Once in a New Moon

This looks like a simple love/sci-fi story. However, it brings up the obvious class versus class in England at the time of the film.

The film is based on an Owen Rutter novel. It could have been written by Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 - 13 August 1946) or Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 - 21 January 1950). There is even a tad of Sir William Gerald Golding, CBE FRSL (19 September 1911 - 19 June 1993).

The small town of Shrimpton-on-Sea is displaced and must become self-sufficient. The privileged class oligarchy needs to immediately set up a government for the good of the people.

Meanwhile back at the post office Lord Bravington's son is making advances to the postmaster's daughter and he is quite a rebel in his own right.

Another displaced postmaster's daughter, suiter says let the hoi polloi control everything and let us burn down Lord Bravington's home.

What will happen if Shrimpton-in-Space gets placed back where it belongs as Shrimpton-on-Sea?

After being torn off the Earth by the 'magnetism' of a 'dead star', Shrimpton-on-the-Sea, a coastal British village forms a tiny independent 'planet', suspended between the attraction of the Earth and the passing star. Cut off from the rest of England, the residents begin to bicker about who's in charge of their new world: the Lord of the Manor and associated toffs or the 'commoners' and workers. The premise is complete fantasy, with a premise that is simply a setup for a 'topical' social-comedy about the equitable division of resources with stereotypes putting face to the opposing points of view (a radical socialist worker verses a snooty Lady of the Manor). The acting is fine for the material, with the best characters being Harold Drake (Eliot Makeham), the reluctant newly 'acclaimed' leader representing common people of 'Shrimpton-in-Space' and Lord Bravington (Morton Selten) as the equally reluctant 'hereditary' leader representing the status quo. The film is short, low-budget (notably in the 'special effects'), and the comedy quickly descends into farce as the two sides prepare for 'war'. The storyline of Englishmen being separated from King and Country is not uncommon in British comedies and 'Once in a New Moon' makes an interesting companion to the post-WW2 comedies 'Passport to Pimlico' (1949) and 'The Admirable Crichton' (1957).

Once in a new moon is a curious quota quickie that would had been elevated if it had the quirky charm of the Ealing comedies.

It is a film with science fiction elements but really examines the class system.

The small town of Shrimpton-on-Sea is somehow dragged out into space by the force of a dead star passing Planet Earth. You see a demonstration given of a table cloth quickly being removed from a table and the jug still being left behind.

The local squire and other well to do people organise the town with those born to rule who also have wealth, privilege and power. They have better, warmer food and are less willing to share their ample resources.

The others in the town get frustrated and demand equal rights and vote for a president. They even go as far as planning an insurrection while the wealthy folk dismiss them as socialists.

The film was made during the depression of the 1930s. As well as being a humorous social commentary it even finds time for a bit of romance but it is very talkative with no budget for any science fiction.

A small town Shrimpton-on-sea is sucked off earth by a passing dark star and becomes a planet in its own right. At first the community is happy to be governed by the squire and the usual village hierarchy, but then led by the butcher, a democratic government is elected which is more socialist in nature. The climax of the film is when civil war threatens to break out.

Not as expensive or as well acted as other sci-fi films of the period it is an interesting period piece, having a distant relationship with Jules Verne's "Off On A Comet" and worth a look. I give it four because of its story line and rarity more than for its place in cinematic history. Thnk you Talkingpictures TV for showing it!

Once In A New Moon (1935) -

For a film from 1935 I could forgive a lot of the obvious errors and foibles, because essentially it wasn't a bad one at all, if a bit simplistic and silly. It had none of the finesse of later science fiction films or any elements of actual science that I could see either. The idea of an island being ripped from the planet and floating off in to space wasn't exactly what I'd call sound physics, although I admit that I used to skip school on the days I had science class, because the teacher was an idiot, but 'Star Trek' (1966-) taught me a few things at least.

With that aside, the story itself was quite an interesting idea and it had similarities to 'Passport To Pimlico' (1949) with the towns attempts to self govern and the issues that in itself caused.

Unfortunately they all spoke so fast that it was hard to keep up with what they were saying, which was where its simplicity came in handy. It was also very British, in that everybody just got on with things over a cup of tea and caused no real riots until the townsfolk decided to depose their government.

I wouldn't say that anyone stood out for their acting, either good or bad. As for the production, it was clever in the way that they didn't have to come up with anything too scientific or astrological to make the story work.

Overall, it was a fun little tale, but nothing to tell the world and his Mother about.

471.09/1000.