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Marionettes in beautiful costumes and settings, tell the story of Marushka who is sent to the mountain in the winter to bring first violets, than strawberries and finally apples to her mother and sister. On each trip Marushka meets Father January and the other eleven months, who make it possible for her to find the things she seeks. Her mother and sister are very greedy and decide to accompany her to the mountains to find more apples. They do not heed Father January's warning and turn into snow.
Discusses the debates in the United States since World War I over the issues of isolation versus involvement in world affairs. Concludes that the U.S. is permanently involved in world affairs but the debate will continue as to the meaning and context of involvement.
Explains the research efforts of marine scientists in conserving the natural resources of the sea, increasing the productivity of the sea, and discovering new facts about the sea and the life within it. Visits Miami's Biscayne Bay to examine the waters and bottom to learn the effects of urban pollution on animal life; Boca Grande Pass to see marine biologists tagging and releasing huge game fish; and Everglades National Park where relatively primeval waters are examined to learn the kinds of animals now present.
Examines trade unionism in Australia, England, and the United States and pursues in its comparative study what trade unionism has come to mean to Australins.
Reviews the biomechanical processes presented in the preceding programs. Relates these concepts to the way in which all forms of life are linked and resembles each other. Concludes by offering an answer to the question "How did life begin?"
Physicists and biophysicists find common ground in interpreting the oscillation of a suspended spring. It is a simple piece of coiled metal which pulses over a small pool of mercury. The spring and the mercury are connected to a battery. Both scientists agree that the motion, regular and seemingly tireless, results from a design embodying the principle of “positive feedback.” From the biophysicist’s point of view, the pulsing spring is rather like the beating human heart. More and more areas of agreement common to all branches of science thus seems, as Professor LeCorbeiller puts it, “too beautiful not to be true.” And if science is one in revealing nature, will it not demonstrate that nature itself is one … animate and inanimate, spring and heart, body and tone?
Dr. Otto Struve, director of the Leuscher Observatory in Berkeley and the first man to prove that stars rotate on their axes, is Dr. Seaborg’s guest on this program. Hydrogen is rare and helium is positively scarce on earth but these two elements alone make up 99 percent of the universe as a whole. Dr. Seaborg and his guest attempt to explain this phenomenon and other topics such as the creation of the universe, the emptiness of “empty space,” and the ways in which astronomers unravel the secrets of the cosmos. The viewers also is taken on a journey of exploration in outer space with our host and Dr. Struve as they explore the sun, the Milky Way, and distant galaxies, all illustrated with remarkable astro-photos.
Presents a history of the Hale Telescope and the contributions it has made to our knowledge of the universe. Shows transportation and construction of the 200-inch mirror. Illustrates recent discoveries with photographs taken through the telescope at its Mount Palomar site.
Professor Kraemer reads from an illustrated account by an Egyptian envoy, written in 1200 BC, who traveled to Syria at a time when law and order within the Egyptian empire were in a state of corruption. The account stresses the indignities suffered by a traveler.
This program goes into the peculiar problem of weightlessness, which is typical of space flight, when the speed of the vehicle on an elliptical orbit around the earth counteracts the attraction of gravity and the occupants cease to have any weight. Maj. Stallings, who flies a jet plane in weightlessness experiments at the School of Aviation Medicine, explains the technique of performing this maneuver; the only way known to secure the effect of “zero gravity” within the earth’s atmosphere. Dr. Gerathewohl then describes some of the results of the flights on subjects in research which he has carried on at the School for several years.
Introduces the Republican Party record on particular political issues and outlines its stand on such issues as agriculture, foreign policy, civil rights, and natural resources.
Imperialism was in the air as the nineteenth century ran toward its close. The USA proved not to be immune. A new “manifest destiny” took hold of American minds; expansion beyond continental limits had its attractions. The early twentieth century saw the USA taking its part in world affairs as a solid full-grown member of the family of nations.
This is the first of a series of four discussions on philosophy. In it, Dr. Adler defines philosophy and discusses the relationship of philosophy to science and religion. He also answers the question whether man needs a philosophy of life and reveals his belief that philosophy is useful and, in fact, is the foundation of all learning.
