''Destination Moon'' (a.k.a. ''Operation Moon'') is a 1950 American

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...

, independently produced by

George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...

and directed by

Irving Pichel Irving Pichel (June 24, 1891 – July 13, 1954) was an American actor and film director, who won acclaim both as an actor and director in his Hollywood career. Career Pichel was born to a Jewish family in Pittsburgh. He attended Pittsburgh Cent ...

, that stars John Archer,

Warner Anderson Warner Anderson (March 10, 1911 – August 26, 1976) was an American actor. Early years Anderson was born to "a theatrical family" in Brooklyn, New York, March 10, 1911.Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. ...

Tom Powers Thomas McCreery Powers (July 7, 1890 – November 9, 1955) was an American actor in theatre, films, radio and television. A veteran of the Broadway stage, notably in plays by George Bernard Shaw, he created the role of Charles Marsden in Eug ...

, and Dick Wesson. The film was distributed in the United States and the United Kingdom by Eagle-Lion Classics. ''Destination Moon'' was the first major U.S. science fiction film to deal with the practical scientific and engineering challenges of space travel and to speculate on what a crewed expedition to the Moon would look like. Noted science fiction author

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...

contributed to the screenplay. The film's premise is that private industry will mobilize, finance, and manufacture the first spacecraft to the Moon, and that the U.S. government will be forced to purchase or lease the technology to remain the dominant power in space. Different industrialists cooperate to support the private venture. In the final scene, as the crew approaches the Earth, the traditional "The End"

title card In films, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i.e., ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred to as "dialo ...

heralds the dawn of the coming

Space Age The Space Age is a period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events, beginning with the Sputnik_1#Launch_and_mission, launch of Sputnik 1 ...

: "This is THE END...of the Beginning".Warren 1982

Plot

When their latest rocket test fails and government funding collapses,

rocket scientist Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is s ...

Dr. Charles Cargraves (Warner Anderson) and space enthusiast General Thayer (Tom Powers) enlist the aid of aircraft

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

Jim Barnes (John Archer). With the necessary millions raised privately from a group of patriotic U.S. industrialists, Cargraves, Thayer, and Barnes build an advanced

single-stage-to-orbit A single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle reaches orbit from the surface of a body using only propellants and fluids and without expending tanks, engines, or other major hardware. The term usually, but not exclusively, refers to reusable vehicles ...

atomic powered spaceship, named ''Luna'', at their desert manufacturing and launch facility. The project is soon threatened by a ginned-up public uproar over "

radiation safety Radiation protection, also known as radiological protection, is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "The protection of people from harmful effects of exposure to ionizing radiation, and the means for achieving this". Expos ...

" but the three circumvent legal efforts to stop their expedition by launching the world's first Moon mission ahead of schedule. As a result, they must quickly substitute Joe Sweeney (Dick Wesson) as their expedition's

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

and

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

operator, a replacement for Brown (Ted Warde), now in the hospital with

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a rup ...

. En route to the Moon they are forced to spacewalk outside. They stay firmly attached to ''Luna'' with their magnetic boots so they can easily walk up to and free the frozen piloting radar antenna that the inexperienced Sweeney innocently greased before launch. In the process, Cargraves becomes untethered in

free fall In Newtonian physics, free fall is any motion of a body where gravity is the only force acting upon it. In the context of general relativity, where gravitation is reduced to a space-time curvature, a body in free fall has no force acting on i ...

and is lost overboard. He is retrieved by Barnes, who cleverly uses a large oxygen cylinder with nozzle, retrieved by General Thayer, as an improvised propulsion unit to return them to ''Luna''. After achieving lunar orbit, the crew begins the complex landing procedure, but expedition leader Barnes uses too much fuel during the descent. Safely on the Moon, they explore the lunar surface and describe by radio their view of the Earth, as contrasted against the star-filled lunar night sky. Using

forced perspective Forced perspective is a technique that employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is. It manipulates human visual perception through the use of scaled objects and the correlation ...

, Barnes photographs Sweeney pretending to "hold up" the Earth like a modern

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geographic ...

