Destination Moon (1950)

Director:

Irving Pichel

Writers:

Robert A. Heinlein (novel)
Alford Van Ronkel (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

August 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING!

Plot:

One of the first science fiction films to attempt a high level of accurate technical detail tells the story of the first trip to the moon.

Plot Keywords:

Moon | Astronaut | Scientist | General | Doctor

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

John Archer	...	Jim Barnes
Warner Anderson	...	Dr. Charles Cargraves
Tom Powers	...	General Thayer
Dick Wesson	...	Joe Sweeney
Erin O'Brien-Moore	...	Emily Cargraves
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Grace Stafford	...	Woody Woodpecker (voice)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Not Rated (DVD) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (certificate #14432)

Filming Locations:

General Service Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

George Pal Productions

Trivia:

The panoramic view of the lunar scenery was a Chesley Bonestell painting 13 feet long, mounted on wheels and rolled past a stationary camera. To make the stars appear brightly luminous, 534 holes were punched in the painting and illuminated from behind.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the astronauts emerge from the hatch during their spacewalk to repair the antenna, the shadow of one of the film crew can be seen on the open hatch door, helping push the cast members out onto the surface of the "ship".

Quotes:

Industrialist: Now listen, fella, I've known you from way back. Two-engine planes weren't fast enough: you had to go in for four. Then props weren't fast enough: you had to go in for jets. Now you've got a hold of something else, something that'll go higher and faster than anything that ever existed before. You can't swing it alone, so you're trying to rope us in on it. Well, before we go along with you, you'll have to tell us: what's the payoff?
Jim Barnes: Dollars and cents? I don't know. I want to do this job because it's never been done. Because I don't know. It's research, it's pioneering. What's the Moon? Another North Pole - another South Pole - our only satellite, our nearest neighbor in the sky.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Sky Is Falling: Making 'The War of the Worlds' (2005) (V)

Balanced, serious sci-fi

This is one of the few sci-fi movies from the 1950's that doesn't have aliens or monsters in it. It's a straightforward, fairly serious story about some scientists and businessmen who want to get to the moon. The special effects and accuracy of space life are above average. Joe Wesson (Sweeney) is included to give the picture some light-hearted humor. Anne Archer's father, John, is the star of the movie and does a good job portraying the boss of the moon project.