I'm basically as old as this short film documentary and for the life of me, I can't imagine why I've never heard of Mooseheart, Illinois - City of Children. I think the concept is terrific and sets an excellent example of how love and dedication to nurturing young orphaned children can develop them into happy, productive adults. Founded in 1909 from a donation by the Loyal Order of Moose, City of Children adopts three principles to their effective program - children live in homes instead of dormitories, they wear bright clothes instead of uniforms, and they are instilled with a freedom that goes hand in hand with discipline. The documentary depicts the youngsters learning trades like carpentry, farming, and clerical, as they are observed from an early age by child psychologists in order to help determine what career path to take to become productive members of society. A quick internet search indicates that the community continues to thrive to the present day, a lasting tribute to the effectiveness of a program that grew out of desperate need and continues to imbue young minds and hearts with hope for a better future.
5 Reviews
Before Father Flanagan
bkoganbing17 July 2018
This short subject, the last one in the Passing Parade series that John Nesbitt did
for MGM concerns a town named Mooseheart, Illinois. It was founded by the
Loyal Order of the Moose fraternity in 1913 and even today is still going strong
10 miles west of Chicago.
It's got some adult supervision the documentary wasn't terribly clear about that, still it's residents are primarily young people, orphans who the Moose have gathered from the various places where there is a Moose Lodge.
It was founded almost a decade before Father Frank Flanagan founded his Boys Town in Nebraska. It seems like a non-clerical version of same.
And its coed.
An interesting story despite the omissions.
It's got some adult supervision the documentary wasn't terribly clear about that, still it's residents are primarily young people, orphans who the Moose have gathered from the various places where there is a Moose Lodge.
It was founded almost a decade before Father Frank Flanagan founded his Boys Town in Nebraska. It seems like a non-clerical version of same.
And its coed.
An interesting story despite the omissions.
End of the Line
boblipton24 July 2019
The last THE PASSING PARADE produced and narrated by John Nesbitt for MGM is about the city of Mooseheart, a town built to give orphans not just enough food to eat, not just a place to live, but a home. It was conceived by the Loyal Order of the Moose as a home for members' widows and orphans and opened in 1913. Still located in Kane County, Illinois, it's still open and doing its good work.
Nesbitt had been doing The Passing Parade, not only for MGM, but as a radio feature, for a dozen years at this point. Given the decline in full-program movie theaters due to the onslaught of television, the production companies were cutting back. Louis B. Mayer was fighting for control of MGM, and ceasing to produce short subjects like these, allowing more than seventy episodes to serve the theaters, was seen as a good economy measure.
Nesbitt had been doing The Passing Parade, not only for MGM, but as a radio feature, for a dozen years at this point. Given the decline in full-program movie theaters due to the onslaught of television, the production companies were cutting back. Louis B. Mayer was fighting for control of MGM, and ceasing to produce short subjects like these, allowing more than seventy episodes to serve the theaters, was seen as a good economy measure.
I lived there
dharvestmoon17 February 2021
Final Passing Parade
Michael_Elliott3 July 2009
City of Children (1949)
** (out of 4)
This seventy-second episode in John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series is one of the weaker entries I've seen. The film takes a look at Mooseheart, IL, a place where there's an entire city of children who are taught how to live life after being abandoned by their parents. This series has always been one of my favorites because it either recreates great drama or tells great stories that many people might not know about. This film doesn't do either because there isn't any drama and the actual story being told isn't all that entertaining. The movie is incredibly flat from start to finish because we get a lot of stock footage and Nesbitt's narration just isn't what it normally is. The entire film has a lazy feel to it and I found myself looking at the clock a couple times too many, which isn't normally the case with this series. This was the final entry in the series and it wasn't a good one to go out with.
** (out of 4)
This seventy-second episode in John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series is one of the weaker entries I've seen. The film takes a look at Mooseheart, IL, a place where there's an entire city of children who are taught how to live life after being abandoned by their parents. This series has always been one of my favorites because it either recreates great drama or tells great stories that many people might not know about. This film doesn't do either because there isn't any drama and the actual story being told isn't all that entertaining. The movie is incredibly flat from start to finish because we get a lot of stock footage and Nesbitt's narration just isn't what it normally is. The entire film has a lazy feel to it and I found myself looking at the clock a couple times too many, which isn't normally the case with this series. This was the final entry in the series and it wasn't a good one to go out with.
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