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Indiana University, Bloomington. Audio-Visual Center
Summary:
Examines French African literature and the concept of "negritude," the idea of a unique African collective personality. Visits a classroom in Nyasaland, where the teacher-poet Rubadiri discusses Soyinka's poem "Telephone Conversation." Presents President Senghor of Senegal, also an admired poet, who speaks on the concept of "negritude." Closes with an interview of Dr. Fonlon in Cameroon, who discusses dangers facing African literature.
Examines French African literature and the concept of "negritude," the idea of a unique African collective personality. Visits a classroom in Nyasaland, where the teacher-poet Rubadiri discusses Soyinka's poem "Telephone Conversation." Presents President Senghor of Senegal, also an admired poet, who speaks on the concept of "negritude." Closes with an interview of Dr. Fonlon in Cameroon, who discusses dangers facing African literature.
Indiana University, Bloomington. Audio-Visual Center
Summary:
Presents an interview with exiled South African essayist and short story writer, Mphahlele, who discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a writer in exile. Reveals that he feels he has absorbed both the European and African traditional ways of life but shows he remains gloomy about creative writing in a divided society. Discusses the author's autobiography and the impact of emerging African literature.
Mr. Hoffer argues that the men working beside him as longshoremen on the San Francisco docks are “lumpy with talent.” Genius, he notes, is not rare, it is wasted; and the talent of the workingman is a kind of common sense practicality. Wherever this talent exists among working men, they do their jobs without “all that fuss” which he considers to be characteristic of the underdeveloped countries of the world. Then, Mr. Hoffer raises a question regarding the forces that bring about creative periods in our history – periods that began quite suddenly and ended just as suddenly. He cites, as examples, “the period of cave drawings,” “the Age of Pericles,” “the Florence of the Renaissance,” and “the flowering of New England,” Mr. Hoffer contends that it was not because there was more talent during these periods (“the artists of Florence,” he notes, “were the sons of shopkeepers, and tailors.”), but rather that others forces which exist in every period of history were at work and these forces freed the talent.
San Francisco longshoreman and author-philosopher Eric Hoffer began more than fifteen years ago to identify in his thought the nature of the “true believer,” the inspiration for his book on the subject. After writing the book, he turned his thoughts to the underdeveloped nations of the world, leading him to a consideration of the effects of change. Suddenly, Mr. Hoffer found himself thinking about juveniles; concluding that nations, as people, can be juvenile and that “true believers” are, in fact, perpetual juveniles – “true believers” such as General de Gaulle of France, Premier Khrushchev of Russia, and Premier Sukarno of Indonesia. His conclusion from all this is that each human being has one central preoccupation, - one train of thought- to which all of his thoughts are related.
Examines the problem of the individual in a complex society. Analyzes how various aspects of American life satisfy man's need for self-identification. Assesses the impact of government planning on individual initiative and community identification and examines the problems of people living in urban renewal projects. Points out how the Polaroid Corporation deals with the suppression of individuality in industry and how a steel corporation treated an executive who expressed personal opinions.
In this program, Mr. Hoffer explains why he believes it is the West and not the East that demonstrates mysterious and unnatural behavior in times of stress and change. His interest in the East and Middle East began in 1955 with the emergence of the new nations of Africa and the East. Their desire for self-rule, for modernization, was, and still is, being accompanied by terrorism, riots and violence. The west, on the other hand, finds that it does not have to resort to these tactics of violence because change has taken place in an orderly way. Mr. Hoffer’s conclusion is that this was the unnatural way… this was not normal human behavior. This orderliness and practical sense that keeps us going is due, he feels, to the rise of the autonomous individual who has the ability to make his own decisions and who must save his soul by his own efforts. This individual did not rise in the Eastern societies mainly because the secular and political powers were one in much the same manner as communism is today. In this way, a man’s religion and political faith were one, and therefore, there was never a conflict. In our society, these faiths are “fighting each other.” It is this struggle within Western man to reconcile these forces that has given rise to the autonomous individual capable of controlling his destiny in an orderly and practical manner. Mr. Hoffer then discusses this practical streak in the Westerner and the antagonism between the practical and the intellectual. Our society, unlike that of the Greeks, is dominated by the masses or the practical man, not by the intellectual as is the general belief. “Any society shaped and dominated by the intellectual,” Mr. Hoffer concludes, “Will not allow practical actions to be a gateway to man’s feeling of a sense of worth. Since our society is governed by practical considerations, it is dominated by the masses and not by the intellectuals.”
