ALL SCI-FI Forum Index ALL SCI-FI
The place to “find your people”.
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Missile to the Moon (1958)
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    ALL SCI-FI Forum Index -> Sci-Fi Movies and Serials from 1950 to 1969
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 5:12 pm    Post subject: Missile to the Moon (1958) Reply with quote



Director Richard E. Cunha decided to remake "Cat Women of the Moon" just six years after the notorious original. He didn't improve it a bit -- in fact, it might be worse. He used some imaginative cost-cutting measures to create the sets -- which unfortunately didn't work worth a crap.

For example, when the builder of a private moon ship opens the curtains in his living room to show a visiting general his spacecraft located outside, the rocket is a two-dimensional mockup positioned just outside the window!






And when the spacemen land on the moon, the full-sized mockup of the rocket they stand beneath is obviously just a flat cardboard mockup! Notice that the shadow is just a thin line on the ground. The top of the poor thing doesn't even reach the top of the frame, and it's visibly damaged. It appears to be patterned after the popular rocket used in Flight to Mars and several other 1950s sci-fi movies.





The lunar "rockmen" which attack the astronauts are very convincing -- except that the actors' noses appear to protrude from the featureless stone heads of the costumes!







I figure it was a subtle joke played by the creators of the costume: a nose smack in the middle on the stone "face". Look closely and there's even the suggestion of eyes. It's not easy to see, so I doubt many folks have ever noticed it.

The plot and the acting are equally uproarious. After learning that the government is going to take over his private moon-rocket project, a scientist discovers two young fugitives hiding inside his spacecraft.






He pulls out a gun and threatens to shot them if they don't agree to serve as crewmen on his lunar voyage. During the trip, the scientist reveals that he is actually an alien from the Moon -- and he built the rocket to get back home!

The rocket's control is more impressive in this behind-the-scenes photo that in the movie itself.






The lunar civilization is comprised mostly of former beauty contest winners, all dressed in high heels and old fashioned Las Vagas show-girl costumes.







Gary Clark (How to Make a Monster) plays one of the young escapees. Also starring Richard Travis, K. T. Stevens, Cathy Downs, and Tommy Cook. Look for lovely Leslie Parrish (Lil' Abner - 1959) as a principle character.
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sat Oct 29, 2022 4:10 pm; edited 12 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
orzel-w
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 1877

PostPosted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 6:09 pm    Post subject: Re: Missile to the Moon - (1959) Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
For example, when the builder of a private moon ship opens the curtains in his living room to show a visiting general his spacecraft located outside, the rocket is a two-dimensional mockup positioned just outside the window!


They didn't even bother to paint it 3-dimensionally (highlights and shading)!
_________________
...or not...

WayneO
-----------
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

_________________________________

And the silver line right down the middle -- what's that? A support to hold the "rocket" up? Why would it be in front instead of in back?

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:39 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
orzel-w
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 1877

PostPosted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
And the silver line right down the middle -- what's that? A support to hold the "rocket" up? Why would it be in front instead of in back?

All questions will be answered in a timely manner.

If you look at the shadow it's casting on the rest of the cutout, it's got to be another cutout representing the dorsal fin and ridge that is shown quite well on Brent's model:



(Except it appears they have made the dorsal fin like the other two fins, only skinnier and without the web.)

_________________
...or not...

WayneO
-----------
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Robert (Butch) Day
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 1437
Location: Arlington, WA USA

PostPosted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 3:25 am    Post subject: Re: Missile to the Moon - (1959) Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
— except that the actors' noses appear to protrude from the featureless stone heads of the costumes!

Hey, the actors-and-or-stuntpersons inside those crazy costumes had to breathe.!
_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
scotpens
Starship Captain


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 871
Location: The Left Coast

PostPosted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 4:02 am    Post subject: Re: Missile to the Moon - (1959) Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
For example, when the builder of a private moon ship opens the curtains in his living room to show a visiting general his spacecraft located outside, the rocket is a two-dimensional mockup positioned just outside the window!

. . . And when the spacemen land on the moon, the full-sized mockup of the rocket they stand beneath is obviously just a flat cardboard mockup! The top of the poor thing doesn't even reach the top of the frame, and it's visibly damaged. It appears to be patterned after the popular rocket used in Flight to Mars and several other 1950s sci-fi movies.

The colorized version only makes the cheap sets look even cheaper. And why did they make the moon-babes' skin blue??
__
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 12:46 am    Post subject: Re: Missile to the Moon - (1959) Reply with quote

scotpens wrote:
And why did they make the moon-babes' skin blue??

Oh, that's easy! Click here and you'll be illuminated. Very Happy



_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Jan 30, 2020 4:18 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Pow
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 27 Sep 2014
Posts: 3401
Location: New York

PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

These rockmen remind me that William Shatner wanted to have some kind of rock creatures in the Star Trek film The Final Frontier which he directed.
Got cut due to budget. Doubt it would have helped that mess of a movie.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Krel
Guest





PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
These rockmen remind me that William Shatner wanted to have some kind of rock creatures in the Star Trek film The Final Frontier which he directed.

Got cut due to budget. Doubt it would have helped that mess of a movie.

