Original subtitles

- Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two,

one, zero, liftoff.

[launch sound]

Mission control to astronaut.

You are go.

- Everything's A-OK, Mr. Wilson.

Cabin pressure 98.

Oxygen 104.

Temperature 78.

- Roger, Menace one.

Five seconds to engine cut off.

[thud]

- Capsule separated from booster.

A-OK, Mr. Wilson.

- Roger, Menace one.

Are you ready to perform your first experiment in space?

- Affirmative.

Space helmet opened.

- Roger.

Take a deep breath and start on the count of three.

One, two, three.

Did it work?

- Mmm mmm.

- Congratulations.

You have successfully completed the first bubble gum blow up

in space.

- Astronaut to Wilson Control.

Astronaut to Wilson Control.

Completing first orbit.

Preparing to eat lunch.

- Roger, Menace One.

- Oh, boy, a hamburger.

Ah, gee.

Mom forgot to put ketchup on it.

- Don't go away, Menace One, we'll take care of that.

[launch sound]

- Boy, thanks, Mr. Wilson.

- Roger, Menace One.

What is your position now?

- I'm approaching the coast of California again.

- You'd better prepare for reentry.

- Gee wiz, can't I go around a couple of more times?

- No, no, it's my lunch time now.

Besides, your fuel is running low.

Prepare to fire retro rockets.

- How do I do that?

- It's the third button on the right.

[thud]

- Not that button, Dennis!

That's the jet roll button.

Dennis! Dennis!

Dennis!

- Dennis.

Dennis.

Dennis, wake up, son.

Have you finished your arithmetic?

- I pressed the wrong button.

- Button? What button?

- I guess I was dreaming.

I was an astronaut, and I was flying

around the Earth in a space capsule.

- You better get out of your space suit

and into your pajamas.

- Yes, ma'am.

Dad, when I grow up, do you think I could be an astronaut?

- Well, you might just as well be.

You're always in orbit anyway.

[theme music]

- Hugh Thompson heads up the 18th, that's good.

And Pete Borington will head up the 22nd.

What about the 28th?

John Wilson? - Yes, sir.

- Sylvester, this junior astronaut program

is too important to entrust to just anyone

even at the local level.

Now what about that Charles Brady

who headed up the savings stamps campaign in that district

last year?

He did a magnificent job.

- Well, I contacted him, just hasn't

got the time to be chairman this year.

- Too bad.

John Wilson?

- Yes, he's a writer.

When I interviewed him, he said he'd

done some work for the bomb division during the war.

- Oh, that John Wilson.

He's the one who came up with that slogan, invest your cash

and settle der fuehrer's hash.

Sylvester, are you sure you can't get Brady?

- No, sir.

- Well, I guess we'll have to appoint Wilson.

- Jeepers.

- He looks like Soupy Sales just threw a pie at him.

- He does not.

Mr. Wilson's my friend.

And he's gonna be a big man.

- Not as big as my dad.

My dad was chairman last year, and he

helped sell more savings stamps and bonds.

- Mr. Wilson will sell more.

- Ha, he'll never think up clever ideas like my dad did.

- He will too.

Mr. Wilson's a writer, and he's got great ideas.

- Like what?

- Well, I don't know.

But I betcha he's working on a big one right now.

[typing]

- Eloise.

Eloise!

- Yes, dear? - Ah, I think I've got it.

Listen to this.

It costs millions to put a man in orbit,

so buy savings bonds and stamps and help absorb it.

- It rhymes.

- If you were a school girl, wouldn't this

give you tremendous impetus to go out and buy saving stamps?

- Well, it rhymes.

- Oh, it does more than that.

It, it tells the whole story of this year's school campaign

for savings stamps, how important

it is to buy savings bonds and stamps to help

finance our space effort.

[doorbell]

Oh, I hope that isn't Sylvester.

- The Treasury man?

Are you expecting him?

- Yes, he said he'd stop by here before he

returned to Washington.

He wants to check my ideas on the campaign.

- I'll let him in.

- Yeah.

Astronaut orbit, orbit, rocket, rocket!

Rocket, rocket, rocket.

- Well, Dennis, he's very busy.

- I just wanted to congratulate him.

- Oh, I don't think he'd mind that.

Go on in.

- Thanks, Mrs. Wilson.

Hi, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, hi, Dennis.

- I wanted to congratulate you.

- Well, thank you, Dennis.

- Johnny Brady said his father set a record last year.

But I told him with your ideas, you'd beat it.

- Well, I'll certainly try.

- And if you need any help, you can count on me.

- Thank you.

Thank you, Dennis.

- As a matter of fact, you can help me

with the slogan I just created.

I'd like to get your opinion on it as an average school boy.

