AdventureScience Fiction

First Men in the Moon

- H.G. Wells' Astounding Adventure in Dynamation!

The world is delighted when a spacecraft containing a crew made up of the world's astronauts lands on the moon, but are shocked when the astronauts discover an old British flag and a document declaring that the moon is taken for Queen Victoria proving that the astronauts were not the first men on the moon.

Release Date : 1964-07-01

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Columbia PicturesAmeran Films

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Arnold Bedford

Original Name : Edward Judd

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kate Callender

Original Name : Martha Hyer

Gender : Female

Character Name : Joseph Cavor

Original Name : Lionel Jeffries

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dymchurch Registrar

Original Name : Miles Malleson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stuart

Original Name : Norman Bird

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nursing Home Matron

Original Name : Gladys Henson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Richard Challis

Original Name : Hugh McDermott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Margaret Hoy

Original Name : Betty McDowall

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gibbs (uncredited)

Original Name : Erik Chitty

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sparks (uncredited)

Original Name : Douglas Ives

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bailiff's Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Finch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Tok, UN Space Agency (uncredited)

Original Name : Marne Maitland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Glushkov, UN Space Agency

Original Name : Laurence Herder

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter from the 'Express' (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Carpenter

Gender : Male

Character Name : First Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : John Forbes-Robertson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Kenneth Watson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Col. Rice, Moon Landing Crew (uncredited)

Original Name : Sean Kelly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sgt Andrew Martin, Moon Landing Crew (uncredited)

Original Name : Gordon Robinson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cosmonaut Nevsky, Moon Landing Crew (uncredited)

Original Name : John Murray Scott

Gender : Male

Character Name : British Astronaut, Moon Landing Crew (uncredited)

Original Name : Brook Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Constable (uncredited)

Original Name : George Hilsdon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nurse (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Maxfield

Gender : Male

Character Name : Announcer (uncredited)

Original Name : Huw Thomas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Narrator (uncredited)

Original Name : Valentine Dyall

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Could you believe, they put a man on the Moon - that early!? Directed by Nathan Juran, First Men In The Moon is an adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel "The First Men in the Moon". Nigel Kneale (creator of Quatermass) and Jan Read write the screenplay, Ray Harryhausen provides the stop-motion effects, and the cast is made up of Lionel Jeffries, Edward Judd & Martha Hyer. The story sees a UN rocket flight to the Moon land in 1964 thinking it is the first landing in history. However, they discover a British Union Flag and a notice written by a Katherine Callender (Hyer) stating that the Moon has already been claimed in the name of Queen Victoria. This starts off a search by the UN to locate Katherine so as to get to the bottom of the story. They soon find that she has passed away but locate her husband Arnold Bedford (Judd) in an old people's home. Arnold has over the years been dismissed as being "not right" for his claims of having once been to the Moon. But now the authorities are very keen to listen to what Arnold has to say. He tells a fantastical story of the time in 1899 when Professor Joseph Cavor (Jeffries), Katharine and himself, went to the Moon and met an alien race known as the Selenites. Nathan Juran's movie opens with a booming piece of music by Laurie Johnson, the sort of score opening that promises either end of the world like dramatics, or something resembling the onset of War. We then open with astronauts on the Moon finding the Union Flag of Great Britain - the tone is set for some H. G. Wells sci-fi dalliances. Only what follows for the next 45 minutes is a sedate comedy like piece featuring three over the top Victorian caricatures. It's such as shame that the first two thirds of the movie is actually flat, given that the last third and the production in general really gathers pace and hits the spot. It's a distracting contrast, and one that begs the question on who is responsible for this silly misstep?. Still, the bonkers plot is fine, even if it's some way away from Wells' social commentary tinged novel, while the actors, possibly in preparation for playing second fiddle to Harryhausen's work, just about keep it watchable till the pace and drama kicks in. As is the case with most Harryhausen led pictures, it's the appearance of his creations and his Dynnamation work that considerably lifts proceedings. Once our dynamic trio land on the Moon the theme considerably changes and we finally get the film that that opening hinted at. Selenite aliens (a kind of winged beetle race), a giant Caterpillar thingy and the Grand Lunar leader showcase some, what is admittedly, second tier Harryhausen work. However, it's enough to entertain with charm whilst giving the piece some dramatic thrust. Best of all, though, is the art work on show from John Blezard and his team, where terrific sets (and the ever gorgeous in her 40s, Martha Hyer) are enhanced by Wilkie Cooper's excellent colour photography (in LunarColor noless). One can't help thinking that the craft on show deserves a much better film than we, as a whole, get. So this is one for nostalgists like me, who as a youth looked forward to a Saturday afternoon viewing of something Harryhausen inspired, for completists of the great man's work and of course for lovers of "B" movie sci-fi schlock. 7/10