Something to offend everyone: anyone remember Hemo the Magnificent?

[kalanamak]

These Frank Capra movies were made in the late 50's and every year our whole grade school sat on the hard gym floor and watched one or two. They were the highlight of the year. I adored Hemo the Magnificent, although I had no memory of it, but Mr. Baxter's bald head and college professor glasses.

 

You can get it (and Our Mr. Sun) at Amazon, and while kiddo is enthralled, insisted we dissect our sheep heart today, and proudly told his papa about the action of the heart (and pretty accurate, too), I realized this movie-made-in-the-time-of-innocence could offend just about anybody.

 

First off, one of the introducers is smoking. (Kiddo and I discussed product placement). Next it is Old Earth and teaches evolution, but starts with a Bible quote, and mentions God quite a bit. We are evolved from animals but there is a "certain spark" that only God knows about. Next, there is a definite wife-at-home, men-invent-everything and kill-everything-else slant (I will note that there is a brief scene of 2 black scientists looking at blood slides). Top this with a very bad Italian accented cartoon who describes the action of-a da heart. Sterling Holloway (voice of Winny the Pooh) plays a mincing weakling with a neurotic giggle (I was unaware I'd ever seen Sterling Holloway, and had always imagined that he had the voice that Harpo Marx would have. Now I know why. I did see him at age 6, and he has a resemblence to Harpo, who I did not see until I was 11).

 

Sound awful? I loved it. Campy, out of another era, full of clips of classical music and references to the ancient Greeks (Hemo is a kind of greek god in a toga), and so inspiring to kiddo. He ran about the house screaming he was a red blood cell. I certainly remember running home from school pretending I was one, too. Like mother like son.

[KarenNC]

I just put this in my Netflix queue---thanks! It's packaged with Unchained Goddess about heavenly bodies. They also have a combo of Our Mr. Sun and Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays. We're looking forward to them.

[Mamagistra]

Cool, thanks! Definitely looks like something my crew will enjoy. :lurk5:

[HollyM]

He ran about the house screaming he was a red blood cell.

 

 

:lol:

 

 

My son likes to be a white blood cell :tongue_smilie:

[Guest]

Mine like the old Disney cartoons of the Allies white blood cells killing off the invading Nazi bad bacteria/viruses.

[2cents]

Wow! I remember watching these films! I'll have to get them for the kids. :)