The V-2 was called the A-4 by the Germans and as such should have been the fourth in the A series of missiles. Actually it was the fifth since the A-5 was predecessor to the V-2. The A-4 incorporated most of the latest rocket knowledge and even extrapolated by increasing the dimensions greatly over any missile that had previously been built. Pumping of propellants and cooling of the motor were two major problems that were solved. Since the collapse of Germany, the V-2 has been used in several novel experiments.
Shows fueling operation, static firing, and the actual firing of the Viking missile. Pictures the recovery of the rocket after it has fallen, and explains that upper air information may be obtained by the study of the parts that are recovered.
Deals with the prelude to and the events of the Revolution of 1917. Discusses the relations between Lenin and the German government. Presents re-enactments of Lenin's return to Russia from Germany, his activities immediately upon his return, and the efforts to form his "dictatorship of the proletariat."
This program addresses the Civil War; even before Lincoln took office, the retreat from the Union had begun. He did not want war but was determined that, if the preservation of the Union demanded it, he would not refuse the challenge. Fort Sumter was bombarded and on April 13th its garrison surrendered. The next four years would be bloody, painful, unfortunate ones in the American story.
Warning: This film contains dated language regarding race.
Documents the chaos of a "ghetto" school and what is being done in one particular school to remedy this situation. Focuses on Junior High School No. 5 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn where the workers with a New York University special learning project are shown in classrooms, teachers' meetings, and visits with parents. Suggests that moderate success in reaching the children was achieved only when many different approaches were adopted.
The ants are social insects with a fascinating story of division of labor and social organization. Their history of how this social structure developed from very simple beginnings to more complicated systems is interesting too. You’ll find that some ants eat protein food while others are vegetarians, and you’ll discover that the kind of society which ants maintain is related to their food habits. Robert Willey, an entomologist, will demonstrate these things with live colonies of ants. You’ll learn too how to keep an ant colony and what kinds of questions about behavior of ants you might answer by observation. On film, you will see an ant herdsman tending the aphid cows and stoking them to secure their sweet honeydew.
Documents the complaints of welfare recipients and their attempts to change the system by organizing a local union. Relates the union's goal as one of forcing a change by means of pressure and describes the federal government's emphasis on training programs. Shows organized demonstrations in Cleveland and in Washington, D. C.
During this hour-long program, NET continues its examination of the civil rights issue by presenting two separately produced half-hour segments which probe the attitudes of white southerners whose views on segregation are at opposite ends of a spectrum. Part I "The Southern Conservative," offers interviews with a cross-section of pro-segregationists, while Part II, "The Southern Liberal," features interviews with a number of southerners who favor integration.
Presents reporters David Brinkley and Walter Cronkite with critics John Fischer and Senator John O. Pastore probing the question of bias in television newscasting. Discusses topics such as the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and the restraints and influences placed upon television by advertising. Shows David Brinkley contending that a completely objective person would be virtually a vegetable and that he strives for fairness, not simply objectivity.
Dr. Wriston and Erwin D. Canham, editor of the Christian Science Monitor, explore the reasons for the President’s Commission on National Goals. They quickly make the point that Americans set their own goals and that the Commission does not intend to impose its conclusions on the public. The report goals for Americans is designed to be a handbook for thoughtful citizens, to focus their attention and discussion on topics of importance, and to give them the facts to reach their own conclusions. Leadership in America, Dr. Wriston and Mr. Canham point out, resides in many places – in the Presidency, in local government, in pressure groups, and in the individual. The goals mentioned in the course of this program are suggestions stemming from current public opinion, and are designed to help Americans give their country a forward direction in the coming years.
This is the tale of the historical Japanese figure, Lord Nobunaga Oda, an impoverished Samurai. The Samurai’s clever wife finds a way to help her husband obtain a beautiful stallion. Mr. Mikami demonstrates the steps involved in drawing a horse.
Professor Woodworth demonstrates the importance to the composer of the various kinds of sounds made by different musical instruments. He uses the wind instruments as examples, drawing on members of the Cambridge Festival Orchestra who perform passages from works including Haydn's Military Symphony, three pieces by Beethoven including a passage from his Sixth Symphony, and Mozart's Symphony Number 41. The arrangement of instruments, the uses to which they can be put, and the varied effects of solo and group performance are elements in a study of sonority which is the subject of this program.
