Project Moon Base (1953)

A saboteur posing as a scientist strives to destroy the world's first space station.

Director:

Richard Talmadge

Writers:

Robert A. Heinlein (screenplay) (as Robert Heinlein), Jack Seaman (screenplay)

Stars:

Donna Martell, Hayden Rorke, Ross Ford

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Donna Martell	...	Colonel Briteis
Hayden Rorke	...	General Greene
Ross Ford	...	Major Moore
Larry Johns	...	Doctor Wernher
Herb Jacobs	...	Mr. Roundtree
Barbara Morrison	...	Polly Prattles
Ernestine Barrier	...	Madame President
James Craven	...	Commodore Carlson
John Hedloe	...	Adjutant
Peter Adams	...	Captain Carmody
Robert Karnes	...	Sam
John Straub	...	Chaplain
Charles Keane	...	Spacom Operator
John Tomecko	...	Blockhouse Operator
Robert Paltz	...	Bellboy

Storyline

In the not-too-distant future of 1970, the United States is considering building bases on the Moon, and send a female colonel and two men to investigate. One of the men turns out to be a foreign spy, and the entire operation--and the future of the free world--is in danger.

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Plot Keywords:

1970s | moon | space station | outer space | secret agent | 

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Taglines:

They found romance 100,000 miles from the earth!

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Genres:

Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 September 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cat Woman on the Moon

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Galaxy Pictures Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

63 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie and Cat-Women of the Moon (1953) were made using some of the same sets and costumes. Both use spacesuits from Destination Moon (1950), but Project Moon Base had new helmets made instead. The two films were then released within one day of each other.

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Goofs

When the commander switches between four outside views on the ship's main view screen, the clock in the upper left corner makes a jump each time the view changes. This shows that the 'instantaneous' cut from one camera to another actually took a while each time to set up -- probably a couple of stage hands had to change the background painting behind the big hole in the set wall. (Only applies to the second hand -- the hour and minute hands never move at all.)

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Quotes

Col. Briteis: [a saboteur has just caused the ship to make an unplanned landing on the Moon. The commander is being helped off her bunk by the second in command, a seasoned pilot who had trained thoroughly for the flight, only to have been replaced by her at the last minute. She has been making snarky, catty comments at and about him the whole trip, but now she looks up at him in alarm] Bill, I muffed it!
[pause]
Col. Briteis: What'll we do?
Maj. Bill Moore: [gently] Take it easy. Come on.
[Helps her off her couch]
Col. Briteis: But you don't understand! ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The Canned Film Festival: Project Moonbase (1986)

User Reviews

Disposable Sci-Fi

A saboteur posing as a scientist strives to destroy the world's first space station.

The film is based on a story by Robert A. Heinlein, who shares screenwriting credit with producer Jack Seaman. Apparently the film was made without Heinlein's consent and he disowned it as his work. The film was directed by the mysterious Richard Talmadge.

The film is unusual for its time in both attempting to portray space travel in a "realistic" manner (which it does quite well considering it was pre-Apollo), and for depicting a future in which women hold positions of authority and responsibility equal to men; in the film the President of the United States is a woman. Being set in 1970, they were not far off on the space travel, but a bit too optimistic on the presidency.

This movie and "Cat-Women of the Moon" (1953) were made using some of the same sets and costumes. The two films were then released within one day of each other. While both are a bit cheesy, they both have their merits.