Mars and Beyond (television) Television show; aired on December 4, 1957. Directed by Ward Kimball. With the help of technical advisers Dr. Wernher von Braun, Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, and Dr. E. C. Slipher. Walt presents a humorous look at what man might find on Mars, coupled with predictions for the exploration of the planet with an atomic-powered spaceship. Humankind’s place in the universe is explored, from early cavemen’s awareness of the stars through 20th-century writers and scientists who see Mars as a new frontier for future plans to solve the overpopulation and depletion of resources of Earth. The film was released theatrically as a 49-minute featurette on December 26, 1957. Portions of the film were re-edited into a short, Cosmic Capers, in 1979.
