FREE FILMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 654, 4 May 1929, Page 25

FREE FILMS

Missioner Exhibits Sermons in Celluloid SUNDAY AT THE STRAND Meet the Rev. C. G. Scrimgeour, City Missioner, in the role of motion picture showman—a pioneer exhibitor of films in conjunction with religious services. XfOR the past five months Mr. Scrimgeour has heen doing excellent work—and "business”—with his shows, and it is high time that movie enthusiasts generally learned something of his methods. Movie religious services are regular features of the United States Sunday, but they are decidedlv an innovation in Australia and New Zealand. Notwithstanding this, Mr. Scrimgeour has achieved both popularity and, what is still more important, good results.

He began the showing of films late last year and from that time on received hearty support from all film exchanges who generously placed suitable films at his disposal free of charge.

Five Good Months To date lie has screened “King of Kings,’’ “The Ten Commandments,” “The Wanderer,” “Grass” and “Quo Vadis,” which is now in course of screening each Sunday. As each of the films is a super feature in point of length, the method is to divide it into four parts which are screened from week to week as a serial. Mr. Scrimgeour has no lack of suitable film and is booked up for some months with pictures, including “Moon of Israel” and others. He hopes, too, to secure “Ben Hur” after its regular commercial run through the Dominion. The missioner’s method is to hold a short religious service preceded by a community sing. Then he preaches, carefully basing his subject on the film or portion of film to be shown that evening. After his points have been made and stressed verbally, they are hammered home by the picture itself which is screened in the latter part of the meeting. Packed Houses The services are held each Sunday in the Strand Theatre and, of course, admission is free. A packed house is the rule rather than the exception for, from the opening evening, the idea “took on” with remarkable completeness. “I consider that we have the attendance of about 200 people who would otherwise attend other religious services,” says Mr. Scrimgeour. “The remaining thousand or 1,200 people are in a fresh field—those who would otherwise spend Sunday evening walking about the city streets.” Thus Mr. Scrimgeour is proving that motion pictures can be a great power for good. He has been delighted with, the type of pictures already shown and has found no difficulty in adapting sermons to their themes. “ ‘Grass,’ although it was not a religious subject, proved ideal for the purpose,” he declares, “while, of course, one could preach for the rest of one’s life on ‘The King of Kings.’ ”