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| Disneyland's "Mars and Beyond" episode
proposed a fleet of parasol ships.
© Walt Disney Productions |
“Mars and
Beyond” (December 4, 1957) was the third stage of Walt Disney’s three-stage
rocket that literally helped launch the space-age. The impact of the trilogy
series cannot be over- emphasized. The first two episodes—“Man in Space” and
“Man and the Moon”—both aired in 1955, the first just before the official
opening of Disney’s theme park Disneyland, the second just after.
By 1955, Disney’s standing as a genius visionary and
risk-taker were already on firm ground. Betting on his own (mostly
extraordinary) hunches brought into the world the first sound cartoon
(Steamboat Willy), the first color cartoon (Flowers and Trees), the first
feature-length cartoon (Snow White), the first attempt at merging the whimsy of
animation with the sophistication of classical music for the masses (Fantasia),
the first feature-length educational cartoon (Victory Through Air Power), the
first themed amusement park (“Disneyland”), and the first hour-long weekly
commercial for that park and all his other creative ventures (ABC’s
Disneyland).
.
.
Both the park Disneyland and the TV series Disneyland were divided
into four “realms,” Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland, and Tomorrowland.
Each week’s TV episode was devoted to one of these themes, usually featuring
some already-existing Disney film product that easily underscored that theme.
But, according to Disney archivist David R. Smith (in the article “They’re
Following Our Script: Walt Disney’s Trip to Tomorrowland” in Future magazine
No. 2, May 1978), “The tremendous Disney film library could be called upon to
supply the shows for [three of the show’s four realms], but when it came to
Tomorrowland, Disney was momentarily stumped. Tomorrow was the future. There
had been no previous Disney work on future technology.... The person to whom
Disney turned to for help was Ward Kimbball.” Kimball at the time was a trusted
member of Disney’s animation staff for more than twenty years, and, besides, he
and Walt were both avid fans of steam-powered trains. Smith continues by
quoting Kimball, “‘And that’s when I said I had been following some interesting
articles in Collier’s magazine.’ It was fascinating for me to realize that
there were these reputable scientists who actually believed that we were going
out in space.”
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Walt Disney pulled off quite the coup when
he brought to the air Disneyland,
a one-hour blatant weekly commercial for
his brand of entertainment products and his
brand new amusement park!
© Walt Disney Productions
|
This is a 3-minute YouTube taste of the first show, "Man in Space"
featuring Ward Kimball as host and Werhner von Braun.
© Walt Disney Productions
featuring Ward Kimball as host and Werhner von Braun.
© Walt Disney Productions
The Collier’s series of unique and colorful articles, developed by managing editor Gordon Manning and edited by Cornelius Ryan, promoting space travel appeared in Collier’s magazine from 1952 to 1954 and were co-written by six noted scientists, including Willy Ley, Heinz Haber, and Wernher von Braun. (Also see comments on Conquest of Space in the book) Before long, Kimball was in touch with these three, and the concepts that came out of their collaboration sold Disney on the idea that it would take three shows to convey the idea of space travel, and he gave Kimball a blank check to get them done—literally.
After one particular early but inspired meeting, according
to Kimball’s collaborator on the series Bill Bosche, “I remember when we
finished the meeting, Walt walked out of the story room, stopped at the desk,
and ripped off a blank sheet of notepaper. He handed it to Kimball and said,
‘Write your own ticket’ ... Walt never said anything like that.”
On one hand, the first episode, titled "Man in Space,"of the Disneyland space trilogy can be seen as a blatant
advertisement for the Tomorrowland section of the park; but on another hand,
Disney, by showing his steadfast financial commitment to what he soon
understood in his bones was a vital wave of the future, the show was a sincere
effort to alert the public about the changes that were in the air.
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| Three of the eight Colliers issues from the early 1950s
that kicked
started America's interest in space exploration.
|
Here is the actual full-length episode.
When president Dwight D. Eisenhower heard of the “Man in
Space” program he requested a viewing and it was also screened regularly at the
Pentagon. Then four months later, on July 29, 1955, Dwight D. Eisenhower’s
press secretary announced that the United States planned to launch “small Earth
circling satellites” sometime in 1957 or 1958 as part of its contribution to
the International Geophysical Year.
The second of the "Man in Space"episodes, titled "Man and he Moon," aired only a few months later, also in 1955. (Part 2 of this blog posting will focus on "Man and the Moon.") However, it would be two years later that “Mars and Beyond,” the third act of the trilogy aired. (Part 3 of this three-part blog posting will focus on "Mars and Beyond.")
During those long drawn-out two years, there was much political infighting
between the Navy and the Army about which agency would launch the first
American satellite, causing Disney to delay production of the program. However,
on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union put Sputnik in orbit around the earth
causing great American consternation and humiliation. And to make matters
worse, the Navy Vanguard rocket exploded on its launching pad on December 6,
1957 (see film clip below!). But, Disney had rushed to completion “Mars and Beyond” and aired it just
two days before on December 4, perhaps giving America a much needed shot of
confidence. Of course, it was von Braun who came to the rescue by shooting
Explorer 1 into orbit on January 31, 1958. Finally, in this sequence of events,
President Eisenhower announced the establishment of the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA), which became a reality on July 29, 1958.
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| The three Disneyland "Man in Space" episodes were watched by tens of
millions in their initial airings, and it was natural that Dell comics
brought out these comics versions of the shows. The fourth comic shown
here, a 35-cent GIANT magazine, was an omnibus of all three comic
magazines, and, trust me they are delights to own and read over the
decades! © Walt Disney Productions |
The second of the "Man in Space"episodes, titled "Man and he Moon," aired only a few months later, also in 1955. (Part 2 of this blog posting will focus on "Man and the Moon.") However, it would be two years later that “Mars and Beyond,” the third act of the trilogy aired. (Part 3 of this three-part blog posting will focus on "Mars and Beyond.")
The U.S. Navy's Vanguard rocket , which was
supposed to launch the first U.S satellite into
earth
orbit, exploded on its launching pad on December 6,
1957
“Man in Space” (March 9, 1955, Disneyland Episode
USA. Walt Disney Productions. BW/C. 1.33:1. 53m.
CREDITS: Director Ward Kimball. Producer Ward Kimball. Story
William Bosche, Ward Kimball. Score George Bruns. Director of Photography
William Skall. Layout Designers Donald Griffith, A. Kendall O’Connor, Jacques
Rupp. Cartoon Animation Jack Boyd, Eric Cleworth, John Dunn, John Sibley,
Arthur Stevens, Julius Svendsen, Harvey Toombs. Backgrounds Claude Coats,
George De Lado, Donald Peters, Art Riley, Anthony Rizzo. Technical Advisors Dr.
Heinz Haber. Willy Ley. Dr. Wernher von Braun. Editor Archie Dattlebaum.
Special Processes Ub Iwerks. Sound C.O. Sly- field. Acknowledgments U.S.
Department of Defense: Army, Navy, Air Force.
CAST: Narrator Dick Tufeld. Host Walt Disney. Ward Kimball Ward
Kimball. Dr. Heinz Haber Dr. Heinz Haber. Willy Ley Willy Ley. Dr. Wernher von
Braun Dr. Wernher von Braun.
Formal Notice: All images, quotations, and video/audio clips used in this blog and in its individual
http://www.mcfarlandbooks.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-9914-4
very impressive!
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