- Blast off.

- Dig in your pocket and send up a rocket.

What do you think of it?

- Well, it rhymes.

- It didn't do anything for you?

- Well, it's very good.

- Well, of course, there's more to it than just slogan.

I plan to open the campaign with a big parade down Main Street.

- That's a great idea, Mr. Wilson.

- Ah, thank you.

- That's what Johnny Brady's father did last year.

- Oh.

Well, I wasn't living here last year.

- But you'll come up with a great one, I know you will.

- Hmm, sure.

- Do you know what you ought to do, Mr. Wilson?

You ought to have a contest.

- A contest?

- Yeah, for the kid that buys the most savings stamps.

[doorbell] And give them a prize.

Maybe you could get to meet one of the astronauts.

- Oh, but he'd have to go to Cape Canaveral for that.

And they're kind of busy around there.

- Excuse me, dear.

Mr. Sylvester is here.

- Oh.

- Hello, Wilson.

- Mr. Sylvester.

- I'll just go make some coffee. - Thank you, dear.

- Thank you.

- Oh I'd like you to meet a neighbor of mine,

Dennis Mitchell.

Uh, Mr. Sylvester's with the Treasury Department.

- I'm happy to meet you, sir. - Dennis.

- Sit down, sir.

Sit down.

I was just going over some of my ideas

on the campaign with Dennis getting

the typical school boy's reaction.

- Mr. Wilson's writing some great slogans.

Read him that one you read to me.

- Yeah, well, I don't think it's quite ready yet.

I have others, of course, nothing concrete,

just sort of going around in my head.

- Wilson, we heard some of your some of your slogans

during the war.

What we need here now is some concrete action.

- Gee, I thought that one idea of yours was great.

- What idea?

- The contest we were talking about.

- The contest?

Oh, the contest.

- Well, that sounds interesting.

- It sure is.

What Mr. Wilson wants is to have a contest

and give the boy or girl who buys the most savings stamps

a prize, a trip to Cape Canaveral to meet an astronaut.

- Dennis, I didn't.

- I think you've got something there.

Wilson, that's a tremendous idea.

- Oh, uh, thank you.

- Boy, I'll buy a zillion stamps to win that trip.

- Well, there's only one slight hitch.

Who's going to pay for it?

- The Treasury Department?

- We have no procreation for anything like that.

So I guess I'll just have to disapprove

of the entire project.

- Oh, no.

Mr. Wilson would pay for it.

Wouldn't you, Mr. Wilson?

- Oh, I, I, I guess so.

- Well, I can certainly see that things here

are in very good hands.

I don't think you need me any further.

And since I have a plane to catch, I'll say goodbye.

- Uh, goodbye.

And when you buy a $0.10 or $0.25 savings stamp,

you'll receive this certificate signed by the seven Mercury

astronauts, which makes you junior astronauts.

[applause]

Now you'll also get this very attractive album

in which to paste your stamps.

When you have filled it, you can exchange it

for a United States Savings Bond.

Every savings bond you purchase is not

only an investment in your future,

but in your country's future.

Now in this day and age, we--

- Psst, psst.

- Uh, Dennis, Mr. Wilson is talking.

- I'm sorry, Miss Williams.

I just wanted to remind him about the contest.

- Oh, oh, the contest.

Oh, yeah, the contest.

Well, it's very simple.

For the boy or girl who purchases the most stamps

during the rest of the month, I am donating a free trip

to Cape Canaveral, where he or she will personally

meet one of the astronauts.

[applause]

- Children. - Children!

Are there any questions?

Tommy.

- When can we start buying our stamps

so we can get our junior astronaut certificate?

- Well, right away, if it's all right with Miss Williams.

- Certainly.

- Oh, good.

Then I declare the school savings

bond drive officially open.

- Boy, this is great, signed by the seven Mercury astronauts.

- I'm going to get a frame for mine and hang it over my bed.

- I'm going to try to win that trip to Cape Canaveral.

- Me too.

- You guys are just wasting your time.

I'm going to win that corny old contest.

- Oh yeah?

That's what you think.

- Ha, how many stamps did you buy?

- $0.25 stamp.

- I bought $3.00 worth.

- $3.00?

- My whole allowance.

- That's not fair.

I don't get that much allowance.

- Me neither.

- That's your tough luck.

Take it up with your friend, Mr. Wilson.

- Mr. Wilson?

- Oh, yes, Dennis.

- The kids with the biggest allowances

are going to win the contest.

- No, that's not true.

I just had a call from Mr. Sylvester,

and we've changed the rules.

He feels, and I agree with him, that in a contest such as this,

each child must earn the money to buy his stamps.

- That means that Johnny Brady's money allowance won't count.