Hand puppets tell the story of a town named Gotham which was to be occupied by the Duke's army. The people of Gotham pretend to be very stupid, so the Duke will take his army away from their peaceful town. They are successful after playing many tricks on the Duke and his army.
A trip to sea with professional marine scientists and a visit to their laboratories are highlighted in this program. Dr. John F. Storr is host for the visits. Showing realities of scientific research with precision instruments aboard the University of Miami Marine Laboratory vessel “Gerda,” the program takes the viewer on a voyage for basic oceanographic facts.
Tours Spanish Harlem guided by Piri Thomas, painter, ex-con, poet and ex-junkie. Describes Spanish Harlem, where two-thirds of the 900,000 Puerto Ricans in the U. S. live, as a home for "the forgotten people" and a place where children tire of living because they see no hope for escape from ghetto life. Pleads for understanding of this life of filth, narcotics, and crime which no people should have to endure.
Illustrates, through music and poetry, the importance of interpreting the writer's tone of voice in deriving meaning from written communication. Defines tone as the relationship between what is meant and what is said. Points out that all written communication has some kind of tone. Discusses the reader's responsibility in reading the right tone from the printed page. (KETC) Kinescope.
Dr. Jones, in this program, explains the tremendous expansion of the basic ternary scheme into “sonata-form” and illustrates some of the simpler means of thematic development in sonata and symphonic movements based on this plan. There are, he indicates, no limits to the skillful manipulation of themes in the hands of masters of thematic development like Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.
Discusses and demonstrates theme and variations and traces the development of this musical form. Illustrations include variations of the Vintner's Daughter, and the "Trout-Quintet," played in its entirety by the Paganini Quartet, with piano. (USC) Film.
Presents the development of Communism from 1904-1914. Uses commentary, dramatic reenactments, and photographs of the situation in Czarist Russia and the conditions which permitted the growth of the Bolshevik party. Portrays Lenin's exile scene to the abortive revolt of 1905, resulting in the emergence of Trotsky. Concludes by describing the fund-raising techniques of the party and an introduction to the young Joseph Stalin.
The skirmishes at Lexington and Concord and even the more determined fighting around Boston were only meant to show the mother country that the colonials were serious in their demand to be treated fairly as Englishmen. But then events moved rapidly. In July, 1776, the die was cast and the challenge thrown in the face of the British. The next years were full of heartbreaks and setbacks. Almost to the end, the outcome of the struggle was in serious doubt. While the war was on, the new nation often found distressing troubles of an internal nature. The independence for which the fight was being waged at times seemed to be anything but that sweet thing glimpsed in the dreams of freedom. But in the end, victory came to the Americans. In 1783 Great Britain officially recognized the United States of North America. The introductory chapters of the American story were concluded. The main chapters were to follow.
Talks about a new anti-discrimation bill going before Parliament. This episode is seen through the eyes, experiences and observations of Sha Jahan, 23 of Pakistan and Rudy Kizerman, a young British subject from Barbados. Discusses hostility towards many Indian, Pakistani and African immigrants and social aspects of race in the country.
Presents the biography of Thornton Wilder by tracing his life and family background. Provides excerpts from his speeches and quotations from his writings and film clips. Analyzes, for their social meanings, the themes of several of his works.
Presents an analysis of nucleic acid. Uses a large model of the tobacco mosaic virus to explain its structure. Demonstrates how a virus can be reconstituted from nucleic acid and protein molecules. Discusses the recent discovery of the alteration of nucleic acid to form mutations of the original virus. Concludes with a theory which may account for the way in which genetic information is stored in nucleic acid and then translated into a specific protein structure.
Focuses on the United Nations' three Secretary Generals: Norwegian Trygve Lie, Sweden's Dag Hammarskjold and U Thant of Burma. Interspersed with film excerpts, photos, and commentary, the show also includes an interview with General U Thant and Andrew Cordiers, Dean of Columbia University's school of international affairs.
Reviews the structure of binary form and begins the discussion of three part or ternary form. Explains the limitations of binary form and how ternary form offers possibilities of greater expansion. Illustrates how ternary form is based on the idea of statement, development, and re-statement. (WMSB-TV) Kinescope.
