Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District

Winnetka Weekly Talk, 24 Nov 1928, p. 43

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ol pin OW 4} 3 Lek WINNETKA TALK November 24, 1928 News of the North Shore Clubs wll loa? Nelson L. Greene Talks on "Movies" Says Discrimination of "Think- ing" Spectators Will Bring Film Evolution (Contributed) On Tuesday afternoon, the civics and philanthropy committee, of which Mrs. Gross Williams is chairman, brought to the Winnetka Woman's club, Nelson L. Greene, editor of "The Educational Screen" who talked on "Movies and the Home." He covered the subject in a comprehensive and fascinating manner. Mr. Greene spoke first of the movie going public, of which ninety per cent 1e believes, is content with any sort of film be it good or bad. He feels that ten per cent of those who attend movies constitutes a group. of intelli- gent persons with whom lies the hope of solving the "movie problem." While he was in France during the war, Mr. Greene said he was awakened to the importance of teaching through the medium of movies--that he lectured to 100,000 men with the aid of a movie projector and it was then that he realized that it was the best teaching he had ever done. For the past five years he has seen from 200 to 300 films per year, and, he added, he is still sane! Mr. Greene feels there is much that is right and good in movies since both the technique and mechanism of the film have been tremendously improved in the past few years and that, were movies to be blotted out entirely, it would be a great tragedy. But the movie problem still remains. Inasmuch as the subject matter nine times out of ten is second rate and not deserv- ing of the public's attention. Mr. Greene stated that censorship has not solved this problem. He feels that reform is revolution and he is in- terested rather in evolution than in reform. In ten years the reformers--so called -- have accomplished exactly nothing, and while the battle goes on children continue to see the same type of film that has been shown since the beginning of the movies. The industry is also against censorship on the grounds that it is un-American, which, he things is absurd; that freedom of speech is threatened, which Mr. Greene says is also absurd inasmuch as doz- ens of film stories are so suggestive as to forbid telling them in words but the movie silently tells the same story with same effect that words would give. The industry also feels that censor- ship forbids freedom of art. Mr. Greene says that art has never yet come from the dance hall or the cab- aret and that the usual movie of today cannot be spoken of as an art. Mr. Greene spoke of the enormous waste in the production of film, of the mismanagement and its attendant frightful expense. He touched on the exaggerated salaries which stars re- ceive. He feels that, if at the outset, salaries had been kept on a sane basis, that the stars would have been just as well satisfied as they are now with the fabulous sums which they receive. Mr. Greene feels that, intrinsically, no star is worth more than $1,000 per week. In speaking of the type of movies shown today Mr. Greene said that their ethical and intellectual shortcomings were very apparent to the ten per cent of movie-goers giving the matter serious thought according to the speak- er one hundred thirty million persons Mets. Marcus Richards Is Arden Shore President At a meeting held in Chicago last week, the new officers and village chair- man of the Arden Shore association were elected as follows: Mrs. Robert B. Gregory, honorary president; Mrs. Marcus D. Richards of Winnetka, president; Mrs. George Richardson of Lake Forest, first vice- president; Mrs. William J. Wardall of Evanston, second vice-president; Mrs. J. S. Glidden of Glencoe, correspond- ing secretary; Mrs. Frank Warner Kingsley of Evanston, treasurer; Mrs. Richard Gambrill, Jr. of Evanston, publicity chairman; Mrs. Herbert S. Nock, chairman for Chicago; Mrs. Ernest Palmer, for Evanston; Mrs. Leslie F. Gates, Wilmette; Mrs. Ar- thur Wakely, Kenilworth; Mrs. Ro- bert Biddle, Winnetka; Mrs. Edwin Austin, Glencoe; Mrs. Robert F, Walker, Ravinia, Mrs, Kingman Doug- lass, Lake Forest; Mrs. John Kreutz- berg, Lake Bluff; Mrs. George E. Van Hagen, Jr., Barrington. Directors at large are Mrs. Hibbard Casselberry, Mrs. Carl R. Latham, Mrs. Bruce MacLeish, Mrs. Grant Ridgway, Mrs, Arthur F. Tuttle, Mrs. Fred G. Wacker, Mrs. John H. Lee, and Mrs. Lloyda Smith Shaw. go to the movies every week. In an effort to determine what percentage of these is made up of children it was "discovered on taking a canvas of neigh- borhood theaters that twenty-five per- cent is under sixteen and that twenty- two is under twelve years of age. Mr. Greene feels that the type of film shown is all important. He also added that the movies are the greatest fo-ce for good or evil that the world has ever known, that they are a greater force even than our schools, that the film ranks side by side in importance with the press. Mr. Greene spoke of the effect of the sensational film on children, their inability to discard the unreal as an adult is able to do, and the.subsequent subtle undermining and ennervating of the intellect. Imitation is strong in a child and weak in an adult and the false standards of conduct as shown bv a film may have a very wrong effect on the child. The movie, he stated, distracts from school work, the child who goes regularly to the movies receives lower marks in his school work. The movie, he remarked, is a negation of intellectual activity for the child has only to absorb, not think. Mr. Greene said that a board had viewed over fifty films and it felt that one out of five was fit for an adult to