The Moonraker

In this English Civil War action drama the one thing more incongruous during the opening sequence than Ronnie Hilton crooning a 1950's style ballad is the sight of George Baker in costume galloping about on horseback. Get over that and it's plane sailing and you can believe anything. Well I enjoyed it anyway, it shows an aspect of the Interregnum which has been relatively neglected, much like the film itself.

It's the tale of Lord Protector Cromwell briefly played by John Le Mesurier and his army searching high and low for (prospective King) Charles Stuart, who is being protected by the Moonraker, a Loyalist Royalist played by the indefatigable Baker who is trying to get him safely to France. Was a time when brother was against brother over politics and religion, and rabidly too - in fact not like nowadays at all! Careless talk cost lives and no one was to be trusted, a rule not well adhered to in here though. Posh-speaking Baker falls gallantly in love with puritan Sylvia Sims; with the young and healthy as usual the rule is love conquers all. The production values and colour are excellent, the acting OK, the fight scenes bearable when not risible, the soundtrack music occasionally wobbles on the copy I've got but not too distracting and overall 'tis a very pleasant little tale well told, albeit on a low budget. Additionally there's a seemingly endless procession of British "faces" padding out the cast – Peter Arne, George Woodbridge, Marius Goring to name but a few.

If possible though because much stamina is required of the viewer what I would really recommend is to first watch the much applauded 2013 British film A Field In England which also has the English Civil War as its backdrop and then compare it to this. The more artistic and worthy film should hopefully be obvious and put this earlier British effort firmly into context. This is (literally) escapist entertainment which admirably helps keep the real world at bay for ninety minutes.

"A Moonraker is a smuggler. One who dumps his contraband in the bottom of a lake then rakes it out by moonlight." (Definitely not to be confused with the James Bond escapade).

I believe this film is now in the public domain as I saw it as an "afternoon matinée" on my local school cable channel, where I usually see titles from the $1 bin.

While the movie was historically interesting, the action less enjoyable than Errol Flynn's Robin Hood and the staging and dialog delivery seemed slow and mechanical to me. If you are a fan of Elizabethan costume dramas, this will be a pleasant diversion for you.

The tale takes place in October 1651 , after the battles of Moor , Preston , Naseby (1845) and Worcester at the end of the Civil War , the main purport of Oliver Cromwell's (John Le Mesurier) Commonwealth is to catch Charles Stuart (Gary Raymond's film debut) . The future king's escape depends on the intrepid Earl of Dawlish (George Baker) , who as the Moonraker has already spirited away many Royalists . Dawlish journeys to the Windwhistle Inn on the south coast to prepare the getaway to France , where he meets Anne Wyndham (Silvia Syms) , girlfriend of a top Roundhead officer called Beaumont (Marius Goring) who along with other underlings as Edmund Tyler (Peter Arne) and Captain Wilcox (Patrick Troughton) pursue mercilessly to the hidden Royalist rebel . £500 REWARD! The Moonraker must be captured... DEAD OR ALIVE!

A breathtaking and overblown adventure with historical elements , including great swordplay , colorful cinematography and evocative score. Spectacular historical swashbuckling with fine acting , wonderful locations , glamorous gowns and attention to period detail . In the movie there are historic events , adventure , drama , and a love story between George Baker as The Moonraker and Sylvia Syms as Anne Wyndham who , unfortunately , results to be the fiancée of a villian Roundhead . All Actors , both , main and support cast give nice performances . Great acting by secondary players , such as : Marius Goring , Peter Arne , Gary Raymond , Clive Morton , Richard Leech , John Le Mesurier , Patrick Troughton and a young Michael Anderson Jr. The film is appropriately atmospheric with brilliant cinematography by Mutz Greenbaum and well based on real deeds . First-class production design and sets by Robert Jones are outstanding .The film includes a lively and thrilling musical score by Laurie Johnson and was competently directed by David MacDonald.

Based on historical events which created the only England Republic . The movie deals with take over from Republican government in England . Facing off between Olivier Cromwell and King determined to rid England of a tyrannical rule and an absolutist King : Charles I , it resulted in beheading of the King . There was created two factions : the Roundheads (Cromwell congressmen) and Cavaliers or Royalists (King's nobility) , both sides had generals of considerable skill and undaunted courage as Thomas Farfaix . Cromwell defeated King's army in battles of Moor , Preston and Naseby (1645). Later on , in 1653 , he was named Lord protector of the Republic "Commomwealth" . He imposed a dictatorship ruled by Puritans and vanquished the Irish and Scottish army . Cromwell was a Puritan leader who , according to several historians carried out near genocide in Ireland . He also battled Holland and Spain . Cromwell developed a law of navigation for the British navy . He early died by fever's illness . Richard Cromwell succeeded his father as President but he was rapidly dismissed . Duration Republic was 1648 to 1660 . Charles II went back to British kingdom and the regicides (those who had condemned Charles I to death) were arrested and hanged , drawn and quartered at Charing Cross . The Cromwell's body was disinterred, and his remains were hung from a scaffold.

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.

I always enjoyed this adventure yarn when I was a kid, and despite George Baker being about as wooden as a picket fence, I think it's still an entertaining Cavalier/Roundhead story. With King Charles I now dead, the forces of the Commonwealth are focussing on catching his heir, the new King Charles II who is being helped by a few loyal royalists to make it to the safety of France. Hot on his heels, though, are the tenacious "Col. Beaumont" (Marius Goring) and the master of disguises "Maj, Greig". We know all along who the mysterious "Moonraker" is, and for the next eighty minutes we follow his escapades as he tries to smuggle his very valuable cargo out of harms way. It all comes to an head in a seaside inn where a coach party are gathered and where you just know the swords are going to be flourishing. Sylvia Syms, whose "Anne" just happens to be the fiancée of the pursuing Colonel is also amongst their number, though her role is reduced to one of a rather simpering character and there is a great deal of script for us to wade through here but Paul Whitsun-Jones raises his game as the amiably pompous "Parfitt" who manages to make "nincompoop" sound a great deal nastier than we are used to. It moves along nicely with plenty happening until an exciting cliff top denouement that might have come from Daphné du Maurier, and if you like your derring-do done Hammer style, then you ought to like this. I did.