Moon Pilot (1962)

An Air Force captain inadvertently volunteers to make the first manned flight around the moon. He immediately falls under the watchful protection of various security agencies, but despite ... See full summary »

Director:

James Neilson

Writers:

Maurice Tombragel (screenplay), Robert Buckner (story)

Stars:

Tom Tryon, Brian Keith, Edmond O'Brien

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tom Tryon	...	Capt. Richmond Talbot
Brian Keith	...	Maj. Gen. John M. Vanneman
Edmond O'Brien	...	McClosky aka 'Mac'
Dany Saval	...	Lyrae
Bob Sweeney	...	Sen. Henry McGuire
Kent Smith	...	Secretary of the Air Force
Tommy Kirk	...	Walter Talbot
Simon Scott	...	Medical Officer
Bert Remsen	...	Agent Brown
Sarah Selby	...	Mrs. Celia Talbot
Dick Whittinghill	...	Col. Briggs

Storyline

An Air Force captain inadvertently volunteers to make the first manned flight around the moon. He immediately falls under the watchful protection of various security agencies, but despite all their precautions, a young woman who may be an enemy spy succeeds in making contact with the captain. The captain eventually discovers that this woman is not an enemy but rather a friend from a very unusual source.

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Plot Keywords:

moon | boxer shorts | pilot | senator | bare chested male | 

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Genres:

Family | Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 April 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kuu kiikarissa

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sally Field's film debut.

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Goofs

During the congratulatory dinner early in the movie, the food on top of Charlie's head changes between shots.

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Quotes

Senator Henry McGuire: I know mothers. I had one.

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Connections

Edited into Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color: Moon Pilot: Part 1 (1966)

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Soundtracks

"The Void"
Written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

User Reviews

Headache-inducing comedy...a thin script oversold by frenetic players

As the director of many films for the Disney Studios, both comedic and dramatic, James Neilson never livened up; his name in the credits usually means a picture with a steady, sometimes leaden pace. "Moon Pilot" is no exception, and one can only imagine family audiences from 1962 dozing through the movie's more sluggish sections. Tom Tryon was a good casting choice for the part of an Air Force captain chosen to orbit around the moon, yet his hot-tempered superiors on the ground (Edmond O'Brien and the usually-reliable Brian Keith) do nothing but bark at him and at each other. Dany Saval twinkles like a manic pixie playing a flirtatious young woman who may be a spy--maybe not. For the Disney faithful, there's also a monkey clowning around. Production values solid, theme song "Seven Moons" very sweet, though this is still an awfully slow rocket-ride into space. *1/2 from ****