Encyclopædia Britannica Films

Every year, on June 27th, in a small village in New England, inhabited by no more than 300 people, a lottery is held in which a family is chosen as part of a ritual to ensure a good harvest.

short from of Series “The Art of silence: pantomimes with Marcel Marceau and his partner Pierre Verry”. Mime makes the invisible visible and the visible invisible. Marceau’s sometimes comical - but always graceful - interpretation of The Painter in Central Park allows the viewer to “see” objects which are not there.

Presents man's use and misuse of land throughout the country. Includes conservation measures now in operation and suggests further steps.

John Canaday analyzes the place of art among the humanities as an expression of man's attempt to define what it means to be a human being. Mr. Canaday shows how the masterworks of art and architecture have formed a visual history of man's thought, ideals, and most fondly-held beliefs.

Recreates the conflict of Roger Williams with the Puritan leaders of New England, including his attempts to achieve separation of church and state, freedom of conscience, and protection for minority groups; the heresy trial resulting in his banishment from the Massachusetts Bay Colony; and his decision to establish the new colony of Rhode Island. Starring Donald Moffat.

One in a series of twelve films in which the great French mime Marcel Marceau performs some works from his repertoire. In his introduction he describes this pantomime as having a theme that goes beyond time, an allegory showing a man trying to escape an enclosure of invisible walls. He also suggests that it stands for our freedom of choice, stating that for the limited span of our life on earth, we must struggle for the enlightenment of humanity and search for a way out of the cage

Dramatization short on British romantic poet John Keats.

The American Civil War (also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States from 1861 to 1865, fought between the northern United States (loyal to the Union) and the southern United States (that had seceded from the Union and formed the Confederacy). The civil war began primarily as a result of the long-standing controversy over the enslavement of black people. War broke out in April 1861 when secessionist forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina shortly after Abraham Lincoln had been inaugurated as the President of the United States. The loyalists of the Union in the North, which also included some geographically western and southern states, proclaimed support for the Constitution. They faced secessionists of the Confederate States in the South, who advocated for states' rights in order to uphold slavery.

An introduction to Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist. A world poet-a latter-day successor to Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Shakespeare.

Bartleby, an enigmatic man who calmly refuses to carry out his duties, is introduced in this period dramatization of Melville’s haunting story as a scrivener in a 1969 film production of Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corporation.

The story of Captain John Smith.

Deals with the Old Testament as a collection of literary forms. Combines paintings with narrative sculptures to relate the saga of the creation, the expulsion from Eden, and the murder of Abel

This 1971 color anti-drug use and abuse film was produced by Concept Films and directed by Brian Kellman for Encyclopedia Britannica. “Weed: The Story of Marijuana” combines time-lapse, montage, illustrations, animation (by Paul Fierlinger and emigre Pavel Vošický) and dramatized, documentary-style interviews to survey the evolving role of cannabis in U.S. society, with emphasis on the legal risks faced by young people. A unique score of experimental synthesizer music is provided by Tony Luisi on an EMS VCS 3 “Putney”

A romantic tale of a young married couple who have little money to buy each other Christmas presents. And so she cuts off and sells her beautiful hair.

Explains strategy, movement of forces and important battles of the revolutionary war. Geographical, social and political factors which brought victory.

Follows contemporary American poet James Dickey on a three week lecture tour. Reveals the actual thoughts and feelings of the poet through his conversations and poetry readings. Later, he and fellow poet Robert Lowell discuss their dreams.

A story of a circus clown with a toothache dramatizes the need for proper dental care. The dentist's work of repairing the cavity is demonstrated. For elementary grades. Part of the "Joy of Growing" series.

A visually experimental adaptation of the classic Frank Stockton short story.

Shows family life on a modern farm in winter. Describes the care and feeding of livestock kept on a farm in winter. Here, farm life continues at a vigorous pace, in spite of restrictions of inclement weather, as a farm family complete the work of harvest and prepare for the renewal of the growing cycle in spring. The story is told in first person by the grandfather, at Gerald "Red" Markham's farm near the town of Whitewater, Walworth County, Wisconsin. He tries to get the "snow buggy" working, brings in a veterinarian to treat a sick calf, etc.

One in a series of twelve films in which the great French mime Marcel Marceau performs some works from his repertoire. In his introduction Marceau calls mime the essence of life and suggests that it can reach the soul through silence. In this pantomime he expresses life from the womb to the grave in a few minutes and illustrates one of the art's most notable characteristics - its ability to condense time and to create through time the pulse of humanity.