A Trip to the Moon (1902)

A group of astronomers go on an expedition to the Moon.

Director:

Georges Méliès (uncredited)

Stars:

Georges Méliès, Victor André, Bleuette Bernon

1 win.

Cast

Uncredited cast:
Victor André	...	Astronomer (uncredited)
Bleuette Bernon	...	Lady in the Moon (uncredited)
Brunnet	...	Astronomer (uncredited)
Jehanne d'Alcy	...	Secretary / Star / Rocket Attendant (uncredited)
Henri Delannoy	...	Captain of the Rocket (uncredited)
Delpierre	...	Astronomer (uncredited)
Farjaux	...	Astronomer (uncredited)
Kelm	...	Astronomer (uncredited)
François Lallement	...	Officer of the Marines (uncredited)
Jules-Eugène Legris	...	Parade Leader (uncredited)
Georges Méliès	...	Prof. Barbenfouillis / The Moon (uncredited)

Storyline

An association of astronomers has convened to listen to the plan of Professor Barbenfouillis, their president, to fly to the moon. With the one dissenting voice quashed by Barbenfouillis and the other members, the plan is approved with Barbenfouillis choosing five others to accompany him. Most of the preparation for the trip is in building the vessel and launching mechanism, which resemble a large bullet and a large gun respectively. Hitting the moon in the eye, the six land safely at their destination. They find that much about the moon is wonderful and fantastical, but also that much is not what they would have liked to encounter as it is life threatening. They have to find a way to get out of their alien predicament to get back home safely.

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Plot Keywords:

astronomer | alien | satire | monster | asteroid | 

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Genres:

Short | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-G

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Georges Méliès worked extensively with former Folies Bergère performer Jehanne d'Alcy during production. She served as the film's costume designer and acted in a small role. The two would marry 23 years later.

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Goofs

The President knocks his own hat off when he walks behind the desk.

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Alternate Versions

As with many silent films, there are multiple versions available. Many versions lack the "parade" sequence at the end of the feature, which was believed to be lost for quite some time. Some versions are in black and white while some are tinted or colorized. Additionally, some versions include narration (which can differ from print to print) while many are completely silent aside from the musical score.

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Connections

Featured in Mary Pickford: The Muse of the Movies (2008)

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Soundtracks

Retour Sur Terre
(2011 Version)
Written by Jean-Benoît Dunckel and Nicolas Godin
Performed by Air

User Reviews

A special movie by the father of special effects!

The face of cinema has been changed drastically, and the expectations from the viewers have also been changed. Nowadays we have a bunch of options before choosing a movie, from realistic dinosaurs to computer generated images and from mind throttling actions to terrifying stunts, we have them all but in this era of technology nobody can ignore the true genius of George Melies, as I had seen 'A Trip to The Moon' I was amazed that what he had done in 1902 with all his limitations. The 14 min of this short movie captivates you and the vision of Jules Verne was precisely conveyed. The editing, photography, and special effects created by Melies are immaculate. And the way he showed the landing of a rocket on the moon was very much humorous as the rocket landed on the eye of personified moon and how the native of moon threatened the astronomers to leave. These types of movies are the edifice of today's fantasy movies .In the end it's the best work by Melies and worth a watch

Details

Country:

France

Language:

None French

Release Date:

4 October 1902 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Trip to Mars

Filming Locations:

Méliès Studios, Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France

Box Office

Budget:

FRF30,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Star-Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

13 min 14 min 8 min 16 min 16 min (restored color)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Color (hand-colored) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1