FILM AND CHILD

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 123, 26 May 1928, Page 10

FILM AND CHILD

CRIME CONNECTION REPORT SAYS NEGLIGIBLE NEW -PICTUEE-LABELS "The, picture theatre seems to .have become part of the life of tho child, and therefore every possible precaution should bo taken to ensure that tho child will derive nothing but good entertainment from the picture screen." "Tho relationship between the film and juvenile crime has been exhaustively inquired into. Having in mind the enormous annual attendances of children at picture shows and the number of films which they view, the offences of children which could be directly traced to the cinema :>$ the cause are negligible." NOT PROVEN. These two'passages are taken from the report of■ the Royal Commission on the moving picture industry vi Australia. In Queensland it was stated that 10 per cent, of the juvenile crime in that State was due, directly or indirectly, to tho influence of the cinema. j But tho Commission comments: "Tho ' witness admitted that it was difficult to determine to what extent the cinema ■was responsible, and to decide what bearing heredity, environment, and parental control had on tho matter. ,In Victoria -the opinion of Dr. Charles Player, who has been associated with the Children Js Court for seventeen years, was that after a 'careful study he had.come to the eon--elusion that the evil effects of tho film upon children .had been very much exaggerated, and that tho number of cases in which crime may be ' attributable directly to the film is negligible. In South Australia and Western Australia a very small percentage of juvenile crime could bo traced directly to the cinema.- In New South Wales and Tasmania no evidence was tendered to show that tho film was responsible for any increase in juvenile crime." This may not amount'to a verdict of not guilty, but it is at any rate a verdict of not proven: There is a difficulty of analysis where the cause is complex, and the percentages of causative factors in crime are hard to assess. But the commission finds no cvi- . donee linking juvenile crime directly i with the cinema in more than a negligible degree. ADVLf AND CHILD MINDS. : "Many children," states the report .of the Commission, "are susceptible to whatever influence visual entertainment might exert, but children with such ■proclivities would be better safeguarded by parental control. Some exhibitors realise the importance, both as an entertainment and as an education, ol! the moving picture to children, and in a number of cinemas matinees are given at which pictures, are shown particularly suitable for children. Unfortunately, owing very often to the expense and difficulty of obtaining films especially suitable for children's matinees, it frequently happens that the pictures -shown to the children in the afternoons are the same films as are shown at tho ordinary evening screening. Many of thijse films, dealing as they do with sex problems and with excesses of one kind or another, can, by aceustomising tho child mind to such matters, exercise to a greater or lesser degree a certain demoralising influence. A great deal of evidence in support of these views was placed before your Commissioners, and a widespread feeling of uneasiness was manifested as to the possible cumulative effect of such exhibitions upon future generations. The showmen are keenly appreciative of the box-office value of children patrons, and are only too eager to introduce features likely to'increase the attendance at matinees. ... It has been stated that the mis-spellings ;^nd the slang used in sub-titles of pictures are being absorbed by children, and while it is apparent that frequently any alteration of the wording of a title by the removal of slang would distort the character represented, it is thought that the censorship should not allow mis-spellings, Americanised spell; ings, or words offensive to Australians, although inoffensive in the country producing the film, to remain in sub-titles. BETTER THAN SOME HOMES. "To prohibit the attendance of children at night shows would be too strict, 'for, as lias been repeatedly stated in evidence, the picture shows are more pleasant than their home surroundings in many cases. In Western Australia Friday night is observed as a special children's night, and' pictures suitable for exhibition to children are shown. The children do not attend school on the following day, and therefore their education is not affected. This appears to be one solution of tho problem." ■' Another. attempt at a solution consists of the recommended grading and labelling of films on lines set out below. With regard to the advantage of Friday for children's night pictures (Friday not being followed by a school day) it should bo added that the Commission investigated closely tho problem of the film's tiring effect on children (as apart from the demoralising ' and the criminalising effects), and re"The frequent attendance of childron ,at night picture performances is found by school teachers to militate against their educational progress, for i$- is noticed on the days following nightly picture show attendances that thfe children are listless, inattentive, and linable to concentrate. Tho continuance of such a stato of affairs is not desired, but a difficulty exists in finding a, remedy without unduly enforcing hardship. . . . Witnesses are agreed that there should bo some regulation of the films screened before children. WHY JOHNNY IS BROUGHT. "It is recognised that tho enforcement of a law prohibiting children from attonding shows at night would bo unjust. Likewise, a regulation prohibiting the admittance of children to shows at night, unless accompanied by an adult, would prove a hardship. Tho absolute prohibition of the admittance of children under the ago of, say, ten years, would react on somo parents, who look on a cinematograph entertainment as a pleasant relaxation, and who cannot for de- . mestie reasons leave their children at home or in charge of others. Further, it is realised that children attending picture theatres with their parents are under more control than t-ose unattended. Another ineth'od of restriction considered was that of preventing tho attendance of the children between tho ages of 10 and 14 years unless accompanied by an adult. A serious objection to this proposal is that it would lead to the solicitation by children of adults to escort' them into tho theatre. The point up to which tho interest of a child is maintained at a picture show depends upon the class of entertainment and the temperament of tho viewer. Tho mind of a child who is viewirig a programme of ordinary, length cannot absorb all of the incidents and happenings shown on the screen during the two hours and a half taken up by the average programme. Tho shorten- . ing of tho programme at children's per-

