Man and the Moon (28 Dec. 1955)
"Disneyland" Man and the Moon (original title)

The moon is the subject here. Man's fascination with the moon (via animation) is presented, as is the moon's usage in popular culture (from Shakespeare to nursery rhymes to popular songs). ... See full summary »

Director:

Ward Kimball

Writers:

William Bosche, John W. Dunn,

Stars:

Frank Gerstle, Richard Emory, Frank Connor

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Frank Gerstle	...	Rocket Ship Crew
Richard Emory	...	Rocket Ship Crew
Frank Connor	...	Rocket Ship Crew
Leo Needham	...	Rocket Ship Crew
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ward Kimball	...	Himself
Wernher von Braun	...	Himself (as Dr. Wernher von Braun)

Storyline

The moon is the subject here. Man's fascination with the moon (via animation) is presented, as is the moon's usage in popular culture (from Shakespeare to nursery rhymes to popular songs). Also, superstitions and suppositions associated with the moon is presented. Then scientific research on the moon is shown, followed by plans for (and then a simulation of) an actual trip around the moon.

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Plot Keywords:

moon | nursery rhyme | superstition | space travel | part live action | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | Family | Western

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Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 December 1955 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When this episode re-aired in 1959, it featured a different title: "Tomorrow the Moon".

User Reviews

Excellent Documentary

One of a handful of documentaries made by the Disney studio in the 1950's which showcased the space-travel concepts of Werner von Braun and his fellow rocket enthusiasts. As with the other documentaries in this series the program was split into two parts. The first half dealt with what was known about the Moon at the time, and discussed the problems humans would face in traveling there. The second half presented a fictional representation of the issues and theories discussed in the first half. Unlike "Man In Space" or "Mars And Beyond", however, the story presented in "Man And The Moon" was filmed "live" as opposed to animated. The audience follows the crew of a reconnaissance mission around the Moon as they experience various adventures. The science is somewhat dated by today's standards, and the special effects certainly aren't up to CGI quality, but the result is ultimately entertaining and no doubt caused quite a bit of science to remain lodged in the minds of young students when this film ran in classrooms as well as on television.