Dragonflies catch flies and other insects by cupping their feet together under their chin to make a basket. By means of the peep-show parade, Dora and Fignewton Frog tell of Dennis Dragonfly, who sprained three of his feet and found it difficult to catch food for a while.
Discusses the real and imagined fears of children. Tells why children invent imaginary dangers and how to deal with this problem. Also points out how to teach children respect for real danger. Answers questions from mothers and fathers concerning this aspect of child development. (WTTW) Kinescope.
Explores the Oriental concept of time, showing how Eastern philosophy views the future as the tomorrow that never comes. Discusses Western fallacies connected with living for the future, and illustrates how planning for the future is of use only to those who can live fully in the present.
Explores the natural process of aging and the methods used in its study. Indicates that aging might be considered one of the deleterious side effects of radiation. Shows that since radiation injury resembles natural aging in so many ways, radiation has proved one of the best ways of studying the aging process. Points out how research on aging is conducted in the Argonne National Laboratory's animal quarters and in low level gamma irradiation room.
Host Dora and Fignewton Frog tell the story of a "tiny little patch of sky", and use charcoal and chalk illustrations to teach about the weather and the different types of clouds.
Uses a trip to a grocery store to explain who gets the money that is represented by the spread between farmers and consumers. Questions are answered by a store manager, businessmen at a civic club luncheon, and by a speaker at the luncheon. Points out reasons for and importance of the "marketing margin." (Agrafilms, Inc.) Kinescope.
Documents several experiments conducted at the Sleep Research Laboratory of the University of California at Los Angeles in studying the nature of sleep. Presents experiments to determine the relationship of dreams to stomach secretions, the amount of time infants spend dreaming, and the effects of depriving a subject of dreams. Shows the recording and interpretation of electrical impulses from a sleeping subject and the rapid eye movements during dreaming.
Discusses punishment and its consequences. Compares and explains both sides of the spanking issue. Points out alternative means of discipline and shows that children do respect fair punishment. Stresses the importance of observation and imitation in learning right from wrong. Answers questions from parents concerning the child who bites, who won't take a nap, and the problem of consistency in punishment. (WTTW) Kinescope.
Dr. Joel Hildebrand discusses the future of scientific endeavor and the qualities which help make a scientist. Explains why the young person interested in science should possess curiosity, imagination, drive, and a critical sense. Points out the necessity of an education in mathematics and the other basic subjects. (KQED) Film.
Fignewton Frog (puppet) and Dora (person) tell the story of Tommy Turtle, using diaramas. Tommy wants to stay awake for the winter and build a snowman, and ends up getting helped by another hibernating animal, a bear. Dora and Fignewton then recommend library books and a trip to the library.
Examines the competitive struggle of cable television operators against movie-theater owners, commercial broadcasters, and the telephone company. Discusses the differences in programming philosophies of commercial and cable TV. Includes a discussion of Federal Communications Commission policies in the regulation of broadcasting.
Explains contrast as opposed to repetition or variation. Defines tonal contrast as modulation or change of tonality and harmonic contrast, or the off-setting of plain harmony by color-harmony. Illustrates with a selection from a Bach cantata. (WMSB-TV) Kinescope.
Again Dr. Jones uses Beethoven’s music as an illustration, explaining the composer’s humorous interplay of major and minor tonalities more fully. He also treats briefly the traditional tonal systems from the time of Wagner to the emergence of new tonal arrangements.
The psychological effects of various tonal patterns are demonstrated in the discussion of this topic. Professor Jones illustrates the varying characters or “atmosphere” of melodies based on scales and modes of different character.
In this program Professor Woodworth explains the concepts of tonality (the musical key) and modulation (a shift in key) and their place in composing music. The relations between keys, and the use a composer makes of these relations is an element which must be understood if the symphony is to be fully appreciated. The program ends with a comparison of Haydn and Mozart, showing how their musical styles developed, and giving examples of the work of each.
Uses a family discussion and a series of cartoons to explain the farm surplus problem. Illustrates how and why surpluses arise. Provides alternatives which might solve the problem. (Agrafilms, Inc.) Film.
Bash Kennett shows some of the things which fascinated children of other times, taking a trip to see some dolls, stereopticons, books and bicycles of early periods which grandfather may have enjoyed as a boy. Songs include “The Devil’s Nine Questions” and “This A’Way.”
