About Time is a 53-minute educational TV special produced by Warner Bros. as part of the Bell System Science Series, a collection of science-themed programs aimed at making complex ideas accessible to general audiences—especially young viewers. Directed by Owen Crump and Phil Monroe, it features the beloved science communicator Frank Baxter and blends live-action, animation, and storybook-style narration to explore the concept of time.
Overview & Themes
The film takes viewers on a whimsical journey to the fictional Planet Q, where time is misunderstood and must be explained by Baxter, who appears in an observatory peering down at Earth. Through engaging visuals and clever storytelling, the program covers:
- The history of timekeeping: from sundials and calendars to pendulums and atomic clocks
- Biological clocks in plants, animals, and humans
- The seasons, Earth’s rotation, and orbit
- Einstein’s theory of relativity, illustrated with twin brothers—one traveling at the speed of light, the other remaining on Earth
- How uranium decay helps paleontologists date fossils and understand Earth’s age
Cast Highlights
- Frank Baxter as Himself (the science guide)
- Richard Deacon as The Butler
- Les Tremayne as King of Planet Q
- Mel Blanc (voice cameo) — known for Looney Tunes, adds animated flair
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- This was the last of eight Bell Science specials featuring Frank Baxter
- Warner Bros. reused clips from earlier travelogues and features, including a rumored map from The Sea Hawk (1940)
- The show’s blend of educational content and theatrical presentation was a precursor to later science series like Cosmos
- The animated segments were designed to make abstract concepts—like time dilation—visually intuitive and fun
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