Man in space

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Movie
Original title Man in space
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1955
length 51 minutes
Rod
Director Ward Kimball
script Ward Kimball,
William Bosché
production Ward Kimball
music George Burns
camera William V. Skall
cut Archie Date Tree
occupation

Man in Space is the title of the 20th episode of the US television series Disneyland , Season 1, which originally aired on American television on March 9, 1955. This episode was directed by Disney animator Ward Kimball , who also appeared as a producer. Kimball also called on scientists Willy Ley , Heinz Haber and Wernher von Braun , who acted as scientific advisors, as well as Dick Tufeld, the American voice of the robot in the television series Lost in Space , when creating the script .

Kimball was nominated for an Oscar in 1957 for this episode in the "Best Documentary Short Film" category.

content

Wernher von Braun with a model of a rocket

A brief overview is given of the history of the construction of rockets , which are classified as guided missiles and, in contrast to projectiles, have long phases of acceleration. There are small rockets, such as fireworks rockets, to huge rockets that are used in the Apollo program - the manned flight to the moon. The first launch of a rocket goes back to the year 1232 in the Chinese Empire. In Europe was first in the Transylvanian Sibiu the launch of a rocket documented. The language also comes from the rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun, to whom the development goes back that led to the use of rockets as a means of transport for weapons of mass destruction. Kimball explains Newton's third law of motion and Wernher von Braun explains how it is possible for a rocket to fly into space. We look back on the stories of Jules Verne and also on Georges Méliès' early short film A Trip to the Moon .

An attempt is made to present complex issues in a simplified manner, whereby the people who were partly behind the projects of that time have their say. They predict numerous details of future space flight pretty accurately. Some early test methods are also shown, demonstrating the courage of the volunteers exposed to violent changes in air pressure. The Disney animation used is also aimed at adults - a doctor teaches about the effects space travel can have on humans.

This is followed by a discussion about rockets and a humorous animation of what people who are in space with a rocket can see, how they feel physically and mentally in relation to weightlessness and other things.

production

Production notes

The program broadcast as part of the Disneyland series was followed in seasons 2 and 4 with episodes titled Man and the Moon and Mars and Beyond / Mars and Beyond . Ub Iwerks took care of the visual effects.

Further use

Man in Space was edited for the theater and put together into a featurette that accompanied the adventure film Davy Crockett and the River Pirates . An adaptation of the episode was published in 1956 under the title Walt Disney's Man in Space: A Science Feature from Tomorrowland by Dell Comics within the comic anthology "Four Color # 716" with the participation of Don R. Christensen and Tony Sgroi. In the same year it was reprinted in Great Britain under the title A World Distributors Movie Classic (# 45) and in 1959 a combination with the other two comic adaptations of the moon and Mars.

Part of this episode was also published in 1964 under the title Everything about weightlessness . The episode was also the subject of a Tomorrowland Adventure book for classroom use in 1959, entitled “Walt Disney Productions. Adapted for school use by Willy Ley, illustrated by Carbe, Nino ”.

Interest, publication

The episode was seen by an estimated more than 40 million people. US President Dwight D. Eisenhower asked for a copy of the broadcast to be shown to the Pentagon's rocket experts . Even Leonid Ivanovich Sedov , chairman of the Soviet Committee for aerospace, asked at the time for a copy.

In the USA, the film was first broadcast on television on March 9, 1955, and on July 18, 1956, a revised version was released in American cinemas. In Japan the film was first shown in cinemas on August 7, 1957, and in Denmark on October 14, 1957.

Walt Disney Treasures released the episode on DVD in 2004 as part of the Tomorrowland series .

reception

criticism

At Animated Views , Rodney Figueiredo was impressed by the films in the “Tomorrowland Theme World”, which also includes Man in Space . The set surprises and offers treasures from Walt Disney that would not disappoint. Some of the great episodes reflected how optimistic Disney was about the future. It is also interesting to see how many of the predictions at that time have come true.

Dan Heaton writes at The Tomorrow Society that Disney's famous episode Man in Space is a vintage classic, combining education and entertainment in a strangely effective mix. The attention to detail in this film is breathtaking. Space will fascinate viewers who are interested in the history of space travel but also those who are interested in complete Disney works.

Award

Ward Kimball was nominated for an Oscar in 1957 with the film in the category "Best Documentary Short Film" , but had the disadvantage of Louis Clyde Stoumen and his film about the Civil War The True Story of the Civil War .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The 29th Academy Awards | 1957 see page oscars.org (English).
  2. ↑ a b Walt Disney Teasures: Tomorrowland: Disney in Space And Beyond see page animatedviews.com (English).
    Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  3. ↑ Walt Disney Treasures Tomorrowland Fig. DVD case in the IMDb
  4. ^ Dan Heaton: A Thrilling Future: Disney's Man in Space Episode see page tomorrowsociety.com (English).
    Retrieved January 14, 2020.