Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey
Leon Theremin made music as strange as the life he lived. In 1918, using newly discovered vacuum-tube technology, the Russian-born scientist invented a musical instrument that produces a high-pitched electronic sound varying in tone based on the proximity of the player's hand. The sound is both ethereal and other-worldly, and this instrument characterized the soundtracks of sci-fi and horror films of the 40s and 50s. Leon's own life was fit for a movie as well, as he mysteriously disappeared and was presumed dead one day in 1938. After being found again years later, he worked developing listening devices for the Russian KGB. This documentary provides an inside look at one of the oddest musical instruments ever made and the even more peculiar existence of its creator.