Customer Reviews

Hemo the Magnificent / Unchained Goddess

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
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This is a great disc. Here we have two of Frank Capra's Bell Science films, "Hemo the Magnificent" (1957) and "The Unchained Goddess" (1958).

"Hemo" is a fascinating look at the respiratory system, and "Goddess" is the story of weather. "Hemo" takes us inside the circulatory system, with some incredible photography of the capillaries in action. "Goddess" contains some of the best tornado footage ever, as well as explaining how scientists and meteorologists study weather.

Animation is courtesy of Shamus Culhane, who was the only animator to work on all of the first four animated feature-length Disney cartoons. He worked for various animation studios, and these two films were produced by his own.

The two humans in the cast are Dr. Frank Baxter (Mr. Scientist), and Richard Carlson (Mr. Fiction Writer). Carlson starred in "Creature From the Black Lagoon", "Valley of Gwangi", and "It Came From Outer Space". He was sort of a strange cross between William Holden and Hugh Marlowe, all three actors being similar in appearance and voice. He actually directed "Goddess" under the watchful eye of Capra.

Carlson plays a writer who has somehow created a special "Imagination Screen" (this is not explained in the two films), on which the cartoon characters appear and interact with the humans. The idea is that Mr. Scientist and Mr. Fiction Writer are rehearsing for a broadcast of some sort, and are sidetracked by the cartoons and their claims of superiority. As they disprove the boasts of the cartoons, the humans teach the audience about science.

Baxter (an English professor), brilliantly explains the mysteries of science in an accessible and friendly manner, while Carlson supplements Baxter's excited dissertations as a knowledgeable "everyman".

As for the balance of the cast, they go more or less uncredited. Sterling Holloway appears in "Hemo" as Jim, the film operator. Jim is mentioned again in "Goddess", but never actually appears in that installment.

Mel Blanc (Bugs Bunny, et al) goes uncredited in both films, with the bulk of his voice work in "Hemo". Also uncredited is June Foray, who voices a deer (Foray is forever famous as Rocky Squirrel). One of the actors who voiced Goofy is also apparently present as a turtle, but of that I cannot be certain (it is an extremely Goofy-like voice, right down to the "Gawshk!").

Marvin Miller is the voice of "Hemo", and should be familiar as a voice artist from that era. He also played Arjenian in "Red Planet Mars", among other things.

If you think the films are outdated simply because they were put together in the 1950's, think again. Here's a quote from "The Unchained Goddess":

"Even now, man may be unwittingly changing the world's climate through the waste products of his civilization. Due to our release through factories and automobiles every year of more than six billion tons of carbon dioxide (which helps air absorb heat from the sun), our atmosphere seems to be getting warmer!"

Remember, this was 1958. On the other hand, here's another quote from the same film, from Meteora the Goddess:

"Mr. Scientist, would you... (a woman could never ask this, but certainly a goddess can!)... would you marry me?"

The films, being from the 1950's, reflect the morals and beliefs of the era, so religion pops in from time to time. Remember, this was being broadcast to a national audience of the day, so it was calculated not to offend. Most present in "Hemo" (which should be no surprise considering the subject matter is life itself), there are a smattering of vaguely religious comments/images. However, when religion does appear, it's in a strange and even complimentary way to the science being presented. Mostly, religion takes the shape of Mr. Scientist saying that a given mystery is "a secret known only to the Almighty," or quotes from a few religious figures such as Saint Paul. The religious comments are never intrusive, and are so sparse as to be acceptable even to the hardest of present-day hearts.

"Hemo" is very informative, although the film of internal organs and the living heart should not be viewed while eating. Some of the mysteries that Baxter lists towards the end (things we "still do not understand" about Hemo), have actually been explained by science in the years following 1957. "Goddess" is perhaps the better of the two, with much of the information still being surprisingly relevant, although a lot of the work depicted is now done by computers and satellites.

No extras on the disc other than the shows themselves, which is a bit annoying when you consider just how little we know today about the cast and the motivation behind the series. Some production notes and biographies would not have gone amiss here

The series is brilliant, and even the outdated elements are entertaining. The films create a snapshot of state-of-the-art science, as it was in 1957-58. The disc (and it's companion, which contains "Our Mr. Sun" and "Mystery of the Cosmic Rays"), would be a most excellent gift for a friend who loves science, animation, 50's documentaries, etc.

Also a great gift for yourself.

I work as a tutor in a community college, and just so happened to have my copy of "Hemo the Magnificent" nearby when a Medical Assisting student expressed difficulty in understanding blood circulation and cellular respiration. After one viewing, this was her exact quote: "Everyone going into my field should see this!"