- That's right.

If each boy and girl earns the money,

then it's fair to everyone.

- Where are we going to find enough jobs?

- Oh, you'll will find enough jobs

around your own neighborhood.

And working for the money makes it even more worthwhile.

We must all made sacrifices.

- We'll sure try.

- Yes, sir.

- Hi, Mr. Wilson.

Do you have any jobs I can do?

- Jobs?

- Yes, sir.

I'm trying to earn money around the neighborhood

to buy stamps like you said.

- Well, um, how much would you charge to wash my car?

- A dollar.

And I'll do a real good job.

- Well, it's a good cause.

[doorbell]

- Mr. Wilson, can I mow your lawn for a dollar?

- Mow my lawn?

- I want to earn some money like you said.

Thanks a lot.

[doorbell]

- Oh, no, not another one.

- As another great American once said,

it costs millions to put a man in orbit.

So buy savings stamps and bonds and help absorb it.

[DOORBELL

- Thank you, Tommy.

- You're welcome, Miss Williams.

- I want to thank all you children.

I'm very proud of the way you've been

buying your savings stamps.

- Miss Williams, who's winning the contest?

- Well, at the end of the second week,

the leaders are Dennis Mitchell with $8.75

and Johnny Brady with $10.50.

[applause]

- I'll send you a postcard from Cape Canaveral.

- We still got two more weeks, Johnny.

And I've got a lot of jobs lined up.

We'll see who's going to send who a postcard.

- My goodness, Dennis, you're here early.

- Yes, ma'am.

I got up at 6 o'clock this morning and collected bottles.

- Well, here you are two $0.25 stamps.

- Thanks, Miss Williams.

- This puts you $0.75 ahead of Johnny Brady.

- Morning, Miss Williams.

- Oh, good morning, Johnny.

- I made some collections on my paper route this morning.

Can I have $3.00 worth of stamps?

- $3.00 worth, why that's wonderful.

I guess this puts you in the lead again.

- Yes, ma'am.

- But, Dad.

- I'm sorry, son.

You've already washed my car three times in the last two

weeks.

Why don't you ask Mr. Wilson?

- Well, I've washed his car four times.

- I'm sorry, Dennis.

But Dad, there are only a few days left.

Don't you want to see me win the contest?

- Yes, dear, sure I can be ready. This is quite a surprise.

All right, I'll see you there.

Bye.

- Hey, Mom.

- Dennis, I was going to look for you.

Your father just called and he's gotten tickets

to a show that's in town.

So he wants to take me to dinner tonight.

- You can't go.

- Oh, why not?

- Well, you see, Mrs. Wilson told me

Mrs. Forsythe needed a babysitter.

So she called up.

But Mrs. Forsythe said I was too young.

And then I got the idea that if Mrs. Forsythe brought the baby

over here that you and Dad could help me babysit with him.

And she said that would be OK.

- Oh, I see.

Couldn't you call Dad up?

- No, Dennis, I'm afraid not.

- Gee, I could just find some adult.

But who?

- Henry? Henry?

Anybody home?

[baby crying]

- Oh, be quiet.

Be quiet.

He bit me.

- He hasn't got any teeth.

You must of stuck yourself on one of his pins.

- Dennis, turn on the TV set, maybe there's a western on.

- He's too young to watch television.

- Oh, well, I thought the sound of the shooting

would drown out his crying.

- Why don't you sing him a lullaby?

- Me?

- Sure.

- [singing] We are poor and little

lambs who have lost our way.

Baa, baa, baa.

He'll never grow up to be a Yale man.

Maybe he's hungry.

- Maybe he needs to--

- Let's see if he's hungry first.

And whatever success I've had as chairman I owe to all of you

for the wonderful way you've been buying the savings stamps.

And I know I can depend on you junior astronauts

to keep on buying them even after the contest is over.

But as you know it ends tomorrow.

And Miss Williams tells me that we have a tie in our contest.

So I imagine that after school today,

there'll be two young men scurrying around town busily

trying to get some last minute money to win

the trip to Cape Canaveral.

And I wish both of them the very best

of luck, Johnny Brady and Dennis Mitchell.

Dennis?

- Uh, Dennis is absent this morning.

- Oh, oh I hadn't noticed.

I wonder what's wrong?

- Well, it's just a mild case of chickenpox.

- Boy, I've got to deliver circulars for Mr. Ferguson

this afternoon.

- I'm afraid you won't be delivering

any circulars, young man.

As a matter of fact, you're staying

in bed for the next couple of days.

Well, I'll look in again this evening.

- Thank you, doctor.

- Ah, gee.

- That's a tough break, son.

- Mr. Ferguson was going to pay me $3.00.

