Project Moon Base

At face value there's no reason why you should notice "Project Moon Base". It's as old-school as any 1950s sci-fi flick can be, with a really corny plot. But it does catch my eye. The general is played by none other than Hayden Rorke, best known as Dr. Bellows on "I Dream of Jeannie". Yes, the man who spent eternity trying to figure out the unusual behavior of the small screen's most famous astronaut plays another character involved in sending people on space missions. And this time there's an impostor out to sabotage the mission. What's really confusing is how the movie contains a mixture of dated scenes (the last scene) and progressive ideas (a female president). What gives?

It's mostly a hokey movie. Nonetheless, that scene where the spaceship docks with the space station must've caused a lot of snickering when the movie first got released. As for Hayden Rorke, Barbara Eden noted that he was open about his homosexuality with the "I Dream of Jeannie" cast, and that they all got to meet his partner.

I understand that "Project Moon Base" got riffed on "Mystery Science Theater 3000", but I've never seen that episode.

If you want a good Sci Fi movie to watch, this probably isn't it. It's old and low budget. In particular the costumes look quite goofy. The players are also unknowns or near unknowns. However it's such an early space movie that it's historically fascinating.

The noted Sci Fi writer Richard Heinlein wrote the script. (He's more famous for Starship Troopers.) The movie attempts to portray space in a realistic way. Of course the technology looks thoroughly ridiculous to us now but this was done 60 years ago.

Socially it was of interest because of the relative equality between women and men. Equality between the sexes was a theme in Heinlein, and amazingly it made it into this very early movie.

In the far-flung future of the 1970's, turmoil on Earth has forced colonization of the Moon. A Space Station has been constructed in the Lunar orbit. Now, a mission to the station is a target for sabotage.

PROJECT MOON BASE features: #1- A General (Hayden Rorke) who threatens to put a Colonel (Donna Martell) "over his knee"! #2- Quite possibly cinema's most preposterous rocket launch, complete with screams, moans, idiotic facial expressions, and wobbly rockets! #3- Luckily, the mission crew are all wearing ultra-short shorts, and sporting teapot cozies on their heads! #4- A ludicrous, slow-motion fight sequence, replete with more gape-mouthed buffoonery! #5- Loads of crackpot camera angles! #6- Wonky Moon Music, including a theremin! #7- Ridiculous romance!

A rib-tickling riot from start to finish! Just add intoxicants...

In the "future" year of 1970, the Space Force is determined to establish a base of operations on and above the moon, but the first order of business is to survey the moon. So an orbital flight is planned, which will be commanded by striking, comely female officer Briteis (the sexy, buxom Donna Martell, "Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet the Killer Boris Karloff"). Joining her are studly co-pilot Major Moore (Ross Ford, "Challenge to Lassie"), and a scientist (Larry Johns, "Dakota Lil") who turns out to be an enemy agent who wants to sabotage the project.

The first half is mostly about set up and dialogue, with things getting a little more interesting and exciting in the second half. While "Project Moon Base" is admittedly hampered by budgetary limitations, the involvement of noted sci-fi author Robert A. Heinlein ("Starship Troopers", "The Puppet Masters") gives it some value. Heinlein clearly wanted to make this thing at least reasonably realistic, but he would disown the film after it was lengthened and sent to theaters (it was originally planned as the pilot episode of a TV series). It's ahead of its time in some ways: the spacecraft that is forced to make a landing is similar to the real one that landed on the moon years later. Briteis (or "Bright Eyes", if you will) and Moore are on fairly even footing instead of her being subservient to him. There's even a female U. S. President (Ernestine Barrier, "The Bottom of the Bottle") who turns up at the end. For what this little film must have cost, visuals and special effects aren't exactly bad (for the most part).

Not bad entertainment for fans of 50s sci-fi, this co-stars Hayden Rorke ('I Dream of Jeannie') as the affable General Greene, and was directed by Richard Talmadge, a man who worked as a stuntman for many years and whose career dated back to the silent era. He only directed a handful of features; also among them are "I Killed Wild Bill Hickok" and "Border Outlaws".

Six out of 10.

I came across this 1953 movie on Free TV streaming. It is barely over 60 minutes long so isn't too much different from a one hour TV show.

I find it interesting that almost 70 years ago this work of fiction so accurately foreshadowed some of the things going on today, in 2022. There is a space station in orbit around the Earth and they accurately explain why a person feel weightless on it. They use magnetic shoes inside the space station and there are signs "please do not walk on the walls."

Also there is a proposal to build a station on the Moon, another thing our current Artemis program is headed towards. In this story a team of three are to orbit the Moon to photograph the back side. For some reason not completely explained they end up having to land there in a crater and then get inventive to establish radio contact with Earth.

One of the crew members was a female officer, a novelty for the early 1950s as relates to sending people in space. However, as with almost all pre-space movies the crew boards a few minutes before launch, and all are wearing short shorts and snug-fitting tee shirts, even the men. They just strap themselves onto cots and go.

The drama in this story involves a rogue group out to destroy the space station, they find a look-a-like to substitute for one of the scientists in the initial trip to the space station.

Judged by 21st century standards this is not a very good movie and the special effects are not realistic at all. Still I found it to be a worthwhile glimpse into a time when space exploration was still just a dream, and how fiction writers and movie producers envisioned how it might be.