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.

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

Dramatization short on British romantic poet John Keats.

Two eighth graders doing an assembly on cleanliness and neatness seek underclassmen. A look into Don and Mildred's hygienic endeavors.

Marty, a "good boy," experiments with marijuana and experiences "profound mental and emotional disturbances." As in all anti-drug films of this vintage, marijuana leads straight to "H," and Marty's decline continues until he is busted, rehabbed and reformed. Drug Addiction's stilted view of the urban drug culture and unrealistic portrayals of stoned slackers make it entertaining viewing today. It belongs to that little-known "second wave" of anti-drug films, the postwar scare stories about middle-class kids overcome by junkiedom. What this wave of films reveals is that drugs were an issue for white adolescents long before the psychedelic Sixties, and that the official response to the threat expressed a general, not specifically targeted paranoia.

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

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”

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.

This educational documentary describes the political, social, and religious conditions of sixteenth century Europe. It also Interprets the reforms of Martin Luther as a part and/of these conditions as indications of future trends.

Old-timer Billy Slater organizes a rodeo for kids.

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.

An interesting little short about the exploitative system of the 1930's-50's that used cheap Mexican workers (that "cross the border on temporary work permits to *help* with the harvest").

In this quiet, naturalistic dramatic short, six-year old Sarah grapples with understanding mortality after the sudden death of her older brother, David. With the help of her family, she gradually learns how to process his passing and cope with her grief. Written, produced, and directed by Jackie Rivet-River, this short film for Encyclopaedia Britannica Films was awarded the Silver Hugo prize at the Chicago International Film Festival, as well as 12 additional awards internationally.

This movie starts with a Mother and her two children nonchalantly going to the window when someone knocks on the window. Shouldn't they be on their guard? And what good is their huge German Shepherd Shep? But wait! It's only Dad! Silly man! He's brought home Halloween stuff! Junior makes a truly hideous mask from a paper bag and sets it in the lamp to make it look more ominous. (archive.org)

Pat Morita hosts another entry in the Britannica's tales around the world series. This one covers the classic fairytale story of Cinderella.

Life of a teenage outsider: what makes him that way and how his anger flares into violence.

Describes the making of a puppet in detail from the carving of the head to the fitting of the strings. Close-ups show how the movements of the various limbs are achieved and finally the film portrays a brief episode in the story of Hansel and Gretel.

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 film illustrates the various services provided by a bank through the experience of Mr. Frank Adams. It details his process of depositing money, the growth of his savings account with interest, and his successful application for a loan to start a hardware business. The film highlights the importance of banking services, including savings accounts, loans, and checking accounts, and emphasizes the security and convenience offered by banks. Mr. Adams' journey showcases how banking can support personal financial growth and business development.

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.