Destination Moon

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Cast & Crew

John Archer
Jim Barnes

Warner Anderson
Dr. Charles Cargraves

Tom Powers
General Thayer

Dick Wesson
Joe Sweeney

Erin O'Brien-Moore
Emily Cargraves

Ted Warde
Brown (uncredited)

Irving Pichel
Director

Robert A. Heinlein
Writer (Novel)

Robert A. Heinlein
Writer (Screenplay)

Alford Van Ronkel
Writer (Screenplay)

James O'Hanlon
Writer (Screenplay)

George Pal
Producer

Leith Stevens
Original Music

Lionel Lindon
Cinematographer

Duke Goldstone
Film Editor

Ernst Fegté
Production Design

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Critic Reviews for Destination Moon

Audience Reviews for Destination Moon

• Sep 05, 2010

  I think this is a cool nostalgic look at what the people of 1950 thought of the future. It's very interesting and quite exciting for most of the movie. I liked it, it was cool.
  Aj V Super Reviewer
• Aug 04, 2009

  I was trying not to judge it too harshly, because 1950's sci-fi will always be severely dated. So in the end, my beef with the film is more just sub par film making than accuracy. The characters are mostly bland and interchangable (with the exception of a goofy "brooklyn" character thrown in for comic relief and giving the other astronauts someone to provide exposition to). The film is shot like one of those 1950's educational films, with boring master shots, and fairly goofy dialogue. I have a feeling even in its day it wasn't considered quality film making. I think the main reason to watch is to see what the" idea" of going to the moon was like before we actually knew how it really went down, and how close they got. That and a strange appearance by Woody Woodpecker... no joke. A kind of fictional time capsule.
  Grifty G Super Reviewer
• Aug 02, 2009

  The film that made George Lucas and Steven Speilberg fall in love with Sci-Fi. It's one of the first films that tried a realistic approach to man getting to the moon. It's a little goofball,but has some interesting moments and is a sincere approach. Made a 11 years before NASA formed I can see it's appeal,especially if you are a kid. Nothing great, but a little original because their are no aliens or other typical 50's Sci-Fi goofiness.
  cody f Super Reviewer
• Oct 04, 2006

  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. Industrialist: But why go there, Jim? Jim Barnes: We'll know when we get there; we'll tell you when we get back. It's a venture that I don't want to be left out of. Upon its release, this was the biggest sci-fi adventure of the time. Praised for its realistic tone and use of special effects, today it stands as an enjoyable adventure, even if we now know better about how this would really work. The story involves a group of scientists who design a rocket ship and attempt to land on the moon. They succeed in this, but problems arise when dealing with how to get back Today there is plenty that will seem corny about it, but it features men doing a fine enough job in this feature, with some subtle anti-communism points hit as well. The special effects are all handled well for the time and the score is of course big and appropriate. Its a fun enough flick with some deeper themes that are certainly more apparent now as a reflection of the past. Sweeney: General, how serious are you about this? General Thayer: [very bluntly] Deadly serious.
  Aaron N Super Reviewer

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