The Moonraker (1958)

After the battle of Worcester at the end of the Civil War, the main aim of Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth is to capture Charles Stuart. The future king's escape depends on the intrepid Earl of Dawlish.

Director:

David MacDonald (as David Macdonald)

Writers:

Robert Hall (screenplay), Wilfred Eades (screenplay) (as Wilfrid Eades)

Stars:

George Baker, Sylvia Syms, Marius Goring

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Baker	...	The Moonraker
Sylvia Syms	...	Anne Wyndham
Marius Goring	...	Colonel Beaumont
Peter Arne	...	Edmund Tyler
Clive Morton	...	Lord Harcourt
Gary Raymond	...	Charles Stuart
Richard Leech	...	Henry Strangeways
Iris Russell	...	Judith Strangeways
Michael Anderson Jr.	...	Martin Strangeways (as Michael Anderson Jnr.)
Paul Whitsun-Jones	...	Parfitt
John Le Mesurier	...	Cromwell
Patrick Troughton	...	Captain Wilcox
Julian Somers	...	Captain Foster
Sylvia Bidmead	...	Meg
Patrick Waddington	...	Lord Dorset

Storyline

After the battle of Worcester at the end of the Civil War, the main aim of Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth is to capture Charles Stuart. The future king's escape depends on the intrepid Earl of Dawlish, who as the Moonraker has already spirited away many Royalists. Dawlish travels to the Windwhistle Inn on the south coast to prepare the escape, where he meets Anne Wyndham, the fiancée of a top Roundhead colonel.

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Plot Keywords:

escape | oliver cromwell | inn | rescue | english civil war | 

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Taglines:

£500 REWARD! The Moonraker must be captured... DEAD OR ALIVE!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The film takes place in October 1651.

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Goofs

Several proclamations are seen in which Oliver Cromwell is described as "Lord Protector". The film in set in 1651; Cromwell did not adopt that title until 1653.

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Soundtracks

The Moonraker
song
Music by Laurie Johnson
Lyrics by Geoffrey Parsons
Sung by Ronnie Hilton over the Main Titles

User Reviews

Not-bad swashbuckler

THE MOONRAKER (not to be confused with the Roger Moore James Bond film) is a late '50s swashbuckler set during the time of the English Civil War. Charles I is dead, and Charles II is on the run from Cromwell's troops after being defeated at the Battle of Worcester. Into this simmering mix comes George Baker's Moonraker, a dashing hero who fights for all that's right and proper.

The genre is ripe for parody (anyone who's seen THE FLASHING BLADE ought to agree) and, indeed, THE MOONRAKER is a dated film, twee sometimes in its pleasantries. Nonetheless, it proves to be an amusing enough little film, punctuated with enough intrigue and rapier fights to keep it moving merrily along. The scriptwriters have an ear for historical dialogue so that the cast members have a lot of fun slinging it back and forth.

Baker never really made it as a leading man but he's not bad here, and at least looks the part with his broad chest and dominant height - there's nothing worse than a feminine 'girly man' in this type of role. Sylvia Sims is as alluring as ever as his love interest, and Paul Whitsun-Jones bags a particularly fine comic relief role as the overbearing Parfitt. Eagle-eyed viewers may spot Brit favourites Patrick Troughton and John Le Mesurier (as Cromwell, no less!) in brief roles.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 November 1958 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Blood on the Sword

Filming Locations:

Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Colour by) (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1