. Events take a serious turn for the crew, however, when they realize that with their limited remaining fuel they must lighten ''Luna'' in order to achieve lunar

escape velocity In celestial mechanics, escape velocity or escape speed is the minimum speed needed for a free, non- propelled object to escape from the gravitational influence of a primary body, thus reaching an infinite distance from it. It is typically ...

. No matter how much non-critical equipment they strip and discard on the lunar surface, the hard numbers radioed from Earth continue to point to one conclusion: One of them will have to remain on the Moon if the others are to safely return to Earth. With time running out for their return launch window, the crew continues to engineer their way home. They finally jettison the ship's radio, losing contact with Earth. In addition, a spent oxygen cylinder is used as a tethered, suspended weight to pull their sole remaining space suit outside through the open

airlock An airlock, air-lock or air lock, often abbreviated to just lock, is a compartment with doors which can be sealed against pressure which permits the passage of people and objects between environments of differing pressure or atmospheric compo ...

, which is then remotely closed and resealed. With the critical take-off weight finally achieved, and with all her crew safely aboard, ''Luna'' blasts off from the Moon for home.

Cast

* John Archer as Jim Barnes *

as Dr. Charles Cargraves *

as General Thayer * Dick Wesson as Joe Sweeney *

Erin O'Brien-Moore Erin O'Brien-Moore (born Annette O'Brien-Moore, May 2, 1902 – May 3, 1979) was an American actress. She created the role of Rose in the original Broadway production of Elmer Rice's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, '' Street Scene'' (1929), and wa ...

as Emily Cargraves *

Franklyn Farnum Franklyn Farnum (born William Smith; June 5, 1878 – July 4, 1961) was an American character actor and Hollywood extra who appeared in at least 1,100 films. He was also cast in more films that won the Academy Award for Best Picture than any ot ...

as Factory Worker (uncredited) *

Everett Glass Everett Glass (July 23, 1891 – March 22, 1966) was an American character actor who appeared in more than eighty films and television shows from the 1940s through the 1960s, including ''Invasion of the Body Snatchers'' (1956) and episodes of '' ...

as Mr. La Porte (uncredited) *

Knox Manning Charles Knox Manning (January 17, 1904 – August 26, 1980) was an American film actor. He was born in Worcester, Massachusetts and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California. He and Annette North Manning are interred at Ivy Lawn Cemete ...

as Knox Manning (uncredited) * Kenner G. Kemp as Businessman at meeting (uncredited) * Mike Miller as Man (uncredited) *

as Narrator of Woody Woodpecker Cartoon (uncredited) * Cosmo Sardo as Businessman at Meeting (uncredited) * Bert Stevens as Businessman at meeting (uncredited) * Ted Warde as Brown (uncredited) *

Grace Stafford Grace Lantz ( Boyle, November 7, 1903 – March 17, 1992), also known by her stage name Grace Stafford, was an American actress and the wife of animation producer Walter Lantz. Stafford is best known for providing the voice of Woody Woodpecker, ...

Woody Woodpecker Woody Woodpecker is an animated character that appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz Studio and distributed by Universal Studios between 1940 and 1972. Woody, an anthropomorphic woodpecker, was created in 1940 by Lan ...

(voice) (uncredited)

Production

Before ''Destination Moon'', there were very few serious science fiction films: 1929's ''

Frau im Mond ''Honorifics'' are words that connote esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. In the German language, honorifics distinguish people by age, sex, profession, academic achievement, and rank. In the past, a distinction was ...

'' (English ''

Woman in the Moon ''Woman in the Moon'' (German language, German ''Frau im Mond'') is a German science fiction silent film that premiered 15 October 1929 at the UFA-Palast am Zoo cinema in Berlin to an audience of 2,000. It is often considered to be one of the f ...

''), 1931's ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...

'', and 1936's '' Things to Come'' are antecedents (though containing fantasy elements). However, the more juvenile-oriented

Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established ''Buck Rogers'' adve ...

and

Buck Rogers Buck Rogers is a science fiction adventure hero and feature comic strip created by Philip Francis Nowlan first appearing in daily US newspapers on January 7, 1929, and subsequently appearing in Sunday newspapers, international newspapers, books ...

stories of the 1930s syndicated science fiction

newspaper comic strips A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st c ...

that were both adapted into radio serials and

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

film serials A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, gene ...