see, and that one out of nine would be possible for a child. Mr. Greene closed his talk bv say- ing that the only way to remedy the problem which faces us in regard to poor movies is for the intelligent ten percent of the movie patrons to keep away from the film which is known to be unwholesome, that soon the box office would feel the effect of this and that gradually the producers would be made to realize that the better type of film is the one the public needs and wants. Mr. Greene says the ninety 'percent of persons who do not think would soon be enjoying a clean whole- some film as much as the suggestive, disgusting one. The regular ing meeting of the gui church guild will be held Mon- morning. Luncheon will follow the meeting. The board of the guild will meet after luncheon. Arden Shore Head Photo by Balfour Studio Marcus D. Richards of 1240 Tower road, Winnetka is the newly elected president of the Arden Shore Mrs. association. Mrs. Richards has been identified with Arden Shore work for a number of years. She was chairman of the Winnetka committee about three years ago and last season was vice-president of the association. North Shore Debutantes to Assist at Reception Twelve prominent young Chicago and north shore society girls will as- sist at the debut tea of Miss Jean Stevens from 4 to 7 o'clock Monday afternoon at her home, 1412 Astor street, Chicago. Miss Stevens is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde G. Stevens who, with their daughter and son, John, spent the past summer in the Francis Peabody Butler home on Private road in Winnetka. Among the assistants are four girls who spend at least a part of the year in their north shore homes, Miss Jean MacLeish, Miss Jean Badgerow, Miss Charlotte Picher, and Miss Eleanor Dennehy. The other assistants will be the Misses Barbara King, Betty Borden, Dorothy Ranney, Bertha Palmer, Katherine Drake, Isabelle Greenlee, Virginia Dixon, and Jeanette Peterkin. To Wed on Thanksgiving Thanksgiving day brings the wed- ding of Miss Virginia Wallace, daugh- ter of the Walter F. Wallaces of 815 Mt. Pleasant road. She will become the bride of Walter Sanger Hinchman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter A, Hinch- man of Kansas City, Mo., at a cere- mony read at Indian Hill club at 4:30 o'clock, by the Rev. George Roberts of the First Presbyterian church of Lake Forest. A reception will follow the ceremony. Form New Dance Group The Village Green dancers held their first meeting at North Shore Country Day school last Monday evening. This group is composed of Winnetkans who are taking a course in folk dancing under the direction of a teacher from the Adolph Bolm schodél. Mrs. Em- mons Blaine, Mrs. Ralph Hamill, and Mrs. Perry Smith are members of the committee in charge. Prof. Mary Heiner Lectures at Club University of Chicago Instructor Suggests Methods for Conserv- ing Time The last of the six lectures on home- making offered by the art and litera- ture and the education committees of the Winnetka Woman's club was given Wednesday morning, Novem- ber 21. From her quick, direct presentation and her apt suggestions it was obvious that Prof. Mary Koll Heiner of the Home Economics department of the University of Chicago was one of those rare, capable people who "prac- tice what they preach." Prof. Heiner's subject was "Organization of Time," a matter of deep concern to the modern woman who, in her effort to be a broader minded, more capable home- maker, is reaching beyond those first physical requisites of housekeeping to the home's protective and progressive contributors : state, church, and school. In analyzing the situation, Prof. Heiner divided a woman's task into two departments, the productive or housekeeping and the consumptive or homemaking. It was her purpose to suggest means whereby the time spent on the first might be lessened to the advantage of the second. It was urged that a woman approaches each of the approximately three hun- dred activities that constitute her daily program with an analytical mind, to determine whether that task could be done less frequently or less perfectly and yet give satisfaction and whether the tools employed are the most effici- ent regardless of their aesthetic ap- peal. For specific application, Prof. Heiner recommended from a number of sug- gestions that menus be simplified with the "either-or" plan, that salads be served from a bowl in place of in- dividually, that in the effort to whet appetites one should depend more up- on attractive table appointments and less upon the garnishing of dishes' and in the matter of cleaning, she sug- gested that dusting be regulated ac- cording to a room's usage and accord- ing to the house's location in city or suburb, For the conscientious woman, it is very difficult to learn to do things only as well as they need to be done, but an earnest study will determine that need, and it is only that standard which will simplify the complexity of house- keeping. This lecture finished the series of Wednesday morning talks but the art and literature committee promises an- other rare treat for the next regular club meeting on Tuesday afternoon, December 4, when Percy Eckhart will give an illustrated lecture on a Carib- bean cruise. O. E. §. to Meet Winnetka chapter, 942, Order of Eastern Star, invites all Eastern Star members to be present on Worthy Matron's night, Monday night, No- vember 26, at 7:30 o'clock in the Ma- sonic temple on Elm street. Mrs. Esther Gielow, grand representative, will be acting worthy matron, Herbert C. Gielow, worthy grand patron, will be acting worthy patron, and Mrs. Esther C. Martin, Winnetka chapter's worthy matron, will be the guest of honor.

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