they are sure to fall upon it and give help *to others." "When His' Majesty's" Theatre vftxi •built did cry of 'Nowhere to go,' or 'Nothing to do,' .was a' thing of the past." "Then we come to the 'Orgaster stall' which is a delightful scene, being conducted by Master Sir Bernard." The same writer says that the "serene from where the pictures are shown is a' grand hit of* wort, being hand- 1 painted by Mr Diamond,, ~hdping to make-the pictures more delightful."

"His Majesty's Theatre stands.. at the south end of Broadway." "Stratford, a rapidly rising town in Central Taranaki, had no standing place of amusement until Madame Bernand took pity on the people and had a picture theatre built. The main purpose was to attract people who had spare evenings, but also to fill up a corner in one of the spacious streets of Stratford."

"All children can learn as much in 20 minues as in an ordinary school in a month "

"The pictures are so interesting that the young fellows have not even got time to be roudy."

Samples of strange orthography in one attempt: "Barnards," "Orchestra," "paino," "connet," "instruments,," "aparoter." The youthful essayist was here evidently "Bush"-ed.

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