Right or Wrong? (Making Moral Decisions)
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Right or Wrong? (Making Moral Decisions) is a short film from 1951 released on 16mm. It is held in the Prelinger Archives collection.
[Educational Screen, Oct 1951] The film presents a series of situations which involve moral decisions and raises the question of whether or not each of the individuals, in the opinion of the audience, acted according to the best moral principles and practices.
The narrative prologue -- "Most of us think we know what is right. Do we? Here are some situations which involve moral decisions. Test yourself. Decide what you think is right -- and why" -- introduces the audience to the film.
The main action in the film opens at a warehouse at night as a gang of teenage boys throw stones at a many-paned window. All but Harry throw their rocks. The watchman recognizes only Harry, the boy who did not throw his rocks. Since he knows Harry's father, he wonders if he should forget that he saw Harry. The voice of the narrator points out that the watchman has a decision to make which will influence the lives of several people and that he must make a decision as to which alternative is right and which is wrong. He also asks each person in the audience to determine what decision he would reach in this situation and explain its possible effects on the lives of those involved. The watchman decides to report Harry to the police.
When the police officer rings the bell at Harry's home, his mother answers. She is alarmed to see a policeman and when he asks for Harry, she pauses to decide whether she should hand him over to the police or whether she should cover up for him. The narrator again asks the audience to decide which is the better course of action and why. The mother decides to give Harry to the police.
Mr. Kastner, the owner of the warehouse, having been informed about the vandalism, immediately goes to the police station and demands that Harry be brought to trial if he doesn't divulge the names of his gang. He points out that he feels that this is right since it is necessary to stop vandalism, which has been too long uncurbed. Again the audience is asked to decide whether or not they would have decided as Mr. Kastner did.
When Kastner leaves, Sergeant Kelly tries to get Harry to talk. Harry stubbornly disclaims responsibility in breaking the warehouse windows and refuses to tell the names of the boys who did because he doesn't think it would be right to squeal on the others. Even when Barker, a man from Harry's church, takes Harry past the broken warehouse windows and then on to his house, Harry still refuses to talk. Barker asks Harry a last question before they turn out the lights, "Is it right to hide a lawbreaker from justice?"
The narrator points out that Harry's problem is far from solved and that it is not the purpose of the film to solve it. He says to the audience, "The question is up to you. Think back over the moral decisions. Did you agree with them? It's your story now. You decide what is right."| Right or Wrong? (Making Moral Decisions) | |
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| Produced by | Coronet Instructional Films |
Production company | Coronet Instructional Films |
| Distributed by | Coronet Instructional Films |
Release date | 1951 |
Running time | 10:11 |
| Language | English |
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