Use of Real Rockets as Science Fiction Scale?!

[aerostadt]

A common ploy in 1950's sci-fi movies was to show a V-2 or other real rocket taking off in the movie as a surrogate for the story's rocket. This was done in Rocketship X-M (1950). As noted in Hagerty's Spaceship Handbook it is not clear why the movie makers did this, because they had an elaborate model with flame and in fact cut back and forth between the model and the real V-2 launch. You can see the V2 at about 15:33 on the You-Tube copy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KboA6IxmPo

 

[PeterAlway]

Actually, it was a Titan I that launch the American spacecraft in "You Only Live Twice," as I recall. By coincidence, just this morning I was watching another Bond flick, "The World is Not Enough," and 007's car was shooting miniature missiles at the villain's helicopter. The missiles were Estes Bullpups, modified with fins that folded out before launch.

I just watched it again last week. And I am horribly, horribly, horribly wrong. The American booster in You Only Live Twice was an Atlas-Agena.

I guess it was a lot more years ago than I thought when I last watched it.

Peter Alway