formances and matinees would relieve certain subsequent effects, such as listlcssness and lack of concentration, now noticeable." Again: "Visual memory is the strongest, and little children are at* the most impressionable ago for the storing up of mind pictures. Dr. Gertrude Halley, Principal Medical Officer of the South Australian Education Department, said that children who attend cinemas frequently are noticed to be pale and sleepy," to lack power of concentration, and sometimes are nervous and highly strung. The witness said that seats placed close to the screen caused a strain in the ocular muscles, and that children with defective eyesight were liable to have their .defects increased. The strain was also caused by faulty projection or by a badly scratched film. The witness considered that an improvement could.^ bo effgeted in conditions by conducting children's performances from 7 p.m. to'S p.m., thus leaving them to enjoy Saturday afternoons out of doors. The construction of more open air picture shows, the witness thought, would bo beneficial. Your Commissioners are of opinion that the audience, and especially tho young, should not be seated too close to the screen or at tho outer angle of same." LABELS TO GUIDE PARENTS. Under this section ("Children and the. Cinema") of tho subject the Commission sums up as follows: —"The evidence tendered proves that any harm,, which the cinema might cause to children can be reduced to a negligible minimum by stricter parental control. It is thought that every assistance should be. given to enable parents to judge whether tho pictures being screened at the theatre which the children visit are suitable, for them to sec,, and, with this abject, proposals for the marking of films to indicate those suitable for childrer have been recommended. With pictures graded as recommended, adults also would be guided in their choice of films,'but at tho same time it is considered that there should be no relaxation of the present standard of censorship in regard to pictures for adults. The recommendations in this section are:— (1) That all motion picture films fhall be graded by the Censorship Board, and mucked "Suitable for Universal Exhibition" when considered by the board to be so. Films shall not bo marked in any other way except with' the approval of the Censorship Board. '■Universal" shall mean that tho aims are suitable for exhibition to children as well as to adults. (2) That the marking of lllms -Tor Adults Only" shall be restricted to educational, scientific and Jiictlleal films, sueli marldnK to bo made by tho Censorship Board. No exhibitor shall advertise a Blm as "For Adults Only" unless s-uch film has been so marked by the CunsorsMp Board. . (3) Ko film other than those marked "Sultalilo for Universal Exhibition" shall bo shown at mattneea; provided that the appeal board may grant a remission eertifteato in the easo of long-run theatres in respect of matinees, where the picture on exhibition is not marked for universal exhibition. One of tho witnesses, Sir James Barrett, a, vice-president of the Health Association of Australia, stated that he had never seen the slightest indication that films prejudicially affect the eyesight; ,he had observed no organic disease of the eyes produced by films.