. George Pal was a Hungarian who made commercials that played as short subjects with

feature films A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

in Europe. He later advanced into animated cartoon-like short features that were made using carefully hand-manipulated tiny sculptures instead of drawings; these shorts were called “

Puppetoons Puppetoons is a series of animated puppet films made in Europe (1930s) and in the United States (1940s) by George Pal. They were made using replacement animation: using a series of different hand-carved wooden puppets (or puppet heads or limbs) for ...

”, and they became popular in Europe. Pal was in the U.S. when Hitler invaded Poland. He was offered a contract to produce his Puppetoons for

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

, some of which were later nominated for

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

s.Hickman, Gail Morgan. ''The Films of George Pal''. New York: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1977. .Miller, Thomas Kent. ''Mars in the Movies: A History''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2016. .

Development

By 1949, Pal wanted to get into feature film production. He convinced the independent

Eagle-Lion Films Eagle-Lion Films was a British-American film production company owned by J. Arthur Rank intended to distribute British productions in the United States. In 1947, it acquired Robert R. Young's PRC Pictures, a small American production company, ...

to co-finance his own two-picture deal, with him putting up half of the money. Part of the finance came from Peter Rathvorn and Floyd Odlum, who used to run RKO. The first of the two films, ''

The Great Rupert ''The Great Rupert'' is a 1950 comedy family film starring Jimmy Durante, Tom Drake and Terry Moore, produced by George Pal and directed by Irving Pichel. It is based on a story written by Ted Allan that has also been published as a children's ...

'', about a Puppetoon-like dancing squirrel, starring popular comic

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced song ...

, flopped at the box office. But his second feature, ''Destination Moon'', was a major hit. Eagle-Lion's publicity department saw the promotional possibilities for a film about a rocket expedition to the Moon. They promoted the film heavily in both general family magazines and in many science fiction digest magazines, emphasizing its

visuals and expert consultants. ''Destination Moon'' was constantly in the limelight of the era's popular press, including the high-profile ''Life magazine''; by the time the film was shown in theaters, its success seemed a foregone conclusion. Pal commissioned an initial

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...

from screenwriters James O'Hanlon and Rip Van Ronkel, but

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

writer

contributed significantly to ''Destination Moons final

, and also served as the film's technical adviser. Certain story elements from Heinlein's 1947

juvenile novel Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...

Rocket Ship Galileo ''Rocket Ship Galileo'', a juvenile science-fiction novel by the American writer Robert A. Heinlein, published in 1947, features three teenagers who participate in a pioneering flight to the Moon. It was the first in the Heinlein juveniles, a lo ...

'' were adapted for use in the film, and in September, 1950, he published a tie-in

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

, " Destination Moon", based on the screenplay. The film's storyline also resembles portions of Heinlein's novel ''

The Man Who Sold the Moon "The Man Who Sold the Moon" is a science fiction novella by American author Robert A. Heinlein, written in 1949 and published in 1950. A part of his ''Future History'' and prequel to "Requiem", it covers events around a fictional first Moon landi ...

'', which he wrote in 1949 but did not publish until 1951, a year after the Pal film opened.

Matte paintings by Bonestell

''Destination Moon'' uses matte paintings by noted astronomical artist

Chesley Bonestell Chesley Knight Bonestell Jr. (January 1, 1888 – June 11, 1986) was an American painter, designer and illustrator. His paintings inspired the American space program, and they have been (and remain) influential in science fiction art and illustr ...

. These were used for the departure of the ''Luna'' from Earth; its approach to the Moon; the spaceship's landing on the lunar surface; and a panorama of the lunar landscape. An oft-noted criticism of the film is the fact that the lunar surface is crisscrossed with gaping cracks.

Mudcrack Mudcracks (also known as mud cracks, desiccation cracks or cracked mud) are sedimentary structures formed as muddy sediment dries and contracts.Jackson, J.A., 1997, ''Glossary of Geology'' (4th ed.), American Geological Institute, Alexandria, VA, ...

s would imply that the surface was once mud, which requires water, and the Moon does not have water. Bonestell, who painted the large backdrop that mimicked lunar crags and mountains, was unhappy with the cracks, which were designed by art director Ernst Fegté. “That was a mistake”, he insisted to

Gail Morgan Hickman Gail Morgan Hickman (born December 14, 1953) is an American producer and writer of film and television. His first major writing credit was for the ''Dirty Harry'' film '' The Enforcer'' (1976). His subsequent screenplay credits include '' The ...

