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AUGUST 12TH, 1944:IN 1944 as the Allied and German armies fought over France, The Irish Timeswas also concerned about the influence of what an editorial had called “the scum of Hollywood’s cheapest productions” on children, especially on poor children. A reporter was sent to assess the situation:

Last weekend I set out to measure the cinema’s influence on tomorrow’s citizens. I found that from 12 to 15 of the lesser-known city cinemas cater almost exclusively for children through the afternoon. The offspring of the more well-to-do parents are escorted to the more pretentious establishments, usually on Saturday evenings.