Like any classic, these Bell Science "Wonders of Life" films can reach children, but aren't made to pander, bore or condescend. They are marvels, and are still able to transcend the ages and the age groups and fulfill their objectives. 50 years ago, Dr. Frank Baxter and crew knew the secret to conceptual learning: inclusive illustrations and sequential art (cartoon animation). Why has this secret been seemingly lost?

"Hemo the Magnificenr" and "Unchained Goddess", along with the other Wonders of Life DVD, "Our Mr. Sun" and "Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays," are can't-miss gifts for your science learners of any age. Are the religious overtones towards the end of several of the programs a bit heavy-handed? Maybe, but try to understand the joy that these individuals felt while marrying science and morality for the betterment of humankind, and I think you'll truly appreciate what has been created in these films. Watch, learn and enjoy.

This was a nostalgic purchase for me. I remember being in grade school and loved it when a class turned out to be a movie or "film strip." Of all I saw some forty years ago, "Hemo The Magnificent" was my favorite. It was a double blessing when "Hemo" played because not only did we get out of class, but we were entertained. And, we were educated as well.

It was probably "Hemo" that stuck in me the desire to know how things work. This is an excellent movie to show how the circulation system works while ingraining lots of other facts about the human body. For me, this is the premier educational film of all time. The production is superb even though it was produced in the '50's. And the voices... the voice of "Hemo" and the Professor are beautifully rich and unique.

"Unchained Goddess" is to weather what "Hemo" is to the human blood stream. To this day, as I fly around the country and foreign lands as well, I look out the airplane window and find myself relating to the weather outside with things I learned watching this movie in grade school.

If you like to know how things work and enjoy being entertained, you must get these two movies. I have a two year old grand son and we're not too far away from sharing a bowl of popcorn and watching "Hemo The Magnificent" and "Unchained Goddess." Look, I have hundreds of movies in my video library and access to thousands more via expanded digital cable. Of them all - crime stories, science fiction, war movies, action/adventure, comedies, classic dramas and documentaries - if my house was on fire and I could save one DVD.... this is the one. OK... some of that is for reasons nostalgic, but the educational and entertainment values are equally high.

I remembered this series as a kid, both for the content and the music. Watching again, it makes me understand why SAT scores peaked in 1963 and have been declining ever since. This series of broadcasts treated kids as young adults with in-depth science information - no fluff and puff like so much out there today. Bring back the likes of Mr. Wizard, Julius Sumner Miller, and Dr. Frank Baxter and kids would be more interested in science and math again!!!!

I became a science teacher because, at least in part, I saw Hemo, the Magnificent several times as a kid. The theme of the Bell Telephone Series, of which Hemo is my favorite, is "education through entertainment." I'd like to think that that has been one of my themes over the past 29 years of teaching junior high school students.

In fact, my students are finishing viewing Hemo today -- a testment to the relevance I still find in the movie, though I always offer the disclaimer that much has changed since 1958.

I love Hemo, the Magnificent, and you will too -- so will your whole family. Our Mr. Sun is also excellent -- you can't go wrong here.

To this very day if you say "blood," I immediately think of "sea water," and "Hemo the Magnificent" is the reason why. I still have a vivid memory of the teacher having to change the reel at the point where Hemo is ready to leave in a huff unless the scientist can tell him the two words that show he understands the secret of blood. While the primary attraction for me in having this DVD is the nostalgic value of seeing "Hemo" again, these are also effective educational films that can still serve that purpose today. The "Wonders of Life" series originally aired as Bell Telephone Science Hour television specials, and then were made available to classrooms across the nation where they enthralled generations of school children who are only to happy to take a walk down memory lane by picking up this DVD.

First up is my favorite, "Hemo the Magnificent," produced in 1957. Produced, written and directed by the great filmmaker Frank Capra, with William T. Hurtz of Shamus Culnhane Productions handling the animation. Putting together this look at blood are the wise Dr. Frank C. Baxter (an English professor who taught Shakespeare at USC and host of "Telephone Time," 1957-58), who made it clear to me that being bald means being smart, is Dr. Research, and Richard Carlson (who replaced Eddie Albert and who starred in "It Came From Outer Space" and "The Creature from the Black Lagoon") is Mr. Fiction Writer. This human tag team that has to deal with the animated Hemo (voiced by Marvin Miller) and his friends, including the Deer (voiced by June Foray, the voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel). Sterling Holloway makes a brief appearance as a lab assistant.

