Space! film, 1961

Film titled "Space!" which was commercially produced for television broadcast. Black & white with sound, intended as a 30 minute program; film included the commercials run with the original broadcast which was aired in 1961 (October 26?) by WBKB, Channel 7, the ABC affiliate in Chicago. Norman Ross interviews scientists (on-site in labs and offices at ARF) from Armour Research Foundation of Illinois Institute of Technology about research being conducted in connection with the U. S. manned space program. Program opens with references to Saturn - the planet, the god, the rocket. Dr. Mort Klein, director of the propellant lab discusses the U.S.- Russian space race and ARF's role in developing booster fuel. Film follows the process of testing propellants in the lab. (Ted Erikson, ARF scientist who swam the English Channel, is included in one scene.) Dr. Gene (or Dean?) Gross, director of photosynthesis research program, discusses efforts to learn "how to make air" for eventual use in space capsules. In Parmly Sound Laboratory, Dr. James J. Brophy discusses sound absorption and then demonstrates the reverberation chamber. Also tours the nuclear reactor room (which was the first reactor in the Chicago area built for commercial research purposes). Dr. Nicholas Wiel, director of mechanics research discusses the moon drill, described as a "fantastic Buck Rogers instrument," to be used on the lunar surface to retrieve sample of moon rocks, and demonstrates the Lunar Spectroscopic Microscope. Credits as follows: reporter, Norman Ross; producer; David McElroy; director, Clifford Braun; writer, Junius; technical director, Frank Genereux; A Ross-McElroy Production. Commercials include: Burma-Shave; American Airline Astrojet-Park by Marx (toy company); Steve Allen doing a promotion for his show; Surf Side 6; Ben Casey; ABC News; Alex Dreier's new program; Dash (laundry soap); Coldene; and ca. 15 second of audio from The Cheyenne Show. Original format is 16 mm film; surrogates available in BetaCamSP and VHS cassettes.