The Space Explorers
Encyclopedia
The Space Explorers was an animated
feature film
which was later converted to a cartoon serial
. First shown on television during the Space Race
era of the late 1950s by publisher Bill Cayton
and animator Fred Ladd
. The was also a sequel series released in 1959 entitled the "New Adventures of the Space Explorers."
The first animated film series was first shown in 1958 on nationwide television shows such as Claude Kirchner's on WWOR-TV
, Captain Kangaroo
, Captain Video
(DuMont), Captain Satellite, Sheriff John, Officer Joe Bolton, Romper Room
and many others. The cartoon, which featured Jimmy, Smitty, and Professor Leon Nordheim on board the Polaris
spaceship, taught space-related concepts. The most recent sightings of the Polaris spaceship are in the very beginning of Chapter 5 of NOVA's Public Television (PBS) production of The Elegant Universe - Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory. It has also been seen on Mike Myers
Saturday Night Live
skit Dieter.
The two-hour long sequel "New Adventures of the Space Explorers" featured additional educational space footage. For accuracy, both animated feature films used consultants from NASA and the Hayden Planetarium.
The material comes primarily from three foreign films :
- various animation sequences come from the 1951 Russian film "Universe" by the late soviet director Pavel Klushantsev.
- images of the rocket Polaris come from footage of German film "Weltraumschiff 1 Startet" (Anton Kutter
, 1937)
- but all images of the interior of the spaceship, images of the characters and from the walk on planet were extracted from a Russian cartoon film "Polet na lunu", (Flight to the moon), 1953, (Soyuzmultfilm
).
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
which was later converted to a cartoon serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
. First shown on television during the Space Race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
era of the late 1950s by publisher Bill Cayton
Bill Cayton
William D. Cayton , best known for helping to manage and promote Mike Tyson early in his career, was also famous for preserving much of boxing's legacy through his efforts as a film historian and producer...
and animator Fred Ladd
Fred Ladd
Fred Ladd , is an American television and film writer and producer. He is notable as one of the first to introduce Japanese animated cartoons to North America....
. The was also a sequel series released in 1959 entitled the "New Adventures of the Space Explorers."
The first animated film series was first shown in 1958 on nationwide television shows such as Claude Kirchner's on WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
, Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
, Captain Video
Captain Video
Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network, and was the first series of its kind on American television...
(DuMont), Captain Satellite, Sheriff John, Officer Joe Bolton, Romper Room
Romper Room
Romper Room is a children's television series that ran in the United States from 1953 to 1994 as well as at various times in Australia, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico, New Zealand and the United Kingdom...
and many others. The cartoon, which featured Jimmy, Smitty, and Professor Leon Nordheim on board the Polaris
Polaris
Polaris |Alpha]] Ursae Minoris, commonly North Star or Pole Star, also Lodestar) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star....
spaceship, taught space-related concepts. The most recent sightings of the Polaris spaceship are in the very beginning of Chapter 5 of NOVA's Public Television (PBS) production of The Elegant Universe - Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory. It has also been seen on Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
skit Dieter.
The two-hour long sequel "New Adventures of the Space Explorers" featured additional educational space footage. For accuracy, both animated feature films used consultants from NASA and the Hayden Planetarium.
The material comes primarily from three foreign films :
- various animation sequences come from the 1951 Russian film "Universe" by the late soviet director Pavel Klushantsev.
- images of the rocket Polaris come from footage of German film "Weltraumschiff 1 Startet" (Anton Kutter
Anton Kutter
Anton Kutter was a German film director and screenwriter. He studied mechanical engineering at Stuttgart Technical University....
, 1937)
- but all images of the interior of the spaceship, images of the characters and from the walk on planet were extracted from a Russian cartoon film "Polet na lunu", (Flight to the moon), 1953, (Soyuzmultfilm
Soyuzmultfilm
Soyuzmultfilm is a Russian animation studio based in Moscow. Over the years it has gained international attention and respect, garnering numerous awards both at home and abroad. Noted for a great variety of style, it is regarded as the most influential animation studio of the former Soviet Union...
).