Description:
The films in this 111 minute DVD collection were early attempts to address the public?s anxieties concerning this new mysterious force - Atomic Energy and the Bomb. They explain the basic concepts of nuclear energy to a science-wary public, expose the hidden dangers of radiation and tout the great potentials of a newly-discovered power source. Now that we?ve moved on from the atomic age, it is interesting to reflect on both optimistic and pessimistic views of our nuclear future at the time. This films come from the A/V Geeks Educational Film Archive and purchasing this DVD helps support our mission to preserve the films for future generations.

Titles Include:
Fallout: When and How To Protect Yourself - U S Office Of Civil Defense, 1959, 15 min
This stylized 1950?s cartoon addresses one nasty side effect of an atomic blast: radioactive fallout. Protecting oneself from a traditional bomb blast or fire was an easier topic to tackle than the idea that seemingly innocuous dirt and dust could be lethal for weeks or months after a nuclear attack. Civil Defense films like this one tried to reassure the public that this new threat could be surmounted with proper shelter and supplies, but instead probably did more to instill the fear of all things atomic, weapon or not.

Atom Goes to Sea - John Sutherland Productions/GE, 1954, 11 min
General Electric was one of the first commercial entities to exploit the potentials of atomic energy. This company created films to praise the benefits of atomic energy while trying to distance themselves from the well-publicized, devastating power of the a-bomb. Although GE?s research in powering ships with atomic energy was quite successful for the company and the U.S. Navy, the concept of an atomic-powered airplane never really took off.

Radioactive Fallout And Shelter - U S Office Of Civil Defense, 1965, 28 min
This film purports that fallout is nothing more than a minor nuisance. The dry, matter-of-fact narration of this film attempts to soothe the viewer into a sense that "the government knows what to do and here's how to beat that nagging fallout problem", covering topics like appropriate shelter wall material or how to prepare a fallout-free meal. What such films never addressed was what would happen if you or your neighbors didn't have adequate shelter and supplies and what it would be like to live in post-nuclear attack world.

Living With The Atom - Moody Institute of Science, 1957, 26 min
The Moody Institute of Science was a film company whose aim was to attract scientific-minded youths to Christianity. This film covers the basics of atomic theory while addressing the morality inherent in wielding such godlike power. Other Moody Institute of Science films question the validity of the evolution theory and can directly be linked to today?s anti-evolution, intelligent design movement.

The Atom Strikes! - U.S. Army Signal Corps, 1945, 31 min
Released soon after the atomic attacks on Japan, this film serves as a public documentation of why the United States resorted to atomic warfare, and of these weapons? effects on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The film focuses primarily on the destruction of buildings and structures. The only eyewitness account is from a Jesuit Priest in Hiroshima; glaringly absent is the impact on the people of the city - those killed in the nuclear blast or of the survivors who were blinded, burned or made sick by radiation.