Mr. Hoffer begins his discussion of “The New Age” by pointing out that it is generally, though falsely, referred to in America as the “Age of the Masses” (i.e. mass communications, mass consumption, mass production). He explains that it is no longer the masses who control the political and economic life of the country. In politics, it is the intellectual who is the general, the diplomat, the ruler. Economically, with the rise of automation, it is the intellectual with the machine who is replacing the many laborers and their hands. Mr. Hoffer then compares the intellectual of the past and present in this country. In the past, the intellectual of America, in much the same manner as today’s European, Asian and African intellectual, was a colonial and ruled with the attitude of a colonial. He demanded absolute obedience and power, and his interests were not so much with the needs of the masses as with the construction and initiation of imposing works and great ideas. In contrast to the “Old Colonialism” of America’s intellectual of the past, the “New colonialist” intellectual of America today rose from the masses and his interests lie with the needs and demands of the masses. Mr. Hoffer describes the “New Colonialist” intellectual as “the man in the business suit who looks like everyone else.” Economically, he is interested in wages, clothing and feeding the people. Politically, he wants not blind obedience but the enthusiastic approval and support of the masses for his projects and ideas. He concludes by stating his believe that the “Old Colonialism” of today’s European, Asian and African intellectual leaders should learn from the “New Colonialism” of America.
Describes the operation, principles, and scientific use if reactors. Shows types of research reactors make possible. Describes the Gamma Ray Spectrometer, the Neutron Chopper, and the new Janus reactor which is designed specifically for high and low level radiation experiments in biology.
Dramatizes a situation in which four persons, faced with possible death, reexamine their personal philosophies. An intellectual whose god is pure reason begins to realize his basic loneliness. An American businessman who must rely on cold organization reveals himself as warmly human. His wife turns from agreement with the intellectual's original view to agreement with her husband's new attitude. A German guide, a former Nazi who has lost the collective, totalitarian world he understands, leaves apparently to seek death in the mountains.
Presents a simulated on-the-spot television report of a Congressional hearing where a Russian deputy-premier who has requested political asylum in the United States is answering questions concerning his change of loyalties. To everyone's surprise, the reason for his defection is not disappointment with a totalitarian regime, but a protest against the regime's philosophy of peaceful coexistence. In a heated discussion among the Russian, Congressmen, and the Congressional committee attorney, many of the differences between the processes of a democratic government and a totalitarian government are illuminated.
Discusses the question, "Is science good or bad for man?" Presents a banquet in honor of a famed scientist at which his lifelong friend delivers an accolage to science in general and a tribute to the distinguished guest. Rising to deliver his remarks, the scientist expresses his deep fears that science may well lead to the decline of civilization. The scientist's fears are symbolically illustrated by nightmare-like scenes in which he despairs of scientific truth and man's inability to ever catch up with his own technological progress. Later, the scientist seizes upon the idea of the use of science for the benefit of man. His hopes are visualized in optimistic, dreamlike scenes.
Discusses the future in terms of the areas that now interest scientists at the Argonne National Laboratories. Indicates problems that are still to be solved concerning the effects of radiation, the peaceful use of radiation, and the dangers of radiation.
Introduces the series and establishes some basic knowledge about radiation which is necessary for a clear understanding of the following programs. Discusses the meaning of radiation, its natural sources, and the various forms it takes. Using a variety of devices points out the difference between alpha and beta particles and between gamma and X-rays.
Shows bone to be active, living substance, constantly remodeling and reforming itself. Emphasizes the importance of bone to the entire body as a supplier of calcium and illustrates the systems by which this calcium gets from bone to blood and vice versa. Effects of radiation are illustrated in photographs of bone cross-sections.
Reviews Eric Hoffer's views on man as a truly free being. Describes check of absolute power and struggle away from the animal in man as prerequisites to freedom. Reveals play as one of the best times for man to receive insight.
Presents several Southerners who advocate viewpoints and actions which are at variance with extremists on both sides of the civil rights issue. Interviews Governor Carl E. Sanders of Georgia; R. E. McIver, a businessman of Conway, South Carolina: The Reverend James L. Hooten, minister of the First Christian Church, Savannah, Alabama; Beverly Briley, Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee; and Eleanor Sheppard (Mrs. Thomas E.), Mayor of Richmond, Virginia. Indicates that the differences of attitudes and approaches to civil rights presented provided insight into a range of viewpoints which would add sanity and stability to the South in the present period of crisis.
