Church Talkies

Indigent, remote and preacherless churches have been promised a boon in the talking cinema. Year ago the Presbyterian Board of Christian Education got up a cinema service, performed by Presbyterian leaders (TIME, Jan. 26). For commercial purposes last week RCA Photophone Inc. dangled enticing names before U. S. congregations, releasing a nonsectarian. 25-min. evening church service. To a Manhattan studio preview went local churchmen, there to see & hear: Dr. Daniel Alfred ("Dan") Poling, famed Dry crusader, kinetic leader of U. S. youth, editor-in-chief of The Christian Herald; Dr. Charles Rosenbury Erdman of Princeton's First Presbyterian Church and Princeton Theological Seminary; Baritone Homer Alvan Rodeheaver, whose imposing manner and cheery hymns used to be a prime feature of Billy Sunday's revival services; and the Westminster Choir of Ithaca, N. Y. under the able direction of John Finley Williamson.

Promoter of this first commercial cinema church service was Baritone Rodeheaver. Enthusiastic about its pious and inspirational features, he went to Washington last week to publicize it, planned a tour of other cities. Churches may rent the service for about $15 and buy portable sound apparatus for between $400 and $500. Later, Promoter Rodeheaver will collaborate with RCA Photophone on other non-sectarian film services. He it is who chooses the speakers, none of whom receives any pay, for the ecclesiastical cinemas.

Churchmen who visited last week's preview were somewhat captious. They listened to five selections by Westminster Choir, a solo by a Miss Lorene Hodap, a scripture reading by Dr. Erdman, a sermon by Dr. Poling defending present-day Youth. Studio atmosphere was reverent: some smoked before, but none during the showing. Afterwards, a few clergymen criticized the choir: it sang too well, over-balancing the rest of the program, and there were too many close-ups of comely Westminster choir girls. Lipstick was apparent. One gentleman observed a glaring omission: there was no prayer! Hastily Promoter Rodeheaver's secretary pointed out that since this cinema was primarily to supplement the local church service a local minister would be present to lead prayer. Also, people who reverentially bowed their heads during prayer would in any case be unable to see the screen. A vote was taken. The ecclesiastics decided, 12 to 3, that prayers were best left out.

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