How does the air cleanse itself of poisonous substances, including radioactive substances? Philip Gustafson, a biologist in the Division of Biological and Medical Research, and Henry Moses of the Division of Radiological Physics, examine atmospheric fallout and methods now being used to determine and study such fallout. They relate current fallout studies to man and to his environment.
Illustrates how the use of radioactive isotopes in the study of cell division and in medical therapy has helped man overcome disease. Demonstrates some of the many helpful and healthful uses of atomic energy.
George Meany, President of the AFL-CIO, is interviewed on this program by Dr. John Schwarzwalder, general manager of KTCA-TV, St. Paul. Mr. Meany talks of the fight to make labor recognized by management as an entity, worthy of consideration. Once this was accomplished, two of the chief aims of trade unionism were to encourage and work for greater free public education, and to raise the standard of living in the United States. There is still much to be done in the area of family problems, but first and foremost, labor’s most important task is to get its workers and their children a fair share, Mr. Meany says. On automation, Mr. Meany states that the trade union movement wholeheartedly accepts the validity of the attempt to lighten the burden of human labor. Labor, however, claims it is necessary that the economy expand sufficiently to offset the resulting unemployment caused by automation. If the economy does not sufficiently expand, Mr. Meany says a shorter work week is the only answer to the labor problems posed by automation. He considers the most important piece of labor legislation in the past fifty years was the Wagner Act of 1935, which gave labor the right to organize. He adds that he considers the Taft-Hartley legislation the most damaging piece of labor legislation. Is American labor pricing itself out of the world market? Mr. Meany says labor must bring the rest of the world up to the standards of the United States rather than cut American standards down to those of the rest of the world.
Discusses the importance of the shape of signs; the proper placement of signals and roadway markings; the importance of traffic and pedestrian controls; radar and speed checks; the value and necessity of a traffic engineer; and plans for future traffic control. (Cincinnati Public Schools and WCET) Kinescope.
Discusses the training of new personnel in the field of nuclear science. Reviews the history of nuclear science and points out the role of the university, industry, and governmental laboratories in providing educational opportunities in this field. Examines the question of pure research as opposed to applied research. (WQED) Film.
In this program, a youthful prisoner relates his experiences in a training school. Following a description by host Lohman of standard roles attributed to these schools, filmed scenes are shown to examine activities designed for younger inmates. Boone and Lohman explore the misconceptions inherent in the term “training school.” They examine the actual function and operation of this type of institution.
Presents Wendell Castle, a sculptor who likes plastic and rugged woods better than materials which are traditionally used. Explains that Castle creates forms which are both beautiful and functional, relatively inexpensive, and fit with each other in a total environmental situation. Relates that Castle believes art is continually changing because the artist or designer by his very nature cannot be happy with things as they are.
By means of maps and diagrams, enumerates the various means of transportation made possible by the topography of our land. States that one of our country's major strengths is the comparative ease and speed with which we can move people and goods across our continent. (WOI-TV) Kinescope.
Discusses the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls; explains how the scrolls came into being, who wrote them and why, and what they mean today. Includes a study of Palestine, beginning with its earliest recorded history; and shows samples of Palestinian art.
Dramatizes a story about an emotionally disturbed boy and his rehabilitation. Portrays the home situation which provoked the boy's illness, his reaction to it, and his antagonism toward the world which led him into juvenile delinquency. Shows how his commitment takes place, the treatment he receives, and his eventual readjustment and return home.
Reports on family therapy, a relatively new and unusual form of psychotherapy in which a family is treated as a unit. Examines a middle class New England family undergoing family therapy. Uses a one-way mirror technique to record the candid reactions of the family. Follows their progress in nine of the thirteen actual therapy sessions.
**Part of the Mental Health series within America's crises
Contrasts pulse jets, turbojets, and ramjets to a true rocket. Compares the operation of a true rocket engine with that of a jet engine, and explains the operation of the three types of jet engines showing the advantages and disadvantages of each. (New Mexico College of A. & M.A.)