Points out that genetic damage is one of the most serious effects of radiation and shows how the Atomic Energy Commission's genetics research program is geared to learn how radiation damages cells and what the long term effects of such damage might be. Presents Douglas Grahn, a geneticist in the Division of the Biology Medicine, explaining how radiation causes mutations and how these mutations are passed on to succeeding generations. Describes the work of Herman Slatis, also a geneticist in the Division of Biology Medicine, with fruit flies and induced mutations. Discusses fallout and its implications.
Reveals the intense feeling for the weak individual and the place in society which Eric Hoffer has achieved. Describes working as source of power for these people. Focuses on Hoffer's systematized mode of living with its inherent difficulties for the weak individual.
Describes research related to atomic structure through which the scientist is attempting to discover the structure of the universe. Shows how particle accelerators produce intense beams of radiation which enable study of the structure of the atom, the nucleus, and the basic components of the nucleus. Explains how accelerators operate and shows one of the world's largest particle accelerators, the Zero Gradient Synchrotron, a $50,000,000 machine still under construction. Describes the sub-nuclear particles in which the high energy physicist is interested and briefly discusses the concept of matter and anti-matter.
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.
Explains how the development of the computer has made possible the automatic control of routine tasks in government, industry, and general business. Includes demonstrations of the use of computers by the Social Security Administration, by a medium-sized industrial plant, by a machine corporation, and at an oil refinery. Comments on the value of computers in administration and management.
Focuses upon actress Ingrid Thulin and producer-director Ingmar Bergman. Shows Miss Thulin at home and at work as she comments upon the acting profession in Sweden. Presents background to the development of Bergman. Contains scenes from some of his work, including "Winter Light" in which Miss Thulin played the leading female part.
Presents Eric Hoffer in an extended dialogue on man's weaknesses and how they relate to the total process of learning to become human. Describes human nature as highly unnatural in comparison with the simplicity of the physical sciences. Reviews man's struggle to survive by attempting the impossible and overcoming his weakness.
Mr. Hoffer discusses with Mr. Day how change affects an individual’s self-esteem. He considers change in relation to the problems of African-Americans, the under-developed countries of Asia and Africa, and popular upheavals in communist countries. He says: “Times of drastic change are times of passion. We can never be fit and ready for that which is wholly new. We have to adjust ourselves, and every radical adjustment is a crisis in self-esteem. We undergo a test; we have to prove ourselves. A population subjected to drastic change is thus a population of misfits, and misfits live and breathe in an atmosphere of passion.”
Mr. Hoffer discusses with Mr. Day the question of what happens when intellectuals gain control of a country. He explains why he believes that Asian and African intellectuals fear America, suggests that a society controlled by intellectuals is not conducive to creative activity, and explains his view that a scribe – a man of words – is a dangerous man when he becomes a man of action. Mr. Hoffer maintains that an intellectual is not at home in a free society.
Traces the history of computer development from the first mechanical calculators to ENIAC, the first electronic computer. Explains in lay terms how a modern digital computer stores both data and instructions in number form.
Demonstrates the role of perception in handling the processing information from the environment and the way in which our personalities affect our perception. Reviews the research of Dr. Herman Witkin of the State University of New York Medical Center, Dr. Eleanor Gibson of Cornell University, and Dr. Richard D. Walk of George Washington University.
Special Guest: Dr. Caldecott is a geneticist with the cereal crops brand of the United States Department of Agriculture and an associate professor in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota.There is an area of scientific endeavor that will serve to illustrate one important method in which atomic energy is being utilized by agriculture scientist. This area envelopes the science of genetics. Dr. Warren F. Witzig and Dr. Caldecott discuss this science and the use of atomic energy in this area to provide basic information of life and life processes for the use of the applied agriculturalist. Many examples of how radioactivity has helped the agriculturalist are demonstrated in this program.
Huyghens (HY-gunz) discovery that Saturn is surrounded by rings which look different on earth at different times led to considerable speculation as to the nature of the rings. Some scientists believed they were solid, others maintained they were made up of particles of matter, as is actually the case. Among Huyghens’ other discoveries was the triangular expanse on Mars (“Syrtis Major”), which may be an expanse of vegetation. He also invented a very fine eyepiece, still used by physicists, which overcomes color spread. And “Huyghens Principle” regarding light spread is also constantly in use. Despite early illness and his resulting weak constitution, Huyghens was able to make discoveries that have been inestimable use to scientists who came after him.
Indicates that the problem of getting to Mars of Venus, heretofore a concern only to science fiction writers and afficionados, has now become an international obsession. Shows that the strides being made in the space race would not be possible were it not for the work of Copernicus and other scientists of his stature. States that it was Copernicus who realized that the earth is not the center of the universe but merely one of many heavenly bodies, all moving according to a definite system.
