Our Mr. Sun

Just watched this live action/animated educational film directed by Frank Capra with UPA's Bill Hurtz handling the animation stuff on Google Video as linked on the Mark Evanier site. In it, we see Dr. Frank Baxter as Dr. Research talking to Fiction Writer Eddie Albert about ways in explaining the uses of the sun to the audience. Mr. Writer then opens the curtain as we see in animated form, Mr. Sun (Marvin Miller) and Father Time (Lionel Barrymore in his final performance) arguing about Sun's importance over the years. Both Writer and Research explain to them, and us, all the advances that the sun made possible. Many of the facts presented here can be pretty overwhelming and I admit I wasn't always paying attention. Still, it was fascinating to watch various animated visuals illustrating just how important the sun is to various technologies. And the cartoon segment featuring a character named Chloro Phyll (Sterling Holloway) was pretty amusing. I partly question having Father Time at the end praise the Lord since it didn't seem to have been relevant to what went before. Still, I recommend Our Mr. Sun both for its educational merits and for anyone interested in vintage animation and the work of Capra. P.S. Bill Hurtz' birthplace, like mine, was in Chicago, Ill.

I remember seeing this as a kid in elementary school. I was absolutely fascinated and captivated by it. It and "Mr. Hemo" were what got me interested in science. Keeping in mind when it came out, the ideas and possibilities for the future were back then astounding. Many like solar power became reality. Our Mr. Sun was at a level I could understand at age 9 and years later as an adult I found it was still interesting. It made such a great impression that when I was older and saw it on a list of films available for my class I had jumped at the chance to show it. The kids loved it. As an adult it was great realizing that it was a younger Eddie Albert as the "host". It is hard to find but it is definitely worth the time if you find it. Most Highly recommended.

Having enjoyed this film and other science-oriented films made by Capra in Elementary school, I was delighted to see how well "Mr. Sun" holds up. Other than a brief clip featured in the movie "Gremlins", I hadn't seen or thought of these films in thirty-five years.

Apart from the obvious nostalgic emotions one associates with fond memories of childhood, this film also present scientific information about the sun in an entertaining and comprehensive way with Eddie Albert and the voice of Sterling Holloway to add charm to an already charming documentary. I would rank this film of Frank Capra with the best of Walt Disney's True Life Adventures of the same period.

You have to watch this film remembering it was made in 50's. Another reviewer has written about this film as if it was same level as the worst of the propaganda films every made. Which is pure rubbish. There are religious references in the film, but this will not harm anyone. Especially since no one should watch it as accurate source of science information. In fact the values are all thats left as a message in this film. That and the pure entertainment value of watching something that shows how much we misunderstood astronomy, and science at the time. See the film, enjoy the Mr Sun character, and lighten up.

Our Mr. Sun was my first AV experience in Elementary School back in 1961 (Grade 5), and I am certain that having seen it helped to kindle my interest in Science Education......I became a science teacher, and have taught Grade 7 science for the past 33 years. Some of the scenes in this film stuck with me, particularly the animated scenes with Mr. Chlorophyll and with the recipe for the photo-electric silicon wafer. I rate this film highly for classroom use still today. For one thing, there is precious little available in instructive video on the subject of Solar Science. For another thing, I believe that watching this film intent on filling in some of the science that was little understood or misunderstood at the time is a useful exercise. As a part time social studies teacher I also find that examining the sociological content of the film, in consideration of its 50 year old values and assumptions is quite instructive. As to any criticism of moralistic bias in this film, of course one must always remember its vintage foremost, before criticizing the screenwriters, since times, they sure have changed!!!