Turtles are reptiles along with snakes, lizards and crocodiles. The turtle has a remarkable history, too. He has been around for 200 million years and is relatively unchanged from his early ancestors. On this program you’ll find out about the turtle’s adaptations for his kind of life, for instance the way he breathes. Animals with lungs usually use their ribs to aid in expansion of the chest for breathing, but since the turtle’s ribs re part of his armor of shell, he cannot do this. What does he do? You find this out along with meeting several species of turtles and learning how to tell the age of these long-lived reptiles. Fifteen-year-old Frank Maurer, of Newton, Mass. is the guest of Mrs. Grimes. He is generally interested in science and especially in turtles, frogs, and snakes which he keeps as pets.
Asks why children like TV so much and debates the effects of TV on children's behavior. Dr. Maria Piers offers answers to these questions and suggests how TV can be of help to a busy mother.
Discusses the binary form of musical composition. Illustrates that the under-lying principle of this form is thesis and antithess. Distinguishes between the balance of phrases in a two-phrase sentence and the balance of parts (sections, paragraphs) in two-part form. Explains the modulatory scheme of the more developed types of binary form, and the means of integrating the whole composition.
Acknowledge as one of the greatest observational astronomers who ever lived, Tycho (TY-ko) Brahe (BRAH-ee) managed to make enormous strides without the help of telescopes. During his lifetime he discovered that comets are the product of interplanetary space rather than of the earth, as had long been believed. His inventions included a number of highly accurate instruments, and among his publications was a most valuable table of refractions. Toward the end of his life, he was joined by Johannes Kepler, who functioned as Brahe’s assistant and, after the great astronomer’s death, continued the work his friend had begun.
What is the role of unconscious understanding, in dreams, in poetry, and in wit and humor? It plays a major part in all of these. In wit, satire, and puns, the unconscious understanding contributes largely to the meaning. Humor often loses all effect if it must be explained, but rather depends upon immediate, unconscious awareness of the point. Prof. Boring gives many amusing examples from literature.
After putting the outline of his main figure on the canvas, Painter Reinhardt does something which non-artists might consider astonishing: he begins to cover the figure with the “underpainting.” But as he talks and explains what he is doing, another technique of the artist becomes clear. With this part of the job done, the audience is left to await the next step in the making of a painting.
Dr. Gould notes that today man’s eyes and mind must be lifted to encompass outer space. Dr. Roberts discusses the earth and the Sun and explains why the year 1957-58 was selected IGY Year. Films of explosions on the Sun are shown and the Aurora is explained. A discussion of the Ionosphere ensues. Drs. Gould and Roberts indicate the scope and importance of the Upper Atmosphere studies of the IGY and the vital role of the Antarctic studies in the total IGY program.
Discusses musical form known as theme and variations in which attention is directed exclusively to the process of varying a simple theme. Illustrates with an example from a Mozart sonata. Points out the various kinds of· elaboration of the theme: (1) melodic embellishment; (2) change of tonality; (3) change of tempo; (4) change of basic meter; and (5) a coda at the end.
Discusses the type of variation form known as passacaglia in ·which the theme is a short pattern in the bass. Repeating this theme over and over again, more or less exactly, provides a ground for the variations above it. Illustrates with Purcell's Lament of Dido and Bach's Passacaglia in C Minor, both played in full.
Dr. Sumner explains how land surface is considered the most precious of all natural resources since it and climate together produce soil and determine the nature of vegetation. As an example of uncultivated plants which are a rich natural resource, Dr. Sumner cites our nation’s timber supplies. He points out that recent progress in reforestation has not equalized our consumption and growth of timber.
Records highlights of the emergence of democratic government in Venezuela. Shows that the Venezuelan election of December 2 1963, allowed for the first transfer of office from one democratic administration to another in that nation's history. The film documents numerous national problems and aspects of the political campaign. Factors included for examination are the importance of the military, the terrorists' campaign to prevent the election, and the problems of illiteracy and poverty. Refers to the large political setting of Venezuela within Latin American history. Shows the failure of the Cuban-backed terror campaign to keep the people from voting. Includes interviews with Past-President Betancourt and President-Elect Leoni.
Presents a background of Verdi's life and discusses his early operatic productions, including Rigoletto. Discusses the characteristics of the Italian opera, describes Verdi's love for and his contribution to his country, and tells of his awakening interest in Shakespeare which later influenced some of his compositions.
Here was a man whose music was often misinterpreted, says Dr. Popper as he discusses the life and works of operatic composer Verdi. He tells how Verdi was influenced by Shakespeare and talks of his master work, “Rigoletto.” The program also features demonstrations of Verdi’s music.
