Man in Space

"Man in Space"
Disneyland episode
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 20
Directed by Ward Kimball
Written by Ward Kimball
William Bosche
Produced by Ward Kimball
Featured music George Bruns
Editing by Archie Dattelbaum
Original air date March 9, 1955 (1955-03-09)

"Man in Space" is an episode of the American television series Disneyland which originally aired on March 9, 1955. It was directed by Disney animator Ward Kimball. This Disneyland episode (set in Tomorrowland), was narrated partly by Kimball and also by such scientists Willy Ley,[1] Heinz Haber,[1] and Wernher von Braun;[1] as well as Dick Tufeld of Lost in Space fame.

The show talks briefly about the lighthearted history of rockets and is followed by discussions of satellites, a practical look (through humorous animation) at what humans in space will have to face in a rocket (both physically and psychologically, such as momentum, weightlessness, radiation, even space sickness) and a rocket takeoff into space. The next episodes in this series were "Man and the Moon" and "Mars and Beyond," airing in seasons 2 and 4, respectively.

Reuse

"Man in Space" was edited into a featurette to play in theaters, accompanying "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates".

An adaptation of the episode was published (under the title "Walt Disney's Man in Space: A Science Feature from Tomorrowland") by Dell Comics as "Four Color" #716 in 1956, scripted by Don R. Christensen with art by Tony Sgroi.[2] It was a "novelization" in comic book form of two Walt Disney television programs, "Man in Space" (1955) and "Tomorrow the Moon" (1955). Also found as a 1956 UK reprint as A World Distributors Movie Classic (#45) and a 1959 combined reprint with the other two Dell Comics adaptations of "Man in Space" films as Walt Disney's Man in Space (Dell Comics Giant #27).

Educational use

Part of this episode was excerpted and released in 1964 as All About Weightlessness.[3]

It was also made into a "Tomorrowland adventure" book for classroom use in 1959 as Man in Space: A Tomorrowland Adventure. Walt Disney Productions. Adapted for school use by Willy Ley, Illustrated by Carbe, Nino. Syracuse, NY: LW Singer Co. Inc. (48 p.) 21 cm. Softcover.

Critical reception

About 40 million people watched the episode.[4] It was nominated for Best Documentary Short.[5]

Government interest

A copy of the show was requested by United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower to show to the Pentagon rocket experts.[6] The chair of the Soviet commission for spaceflight, Leonid I. Sedov, also requested a copy.[7]

Home release

The episode was released on DVD in 2004 as part of the Walt Disney Treasures line.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Telotte, J. P. (February 2008). "Animating Space: Disney, Science, and Empowerment". Science Fiction Studies. 35 (104). Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  2. ↑ "GCD :: Issue :: Four Color #716 - Walt Disney's Man in Space [10cent Cover]". Comics.org. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  3. ↑ "- Disney Shorts: 1960ies". Disneyfilmguide.page.tl. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  4. ↑ Ley, Willy (October 1955). "For Your Information". Galaxy. p. 60. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "NY Times: Man in Space". NY Times. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  6. ↑ Cotter, Bill (1997). The Wonderful World of Disney Television: A Complete History. New York: Hyperion. p. 64. ISBN 978-0786863594.
  7. ↑ Piszkiewicz, Dennis (1998). Wernher von Braun : The Man Who Sold the Moon (1. publ. ed.). Westport, Conn.: Praeger. p. 88. ISBN 978-0275962173.
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