AN INVESTIGATION WAS UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE HOW THE RESPONSE FROM JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WAS AFFECTED BY THEIR EXPOSURE TO MOTION PICTURE VERSIONS OF SHORT STORIES. THE RESEARCH WAS DIRECTED TOWARD DETERMINING WHETHER FILMS CAN BE USED TO ENHANCE THE TEACHING OF LITERATURE. THREE HYPOTHESES WERE TESTED--(1) STUDENTS WHO VIEW A FILM VERSION OF A SHORT STORY AS WELL AS READ IT RESPOND DIFFERENTLY FROM THOSE WHO ONLY READ IT, (2) STUDENTS WHO VIEW THE FILM BEFORE READING RESPOND DIFFERENTLY FROM THOSE WHO VIEW THE FILM AFTER READING, (3) DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSE ARE RELATED TO DIFFERENCES IN AGE, SEX, AND INTELLIGENCE. ALL STUDENTS IN THE JUNIOR HIGH DIVISION (385), PLUS 67 SIXTH-GRADERS OF THE MADISON SCHOOL, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. FOUR STORIES WERE USED IN THE EXPERIMENT. RESPONSE OBJECTIVES WERE--(1) COMPREHENSION, (2) ENJOYMENT, (3) IDENTIFICATION WITH CHARACTERS, AND (4) KNOWLEDGE OF WORD MEANINGS. SEPARATE TESTS WERE DEVELOPED FOR EACH STORY, AND TEST DATA WERE ANALYZED. RESULTS INDICATED THAT FILM-VIEWING, EITHER BEFORE, OR AFTER READING, IMPROVES RESPONSE. IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING AND FURTHER RESEARCH WERE PRESENTED. (JC)