Considers the question, "Will machines ever run man?" Concludes that although the computer is the machine most like man himself, it is not the machine but man who determines what is to be done.
Much of today’s exploration of space would be impossible without the early astronomical discoveries of Hipparchus (hih-PAR-kus). According to Dr. Posin, the greatest of these discoveries was that“the tip of the axis of the earth, through the centuries, make a circle in the heavens.” With the help of work done by scientists before him, such as Archimedes, Hipparchus was able to find ways of determining longitudes on earth and in the sky, thereby laying important groundwork for astronomical discoveries through the ages.
Discusses the work of Newton, who was born the day Galileo died, and was a contemporary and friend of Huyghens. Describes Newton's Principia Mathematica, one of the greatest scientific books ever written which was published through his friendship with Halley, another outstanding scientist of the time. Briefly discusses Newton's most important contributions to science which were his theories of light and prisms, and of motion and bodies in space.
As a boy, Maxwell was subject to the brutal teasing of his classmates. As an adult he met and solved several scientific problems that had been perplexing his contemporaries. He won a prize for demonstrating mathematically the nature of the rings around Saturn. But his most important achievement, which was at once the result of Faraday’s experiments and the beginning of much important new work by later scientists in physics and electricity, was his contribution to the study of electromagnetics and his predictions of the existence of electromagnetic waves. The processes and apparatuses he used are sketched in detail by Dr. Posin. The topic is a complicated one, but worth the attention of anyone who intends to pursue modern physics on his own.
States that only a lack of engineers and adequate materials kept the helicopter from being an actuality during da Vinci's lifetime. Pictures this great inventor creating workable plans for the helicopter, the submarine, and hundreds of other "modern" inventions--all backed by scientific data. According to Dr. Posin, Leonardo "was always lured by the subtle, the fleeting, the unknown--this was the artist in him. Yet he searched for exact reasons and causes and logic--this was the scientist."
Scientists discover things either by making plans for experiments and then following them doggedly, or by pursuing the implications of unexpected events or findings. It was in the latter way that Michael Faraday made one of his most important discoveries in the field of electricity. Dr. Posin discusses the men preceding Faraday, who had worked with electricity -- Volta, Benjamin Franklin, the Danish scientist HC Oersted (1777-1851) -- and the discoveries each made. He then turns to the work, and some pictures and models of the apparatus, for which Faraday is best known. In particular, he demonstrates the experiment by which Faraday proved that magnetism can produce electricity. He also performs an experiment with electrically charged fish like the electric eel or the Gymnotus.
Indiana University, Bloomington. Audio-Visual Center
Summary:
Brings together four prominent Negro leaders who discuss American Negroes' movement for racial and social equality, and their own motivations, doctrines, methods and goals. Features Negro leaders James Baldwin, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and Dr. Kenneth Clark as host.
Indiana University, Bloomington. Audio-Visual Center
Summary:
Investigates some of the ways in which man is influenced and changed by society. Demonstrates the effect of group pressure to conform and shows the consequences of publicly stating ideas contrary to one's private beliefs.
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.
Explains that diversity is part of the Protestant tradition and belief. States that although there is no single Protestant view, it is the Protestant heritage to drive toward excellence in education. Notes that any Protestant view holds that some appropriate way must be found of teaching in schools, that man does not live by bread alone, and that God exists and is sovereign. Feature personality is Merrimon Cunninggim, director of the Danforth Foundation in St. Louis.
In a Catholic school the realities of God and Christ, the guidance, teaching and influences of the Church, the Christian ideals are presupposed and within this framework all physical and intellectual disciplines have their place. Includes scenes of an elementary classroom. Features Dean Robert J. Henie, S.J., of St. Louis University. (kinescope)
Analyzes advertising in twentieth century America, and its dual function as mirror and molder of our culture. Demonstrates that admen have long been fluent with the familiar slogan, jingle, testimonial, and doctor's endorsement--by which values and dreams, rather than commodities, are made the fare of public consumption. Reminds us that we must guard against the temptation to make advertising the scapegoat for our own materialism, for admen can erect and support only the images that society tacitly permits.
Defines experimentalism as a systematic theory of education stemming from the work of John Dewey. States that the experimentalist turns to experience rather than away from it. Indicates that intelligence, operating in quite human ways in relation to quite human problems, will give the answers that are needed to bring the newly born infant to maturity. Elucidates the experimentalist viewpoint, answers objections, and comments on a film sequence of a "progressive" classroom. Featured personality is H. Gordon Hullfish, professor of education at Ohio State University.