What it means to live in a contemporary Japanese village is shown through film shot especially for this series in Nijike, 430 miles from Tokyo. A housewife appears in the film sequences, but the voice heard in the narration is that of Miss Kimie Tojo, daughter of the late Premier Tojo. Professor Ward, host for the program, points out that the village has often been considered the backbone of traditional Japan. His guest, Richard K. Beardsley, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, concurs. It is the land, (Professor Beardsley says), the importance of working the land, of keeping it going, of keeping it in the family, that strongly enforces traditional ways in Japanese villages. These traditional ways stress cooperation on a family and on a community level, and the subordination of each person to the collective good. Holding and working the land is a way of life, not a business. Yet the modern world has made its impression on village life. A century ago the village had little connection with the outside world. Now, as a result of central government supervision, police and military conscription, economic changes brought about when the villagers began to raise crops for outside sale, a national system of schools, and the introduction of electricity and radios, this insular picture has altered. But because of the basic social conditions and the primary concern for working the land, changes occur slowly. In their own villages, younger men are gaining control because they understand machinery and marketing best. A real social transformation is taking place, but quietly, without violence, without setting life off balance. The families scrape a living from two acres of land and stay, for the most part, buried within the household and the community. They find satisfaction from living collectively. Their way of life has for generations fitted their nature and their circumstances; yet it seems flexible enough to make room for the new.
Presents an analysis of bacteriophages and how they may change. Explains why bacterial viruses are useful to scientists studying different life forms. Uses diagrams and animation to show how bacteria reproduce within a cell and how mutations of these viruses can be identified. Describes the "copy errors" responsible for mutation, and the ways in which cross-breeding among viruses takes place.
Tells the story of George Rogers Clark and his defeat of the British at Vincennes in 1778. Uses cartoons, maps, and photographs to illustrate conditions, fort locations, and how the British were conquered.
Dr. Popper bares the life and works of another great composer, Wagner, as he continues on his journey through opera for the layman. Several vocal illustrations are included, and Dr. Popper again spends much of his time at the piano.
Discusses the later works of Wagner and the conditions under which various of his operas were written. Describes the process of writing the Ring, ending with four complete works--Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, and Die Gotterdammerung. Demonstrates with piano and voice, portions of Wagner's two shorter works, Tristan and Isolde, and Die Meistersinger.
Mr. Nkosi begins his survey of African writers in London where he talks to Walter Allen, English critic who has reviewed a number of African books for the British Press. Next the viewer is taken to Nigeria where he meets pioneer novelist Amos Tutuola whose The Palm-Wine Drinkard (correct spelling) was published in 1952 by the English company, Faber and Faber. Tutuola, a master story-teller in the true African oral idiom, talks of his past and of the story-telling of the old people in his village, storytelling which was the basis of his inspiration to write. After reading the opening passage from The Palm-Wine Drinkard, he says that what influenced his first novel was a book in the Youroba folklore tradition, thus dispelling the myth that behind his colloquial, often ungrammatical style lies a more sophisticated background. This program ends with a conversation between the host and Ulli Beier, German-born editor of the African Literary Magazine, Black Orpheus, published in Nigeria. Beier talks of coming to Nigeria in the early fifties when there was no such thing as Nigerian literature. In 1956 when he started his magazine he was forced to rely on translation from the already-established and popular French African writers. In this literary wasteland, Tutuola was the remarkable exception. But in the past few years there has been an explosion of interest in writing. In Nigeria, for example (partly through the encouragement of Mbari, a club where writers and artists meet, exhibit, publish, and discuss aesthetic standards) an enthusiastic group of writers is growing steadily. For whom do they write? Up to now, according to Beier, writers
have been gearing to the European public because Europe is where, for the most part, they have been read and published. But the real challenge, he feels, will now be to create a real African audience
A third kind of American musical composition is the subject of this program. Contrasted with the strongly emotional and nationalistic music of Harris, or the attempts at a resolution of the national-universal conflict in the music of Copland, is the music of Walter Piston, which, the composer explains, is "not intended to convey other than musical ideas." Professor Woodworth uses Piston's comment as a key to understanding his music, and shows by the use of visual aids and recordings how Piston has contrived to write a classical symphony in modern idiom. The use of orchestration, tonality and rhythm supports his efforts to write vital and dramatic music devoid of representational elements, says Professor Woodworth, and he demonstrates these points by examples drawn from Piston's Third Symphony.
