Hello all! I am a new teacher, teaching grade 11 core english at the academic level in ontario. One of my topics includes the electric grandmother as a possible resource. every time i try to look up something on the internet about it, some band with the same name comes up. can anyone lead me to a good site that gives me info on the film, poems or stories that may be connected to it, or even some hints on how to use the film as a teaching tool. Thanks a lot! Babybelle

"The Electric Grandmother" film: basic info here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083876/

It used to be available on VHS, but is out of print. There are several copies on ebay currently.

The film is based on the short story "I Sing the Body Electric", which is available in Bradbury's book of the same name.

The title comes from a Walt Whitman poem, which is available here: http://www.bartleby.com/142/19.html

The first published version of the story was actually Bradbury's TV version of it for The Twilight Zone. There is a review of this here: http://www.tzworld.com/ISINGTHEBODY_EP.html

The TZ episode is available on DVD: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000046S2E/qid%3D1095 929971/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-0872667-4085539

I don't know of any particular study guides etc for this story, but there is a useful teacher's resource at: http://www.thesolutionsite.com

(I found one lesson plan mentioning Bradbury, but it doesn't cover this particular story.)

Bradbury has written other stories involving similar robots. The ones that spring to mind are "Marionettes Inc." and "The Long Years". Both of these were filmed for Ray Bradbury Theater. My website has some info on these.

I hope this is of some help.

Phil
www.bradburymedia.co.uk

[This message has been edited by philnic (edited 09-23-2004).]

philnic:

You have a wonderful website. It's an amazing piece of work you've done there. A joy!

Thanks a lot for the info. i plan to go through it this weekend. you don't know how much a help you have been.
Babybelle

I am resurrecting this link to showcase THE ELECTRIC GRANDMOTHER, starring Maureen Stapleton and Edward Herrmann. This short, 1982 made-for-TV film was based on Ray Bradbury's short story, "I Sing the Body Electric", with the screenplay credited to Ray and Jeffrey Kindley. It was directed by Noel Black. To view the film, just click on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w5_iALm9F4

The link below will take you to the 1962 TWILIGHT ZONE version of Ray Bradbury's "I Sing the Body Electric", for which Ray wrote the script. However, Ray's script was changed without his knowledge or consent. This resulted in a rift between TWILIGHT ZONE creator Rod Serling and Ray that was never healed. Personally, I never much cared for the TWILIGHT ZONE version. Rather, I much prefer the made-for-TV film THE ELECTRIC GRANDMOTHER, based on the same short story. It was directed by Noel Black, co-written by Ray, starred Maureen Stapleton and Edward Herrmann, and can be accessed by clicking on the link in the post directly above this one:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7yulkl

Overall the 1982 may be better than the 1962 version but I do have to put in a word for Veronica Cartwright's performance.

To listen to a brief interview with James Sheldon about the THE TWILIGHT ZONE version of "I Sing the Body Electric", which Mr. Sheldon co-directed, click on the link below. (It appears that Mr. Sheldon didn't like the show any more than Ray Bradbury did!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKn5Ewf28QQ