“From the Archives” — Movies at Saint Mary School

Audio-visual education in elementary school is not really new or special today. But it was once very different. In 1941, Saint Mary’s whole student body assembled to enjoy the school’s first motion picture projector with sound. They were treated to a double feature: An educational film, “Unbreakable Glass,” and a more entertaining film, “Bird Scouts.” Considering the quality of Hollywood’s motion pictures at the time, the children were probably less than enthralled. But other “soundies” soon followed. “Little Men,” “Shirley Temple Goes to Africa,” “Wyoming” (a western where the good guys wore white hats) and “Peck’s Bad Boy” were favorites. Since this was in an educational environment, the movies were usually double features. “Courtesy” was a repeat performance. Missionaries also visited the school regularly and presented films about life in the countries they served. A film shown in 1952 illustrated the fear of atomic warfareand the Cold War: “Duck and Cover,” produced by the Federal Civil Defense Administration.The U. S. Navy sent a patriotic film, “Fighting Lady,” about a World War II battleship.

By the 1960s and 1970s, TV had become a regular part of the school routine. Educational shows for school children were broadcast daily on PBS. Movies, needing a projector to be tediously threaded with film, were soon obsolete, replaced by video recordings on small cassettes. The VCRs, connected to TV monitors on large portable stands, could be rolled down the halls from classroom to classroom. Children in the school in those days remember the sound of the TV carts noisily rumbling their way. Now, as technology changes with lightning speed, VCRs are obsolete, replaced by little discs or smart TVs that are internet connected, no discs needed. Audio-visual education is no longer a special event.

— Kitty Guy, Parish Historian