Curator Wilkinson returns on this program to present the story of the Nomad Scythians who ranged the Russian plains during the Sixth Century BC. Exhibits include examples of Scythian metal work, which was extremely avant-garde for that day. Discussion emphasizes the inventiveness, imaginativeness, and other cultural characteristics of these ancestors of the Russians.
The Central Algonquians, who lived along the short of the Great Lakes and Mississippi, were first discovered by white men when Robert LaSalle and Pere Jacques Marquette journeyed down the St. Lawrence River from the French settlements in Canada until they reached the Great Lakes and then the Mississippi. They found a largely agricultural people who planted corn and wore elaborately decorated clothing. They were the Indians who used the calumet, the peace pipe decorated with white feathers for peace, and red for war, and which Pere Marquette called as good as a passport. The influence on his people was one of their greatest chiefs, Pontiac, is described.
In this program, Mr. Fitzpatrick discusses water color, which, because of its spontaneous, lucid quality, is intriguing both to the artist and the layman alike. Watercolor paintings by well-known painters, such as John Marin and Winslow Homer, are discussed as to subject, technique, composition, and total effect. The tools and materials of the craft are explained, and a variety of methods in their use are demonstrated, with emphasis on the creative approach. Experimental, contemporary examples of watercolor painting will be viewed and explained in relation to the processes previously demonstrated.
This program deals with water pressure. Uncle Wonder shows the various experiments that water has weight and that water exerts pressure in all directions. He shows why there is more water pressure at the bottom of the lake or can of water than anywhere else. He also explains that dams are thicker at the bottom than at the top because they must hold back more pressure at the bottom.
Discusses folklore connected with crime, pointing out that a slight correlation may exist between criminality and the weather, phase of the moon, fire, darkness, and light. Uses vignettes to show how bad weather and dimly lit areas serve as secondhand causes of crime. Features Dr. Douglas M. Kelly.
When man faced the elements of nature, it was through his ingenuity and the use of his hands that he was able to weave clothing for protection. This took varying forms, from the weaving of blankets to the creation of articles of clothing. Man employed different materials for this item, depending on the environment. This program looks at the basic principles of weaving, which are the same whether the end product is a simple or complex article. Angiola Churchill and Shari Lewis explore this area of man’s creativity.
Many people fear all spiders to such an extent that they have never explored this interesting world of living things. Only a few spiders are harmful to human beings, and the other thousands of kinds are often shunned because of these. Here is a new insight into the spider, a creature with eight eyes, glands to produce several kinds of silk, and instinctual knowledge to build snares so complicated and beautiful that man has to admire their design and efficiency. On beautiful film, taken by Charles Walcott, you’ll see Charlotte, (Aranea cavatics, the barn spider that EB White wrote about in Charlotte’s Web) spin her web and catch prey. Other film sequences will show how a funnel-web spider uses her sheet web, and how a crab spider, camouflaged like a flower, needs no web at all but awaits his victim on a plant.
In this program Uncle Wonder uses a gram scale and weighs the air in a basketball. He also shows that air has weight by balancing two balloons, one at each end of a stick, and breaking one of them, the other naturally falls to the table.
Explains that Wellmet House attempts to rehabilitate the mentally ill not by gaining conforming behavior but by helping them relate to other people in natural and unstructured ways. Points out that half of the residents are mentally ill and the other half are college students from nearby universities who staff Wellmet House. Emphasizes the need for each patient to find individual expression. Shows patients and staff at dinner, parties, the local pub, and a house meeting.
The Lewis and Clark exploration of the unknown territory acquired by the Louisiana Purchase not only revealed the rich resources of the lands adjourning the Missouri River, but also helped to establish American title to the Pacific Northwest.
Discusses current theories on the origin of the Semitic alphabet. Illustrates the acrophonic principle of alphabetization by the development of several letters from the Semitic through the Greek and finally to their Latin forms. Explains the emergence of the Greek letters into Eastern and Western systems. Features Dr. Frank Baxter.