Presents an overview of best sellers of the 20th century and analyzes the continuities and contrasts in the literary tastes of the American public. Notes the persistency of "how-to" books, from those describing short-cuts to financial success to those on religious topics. Examines the concept of reading for escape and the ways in which it has changed over the years.
Discusses the relationship between viruses and cancer. Explains how viruses can cause cancers in animals and why it is believed they may be responsible for cancer in humans. Concludes by summarizing the important known facts about viruses. Indicates directions which future research in virology might take.
This program traces the history of the Communist Party in the United States. The dramatic sequences feature a re-enactment of the Bridgeman Convention in 1921 and show how the Communist Party of the United States was controlled by the Communist International, and directed by it. Benjamin Gitlow, former General Secretary of the Communist Party of America and American representative to the Comintern in the 1920’s, is a special guest on the program. Mr. Gitlow was twice candidate for Vice President of the USA on the Communist Party ticket. Mr. Gitlow was expelled from the Communist Party of America in 1929, as a result of his refusal to accept a directive ordering himto yield leadership of the Party.
One common denominator of our culture, according to Dr. Dodds, is the people's desire for self-improvement. Describes an early American institution that endured until the 1920s--"Tent Chautauqua." Depicts Chautauqua as a source of inspiration, education, and entertainment, reaching hundreds of towns throughout the nation. Pictures Tent Chautauqua as quietly succumbing to the competition of radio and motion pictures, but indicates that its modern equivalent may be found, in a more sophisticated form, in our Great Books groups and adult education seminars.
Presents a political history of Japan from its early autocracy to the formation of its democratic government under the direction of the U. S. in 1945. Explains how Japan operates on two levels politically--outwardly it is a democracy, but beneath lies a spirit still predominantly authoritarian, expressed in bitter antagonism between the political parties. | Presents a political history of Japan from its early autocracy to the formation of its democratic government under the direction of the United States in 1945. Explains how Japan operates politically--outwardly as a democracy, but the dominant "domestic" spirit is authoritarian.
Visits Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and Colorado. Discusses the age of the dinosaur, how the dinosaur quarry was formed, and why the dinosaur became extinct. Illustrates with film footage of dinosaur quarry and photographs of dinosaurs and their enviroment as it existed 140,000,000 years ago.
Presents a discussion of economic growth as a national goal. Reviews the causes and effects of inflation, unemployment, and rate of growth. Points out the effect of education on new employment patterns. Compares American and Soviet rates of expansion. Discusses problems of automation, standards of living, and the individual initiative in our economic position.
Comments on the importance of a disciplined mind and outlines the methods of obtaining intellectual discipline in a democratic society. Answers objections and comments on a filmed illustration. Featured personality is Arthur Bestor, professor of history at the University of Illinois.
Indicates that we need education that deliberately tries to cultivate the following three freedoms: "freedom from"--the condition of being free from constraint; "freedom of"--freedom of thought, of religion, of speech, and of press; and "freedom to"--the opportunity to make choices and to act on those choices. Featured personality, R. Freeman Butts, is a William F. Russell Professor in the Foundation of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.
States that educational conservatives look for guidance to wise men as Edmund Burke, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and John Henry Newman in England, and Irving Babbit and Paul E. More in America. The cultural conservative contends that liberal education necessarily is traditional, and that it is intended to conserve the heritage of our civilization. Featured personality is Russell Kirk, research professor of political science at C. W. Post College, Long Island University.
States that reconstructionism is, above all, a goal-centered, future-oriented philosophy of education. It is one of the fundamental assumptions of reconstructionists that education has unprecedented tasks that would not exist in a more normal, less revolutionary, or less dangerous time. Featured personality is Theodore Brameld, professor of educational philosophy at Boston University.
The two essential elements of life adjustments education: 1)to help develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes for dealing with immediate situations of everyday life; 2) to develop an understanding of persistent aspects of situations recurring through life. Features Professor Florence Stratemeyer of Teachers College, Columbia University. Kinescope.
The quotation from George E. Partridge's Genetic Philosophy of Education, "All education is moral, for the end of all teaching is to complete the moral growth of the child, and to impart to him the moral ideals of the race," provides the theme for this program. Suggests that the key to strong character is to define for young people what is the right thing to do and to challenge them to build moral and spiritual strength with a positive approach. Featured personality is Ernest M. Ligon, professor of psychology at Union College in Schenectady, New York.
