Biography-J. Robert Oppenheimer: Father of the Atomic Bomb (1995)

Biography-J. Robert Oppenheimer: Father of the Atomic Bomb
Hosted by Jack Perkins
(A&E Home Video, 1995)
Running Time: 50 Minutes
J. Robert Oppenheimer: Father of the Atomic Bomb
The man chosen to build the world’s first nuclear weapon was neither a militaristic hawk nor a chest-thumping patriot. He was J. Robert Oppenheimer-scientist, bohemian, and radical. BIOGRAPHY® presents the ironic story of the man known as “the father of the atomic bomb.” Physics professor J. Robert Oppenheimer was plucked from the University of California at Berkeley to lead the army’s top secret Manhattan project in 1942. Three years later, his mission completed, the former professor became a government advisor on nuclear weapons. But true to his days at Berkeley, Oppenheimer chose to campaign against further development of nuclear arms. This controversial stance left an indelible mark on his short, charismatic life.
Produced by CLAYPOINT PRODUCTIONS in association with A&E NETWORK. Host JACK PERKINS, Executive Producer RICHARD O’REGAN, Producer/Director/Writer MARY DORE, A&E Director, Documentary Programming BILL HARRIS, A&E Executive Producer MICHAEL CASCIO.
©1995 Claypoint Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. BIOGRAPHY is a registered service mark of A&E Television Networks. Art and Design ©1995 A&E Television Networks. All Rights Reserved. Marketed in the U.S. by New Video Group, 126 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Color, approx. 50 mins., VHS, Biography. Cat # AAE-14022
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[@TheGreggl]

A brilliant man who focused on ending that horrible war. Completely betrayed by his own government because he wanted to stop and the Pentagon did not. The real villain was Edward Teller

[@heathwirt8919]

Teller was a back stabbing snake that hated the fact that Oppenheimer was more popular than him. A very shallow man.

[@dovbarleib3256]

Yea, sadly I agree. But there are other villains who caused Oppenheimer's humiliation. Chief among them was the real traitor Communist who gave all the Los Alamos secrets to Stalin: Klaus Fuchs.

[@dovbarleib3256]

On the other hand, the development of the H bomb, the fusion bomb, was inevitable especially after Stalin was able to explode their bomb less than 4 years after Hiroshima. Trying to stop it was futile. Einstein tried to convince him to simply give up his security clearance and go back to Berkeley or come to Princeton. Standing in the way of a roaring locomotive called the Super was a naive fool's errand. Einstein tried to convince him of this. Oppi did not listen. Einstein even called him a Na'ar (Yiddisch and Hebrew for an adult with the naivete of a youth) for not seeing the logic of the situation. Oppenheimer should have quit his post at that time, and yes, I fully understand his aversion to developing another weapon at least 50x more powerful than the fission bomb.

[@sunandabasu1339]

Nobody remembers Lise Meitner!!!

[@salvatoremaximus6754]

I came here because of Christopher Nolan's new Oppenheimer movie

[@nithyasmith7492]

who is cristofer nolan??

[@eyrelobo6390]

same

[@CINERNETICS]

Brainless

[@juleeez628]

And?

[@Antifa_Alex]

@Peter Charles ugh

[@ChristopherSitar]

Jack Perkins was the best narrator, i grew up wirh this legend

[@roregan]

I own the copyright to this program and am happy to see it made available here.

[@ZpostNYC]

Me Too Rich! : )

[@na8730]

I've heard of the projects years ago and watched a documentary as a teen. To see them finally make this a movie.... it was a brilliant production and you can't help but feel bad for the man who gave everything to the country that later threw him away

[@coerfjoe1]

I was greatly disappointed in the 'Nolan" film of this titan scientist maligned, hounded by suspicious government figures after delivering the goods. This linear, shorter summary of his career filled in all the gaps a film director muddled trying to fit too many name actors into giving their bravura parts.

[@titasantiniE]

Very well done.

[@frogmansinclair]

I came here for hope that this malevolent species never leaves this rock and never colonizes any other rock...and destroys itself before that can happen..

[@winstonsmith8240]

Sadly not much has changed. A much maligned genius who helped change the world forever. Nice. Rip.

[@DSToNe19and83]

Who did he help, he and his wife were double agents?

[@codym8897]

Back in 1995, A&E's Biography profiled on J. Robert Oppenheimer.

[@franklingomez5311]

That's this video..

[@marniekilbourne608]

Yes, that IS what we are watching, obviously.

[@DSToNe19and83]

Bet dollars for donuts, they didn’t talk about his wife’s spy connections..

[@gaylecheung3087]

This is the A&E version

[@stephenwright8824]

This comment section has one and only one thing going for it: most of the comments are spelled more correctly than other comment sections I've seen today.

[@hbilha]

Its unfair to describe Oppenheimer as THE FATHER of the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb had many fathers: Szilard, Fermi, Hahn, Strassman, Frisch, Seaborg, Lawrence and others. Oppenheimer was just the man who coordinated the Manhattan project. He had little to no influence in the calculations.

[@robertrichard6107]

He was put in charge since he was an American, though the bomb was created by defunct WWI resentful Austro-Hungarian Empire physicists.

[@dh5380]

Groves and Oppenheimer made it possible

[@killerfrank8974]

Very true; however, without him at the helm to coordinate everything, one has to ask would the project have been the success it was?

