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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Bradbury 13: The Happiness Machine

Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things. –Ray Bradbury

The final episode in this series of old time radio dramas is The Happiness Machine. This story occupies three chapters in Dandelion Wine, which is a collection of short stories all set in the fictional Green Town, Illinois and loosely connected by the theme 'summer' as well as the 12-year-old character, Douglas Spaulding and his family.


The Happiness Machine
It was the sort of sound that might be heard coming from a giant's kitchen on a summer day. There were all sorts of hummings; low and high, steady and then changing. It was the sound of Leo Alfman and his happiness machine.

My Rating: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
It doesn't take much digging to find the deeper meaning in this wonderful story. Leo sets out to built a machine that will make you happy, but he takes the long way around to find out that he doesn't have to look any farther than his own family to find true happiness. I think that so many people look outside of themselves for happiness. They blame their circumstances or the people around them for their unhappiness. But life is what you make of it and you have a choice about how you feel and what you do with what you've been given. If you just look, you'll find happiness all around.

Air Date: June 25, 1984

Narrator:
Paul Frees

Cast:
Jesse Bennet
Jean Jenkins
Mark Alston
Lynn McKinlay

Music:
Roger Hoffman
Greg Hansen

Production Assistant:
Patrick Mead

Associate Producer:
Jeff Raider

Created, Produced, Directed:
Mike McDonough

Executive Producer:
Dean Van Uitert

Audio Clip of The Happiness Machine
Buy The Happiness Machine mp3
Buy Bradbury 13 Audio CDs
at

6 comments:

  1. Just JaiCi's CraftsMarch 2, 2011 at 8:03 PM

    I love reading about the books and shows you watch, but it makes me feel guilty about my shows! In my down time I like to watch shows like "3rd rock from the sun" and cartoon movies...
    Thanks for the ideas, though :)

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  2. ShayMarch 3, 2011 at 2:52 AM

    I've finally listened to some of the episodes and they're really good. I'll have to see if I can hunt this one down!

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  3. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 8:51 AM

    At Family gatherings, I often sit off to the side and just listen to the goings on. The conversations and the interactions of my family are distracting up close. Sitting in the middle of the confusion and seeming chaos, I loose ability to get a bigger picture of all that is taking place. Being semi detached gives me the ability to see a bigger picture and more enjoy the interaction between siblings. To see how far they have come in growing to adulthood, yet they have not lost their individual identity over the years. Like Leo Alfman, some times, we have to step back to discover, we have much more than we perceived we have while up close.

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  4. PhilMarch 4, 2011 at 2:39 PM

    You've done some nice reviews of these episodes, well done! Just one problem: you've reached the final episode! So what's next?

    - Phil

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  5. PeggyMarch 5, 2011 at 9:20 PM

    There is nothing I like better than to have all the family home and gathered together for a bit of organized chaos and all the fun that goes on. (except maybe when they all leave!) It is fun when they come a few at a time too!

    ReplyDelete
  6. JillMarch 8, 2011 at 11:49 AM

    This one was played most often, as far as I can remember. Robs loved this one, and I think for the most part, it was Dad's favorite, too.
    I always thought this one was a bit sad. But I agree, we need to make sure we take a look at what we do have, and we'll then find happiness.
    Bradbury is full of good "remembories" for me.

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