Day One (1989)

Excellent, compelling. Outstanding cast.

I loved this miniseries when it originally aired. When my daughter had to do a research paper on the topic, I jumped on the opportunity to see it again, and bought it for her to watch as well. There is no better portrayal that tells the story so completely and compellingly. For an amazing book on the subject, definitely read the Pulitzer Prize winning "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes. An incredible book. But for a movie version, you can't beat Day One. May 30, 2008

Great Mini Series, Poor DVD Release

I had long been a fan of this outstanding mini series, and having been lucky enough to tape it off the air when it was first broadcast, I was able to watch it again and again. Nevertheless, VHS tapes being what they are, I was also really looking forward to an eventual DVD release and was very gratified when it finally came. Unfortunately, I rejoiced a bit too soon. First, the video quality of this DVD release is rather poor, barely any better than that of my aging VHS tape. Second, the program has been edited from the original release. The editing doesn't seem to be major, but is annoying nonetheless. I have not yet looked at the entire DVD, but I already noticed two 20-30 seconds deletions in the first half hour. The first is when Leo Szilard first arrives to Columbia University in March 1939. The original release showed him emerging from the subway and asking directions to a policeman, which is omitted from the DVD. The second more important deletion comes at the conclusion of Szilard and Wigner's first visit with Einstein. In the original release, Einstein suggests that Szilard and Wigner write a letter to President Roosevelt and tells them that he would be happy to sign it, and this is not shown on the DVD. All in all, such an outstanding movie deserved a much better treatment and the problem is that, now that it has been badly done once, the likeliness of an eventual better DVD release is probably not that high. This means that I will unfortunately not be able to retire my aging VHS tape. February 17, 2008

Much better than Fatman and Littleboy

I saw this show when it was first on TV and was impressed. It follows the history quite well, and I felt that the performances represented the actual characters more accurately than the movie Fatman and Littleboy. Also, it did not add in any fictional subplots as was done in the F&L movie. October 12, 2007

You might also want to get the great mini-series

...from the 1980's. It has only recently been released by the BBC on DVD, unfortunately in Region Two (PAL) format. It is available thru amazon and eBay in the UK, ([...]), for about $[...] plus shipping.

This is the most widely-acclaimed series on the people and events surrounding the development of the atom bomb and its key player, JR Oppenheimer, played brilliantly by a young SAM WATERSTON, with David Suchet equally brilliantly playing EDWARD TELLER.

All the effort you put into acquiring and playing this series will well be worth the effort.

If you don't have a 'multi-format' DVD player, you may be able to get instructions on like via a 'dvd hack' search on Google, or you can buy an inexpensive so-called 'multi-format' player on eBay. Mine with shipping cost $[...], and I emailed the seller for easy instructions on how to program the player. September 8, 2007

The Real Deal

Of all the films on WWII's Manhattan Project, this is the best, in my opinion. It's a no-nonsense account of the hardships, obstacles, and breakthroughs in producing the atomic bombs that ended the war. As far as I know, it's only available on VHS. That's a disadvantage, but no reason to avoid this excellent docudrama. An outstanding cast is complimented by attention to detail in creating an accurate period feel. Some other accounts that I've seen have a definite Hollywood aura to them, but not "Day One." If you're only going to see one film about The Bomb, this should be it. If you've seen the rest, then you really owe it to yourself to see the best. May 3, 2007

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