“Mars and Beyond” (December 4, 1957 Disneyland Episode) Part 3

Some serious infrastructure speculation.
© Walt Disney Productions

In many ways Disneyland’s “Mars and Beyond” is the weakest of the Tomorrowland realm’s three space exploration episodes. Of course, it’s airing a full two years after the first two would seem to weaken the premise. For another thing, the first two concentrated on extrapolating about technologies and realistic space programs that were within our grasp (both in terms of its audience’s grasp as well as the broader technological grasp), which gave the episodes an inherent plausibility that translated as a rather real sense of anticipation. Also, by its nature “Mars and Beyond” couldn’t help but be more fanciful and purely speculative.

The show began as did “Man and the Moon” with its first half concentrating on animation, this time divided into three distinct parts: the first part described the history of humankind’s relationship to the Red Planet, discussing its role in mythology and its allure for Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo Percival Lowell, H.G. Wells and others; in preparation for discussing the possibility of life on Mars, the second part has a very nice summary of how life could have begun on earth and how evolution would likely have transpired to eventually, in billions of years, cover the earth with life.

But the third animated part, introduced by Mars-authority Dr. E.C. Slipher who wondered if life may already exist on the planet, was more problematic. Though ordered up specifically by Disney himself to lighten the show for children, this third animated sequence in my view was a waste of time. Even when I saw the program when I was thirteen-year-old science fiction enthusiast, I was frustrated that anyone could care about the preposterous cartoony wild speculations of what life on Mars could be like “if the conditions were somewhat different.” 

A few of the assorted Martians imagined by Disney animators.
© Walt Disney Productions

In his most serious tone, voice actor Paul Frees told us:  “Although scientific evidence seems to indicate that Mars is a cold desolate world, many scientists today spec- ulate on what the planet might be like if conditions were somewhat different. [Italics mine.] With a little more water and oxygen than expected, there could be an astonishing array of life on Mars, a totally different sequence of living things following its own pattern of evolution. There may be plant life that migrates in search of richer soil. There may be plants that feed on other plants. Or even plants that feed on themselves. And if animal life has developed on Mars it too may have taken many new and unexpected forms. There could be animals with heavy insulation to conserve body heat in the sub-freezing night, or perhaps the bitter surface conditions have driven some life underground to develop in a dark, mysterious environment. If it is true that there are dust storms on Mars, life could’ve involved ways of protecting itself. On the other hand, there may be creatures that actually thrive on the ever-present dust. Some organisms working with powerful digestive acids may be able to feed directly on minerals and the rocks, leaving a fantastic Martian sculpture in their wake. If in the thin Martian air there are creatures that fly, their wings of necessity must be four times as large as those on earth. However, flight may be achieved by other means. On Mars even as on earth life would surely be a competitive struggle for survival. There might be fantastic hunters who kill by concentrating the heat of the sun on their victims. Devastating creatures that envelop their quarry in shrouds of poisonous gas, or maybe ominous ultrasonic beams who shatter their prey with high frequency sound waves. It is possible that entirely new chemical patterns of life may have developed on Mars. Life based on the silicon atom instead of carbon would be more resistant to the extreme cold providing a whole new range of weird forms. Feeding on the drifting sands, tall crystal spires may grow to maturity in a single day to be shattered in a crescendo of destruction during the cold Martian night. Just as it is impossible to conceive an intelligent life totally different from our own, so we may find that our earth- trained minds unable to comprehend the weird phenomena that exists on this strange new planet.”

For those who would rather see this sequence rather than merely read about it, here it is via YouTube:

© Walt Disney Productions

The second half of the show describes what a manned voyage to Mars might be like. Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger with the aid of Dr. Wernher von Braun shows us his wild vision of a Mars-bound flotilla comprising six entirely unwieldy-looking umbrella-shaped ships. While presented in a pleasant semi-animated form, this vision is so far removed from what we have come to expect from the previous two episodes that it is hard to take seriously. Stuhlinger’s vision, as we have seen before in this series, presupposes that leisure is the coin of the realm and that there would be all the manpower, time, and finances in the world to build his fleet. Again, here is this nice, almost dreamy sequence, again via YouTube:

Going to Mars in a fleet of umbrella-shaped spaceships.
© Walt Disney Productions

Nevertheless, as sometimes happens, it may be that the 2-year delay was unexpectedly fortunate. Time and again, it often seems fate knows better than us poor people what is best for us. In the case of the delay of the “Mars and Beyond” episode, it turned out that there was a silver lining: The reason there was a two-year delay in the airing of “Mars and Beyond” was that, as I said in Part 2 of this posting, 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 Part 2). 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. 

 

 

 Here is the actual full-length episode!

© Walt Disney Productions

All three episodes are available in the Walt Disney Treasures Tomorrowland: 
Disney in Space and Beyond DVD collection.

For other takes on Disney’s “Man in Space” trilogy from the points of view of another two space film buffs, see Glenn Erickson’s Sci-Fi Savant and Gary Westfahl’s The Spacesuit Film.

“Mars and Beyond” (December 4, 1957 Disneyland Episode)

USA. Walt Disney Productions. BW/C. 1.33:1. 53m.

CREDITS: Director Ward Kimball. Producer Ward Kimball. Story William Bosche, John Dunn, Charles Downs, Con Pederson, Ward Kimball. Score George Bruns. Layout Design A. Kendall O’Connor, John Brandt, Tom Yakutis. Cartoon Animation Julius Svendsen, Arthur, Stevens, Jack Boyd, Charles Downs, John Dunn. Space Paintings William Layne, Gordon Legg. Technical Advisors Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, Dr. Werhner Von Braun, Dr. E.C. Slipher. Models Wathel Rogers. Editors Lloyd Richardson, Lionel A. Ephraim. Special Processes Eustace Lycett, Sound Robert O. Cook. Production Supervisor Harry Tytle. Acknowledgement Lowell Observatory.

CAST: Narrator Paul Frees. Host Walt Disney. Dr. E.C. Slipher Dr. E.C. Slipher. Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger. Dr. Wernher von Braun Dr. Wernher von Braun.

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