After meeting Hemo, we turn to the animated Professor Anatomy, who explains the plumbing of the human body. We also learn about the heart and "lubb-dubb" as the sound of circulation. After the bit about sea water is explained, we turn to the capillaries and the gatekeepers who keep the system working the right way. For many this film is a paradigmatic example of how to make some fairly complex scientific facts palatable for young viewers. One of the strengths of this series is that while it gets cute, it does not dumb down the information for its audience. I still remember dreaming about coming up with a way of propelling a car based on the animation this film had of how blood is pumped through the body (the idea was that if you got it started it would somehow magically become a version of perpetual motion: this is what happens when you do not take physics during elementary school).

"The Unchained Goddess" was made in 1958, and this time the scientist and the writer have to deal with the goddess Meteora and the other weather deities, Cirrus the cloud god, and Borealis the wind god, and those for rain, snow and hail, during a television rehearsal for their show about the story of weather. Directed by Carlson, written by Jonathan Latimer and Capra, with animation again by Shamus Culhane productions, "Unchained Goddess" begins with the general principles of circulation, and then looks at how dust and water combine to form clouds, the idea of forecasting the weather, the temperamental nature of weather, and the science of prediction and control.

By the time the good doctor explains that weather forecasters are right six times out of seven, he makes it sound like a good thing (I just saw "The Weather Man" last week, so I am acutely aware that being wrong once has a bid downside). But then as the films indicate these weather men are just beginning to work with computers, an "electronic weather man," working with punch cards, and there is a warning against global warming (with tourists looking at sunken cities in the Mississippi delta through glass bottom boats). Not everything pans out (e.g., setting fires on the ocean to stir the path of hurricanes, warming up Hudson Bay with atomic furnaces), but even the look at what scientists were thinking about a half-century ago are interested.

The combination of amiable talking heads, film clips (including microscopic photography of inside the human body, radical it is day), and animated sequences play out to the stirring strains of Beethoven symphonies (and a little Stephen Foster) for the second one.
This DVD is the second in the set, with the other having 1956's "Our Mr. Sun" and 1957's "The Strange Case Of The Cosmic Rays" (I do not think we ever saw that last one, which seems strange because given how well these went over in the 1960s I would think any teacher would want to expose their students to the entire quartet). Even if the best two offerings in the series are on this DVD, there is no reason not to have them both, because as it says on the back of the box: "You'll never have more fun learning and exploring the wonders of science."

The prints contained in these new DVDS are tremendous! Beautiful quality! Best I've seen by far! This version of HEMO also contains several moments I've never seen before, featuring Sterling Holloway making humorous quips that were evidently intended as lead-ins to TV commercial breaks.

I do wish, however, that the DVD had some bonus materials. There's just nothing there except the films, beautiful as they are. I'd really like to know more about the history and production of these films.

The DVD menu and package production are kind of unprofessional, but I won't let that detract from the beauty of the great film transfer!

Frank Cappra's Wonders of Life Hemo the Magnificent....a humerous look at the human circulatory system.....this movie first created in 1958 is still useful today. My 8th graders are watching this movie today. I can talk about the circulatory system, but Hemo demonstrates and teaches. He is still an awesome teaching tool 46 years later!

I love this movie!!!!!

When we were in school, watching "Hemo the Magnificent" was a yearly event, and I loved it! Then, I found out it was a Frank Capra film, and I liked it even more. Now, all these years later, it's so fun to share it with a generation who never saw it. And although we know so much more about the workings of the circulatory system than we did all those years ago, the film holds up for some basic knowledge of how your heart works!

Way back in the olden days when I was in elementary school (mid 70s) I remember seeing "Hemo the Magnificent" many times in school. I saw it so many times because my friend was the one assigned to run the projector and sometimes we'd just go watch it in the library - it was that entertaining. So I was pleasantly surprised to find it on DVD.

The story has Mr. Scientist and Mr. Writer interacting humorously with animated characters on a special "imagination screen." "Hemo" tells about the circulatory system in a very entertaining and easy to understand way that doesn't dumb it down like so many children's shows. And even though it was originally made in 1957 it's still very accurate (as far as I know), and even has incredible video of individual red blood cells passing through capillaries. "Goddess" tells about the weather and how meteorologists make predictions. I wasn't familiar with this one, but I believe most of it is still accurate, although methods have certainly changed since 1958 when it was made.

But while it was a fun little memory for me to watch it, I was surprised at how much my kids enjoyed it, and they've watched it several times now. My wife was a little concerned at some of the video showing beating hearts and explaining some of the myths about blood (there's a painting of an ancient human sacrifice), but I didn't think anything was inappropriate. On the contrary, I think it's a perfectly entertaining and educational film. It would have been nice if there were some extras or something discussing the background on the films or something like that for nostalgia's sake, but I was just pleased to see it at all.