Emphasizes the fact that our national strength depends more on high level of educational achievement than on any other factor. Indicates that we must come to realize this, and that we must be willing to spend a larger proportion of our national income on education, provide an educational challenge for our young people, and discover the best talent and see to it that this talent is developed to the highest possible degree. Featured personality is Harold W. Stokes, president of Queens College in New York City.
Those who believe in education for psychological maturity draw heavily on the insights of modern depth psychology – stemming from Freud, Jung, Adler, Sullivan, and others – about how the human mind develops and why people behave as they do. A quote from one of Dr. Jersild’s book, When Teachers Face Themselves, sets the tone of this program: “Education should help children and adults to know themselves and to develop healthy attitudes of self-acceptance.” Dr. Jersild proposes that efforts to promote self-understanding should be incorporated into the nation’s total educational program. He also answers objections and comments upon a filmed illustration.
In what sense can Americans be equal? Not in looks, or in talents, but in opportunity, decide Dr. Wriston, Mr. Canham, and Martin S. Ochs, editor of the Chattanooga Times. Equality of opportunity, they state, is essential in a democracy. Turning in more detail to the system of democracy in this country, the three panelists discuss possible reforms within the operations of the Congress, the executive branch of the federal government, and the state governments. Among their suggestions are the consolidation of urban areas and school districts, the reform of self-limiting tax laws, the reform of election districts, and a re-examination of existing corporate law.
Discusses architecture as a clue to cultural change. Shows how, in the early 1900s, architects sought inspiration in traditional European styles, and a melange of modified Greek Revival, Italian Renaissance, Norman manor, and Tudor half-timber homes sprang up. Indicates that although earlier innovators Henry H. Richardson and Louis Sullivan had proposed a fresh approach to domestic architecture, it was not until the impact of Frank Lloyd Wright that public opinion shifted. Paralleling this movement toward "organic" architecture, the Bauhaus school of "functional," "abstract," and "international" styles began to flourish. Points out that in modern architecture we can detect the combined influences of these original thinkers in the emphasis on functional simplicity and the ingenious use of natural materials.
Makes the assumption that the heroes of a society embody its ideals and aspirations, and shows that we can learn a great deal about American values by exploring some of the hero types of the past sixty years. Describes the adulation of matinee idols, from Valentino to Sinatra; of doers of big deeds, from Lindbergh to Shepard; of preeminent political figures, from Lincoln to Churchill. Shows that today, in a sophisticated age of psychological analysis, the fictional romantic "hero" stereotype is fast disappearing, but claims that we are still apt to confuse the celebrity with the hero, the manufactured myth with reality.
Describes the images evoked upon mention of the 1920s: jazz, champagne baths, John Held flappers, gang killings--in short, an era of rampant, glamorous decadence. Shows that the frantic thrill-searching of the "lost generation" takes on a somewhat different flavor when described by the pens of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and other Left Bank expatriates. Describes the small town, its traditions and manners still relatively untouched as presenting still another picture of the decade. Shows that each of these represents an alternate truth about the times and points out that it is only when we view history from many vantage points that we are able to achieve an undistorted, objective account and gain a perspective that avoids the pitfalls of our cherished stereotypes.
Visits Mesa Verde National Park in Southwestern Colorado. Discusses the work of archaeologists and how they uncover ancient Indian cities. Shows an Indian burial ground, homes of early cliff dwellers, and workers excavating, mapping, and recording their discoveries. Explains how their work provides knowledge of early Indians.
Discusses the international aims of the Communist Party and methods used to achieve these aims. Portrays Lenin's establishment of the Third International. Also reenacts the development of the ideas of a Communist hierarchy and of the justification of the use of illegal apparatuses for seizing control. Explains Communist maneuvers during the second half of the 1920's and in the 1930's, the Popular Front and the activities during the Spanish Civil War. Concludes with a description of the policies after 1947 and the ultimate aims of the Communist Party.
Explains that the Jewish view of education is based on the Jewish view of man. Man may be limited and small, but he can grow toward God because something in him corresponds to God. Answers objections and comments on a Friday night scene in a Jewish home. Featured personality is Eugene B. Borowitz, national director for the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
Discuses virus diseases. Reviews the known viral diseases and the development of vaccination. Explains how a polio virus attacks a cell. Analyzes the activity of viruses, which cause cancer in animal cells. Demonstrates how virus cultures can be grown and used for inoculation. Concludes by discussing cures for viral diseases.
