SERIES

The Bell System Science Series

19562 Seasons

Documentary

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Genre: Documentary
Origin: US

About

The Bell System Science Series consists of nine television specials made for the AT&T Corporation that were originally broadcast in color between 1956 and 1964. Marcel LaFollette has described them as "specials that combined clever story lines, sophisticated animation, veteran character actors, films of natural phenomena, interviews with scientists, and precise explanation of scientific and technical concepts — all in the pursuit of better public understanding of science.

Where to watch

Region

Not available to stream in United States yet.

Details

Status: Ended
First aired: Nov 19, 1956
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios

Time to finish

6 hrs

8 episodes. About 1 week at an hour a night.

SERIES

The Bell System Science Series

19562 Seasons

Documentary

Your rating

Genre: Documentary
Origin: US

About

Where to watch

Region

Not available to stream in United States yet.

Episodes

0 of 0 watched

E1 · Airs Nov 19, 1956 · 55m
Our Mr. Sun
Our Mr. Sun examines the Sun and how it works, the Sun's profound influence on life on Earth, and the possibilities for harnessing sunlight for solar electricity; solar cells had been demonstrated at Bell Laboratories in 1954 during the development of the film. For the screenplay, Capra first contracted for treatments by two prominent authors, Aldous Huxley and Willy Ley. Ultimately, Capra wrote the screenplay himself, subject to approval by a scientific advisory board put together by N. W. Ayer. The principal scientific source used for the screenplay was the book Our Sun (1949) by Donald Menzel, who also consulted with Capra about the screenplay. Menzel opposed most of the religious elements of Capra's screenplay, but many were included in the version that was produced.
E2 · Airs Mar 21, 1957 · 54m
Hemo the Magnificent
Hemo the Magnificent is an examination of what the circulatory system is and how it works. It was written and directed by Frank Capra, and starred Frank C. Baxter as Dr. Research, Richard Carlson as the Fiction Writer, Mel Blanc as the squirrel, June Foray as the deer, and Marvin Miller as Hemo. This film was first broadcast on March 20, 1957 at 9 PM. This was a better hour for a family program than used for Our Mr. Sun, and the program had more viewers than those being broadcast on the two other major television networks
E3 · Airs Oct 26, 1957 · 55m
The Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays
The Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays is an examination of what cosmic rays are and how they work. It was written by Capra with Jonathan Latimer, a crime fiction novelist and screenwriter. As Gilbert describes it, the third and fourth films "repeated the formulas of his earlier work while ever searching for new contrivances for popularization as well as the best language to express his soft religious message" and that the script was essentially a reworking of ideas Capra had developed for a possible documentary about Robert A. Millikan.
E4 · Airs Feb 13, 1958 · 55m
The Unchained Goddess
The Unchained Goddess examines what weather is and how it works. It was the fourth and last film in the series that was produced by Frank Capra, who wrote the screenplay with Jonathan Latimer. Unlike the first three of the films, this film was directed by Richard Carlson, who also appears in the film.

Details

Status: Ended
First aired: Nov 19, 1956
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios

Time to finish

6 hrs

8 episodes. About 1 week at an hour a night.

The Bell System Science Series

About

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Details

Time to finish

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The Bell System Science Series

About

Where to watch

Episodes

Details

Time to finish

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