[tigger]

I found this article over at space.com. Kind of intresting...

Walt Disney Helped Wernher von Braun Sell Americans on Space


HUNTSVILLE, Alabama (AP) -- Wernher von Braun, the German physicist who oversaw most of the achievements of the U.S. space program until his death in 1977, might not have been as successful if it weren't for Walt Disney.

Von Braun, a hero to many for his work as technical chief of the Army's missile program and later NASA's space program, began a concerted effort in the 1950s to sell the idea of space travel to the American public. That included the collaboration with Disney on three highly popular space-related television films.

``He had the ability to take this interest in space exploration and take it to the public,'' said Mike Wright, staff historian for the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Disney's senior producer, Ward Kimball, had taken notice after von Braun and other scientists wrote a series of articles for Collier's magazine, said Wright. He tapped von Braun to work on the popular Disney TV films about space.

Von Braun's work on the Disney films and the Collier's series sold many Americans on the idea of space flight and helped ensure adequate funding of the space program, said Wright.

The German scientist's personality was important for the success of the space program, said Michael Neufeld, a curator at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington who wrote a book about von Braun and his rocket team.

``He was very charming, he was very charismatic,'' Neufeld said. ``He was a very good politician in the context that he understood.''

Disney, who would become an international icon, opened Disneyland the same year that von Braun worked as a technical director on three Disney TV programs about space.

The first, ``Man in Space,'' aired on ABC on March 9, 1955. The second, ``Man and the Moon,'' aired the same year, and the final film, ``Mars and Beyond,'' was televised on Dec. 4, 1957.

Von Braun's talent was that he could communicate a vision of space travel in layman's terms while bringing to the message the authority of a scientist.

``To make people believe that space flight was a possibility was his greatest accomplishment,'' said Wright. ``Von Braun brought all of this out of the realm of science fiction.''

[DarthTortoise]

Interesting...
I hear so much about Walt Disney being Hollywood's "dark prince" and such, I never know what to believe. Well, I think he was an awesome guy.

[geeman]

Has anyone here seen the brilliant boxed set of Disney's Space series? It collects various episodes of Disneyland that were dedicated to the Space Program, and many of them are startling to watch because they actually were predicting the future of space travel and MOSTLY got it all right. Years before men landed on the Moon, Disney showed how we were going to do it on his show.
The set also includes the complete program where Walt talks about building EPCOT - and it was far from the theme park we know and love. A Utopian society enclosed within a bubble, with it's own highways, byways, etc...

An underrated collection - it's one of the recent silver box sets.

[tigger]

Originally Posted by geeman

Has anyone here seen the brilliant boxed set of Disney's Space series? ...

No, but I'm looking for it. Maybe should look on eBay.

[geeman]

You don't have to go find one Ebay - it's a relatively new set - just came out over the summer, I believe. I got mine at the Disney Store.

It's also at amazon:
Walt Disney Treasures: Tomorrowland - Disney in Space and Beyond

PS: Make sure ya use the amazon link on the Disney Central homepage if you do decide to get it there!

[tigger]

Originally Posted by geeman

You don't have to go find one Ebay - it's a relatively new set - just came out over the summer, I believe. I got mine at the Disney Store.

It's also at amazon:
Walt Disney Treasures: Tomorrowland - Disney in Space and Beyond

PS: Make sure ya use the amazon link on the Disney Central homepage if you do decide to get it there!

Thanks -- I've got my copy ordered.