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Reaching for the Moon

  • 19171917
  • 1h 9m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
107
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • IMDbPro
Douglas Fairbanks and Eileen Percy in Reaching for the Moon (1917)
  • Adventure
  • Comedy
A factory worker has always dreamed that he was meant for better things, to be rich and famous and in "the company of kings." One day he discovers that he is indeed the only heir to the thro... Read allA factory worker has always dreamed that he was meant for better things, to be rich and famous and in "the company of kings." One day he discovers that he is indeed the only heir to the throne of a small European kingdom. However, there are forces at work who don't want him to su... Read allA factory worker has always dreamed that he was meant for better things, to be rich and famous and in "the company of kings." One day he discovers that he is indeed the only heir to the throne of a small European kingdom. However, there are forces at work who don't want him to survive to take the throne.
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
107
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • John Emerson
  • Writers
    • John Emerson
    • Joseph Henabery(story)
    • Anita Loos
  • Stars
    • Douglas Fairbanks
    • Eileen Percy
    • Richard Cummings
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Emerson
  • Writers
    • John Emerson
    • Joseph Henabery(story)
    • Anita Loos
  • Stars
    • Douglas Fairbanks
    • Eileen Percy
    • Richard Cummings
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 5User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Douglas Fairbanks in Reaching for the Moon (1917)
    Douglas Fairbanks in Reaching for the Moon (1917)
    Douglas Fairbanks, Erich von Stroheim, Frank Campeau, and Eugene Ormonde in Reaching for the Moon (1917)
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    Top cast

    Edit
    Douglas Fairbanks
    Douglas Fairbanks
    • Alexis Caesar Napoleon Brownas Alexis Caesar Napoleon Brown
    Eileen Percy
    Eileen Percy
    • Elsie Merrillas Elsie Merrill
    Richard Cummings
    • Old Bingham the Bossas Old Bingham the Boss
    Millard Webb
    Millard Webb
    • Mr. Mannas Mr. Mann
    Eugene Ormonde
    • Sergius Badinoff the Primeas Sergius Badinoff the Prime
    Frank Campeau
    Frank Campeau
    • Black Borisas Black Boris
    Joe Brooks
    • Secondary Supporting Roleas Secondary Supporting Role
    • (uncredited)
    Jim Hogan
    • Secondary Supporting Roleas Secondary Supporting Role
    • (uncredited)
    Bull Montana
    Bull Montana
    • Bus Passengeras Bus Passenger
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Stevens
    Charles Stevens
    • Boris' Lieutenantas Boris' Lieutenant
    • (uncredited)
    Keene Thompson
    • Secondary Supporting Roleas Secondary Supporting Role
    • (uncredited)
    Erich von Stroheim
    Erich von Stroheim
    • Prince Badinoff's Aideas Prince Badinoff's Aide
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John Emerson
    • Writers
      • John Emerson
      • Joseph Henabery(story)
      • Anita Loos
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    A factory worker has always dreamed that he was meant for better things, to be rich and famous and in "the company of kings." One day he discovers that he is indeed the only heir to the throne of a small European kingdom. However, there are forces at work who don't want him to survive to take the throne. —frankfob2@yahoo.com
    • swashbuckler
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Comedy
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    User reviews5

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Reaching for the moon, and catching it, can be dangerous...
    Alexis Caesar Napoleon Brown (Douglas Fairbanks), on the one hand a modest office employee, on the other hand is, as his names suggest (and he's got busts and pictures of his two great statesman idols in his apartment), the son of a mysterious European lady, from whom all he's got left is an old picture (she'd died when he was born) - and the dream that he might belong to some old aristocratic family... And so he reads books about how to make your dreams come true, and keeps talking about them with his girlfriend Elsie (Eileen Percy, who starred together with Doug Fairbanks in quite some of his early films, and they always made a very fine match), who listens patiently, showing interest and understanding - but also warns him that, when dreaming about a beautiful future, he shouldn't set his hopes TOO high...

    And yet - one morning, a foreign gentleman comes to visit him; and to tell him that he actually IS the heir to the throne of the small European kingdom of Vulgaria (and what a name, too...)! So he leaves immediately, accompanied by the gentleman who explains to him that there is another pretender to the throne called 'Black Boris', who's got his spies everywhere, and they've got to be VERY careful until he'll reach 'his' kingdom and be officially crowned... And so, when he finds himself in the middle of aristocratic intrigues, Alexis very soon finds out that being a prince isn't AT ALL the way he'd dreamed of!

    For the second time after "The Americano", Doug Fairbanks mixes comedy and political drama in a most successful and hilarious way; this time he plays it 'earnest' (and what a cute day-dreamer he makes!), while the 'statesmen' of the strange little kingdom act all the more funny! The scenery resembles Venice, the palace Paris or Vienna, while the population of the fictional kingdom is more Balkan-like (by the time the film was made, the USA had entered WWI, and so by now the depiction of a European country had changed, of course, with something definitely threatening about it) - and amidst all the schemes and intrigues, there remains a LOT of room for Doug's famous comedy and acrobatics... A really enjoyable movie, action-packed and fast-paced, and certainly VERY unusual, a (today) much-underrated classic among the Hollywood silents of the 1910s!
    helpful•4
    1
    • binapiraeus
    • Sep 20, 2014

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 17, 1917 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • None
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Ta ner månen
    • Filming locations
      • Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Douglas Fairbanks Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 9 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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