It's easy to miss identify this film by a title as a science fiction film, but it's actually a little romantic comedy that takes an average Joe (or William, in this case, played by Kenneth More) cool because of his ability to survive pretty much any type of situation whether it be weather or health crisis), is entered in a contest to be one of the first men to go to the Moon. The film focuses on all of the tests he has to go through, some of them pretty zany, and also deals with his romantic involvement with blond bombshell showgirl Shirley Ann Field. He goes through each of these tests only slightly shaken up, and the audience its certainly going to be more in pain watching it then he is going through it, particularly through laughter.
The terrific Sir Michael Hordern gives a sensational performance as the doctor in charge of the tests which are pretty rough, including a contraption that worlds him around 100 times the speed of gravity, a battering ram like is it in my car on a train track heading towards a block which causes him to fly out, and of course, the inevitable involvement with a chimp. The film takes place pretty much on Earth up until the end, so any hints of Science Fiction are merely implied rather than seeing. Obviously easy to compare to the wonderful "Mouse on the Moon" (which came out later), yet quite different. Unfortunately, this one's fallen into obscurity, so it's delightful surprise to find. Probably one of the best comedies that nobody has ever heard of from the 1960's.
The terrific Sir Michael Hordern gives a sensational performance as the doctor in charge of the tests which are pretty rough, including a contraption that worlds him around 100 times the speed of gravity, a battering ram like is it in my car on a train track heading towards a block which causes him to fly out, and of course, the inevitable involvement with a chimp. The film takes place pretty much on Earth up until the end, so any hints of Science Fiction are merely implied rather than seeing. Obviously easy to compare to the wonderful "Mouse on the Moon" (which came out later), yet quite different. Unfortunately, this one's fallen into obscurity, so it's delightful surprise to find. Probably one of the best comedies that nobody has ever heard of from the 1960's.