[@okman9684]

At least you have to cherish this man for bearing the burden of this amazing but terrifying project and taking all the blame from other great scientists involved in this project. He took all suffering from the trauma of being the main creator of the weapon of mass destruction

[@hbilha]

@@dh5380 I doubt it. FDR had already given the go ahead. If Groves and Oppenheimer wern't there, someone else would in their place. Leo Szilard was the true father of the atomic bomb. He had the idea to create a bomb from the energy released by nuclear fission, he worked with Fermi to find the best element (uranium 235), he convinced Einstein to sign the letter he wrote to persuade FDR to iniciate Manhattan project. Oppenheimer gets all the credit just because he's american and more charismatic.

[@mousiebrown1747]

He is a real modern hero. And a real victim of the government.

[@ethanshepherd4963]

He is indeed; Oppenheimer wasn't the only scientist who had issues with using science to kill people Americans hate, like Einstein - he was a lifelong pacifist

[@VALTERJONBURGESSIII]

We all are.

[@marniekilbourne608]

He's not a hero and never considered himself one. He was not proud of what he created nor should he have been. Just because you can do something does not mean you should.

[@walterlahaye2128]

The u.s. government who brought railing accusations down on J. Robert Oppenheimer for creating the Atomic Bomb are satanic scoundrels for the communist c.i.a.

[@cactusdemar]

A real modern villain maybe

[@BluesBoy-ij2rb]

You trust the man with the most secretive and dangerous project the world has ever known , he accomplishes the task then you betray him with false and damaging accusations ???????.........nice way to honor and thank him ................................ Erik

[@DSToNe19and83]

His wife was a communist spy and he hated capitalism... make your own conclusions on how the Russian were so quick to follow..

[@jiffbutterman6748]

“I am become Sneed, destroyer of Chucks”.

[@aarondowell3296]

30:52 32:31

[@richardwich3492]

What an innocent time in humanity. As quoted in the opening statement of the documentary: Quote- Robert Oppenheimer... "The future is a chance" *Logically suggest by a group of practically developed minds- (There is no trust involved) *We all have a weakness*

[@ortho-g9826]

I would say NO.

[@paulthomas-hh2kv]

There’s an interview with Australian Mark Oliphant talking about his life, and how US dismissed the information given by UK about nuclear bomb. It took Ernest Lawrence to direct to the top to get any interest, it’s a long interview, could maybe skip half to two thirds through, but interesting

[@heathwirt8919]

In August 1939, Einstein wrote to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt to warn him that the Nazis were working on a new and powerful weapon: an atomic bomb. Fellow physicist Leo Szilard urged Einstein to send the letter and helped him draft it. That's the real story of what prompted the US to spend billions of 1940 dollars to develop and build the atomic bomb. Mark Oliphant's story doesn't ring true. 00:16:19

[@sailingsam3815]

He unleashed evil...😢

[@cosimodirondo972]

Was he the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces? No.

[@joantollerton9905]

Oversimplification

[@user-xe3cn6ek7o]

Hello - my name is Eleanor from NBC. I have a question for you about this VHS tape and am wondering if I can send you a message or call. thank you.

[@jackoliver7506]

Ur a bot

[@americanbrunch3611]

Came here because of Stella Maris

[@jimcypher]

Oh, Priscilla 🙄

[@robertrichard6107]

After FDR was finally got out of the way, the atomic bomb use in WWII was used for Cold War posturing with USSR.

[@LarryDeGroot]

God has blessed the Jew more than you'll ever know.

[@mohamedazam318]

Famous scientist real evergreen hero

[@marniekilbourne608]

He's not a hero and never considered himself one. He was not proud of what he created nor should he have been. Just because you can do something does not mean you should.

[@DSToNe19and83]

He and his wife was a spy, how do think to Russians could follow so fast?

[@abdulazizclare9545]

Interesting German Jew American.

[@DSToNe19and83]

/Soviet spy

[@abdulazizclare9545]

@@DSToNe19and83 Spy my ass.

[@user-kz3kk4pm1v]

@@DSToNe19and83he was jewish

[@cosimodirondo972]

The Nazis wouldn't consider him part of the volk.

[@abdulazizclare9545]

@@cosimodirondo972 You acting like you some inside info of Nazi history.

[@LarryDeGroot]

I love the Jewish people!!!!!!

[@DSToNe19and83]

Oh hey, a open comment section, now I can call it out how I see it.. I call him a spy and his wife a spy and call them communist traitors! There you go!

[@777philgood]

Oh hey ,thanks for your comment ,now i understand better how low intelligent individuals have their inner thoughts

[@DSToNe19and83]

@@777philgood well she was a communist spy, her and “old op” sold out! Why do you think the Soviets could do “show of force” so quickly?

[@JB-fn9lb]

Not dismissing your opinion out of hand but I would tend to believe that he was a true American hero that even if he may have been influenced by a number of communist ideologies he still believed in and loved this land so much more than any other especially the USSR. I think that we Americans have distorted our perception of communism and the greater interests of capitalism so much that we neglect the ability to desire certain ideas that may positively impact our society as bad only to protect those holding and benefiting from power. If you can paint a negative picture in the minds of the influential you have the power to control them. So goes the American society in general. But in times of great crisis and threats those very persecuted people give our great country the biggest gifts. Not that the “bomb” is a gift, but it did in the moment end such a terrible and tragic war. Oppenheimer was a true American that didn’t fit the perfectly crafted mold of those in power and thus was a threat that needed to be squashed. End of story. I wish to believe he would never have committed espionage on his own country. But one never truly knows does he?