The Church's Picture Galleries. 



537 



A considerable number of letters were 

 received from leading people in the various 

 Churches. They are very divided in opinion. 

 Many have reserved their judgment altogether. 

 The Dean of St. Paul's vi^rites as follows : — 



I am a strong believer in the value of magic-lantern 

 services, and I see no reason why the principle should 

 not be extended in the way which you suggest if great 

 care were taken to avoid irreverence or absurdity in the 

 dramatic production of scenes from the Bible. I think, 

 however, that it would be found that only a very limited 

 number of such scenes are suitable for the cinematograph, 

 and that the magic-lantern has many advantages over it. 



Archdeacon Wilberforce passes no judgment 

 upon the scheme as a whole, but takes excep- 

 tion to the proposal to represent Scriptural 

 stories by a moving film. He says : — 



I have thought over your suggestion as to Sunday 

 cinematographs of Scripture history. I cordially appreci- 

 ate j'our motive, but I think the proposal open to grave 

 objection. The acting of the great drama of Calvary at 

 Oberammergau was just tolerable because of the piety 

 and earnestness of the villagers; but, in this case, there 

 is implied rehearsal before the camera by persons, pre- 

 sumably of little reverence for the subjects, who will be 

 impersonating sacred characters and acting incidents 

 which are the hallowed traditions of Christianity. In my 

 opinion the result would be to vulgarise and not to 

 evangelise. I once saw the parable of the prodigal son 

 acted on a cinematograph, and I was repelled and dis- 

 gusted. 



CANON OTTI.EY AND SUNDAY OBSERVANCE. 



The Rev. Canon Ottley, who more than any 

 man has aroused public opinion to the import- 

 ance of a six-day week, expressed himself very 

 enthusiastically on the subject of the proposed 



Cinema Mission. He said it was quite clear 

 to him that the observance of Sunday would 

 perish in England unless something was done 

 to replace the mere negative formula " thou 

 shalt not "by a positive conception of the 

 proper observance of the Lord's Day. He said 

 he had travelled up and down the country, and 

 this truth had been much borne in upon him, 

 and therefore he hailed with delight the proposal 

 to utilise the Cinema Picture Palaces so that 

 this great entertainment of popular education 

 and inspiration might be used as a means of 

 interpreting the works of God to man. For 

 instance, " consider the lilies of the field how 

 they grow." Imagine the difference between 

 the most eloquent sermon preached upon that 

 text by the greatest of our preachers, and the 

 effect produced by a cinema film, which showed 

 the flower in growth from the first budding of 

 the leaf to (he complete flower. " Everything, 

 of course, depends," said the Canon, " upon 

 the choice of films ; but to interpret the world 

 and all that is therein so as to enable every 

 man to realise the wonder and glory of the 

 works of his Creator- — these are objects which 

 can best be obtained by the use of the cinemato- 

 graph in the way in which you suggest. 

 Although I have no authority to commit my 

 Alliance or anyone but myself to my views, I 

 must honestly say that I read your article with 

 interest, believing that I saw therein the promise 

 of a great new reinforcement of those who are 

 endeavouring to preserve to humanity the 

 inestimable boon of one day's rest in seven." 



V .1. 



^-r^f * 



The Crucifixion. 



Carrying the Cross. 



