The Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays

1957 0h 55m EN

😐

5.7

MID

★5.7TMDB · 8

AnimationFamily

Synopsis

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Part of acclaimed filmmaker Frank Capra's "Wonders of Life" series of science-based films (which won an Emmy Award for Best Editing) teaches kids about the power of gamma rays and radiation.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Richard Carlson
The Fiction Writer
Frank Baxter
Dr. Research (as Dr. Frank Baxter)
Mae West
Miss Ultraviolet (voice, archive footage)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Frank Capra
Writers: Frank Capra, Jonathan Latimer
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 55-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

69 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Bell System Science Series" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Frank Capra, shot by Harold E. Wellman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ray Snyder shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Richard Carlson and Frank Baxter and Mae West carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0157068 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Frank Capra directs. Harold E. Wellman behind the camera. Ray Snyder cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 55-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
269 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "The Bell System Science Series" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Frank Capra, shot by Harold E. Wellman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Ray Snyder shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Richard Carlson and Frank Baxter and Mae West carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0157068 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 8 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 8 themes, including "physics", "puppetry", "educational", "nuclear".