Secrets of Space Flight

Spaceship on cover is a realistic model of the future, made by the rocket expert G. Harry Stine and photographed on White Sands desert

"Secrets of Space Flight"
Fawcett How-To Book, Number 298
by Lloyd Mallan
published by Fawcett Publications, 1956
144 pages

Contents

1. Ships That Probe the Unknown
2. Space Medicine Forges Ahead
3. Men, Mammals and Gravity
4. Escape Capsules and Rocket Sleds
5. Developement of the Space Suit
6. Spaceship in the Basement
7. Launch Into the Statosphere
8. Searching Through Space
9. School for Future Space Pilots
10. Checkout in a Rocket Ship
11. Research Rocket Takeoff
12. Engines of Tomorrow
13. Giant Step Into Space
14. From the Mouse to the Moon to Mars
15. Men who Make Spaceflight Possible
16. Flying Saucers Brought Up To Date

Profusely illustrated with photos and diagrams (b/w), topics cover rocket developement, test pilots, space medicine and current developments relating to space flight. Some movie stills from "This Island Earth."

Original price $.75

Remember the Commander on the Forbidden Planet

Leslie Nielsen as Commander John J. Adams from "Forbidden Planet," 1956

Fashionable Moon Hat - 1956

bettmann - moon bridal hat - boston - 1956, originally uploaded by Foxtongue.

Straight out of "Moon Men from Mars" its the moon bridal hat for the open-minded....
the very open-minded.

The Day Hollywood Stood Still

Baseball, Apple Pie, originally uploaded by Kiel Bryant.

Who couldn't delve into the subject of the Flying Saucer phenomenon in the Atomic Age without referring to the iconic contributions made by Hollywood? And so, here it is . . .


The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
My all, all-time fave. I can still remember being huddling in front of our tiny black and white set as a wee youngster, staring wide eyed as Gort makes his appearance down the ramp. Brimming over with one memorable scene after the other.

Stars Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Billy Gray and Lock Martin as Gort.

	Day The Earth Stood Still-Bernard Herrmann - Gort - The Visor - The Telescope .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Also see:

• Gort! - Be a Friend of Gort
• hulu.com/the-day-the-earth-stood-still - Movie clips
• The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 film) @ Internet Movie Database
  
• Site Guide - The Day the Earth Stood Still
  
• The Day the Earth Stood Still - Radio Broadcast
• TCM - The Day the Earth Stood Still
  
• Harry Bates-Farewell-to-the-Master - The original story that inspired the movie
• Fred Barton Productions, Inc. - Own your own Gort

War of the Worlds (1953) - Most memorable moment is Anne's encounter, with the creature's hand on her shoulder. Also quite arguably the best saucer design ever seen on celluloid.
War of the Worlds (1953) Trailer


Invasion of the Saucer-Men (1957)
Humorously played with a short appearance by Frank Gorshin. And who can resist the iconic bug-eyed men in this one.
Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957) movie trailer


Earth vs the Flying Saucers (1956)
Hugh Marlowe as a hero scientist. But this movie is flooded with saucer imagery. Most memorable scene(s) is the saucer crashing into the Washington D.C. memorial of your choice.
Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956) Trailer


Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1957)
Pods from space take over an unsuspecting town's populace. Not a saucer movie, but definitely an otherworldly invasion flick.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1957) Trailer


It Came From Outer Space (1953)
Another hero scientist to the rescue tries to make peace with a stranded menace from outer space. I like the ending when one of the bug-eyed creatures disguised as the lead love interest shoots deadly sparks from her wand.
It Came From Outer Space


Invaders From Mars (1953)
I don't know... it seems like the movie runs on about 30 minutes longer than it really needs to be, but it's considered a classic, plus an original storyline told from a child's perspective.


The Blob (1958)
Steve McQueen, an infectious title tune, and a big gob of man-eating space goo.
The Blob (1958) - Theatrical Trailer


This Island Earth (1955)
Not exactly an invasion storyline, but it does go in to quite a bit of detail into the sad story of Exeter and his dying other-worldly race. And there's saucers, the "interocitor", the "mu-tants" and a hero scientist.
This Island Earth (1955) - Theatrical Trailer

The THING (from Another World) (1951)
A giant carrot-man (played by James Arness) from space terrorizes a polar research outpost. My favorite scene is the beginning when the search-party forms a wide circle around an object they find under the ice, then realize they've found a crashed saucer.
The Thing (1951) movie clip

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This Flying Saucer featurette is also published on the blog Atomic Living

The Flying Saucer Reader

It's any day in the 1950's.

There's trouble brewing underneath the calm optimistic exterior of America.

The question lurking in the back of many people's minds - "Are we under the threat of being invaded?"

An invasion not just by unfriendly forces overseas, but quite possibly by beings from another world.

Like the title of the book says, flying saucers were serious business back in mid-century American culture. Flying Saucer Occupants was published in 1967, Flying Saucers-Serious Business in 1966, and The Flying Saucer Reader in 1967.

The ORBIT Newsletter, was put out by Leonard H. Stringfield, founder of CRIFO (Civilian Research, Interplanetary Flying Objects) - just one of the many saucer enthusiast groups to spring up in the 1950's and 60's. General news accounts of glowing orbs seen in the sky were faithfully published each month for the membership. This issue dates from Februry 3, 1956

Thick pulp magazines were very popular reading back in the day. The publishers however didn't necessarily try to stick to "just the facts ma'am." There was a fair amount of speculation and fanciful story-telling mixed in with the supposed news items. As for me, I like the collage-style art, with the cut out of the United Planets Cruiser C-57D from the movie Forbidden Planet on the cover. The pulp publication Flying Saucers From Other Worlds is for June 1957.

- - -

This Flying Saucer featurette is also published on the blog Atomic Living

X Minus 1: "Sam This Is You"

"Sam This Is You"
Originally aired October 31, 1956.

Thanks to Internet Archive for sharing these vintage recordings.

X Minus 1: "Bad Medicine"

"Bad Medicine"
Original radio program aired July 10,1956.

Thanks to Internet Archive for sharing these vintage recordings.

X Minus 1: "How To"

"How To"
Original radio program aired April 3, 1956.

Thanks to Internet Archive for sharing these vintage recordings.

Disney's Man in Space

Guide ship XR-1 maneuvers small cargo rocket into the space orbit.
from Walt Disney's Man in Space, Dell comic No. 716, 1956

Man in Space - The Ferry Rocket

Man in Space is an episode of Disneyland which originally aired on March 9, 1955 and later, was edited into a featurette to play in theaters.

The episode was converted into a 32 page comic book ("Dell Comics" (#716)) in 1956. Under the title Walt Disney's Man in Space: A Science Feature from Tomorrowland.

It was also made into a "Tomorrowland adventure" book for classroom use in 1959 as Man in Space: A Tomorrowland Adventure.