Abstract
A recent George Page PBS nature program featured the time dependent behavior of various birds, fish and mammals. Modern film methodology was employed to show startling effects and unusual behaviors. One scene featuring those slippery actors, the west coast grunions, reminded the viewer of the Moody Institute of Science (MIS) films of the 1940s which pioneered photographic methods and pictured so imaginatively the heavens, bat behavior and the grunion birthing process. Moody film pioneers Irwin A. Moon and Alton Everest were also key figures in the founding of the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA). The close early connection between ASA and MIS suggests that a study of films can provide insight into the attitudes toward science and the understanding of science/faith questions held by early members of the ASA. This paper describes the founding period of both organizations and offers an analysis of several early MIS productions.