Walt Disney Treasures - Tomorrowland: Disney in Space and Beyond (1959)

The contents of these shows are very special - entertaining, educational, and important historically. The first 3 TV shows usually had a fun, animated story for the first half of the show with scientists in the second half giving scientific info on how future space flights might be possible, based on the facts known in the 1950s. All three TV shows were directed by animator/director Ward Kimball.

Man In Space (3/9/55) Walt Disney introduces the show and then turns over the program to director Ward Kimball. The animated story concerns the development of rockets, the action/reaction principle, Jules Verne writing his story "From The Earth To The Moon", a humorous depiction of the medical challenges to man surviving a space trip - such as acceleration, pressure, weightlessness, radiation, and eating/drinking. Later scientists Willy Ley, Heinz Haber, and Wernher von Braun help explain the challenges of space travel and what a space rocket would probably look like.

Man And The Moon (12/28/55) This show was later shown in 1959 as "Tomorrow The Moon". Walt Disney introduces the show and shows scenes from the Disneyland attraction "Rocket Ship To The Moon". Walt then turns the show over to director Ward Kimball. There is a fun animated segment about man's superstitions about the moon over the ages, including stories about trips to the moon and the creatures found there. Literary references to the moon and songs about the moon are shown. Scientist Wernher von Braun introduces how scientists were preparing for a flight to the moon at that time. There is a nice live action/special effects rocket ship flight that photographs the back side of the moon.

Mars And Beyond (12/4/57) This is my favorite of these TV shows. A giant robot GARCO introduces Walt Disney, who is standing next to the robot. Walt presents this mainly animated program about the universe, including the various planets - with special emphasis on Mars. An animated history of mankind's fascination with space is very well done. A fun science fiction story about a female being kidnapped by a robot from Mars includes a very funny scene of Donald Duck being shown as part of a long line of Martian monsters chasing the female. There is fascinating animation exploring wildly imaginative ideas of different lifeforms that might exist on Mars. This animation caused Walt Disney to exclaim to Ward Kimball, "How do you guys come up with all these crazy ideas?"

Our Friend The Atom (1/23/57) Walt Disney uses a scene from the film "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" to introduce the story of atomic energy and then turns the program over to Dr. Heinz Haber, a noted atomic energy scientist of that time. There is a fun animated tale of "The Fisherman and the Genie" included as part of extensive animation showing the history of the atom. This history of the atom also included another scene I much enjoy - how an early Greek theory of the atom was lost for centuries.

Eyes In Outer Space (6/18/59) This theatrical release is an entertaining live-action/animation program which is marvelously produced with several fascinating scenes about the future of satellite's ability to forecast and control the weather. There is a funny animated segment about how "folk tales" predict the weather. My favorite scene is the end of the show in which a high pressure ridge is intensified to keep a hurricane out to sea and away from land. This won the 1960 Thomas Edison Foundation Award. It was later shown on TV as part of the show "Spy In The Sky" (4/1/62).

EPCOT (filmed in 1966, shown in 1967) Walt Disney, in his last film appearance, talks about his company's plans for EPCOT and Walt Disney World. Fascinating and interesting info and very important historically.

I have seen these shows and have loved them over the years. I am thrilled that they are being released on DVD for anyone to enjoy.

The bulk of these films are live action, but the animation that is included is stunning in that it is so different looking from what we normally consider Disney. Animation fans will be pouring over these segments in awe. And as proof of Walt's forethought we are able to enjoy these shows in full technicolor.

Included as a bonus are two interviews. One with Ray Bradbury and the other with Marty Sklar. I can't overstate how excellent these interviews are. They both knew Walt personally and their accounts of working with him and his personality are priceless. As much as I loved the main features, I'm sure to be watching these interviews again and again.

Parents can easily allow their children to watch this set and they're sure to learn a thing or two. For the whole family, Tomorrowland is a triumph of ideas, entertainment and imagination.

When these shows originally aired in Black and White on the weekly Disneyland series in the mid 50s, I was just a little kid, and now only had faint memories of them. To see them in all their glory today, unedited, in beautiful Technicolor, is simply a joy. It's tough to find the words to express how absolutely stunning this set of films is. Enough has been said about what's on this Double-DVD set. A million words have been written about what a genius Walt Disney was. An artist. A visionary. An entertainment wizard. A futurist. He was one of a kind.

What you have here is over four hours of some of the best work ever to come out of the Disney studios. Some of it, such as the "Mars and Beyond" episode, is simply mind-boggling in its artistic beauty and haunting imagery. Some of its animation compares well with, and even exceeds "Fantasia", and I was even drawing some comparisons with Kubrick's "2001" as I watched the huge Mars-bound spaceships quietly marching off in a row towards the Red Planet. That segment alone is worth the price of this set. Walt's never-before-seen full promotional film of EPCOT, as he originally planned it (which is almost nothing like it ended up being built) is startling. I knew he had planned EPCOT to be an entire city. I had no idea just how well-planned his conception of it was.

The Monorail (opened in 1959) and the People Mover (opened in 1967) at Disneyland were simply test beds for the planned EPCOT City transportation system. There is a LOT of vintage Disneyland footage in this set too, especially in the EPCOT segment where Walt pitches the whole concept to investors. Baby Boomers will get teary-eyed when they see the clips of a bygone Disneyland, so many wonderful attractions that now no longer exist.

In these films, Walt Disney showed such enthusiasm you can't help but smile and at the same time be saddemed that he passed away before seeing his massive Florida dream realized. At least he lived long enough to see Disneyland celebrate its 11th anniversary. He was taken from us way too soon.

Walt Disney had an innate gift of making complicated science fun, and understandable, not just to kids, but to anyone. Here, his immensely talented Imagineering studios whip up some of the most memorable, and often whimsical films ever made about space travel, astrophysics, weather, and Atomic engegy. While much of what his films forecast in the 1950s never happened, quite that way, such as controlling the path of hurricanes, you watch these films and wish that it had. The extended interviews with Ray Bradbury and Marty Sklar are wonderful, and reveal a lot of things you might never have known, or even guessed, about Walt Disney and his miraculous mind. Leonard Maltin intros each film and conducts the interviews. He's enthusiastic, and his intros don't drag on forever.

You'll hear the voice of the late Paul Frees narrating some of the films. One of the best film and radio voices who ever faced a mic, you can still hear his unforgettable voice at Disneyland as you ride the Doom Buggies through The Haunted Mansion.

Of all the Disney Treasures tin can DVDs, this is, IMHO, easily the best. This is a must-have for your collection if you are even a devotee of 50s futurism, Disney animation, Disneyland, space exploration, and if you're a Baby Boomer and remember some of these shows from the 50s, don't even hesitate for a second ordering it. Since it's a limited edition, jump on it while you have the chance. It's worth every cent. This is not a DVD you'll watch once and throw in a pile. You'll want to see it over and over and play it for your friends. It is simply a masterpiece.