The turmoil of the first month after Lenin’s description of Kerensky form the basis of this program: the disruption caused by the lack of a trained civil service, the civil war being waged by the Kerensky adherents, the threat of Germany, the workers’ strikes, and so on. Once an armistice was signed with Germany, Lenin and his associates were able to turn their attention to consolidating their position. After the Bolsheviks (henceforth called the Communist Party) had seized the national Assembly and locked the doors to keep the opposing delegates out, Lenin’s positon was firmly established. An interesting sequence involves Mr. Sworakowski’s reminiscences of the events surrounding the armistice. He himself witnessed many of the events of this period, and his account is moving and informative.
Provides a kaleidoscopic preview of Communist history. Explains the basis for the series and establishes documentary sources. Uses reenactments to show the collaboration on the Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels, the development of Marxism, and the founding of the First International. Discusses the fallacy in Marx's premise and concludes by introducing Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, later known as Lenin.
Visits the national monument of Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. Describes the life of the Navajo Indians living in the canyon. Shows the ancient ruins of early Indian cliff dwellers. Tells how the Indians farm, raise sheep, cook, and build their homes. Concludes with scenes of a trading post and Indian rodeo. (KETC)
Fifteen million families’ move each year – and three-fourths of them merely change addresses within the same county. They move because they want a better place to live; they need not only houses or shops or schools but also police, fire protection, sanitation, and many other services that can only be provided by a community. And there are more and more people moving – more and more homes built on what is, after all, only a limited amount of land. This land must be used wisely: a planning engineer, similar to ones called in by communities across the country, describes the problems that a community must deal with when its population increases five-fold in a few years, and mentions some of the steps that are taken to provide for future planning and development. Most important are the procedures taken to stop and reverse the tendency for some areas to turn into slums; the program concludes with a short outline of Federal plans for urban redevelopment, and a plea to the viewer to take more active interest in his city.
Presents a discussion on America's position in the modern world. Covers such topics as foreign aid plans, internal restrictions on the operation of our foreign policy, and the operations of the United Nations.
Visits Carlsbad Caverns National Park near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Describes the discovery of the caverns by early settlers who observed a huge formation of bats leaving the entrance. Shows and explains how the huge caverns were formed over thousands of years of time. Provides close-ups of stalagmites, stalagtites, and limestone draperies.
Dr. Tillich and his guests discuss the place of religion in the philosophy of life. Questions are directed to Dr. Tillich concerning the necessity of religion, morality vs. moralism, the role of the Christ in moral life, the latent vs. the manifest church, and the future of Protestantism.
Dr. Tillich and his guest discuss religious education for children. The last half of the discussion deals with conformity and neurosis; Dr. Tillich's interest in art; and a personal summary of the influences that have affected his thinking.
Describes the Japanese national character as a paradoxical complex of restraint and passion, arrogance and servility, pride in being Japanese and apology for being Japanese. Explains that Japan, more than any other nation has wavered between such contradictory attitudes and qualities. Discusses the concept of "force" and what it means to Japanese to be part of a group.
Records a discussion of photography as a profession by Ansel Adams and Milton Halberstadt, an outstanding commercial photographer in San Francisco. Adams is shown applying his imagination and techniques to industrial photography, advertising photography, and portrait photography.
Visits Yellowstone National Park to explain the story of American buffalo and its destruction. Shows the Yellowstone herd and then explains the methods used by the Indians to capture the buffalo. Tells why the white man, after the Civil War, destroyed the buffalo herds. Illustrates with film footage, dioramas, and photographs.
Defines leadership as a set of group functions and a good leader as one who helps the group to accomplish its goals. Defines and shows examples of self-serving functions, task functions, and group building functions. Points out that these functions are necessary to effective leadership.
Dr. Wriston is joined by August Heckscher, president of the Twentieth century Fund, and William P. Bundy, Assistant Secretary of Defense and coordinator of the President’s Commission on National Goals, for a discussion of a national plan for the arts and sciences. The chief question is that of finding support, particularly for the arts. Should artist be given subsidies? Why are there so few artists in a society that contains such a high proportion of men and women truly appreciative of the arts? The three panelists describe the kinds of education that can develop artistic or scientific abilities, and also comment on the role of women in the arts and sciences. They conclude by agreeing that much can be done to stimulate creative effort through private investment, universities and perhaps government support.
Defines "classical realism," putting special emphasis on definitions of each of the two words. Explains the theory's basis in the 'natural law' and the theory's application to modern educational problems. Answers objections and comments on a filmed physics class discussion in which the teacher uses the classical realist approach. Featured personality is Harry S. Broudy, professor of education at the University of Illinois.
Reviews the progress of the Communist Party in Japan from pre-war days to the present. Includes film footage showing the release from prison of leading communist leaders just after World War II. Discusses the high degree of trained leadership, the party and the party's influence in politics.
