PROJECT MOONBASE (1953)

PROJECT MOONBASE (1953)

Tagline: Thrills Come Rocketing to the Screen as Science Smashes a New Frontier!

(Sci-Fi, Drama, Lifeguards) [G]

Note – This movie did not originally have an MPAA rating, but I am pretty sure it would have been a G. 

That's all right. I'm feeling kind of punchy myself.

In this one, the United States is urgent to get to the moon first to establish a moon base for the “free peoples of earth”. Little do the powers that be know, that other nations are plotting to sabotage the base and one of them has an agent on a flight with Colonel Briteis and Major Moore that is set to circle the moon for “mapping purposes”. Will PROJECT MOONBASE establish the world’s first moon base or project be blown to atoms?

First off this movie has some pretty low production value, but the shots of the moon aren’t terrible and the sets are fine. They are actually some of the same ones used in CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON. One thing that stands out though is the crazy shorts and cap lifeguard outfits the space crews are wearing. I mean it’s laugh-out-loud funny looking. To the movie's credit though, once on the moon, the actual "on the moon" suits look fine. 

With a bit of a story about espionage and some fun dialog this movie isn’t terrible or anything, but the way Colonel Briteis gets treated for most of the movie is pretty condescending. Her subordinates and higher-ups are both calling her “Bright Eyes” as a bit of a put-down because she is a woman and qualified for the mission (in their eyes) mostly due to her size. Outside of that though we do get a bit of both drama and romance that give this thing a bit more in the “story” department than I expected. 

Being released 1 day apart from DESTINATION MOON the production value here doesn’t quite reach that of what we see in that movie, but it works for the goals of the movie. Originally this was supposed to be a pilot for a TV show, but due to the popularity of sci-fi rising at the time they extended it to movie length. I guess that pissed off writer Robert A. Heinlein who disowned the film. 

Acting-wise Donna Martell plays Colonel Briteis and does a good job, but I don’t think any awards were going to be given out for this movie. Her career ended in 1983 with over 70 projects in her acting career. As of the writing of this review, she is also still with us. Ross Ford plays Major Moore and I thought he was pretty good, especially as the movie moves along and he kind of redeems himself. Ross Ford was probably best known for 1948’s THE SIGN OF THE RAM. We also get a decent but gruff performance from Hayden Rorke as General Greene. Rorke was also in the sci-fi film WHEN WORLD’S COLLIDE, but is most famous for being Dr. Bellows on the TV show “I Dream Of Jeannie”. This is kind of funny because, during this entire movie, I was thinking…” I know that guy from somewhere”. 

Overall this is probably not going to blow any minds, but it’s fun with a bit of decent acting and an actual plot that has more than just one layer. I have to give this one a 4 out of 7. I would watch it again but I can see how those that are more on the PC side wouldn’t like it. Especially if you are focused on some of the sexist comments and can’t enjoy a woman having success in spite of that.

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF REYNOLDS PICTURES AND ARE USED OR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY. 

Please check out the link below by clicking on the picture. Because no one should die buttonless.