Stowaway to the Moon

"Stowaway to the Moon" was broadcast 5 1/2 years after the first lunar landing in 1969 (only two years after the last), and no doubt symbolized the fascination with space in the hearts of young viewers. Based on a 1973 novel by William R. Shelton, and apparently quite faithful to its fictitious source, about 11 year old E.J. Mackernutt (Michael Link) successfully sneaking past NASA security at Cape Kennedy to hide in the trash compartment of the Camelot rocket due to take off in a few hours. Inspired by the fishing and honey making expertise of old Jacob Avril (John Carradine), whose home adjoins the launch site, the already incisive boy uses his knowledge and acumen to assist the trio of astronauts once they're on their way to the moon for rock samples. As one might expect, unexpected mishaps always play out to a satisfactory conclusion, predictable yet never less than entertaining. The passage of time can't help but make this well played adventure a bit naïve, kind of a child's version of the 1950 "Destination Moon," itself passe after just two decades. The presence of top billed Lloyd Bridges, from the rival production that beat the original moon film to theaters in 1950, "Rocketship X-M" (forced to use Mars as their destination), is a welcome bonus, fretting over things at Houston while an 11 year old boy earns plaudits out in space. The rushed climax makes everything look like it may have been a dream all along, but for viewers of any age it's a relic of a bygone era when the familiar lunar stock footage was still relatively new, with real life astronaut Charles 'Pete' Conrad doing the commentary.

I remembered this as a kid like some others. IF this movie was an after school special catering to kids, my perspective would be different, but it was not when released in 1975.

1. Even pre-terrorist days, launch sites were locked down tight. Especially then with a war still in its wake. No kid is going to sneak aboard.

2. There is not as much space as depicted in the capsule. They are tight, just as the capsule the kid is shown in at the beginning of the movie.

3. The guard entrances when the dad cam in would not have been so lax.

I could go on all evening on this flick since it is clueless and lazy with effort. Based on the insanely rushed ending, they somebody must have gotten how bad this was and cut the budget- hence the abrupt and nonsense ending. Even as a kid all those years ago I thought the kid was dreaming, up until the end. Due to the odd demeanor of the adults and the lack of logic, I thought the movie was intended to be the kid dreaming and it then would have made sense. Reason being, the movie literally seems like a dream of an eleven year old.

From a kids perspective, the movie would be a 7/10, since THEN it would make sense.

When this movie was released I was the same age as the stowaway to the moon. Like many pre-teen boys of this period I dreamed of going to the moon. My youthful mind was filled with fantasies nurtured by 2001 ... Forbidden Planet ... Star Trek ... Planet of the apes ... Space 1999 and many other sci-fi films and books. I really enjoyed this TV movie despite its flaws. Yes, the science doesn't work in some parts and it's made on a budget. Still, in the days prior to STAR WARS this fired the imagination of boys who thought of themselves as Tom Swift and dreamed of the adventures awaiting humanity out among the stars.

Lloyd Bridges and John Carradine are the only big name actors in this TV movie, but the remainder of the cast do fairly well. This is a film about a NASA Moon mission, with a boy who stows away in the trash compartment. While moderately simplistic, it does a good job of showing what an actual mission was all about. Michael Link stars as the title character. Do not expect massive FX, tho there is some good footage from the Apollo missions. Astronaut Charles Conrad provides some nice insight as a news reporter. Shown on Fox Movie Channel on June 5th... it might be repeated. 7.

Sure I can remember seeing this on TV when I was 9, the kid weighed about 87 lbs, and if I remember right, nearly freezes to death while they are circling the moon(?)-there was some suspense and all that. I had never heard what this was called but I remembered parts of it all these years.

Yes this is worth seeing if you can find it; not a bad rainy Saturday afternooner thing for your kids at the least. And hey, it has John Carradine AND Lloyd Bridges. Not bad.

**1/2 outta **** at least.