Shatner was fighting everyone trying to get the movie made. Paramount wasn't sure that they still wanted to do TOS movies, cut the budget, and constantly interfered. Shatner had to use a good chunk of the budget to make a new bridge set. The one from the last movie was being used as the aux bridge on the Next Gen, and they wouldn't let Shatner use it. There were constant battles with Roddenberry and Paramount over a script that had already been approved. Shatner was being second-guessed by Nimoy, because he directed the last ST film.

I think it is a miracle that it came out so well. To me, McCoy's and Kirk's pain scenes make the movie. They were so much like the tv show.

What would have made the movie the perfect tv episode movie would be to have Kirk chased by the God alien, and then he enters a cave to find that the God alien was a computer. Then he could have talked it to death.

David.
Back to top
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 2:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Krel wrote:
What would have made the movie the perfect tv episode movie would be to have Kirk chased by the God alien, and then he enters a cave to find that the God alien was a computer. Then he could have talked it to death..

Hey, stellar idea, David!

The whole basic premise of that movie was as weak as Light Beer, and something as time honored as a verbal battle between the Silver Tongued Captain and a G.O.D 9000 super-duper-computer would have certainly livened up the story.

And the "rock people" (rock robots? Rockbots!) could come out of the cave walls to protect the G.O.D. 9000 before Kirk made his way in and squared off for the War of the Words!

I think I'd add a new twist to the traditional battle by making it a kind of tag-team match, with Kirk's companions jumping in from time to time, delivering lethal blows of unassailable logic and slamming that poor computer around until it lit up like a Chinese New Year and melted down like Justin Bieber's career!

Hot damn, suddenly I'm in the mood to watch The Final Frontier. Somebody get the popcorn started!

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Jan 30, 2020 4:24 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Robert (Butch) Day
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 1437
Location: Arlington, WA USA

PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 3:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
— G.O.D 9000 —

Graphic Omniscient Device?
_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Pow
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 27 Sep 2014
Posts: 3401
Location: New York

PostPosted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 6:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I will always wonder what this movie could have been like if they had used the script Harlan Ellison had written for ST:TMP?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 6:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Missile to the Moon - (1959) Reply with quote

scotpens wrote:
The colorized version only makes the cheap sets look even cheaper. And why did they make the moon-babes' skin blue??

Despite my intense dislike for computerized color being applied to B&W movies, this one isn't really hurt or helped by the colorization. It's kind of funny-and-bad in B&W, and it's funny-and-bad and colorful in the enhanced version.

But when the blue women show up, I was disappointed as hell! I love to look at beautiful women . . . but when the women look like live-action Smurfs, I'm don't find them very attractive.

I can't imagine why the people chose to paint those women blue. It certainly didn't make this sci-fi "girlie show" more appealing to the teenage boys who enjoyed it when it was first released! Shocked

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:49 pm; edited 3 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Maurice
Mission Specialist


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 462
Location: 3rd Rock

PostPosted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 2:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:

And when the spacemen land on the moon, the full-sized mockup of the rocket they stand beneath is obviously just a flat cardboard mockup! The top of the poor thing doesn't even reach the top of the frame, and it's visibly damaged...


To be fair, that gap is so close to the top of the frame it would probably be outside the safe area of the frame when projected. Modern TVs and videos in computer screen windows have next to or no overscan area, so on them we see stuff that never showed up when the films were projected or on old CRT TVs.

Pow wrote:
I will always wonder what this movie could have been like if they had used the script Harlan Ellison had written for ST:TMP?

Ellison never wrote a Trek movie script. He was asked in to pitch at least once, but nothing came of it.

There's a lot of myths around Trek and Star Trek V in particular. I don't want to derail this thread any further, but Paramount didn't go cheap on the film. The jump in budget from ST IV to V was greater than had been the case for II to III and III to IV. The following numbers came from and internal memo during the making of ST VI.



And years ago I made the following just as a point of comparison...



_________________
* * *
"The absence of limitations is the enemy of art."
― Orson Welles
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

On All Sci-Fi we don't worry about "hi-jacking" threads. (Well, at least I don't.)

Here's why.

A discussion should be allowed to wander into related subjects that occur to the members, simply through free association. The comments above are a perfect example.

Pow wondered about a Harlan Ellison script. You offered some additional info on the subject, including budget comparisons between Star Trek movies (since Pow mentioned Ellison's work on scripts for Star Trek movies).

Chances are, somebody else will make a comment on how different Missile to the Moon would have been with exactly the same script but a much larger budget.

Eventually the discussion wanders back to the original movie in a natural manner. But without the tangent it went off on for a while, it might not have been energized by new ideas that came out of the "off topic" comments.

And we all know that sometimes it's tough to think of new things to say about these movies without new thoughts being inspired while we wandering around a bit! Very Happy

I think of threads as if they were discussions at a party. If a group is talking about baseball, and somebody mentions that he wished baseball games had cheerleaders, the conversation will wander into the subject of football, and then perhaps into hockey.

Nobody in the group is going to suddenly say, "Hey, guys! Stay on topic! We're talking about baseball." But eventually it might just come back to that subject on it's own.

So, that's why I don't sweat "off topic" posts. Very Happy

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Aug 24, 2017 10:14 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    ALL SCI-FI Forum Index -> Sci-Fi Movies and Serials from 1950 to 1969 All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group