Treasures of Yesteryear, vol. 4
A silly yet endearing advertisement (and show) to celebrate our Moon
Treasures of Yesteryear is a series that showcases and salutes Disney items and memorabilia of decades past. Be sure to check out the archives for previous posts.
Happy Wednesday, readers! We were treated to a full moon this past week (feel free to ask my cats about it…) so today, we’re blasting to the past and taking a lil’ trip to that silver and white ellipsoid orbiting our planet.
But before we launch, I want to share a vintage treasure that I stumbled across last month that led to the creation of this post. Below you’ll find a two-page advertisement that appeared in a magazine in June 1956 to promote the re-airing of an out-of-this-world Disneyland episode, “Man and the Moon”. Using artwork from the show, the ad employs the “slightly-less-than-scientific theme” of romance to propel a visual study and conversation about the Moon and humankind’s relationship with it.
The episode originally aired on December 28th, 1955 as part of the second season of the Disneyland television series. Space exploration was at the forefront of scientific discussions at the time, so it was fitting for “Man and the Moon” to be preceded by “Man in Space” and followed by “Mars and Beyond”.
Two Disney Legends were largely responsible for the episode’s creative direction. Animator and one of Disney’s Nine Old Men Ward Kimball directed the episode and composer George Bruns was responsible for the music featured throughout. You might recognize his name from various Disney films, including Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Aristocats, and Robin Hood — just to name a few.
“Man and the Moon” begins with the show’s longtime host, Walt Disney, introducing the episode and its relevancy to both Disneyland sights and attractions (which you can read more about here) and mid-century scientific endeavors. He’s saying, “Hey, this is the stuff of both the past and the future! While you can experience it to a degree at our theme park, we want to illustrate just how real and miraculous space travel and exploration could be.”
Soon after, Walt hands things over to Kimball who sets viewers off on a journey through time to analyze and understand humans’ complex relationship with the Moon.
“At Disneyland Park, the realm devoted to things of the future is called Tomorrowland. One of the popular attractions here is our simulated rocket trip around the Moon. After entering the Disneyland Space Port, visitors may experience the thrills that space travelers of the future will encounter when rocket trips to the Moon become a daily routine. However, scientists tell us that it will be many years before space travel becomes a reality. After consulting with the scientists, our artists and studio technicians have prepared a factual picture of how the coming conquest of the Moon will be accomplished.” — Walt Disney
We see how this relationship has varied across cultures, as well as just how many ways Earth’s lunar satellite has influenced everything from agricultural practices to classic literature to superstitions, beliefs, and behavior. As highlighted by the advertisement above, the Moon has even been long associated with romance — whether it be new, long-lasting, or lost.
Lovey-dovey songs about the moon? Oh, there are plenty. Here are a handful that span across genres: “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra, “Neon Moon” by Brooks & Dunn, “Moonlight Serenade” by Glenn Miller, “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young, “Walking on the Moon” by The Police, and “Blue Moon” by Billie Holiday.
Kimball then returns to the screen to briefly discuss the solar system and our Moon, as well as the lunar cycle, its influences on the tides, and certain spectacles, like lunar and solar eclipses. Standing next to a high-resolution image of the Moon, he uses a pointer tool to identify certain physical characteristics — vast stretches of plains, tall peaks, and enormous craters — on its surface that are visible to the naked eye.
Viewers are then introduced to a knowledgeable but controversial Dr. Wernher von Braun, who was the Chief of the Guided Missile Development at the United States Army’s Redstone Arsenal at the time of filming.1 He was a technical consultant for many Disneyland episodes, and we also learned about his role in the development of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland in this post.
Next, we’re shown plans for a trip around the Moon, as well as models of a cargo rocket, a new and improved space suit, and a Star Wars-esque multi-functional space station that would house astronauts during their missions.
It simply wouldn’t be Disney without a dramatized simulation of what a possible lunar expedition might be like, and that’s exactly what we’re treated to next. From mid-century jams to sci-fi dramatics to a David Henrie lookalike, it’s got it all.
For the time, this episode — along with its two previously mentioned counterparts — likely enthralled many viewers, both young and old. After all, the Apollo 11 mission that brought humans to the Moon for the first time wouldn’t happen for another 14 years. While most viewers probably weren’t too familiar with the logistics of a lunar expedition, the allure of space travel and exploration were still very much a topic of curiosity and conversation.
“Man and the Moon” is just another example from this time of how Walt and his creatives merged subjects of public interest with entertainment and theme park attractions to garner enthusiasm amongst their diverse audience.
For many residing in or visiting Southern California, an evening in front of Disneyland on the television might’ve been followed by a morning at the TWA Moonliner and Rocket to the Moon attraction. Whether authentic or dramatized, ideas are made into reality. This lil’ spark can be all the motivation that one might need to take their fascination with aerospace science or engineering to the next level. And who knows? Perhaps our astronauts of today and yesteryear were influenced by such forces. That, my friends, is magic, noted.
Since we’re on the topic…
If you fancy mid-century futurism and old-school Tomorrowland vibes, I think you’d love these posts:
Well, that’s all folks! I hope this was a fun lil’ blast to the past. This era of Disney history continues to captivate me, especially when it pulls in elements of Tomorrowland. It’s like catnip, y’all.
Stay tuned for next week’s post, which will be geared towards Disney World travel and preparation. My spring trip is quickly approaching, and I thought it’d be fun to shift gears a bit! Be sure to subscribe so that Wednesday’s edition lands directly in your inbox (or on the app).
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See ya real soon,
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Dr. Wernher von Braun was a key figure in the development of rocket technology for Nazi Germany. He later became a pioneer of rocket and space advancements in the United States where he was referred to as the "father of the American lunar program". He is widely seen as a highly controversial figure for his role in the Third Reich, as well as his escaping of justice for his documented war crimes.