Project Moon Base (1953)

This low budget science fiction film with story by Robert Heinlein of all people was given to the American movie-going public by Lippert Pictures. Certainly a writer of Heinlein's reputation in the science fiction genre deserved better than a film by Lippert.We're into the future, 1970 to be precise and the Cold War is still going on and it's race to the moon to see who can establish a base there and point missiles at Earth. There's a US constructed and operated space station out there already and the Communists want to see it destroyed and our progress in space halted and maybe even reversed.What to do but plant a spy on board a mission to the moon who will take over the ship and destroy the space station. The spy is Larry Johns who is discovered by that tried and true device so popular during World War II, knowledge of baseball. I mean anybody who's never heard of the Brooklyn Dodgers has to be an enemy agent. And here the Dodgers never went west.As if problems with Russian spies isn't enough, pilot Donna Martell and co-pilot Ross Ford are feuding. She was jumped over him in rank and given the first orbital space flight due to her sex and Ford doesn't like it. He kind of likes her though and they do get kind of close.Even seen from a Cold War perspective I have to believe that Heinlein's story was a great deal more complex. The sets are Lippert style cheap and the story is to ridiculous to describe further. Even the Man in the Moon winced.

Failed TV show becomes a wildly uneven feature film about a space station and misdirected space shot becoming the first moonbase. Weird mix of comedy, drama and science fiction with more than a dash of (unnamed) anti-communist propaganda doesn't seem sure what it wants to be. Worse you don't know whether you're supposed to laugh at or with the film. The mere fact that this was an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 in its early days gives you an idea about how odd the film is. Its regrettably not very good and there's a good chance you'll end up turning the film off before the ending. Robert Heinlein was unhappy with the finished product because the TV show he worked on was changed against his wishes. Looking at the film and guessing what he actually had a hand in, I'm pretty sure that the evil "red" plot is his, I think that the film would still be quite silly- especially in retrospect. For bad film lovers or Heinlein completeists only.

Even by the standards of classically cheesy 50s cold war sci-fi propaganda movies; this one totally takes the cake for being the worst of the bunch.The portrayal of the bad guys is both bland and hammy at the same time (which is a remarkable feat in itself). The models look like cheap constructor-kit toys. And don't let me get started on the MARRIAGE scene. I seriously wanted to hurl at that bit.And the final proof of badness? Hayden TRoarke looked more credible playing the psychiatrist in I DREAM OF JEANNIE (a sitcom) than he did playing this serious drama story! Nuff said.

This is a very odd sci-fi movie from the 1950s because those involved really tried very hard to make the movie plausible and set it in the near future. Instead of bug-eyed aliens, this film concerns the American space program and our attempt to go to the moon. Interestingly enough, in some ways the film wasn't too far off--indicating we'd have a working space station and were almost ready to attempt a moon landing in 1970 (whereas we were on the moon in 1969 and put a space station up just a few years later). Time and again, details were important and the film, at times, looked more like a government training film.However, when it came to plot, the movie really fell apart. First, while they were never called "Communists", the space program was attacked and infiltrated by "enemies" bent on destroying it. This was pretty topical for the time, but was executed very crudely and made little sense. The whole side story involving the professor who was replaced with an enemy agent was stupidly executed and made no sense--particularly later in the film once they were stranded on the moon--his behaviors made absolutely no sense at all. Second, while the film at times tried to be very egalitarian when it came to gender (such as making the President and the first pilot of the moon shot women), the film was so sexist and stupid when it came to the lead female character, Colonel Briteis (pronounced "Bright Eyes"). While described as competent and efficient, most of the time throughout the film she seemed to be a dip-stick with a bad case of PMS! Plus, she seemed to be picked for the film just because she looked good in shorts and a t-shirt (the standard garb for astronauts in the film). My wife just cringed at her character and I found it to be unintentionally funny. Plus, the Major, who you KNEW was destined to marry her, was an annoying sexist who only seemed happy when he was not serving under her (forgive the crude humor) but was her superior in rank! Uggh. The film just died when it came to the human interactions and became tedious and silly.So, although I love the sci-fi genre of the 1950s, I must admit this film is fatally flawed. Under no circumstances should it be viewed by a rabid feminist, as it might result in an apoplectic fit at the sexism and stupidity of the characters. Otherwise, watch at your own risk.