Covers the period between Lenin's seizure of power and his death in 1924. Analyzes Lenin's peace treaty with Germany. Describes the reasons for the opposition to it which brought Russia to the verge of another civil war. Explains how chaos was prevented by the intervention of Herbert Hoover's American Relief Association. Shows the gradual steps in Stalin's rise to power, newsreel footage of the death and burial of Lenin, leaving the future government of Russia to the conflict between Trotsky and Stalin.
Discusses the Khrushchev era and interprets the policies of his regime. Provides details of Khrushchev's ascension to power and describes the differences between him and Stalin. Features special guest Merrill Spalding, research associate at the Hoover Institution and former professor of Russian history at Stanford University.
Examines the movies of the twentieth century for clues to the changes and constancies in American taste. Indicates that by the 20s the sentimental melodrama had given way to a new wave of frenetic frivolity, and the need for a code of self-censorship became apparent. Describes the recent sporadic efforts of independent movie producers which have resulted in a liberalization of the code. Points out that there have been some distinguished films despite a motion picture industry that continues to search for the lowest common denominator of taste.
Features significant excerpts from the preceding 12 programs and lists the many myths of communism. These include (1) freedom for the working man, (2) communism as a genuine expression of the desire of subject peoples, (3) the dictatorship of the proletariat which became dictatorship over the proletariat, (4) Stalin and Lenin as heroes of the proletariat, and (5) communism as an independent political philosophy.
Immediately after the overthrow of the Czar in 1917 the Kerensky government was formed, the short-lived and only democratic national government Russia has ever known. Dr. Sworakowski provides a detailed and carefully analyzed description of the reasons why Kerensky’s government fell so quickly. He also reads a letter from an eye-witness of the overthrow. Again, dramatic episodes alternate with commentary and narration over photographs and documents, as a picture of Lenin’s strategy and attack in the November Revolution is built up.
Two hundred years ago Samuel Johnson wrote: “When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” People move into cities because there they can find the widest possible variety of choice of occupation or distraction, of friends, goods and services. They can be cheated, however, by slums, traffic congestion, water or air pollution, poor housing, crime, and the myriad of other problems that confront a large city with a varied population. But they can also be satisfied, if they are willing to devote time and attention to these problems. Now, more than ever before, we have the resources, the wealth, the knowledge and the techniques to solve our urban problems. It is up to us to decide whether or not we want to do this. The program and the series concludes with some comments on urban development by Branch Rickey, Governor David Lawrence of Pennsylvania, and Richard K. Mellon, one of the leading men in the redevelopment of Pittsburgh.
Cities are growing at an explosive rate; more and more people come to cities to liv, to work, to raise their families where there are the greatest number of opportunities for jobs, education, and recreation. But these thousands of new inhabitants do not only increasethe population of the city; they also magnify the problems that any group of people face when they live together in large numbers. Where to live? How to move about? How to govern themselves and guide the development of the community in which they live? The first program of METROPLEX sets the stage for the others, explaining why people are attracted to the city, and what difficulties they and the community face when they move there. Photographs, film clips, diagrams, and sketches are used to good effect to make the picture clear.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cities are growing, and people have to move about in them. How they do this can have a considerable effect on the development of the city itself. Many –perhaps most –of the inhabitants of a city own cars, and the temptation to use them is easy to understand. But often a private car is not the best way to get from here to there in a city; public transportation –buses, subways, streetcars, even helicopters for longer distance –is often the best way to move people. Yet too often even so simple a matter as intra-urban transportation resembles a jigsaw puzzle. Groups have grown up to handle different parts of the problem, with the results that these units may overlap, or do not cover the whole problem. The older geographical areas which they were established to serve are new sections within a larger unit, but the original group still exist while the transportation problems become more and more complicated, and increasingly in need of overall planning. Once again the program concludes with a plea to the citizen to learn more about the problems of urban transportation, and to help his community to resolve some of them.
Professor Joel Climenhaga interviews New Zealand poet, Allen Curnow. Includes a discussion of Curnow's poetry, which reveals the character, history, and folklore of New Zealand. Presents his views on the role of the problems involved in writing in and about a new country.
Literary critic and lecturer on South African affairs, John Barkham interviews the distinguished South African author, Nadine Gordimer. Deals with subjects ranging from the effect of South Africa on the author's work and her attitude towards racial problems to her opinions of C.P. Snow. Reveals her opinions of America, of herself, and of her writing. Presents her advice for the beginning writer.