Now Johnny Brady is going to win the contest.

- I know how disappointed you are, son,

but I want you to know that your mother and I are

very proud of you.

Well, look at all the stamps you've bought.

You have almost enough here for a savings bond.

And the wonderful thing is that you

earned all the money for them yourself.

- Yeah, but I could have won the contest too.

- Dennis, sometimes in losing we win a great deal more than

we realize.

If it hadn't been for you, Johnny Brady

wouldn't have worked as hard as he did to buy his stamps.

Neither would the other kids.

So you see, you actually had a great deal

to do with making the savings stamp drive a big success.

The way I look at it, that's a lot more

important than winning the contest.

Do you understand?

- Yes, sir.

But--

- But what, son?

- I sure would have liked to make that trip to Cape Canaveral

to meet one of the astronauts.

- You must be very proud of

He did a magnificent job for us.

- I am.

- Oh, I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Sylvester.

I was next door visiting Dennis.

- Yes, Mrs. Wilson told me.

How is he?

- Not so good.

He's taking it very hard.

He had his heart set on going to Cape Canaveral

to meet one of the astronauts.

- I'm sorry he didn't win.

Oh, I was in Washington last week, Wilson.

Your contest has made a big impression.

- Oh well, that's very nice of you.

But I must tell you Mr. Sylvester, it wasn't my idea.

Actually I got it from Dennis.

- Yes, I figured that.

- Oh, you did.

You did?

- Well, I'll have to be on my way.

If there's anything that we can do for you.

- Oh, no, you've done more than enough already.

There's nothing you can do.

Yes, there is.

I just had an idea if you will cooperate with me on it.

- Why, of course.

- Well now, I thought that if you as a representative

of the Treasury Department--

- Dennis, you'll never get better if you don't eat.

- Who cares.

The contest is over and I didn't win it.

[knock]

- Hi, Dennis.

How do you feel today?

- Oh, he won't eat anything.

- Three days of lying in this bed,

I don't feel like doing anything.

- Oh, that's too bad.

Then I'll tell Mr. Sylvester that you don't want to see him.

- The treasury man?

- Yes, yes.

He had something important that he

wanted to talk to you about but--

- That's OK, I'll see him.

- Oh, good, good.

Uh, Mr. Sylvester. - Hi, Dennis.

How do you feel?

- Well, I'd feel a lot better if I had won that contest.

- I arranged something that may make you feel a lot better.

In just about one minute, Dennis,

you're going to get a visit from someone

who's going to make you forget all about chicken pox.

- I didn't hear anybody drive up.

- Of course not.

He's going to visit you on television.

Right about now, I think.

- Hi there, Dennis.

I'm Colonel Shorty Powers, the voice of Mercury Control.

- Colonel Shorty Powers, wow.

- Mr. Sylvester tells me that you have the chicken pox.

He also tells me that that's why you didn't win the big savings

stamp contest at your school.

We're pretty busy down here at the Space Center in Houston,

but I wanted to take a minute to tell you

that we think that what you've done is important.

We think that how hard you've worked to buy savings

stamps is very important, not only to the space program

but to the whole country and to our position

with the world of nations.

And because you've worked so hard,

we want to make you a full fledged astronaut.

Did you give Dennis the pin, Mr. Sylvester?

- Oh boy, a real astronaut pin.

- And Dennis that pin is a replica

of the Greek symbol for Mercury.

And the astronauts, the original seven,

all wear one just like it with a little number

seven superimposed on it.

So keep up the good work, astronaut Dennis Mitchell.

And don't worry about the chicken pox,

it'll be gone before you know it.

Bye.

- Well, Dennis, were you surprised?

- Boy, I'll say, a real astronaut pin.

- That's right and it's all yours.

- Oh, boy, Mr. Sylvester, when I get better

I'm going to keep on buying saving stamps.

And I know all the other boys and girls in the country

are going to do the same thing.

- That's the way I like to hear an astronaut talk.

- Thanks, Mr. Sylvester.

Boy, this is better than winning any old contest.

I know you're pretty busy, Mr. Sylvester,

so if you've got to blast of now, it's A-OK with me.

- Well, thank you, Dennis.

Excuse me folks, I've got to blast off now.

- I'll see you out.

- Thank you.

- That was certainly nice of Mr. Sylvester

to arrange all of this.

- Boy, what a day this has been.

Look at it, Dad.

- I just hope he doesn't get Dennis's chicken pox.

- Don't you worry, Henry, Mr. Sylvester

has three children of his own.

I'm sure he's had the chicken pox.

- What's the matter, Mr. Wilson?

- I haven't.

- Oh no, oh no.

[theme music]

- This has been a Screen Gems film production.