ianlouisiana Review of Man in the Moon

Man in the Moon (1960)

Mr Kenneth More proves he has "The Right Stuff".

[8/10 · 13 April 2006]

The concept that space flight is too dangerous to waste highly trained astronauts on is so splendidly British.Spike Milligan would have been proud to have thought it up.This forgotten film has many felicities,a cast of top-drawer English comedy actors and is beautifully photographed by one of the busiest cameramen in the business,Harry Waxman who shot around 70 films including the superb "Brighton Rock" and the cult classic "The Wicker man". Mr Kenneth More is cast as William Blood,the very epitome of hale and heartiness,who has never had a day's illness in his life,thus meeting the most important criterion set out by the British Space Programme. The lovely Miss Shirley Anne Field,displays a nice light touch as his nemesis.It seemed at the time that Miss Field might be at the start of a long career in comedy as a sort of "Liz Fraser with brains"character,but it never happened.Shortly after "The man in the moon" she made the serious "The War Lover" where she gave Mr Steve McQueen a run for his money. Mr More was a genuine copper-bottomed star.He was far more versatile than often given credit for.His "Freddy" in "The Deep Blue Sea" showed the depth beneath his eternal cheeriness.Critics were forced to take him seriously after TV's "The Forsyte Saga" ,but ordinary moviegoers had long recognised his qualities. Like Samson of old he is undone by a beautiful woman,falls in love with Miss Field and catches a cold. Those were the days when our space programme,such as it was,was based in Woomera where the only living things at risk from our falling rockets were a few kangaroos. We liked to think we approached space exploration with the Corinthian spirit but the fact is we were dabblers, the merest of amateurs compared to the Americans and Russians.To them - the glory.To us - Kenneth More sleeping on his iron bedstead in a field of cows.