, author of ''The Films of George Pal''. But Pal explained to Hickman, “Chesley was right, of course ... but we were shooting on a small sound stage because of our limited budget. We had to make the set look bigger. Chesley designed a beautiful backdrop, but it needed something to give it depth. That’s why we made the cracks. The cracks in the foreground were big and those in the distance were small, so it gave a real feeling of perspective. For some scenes we even used midgets in small spacesuits to add to the feeling of depth”.

Director

began his Hollywood career as an actor during the 1920s and early 1930s, in such films as ''

Dracula's Daughter ''Dracula's Daughter'' is a 1936 American vampire horror film produced by Universal Pictures as a sequel to the 1931 film '' Dracula''. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett Fort, the film stars Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden in ...

'' and ''

The Story of Temple Drake ''The Story of Temple Drake'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Stephen Roberts and starring Miriam Hopkins and Jack La Rue. It tells the story of Temple Drake, a reckless woman in the American South who falls into the hands of ...

''.Koszarsk
1977, p. 68.
/ref> He began directing in 1932; ''Destination Moon'' was his 30th film. Pichel was

blacklisted Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, t ...

after he was subpoenaed by the

House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly dubbed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloy ...

in 1947, despite having never been called to testify.Buhle and Wagne
2002, p. 184.
/ref> He directed five more films after ''Destination Moon'' before his death in 1954.McBrid
2003, p. 462.
/ref>

Woody Woodpecker

George Pal and

Walter Lantz Walter Lantz (April 27, 1899 – March 22, 1994) was an American cartoonist, animator, producer and director best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker. Biography Early years and start in animation Lantz ...

, who created the cartoon character

, had been close friends ever since Pal left Europe and arrived in Hollywood. Out of friendship and for good luck, Pal always tried to include Woody in all his films. (On the commentary track of the Special Collector's DVD Edition of George Pal's science fiction film ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

'' (1953), actors

Ann Robinson Ann Robinson (born May 25, 1929) is a former American actress and stunt horse rider, perhaps best known for her work in the science-fiction classic ''The War of the Worlds'' (1953) and in the 1954 film '' Dragnet'', in which she starred as a L ...

and

Gene Barry Gene Barry (born Eugene Klass, June 14, 1919 – December 9, 2009) was an American stage, screen, and television actor and singer. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films ''The Atomic City'' (1952) and ''The War of The World ...

point out that Woody can be seen in a tree top, center screen, near the beginning of their film.) Pal incorporates Woody (voiced by

) in a cartoon shown within the film that explains, in layman's terms to a 1950 movie theater audience, the scientific principles behind space travel and how a trip to the Moon might be accomplished.Le
2003, p. 174.
/ref> The cartoon is shown to a gathering of U.S. industrialists who, it is hoped, will patriotically finance such a daring venture before an unnamed, non-western power can do so successfully.Adamso
1985, p. 183.
/ref>

Production credits

* Director -

* Producer -

* Writing - Rip Van Ronkel,

, and James O'Hanlon (screenplay), Robert A. Heinlein (underlying novel) * Cinematography -

Lionel Lindon Lionel Lindon, ASC (September 2, 1905 – September 20, 1971) was an American film cameraman and cinematographer who spent much of his career working for Paramount. In 1950, he went freelance and began to work in television as well as film, con ...

(photography) * Art direction -

Ernst Fegté Ernst Fegté (28 September 1900 – 15 December 1976) was a German art director. He was active in the American cinema from the 1920s to the 1970s, he was the art director or production designer on more than 75 feature films. He worked at Pa ...

(production designer), George Sawley (set decoration) * Film editor - Duke Goldstone * Production supervisor - Martin Eisenberg * Cartoon sequences -

* Technicolor color consultant - Robert Brower * Assistant director - Harold Godsoe * Special effects - Lee Zavitz * Makeup artist - Webster Phillips * Sound - William Lynch * Music -

Leith Stevens Leith Stevens (September 13, 1909 – July 23, 1970) was an American music composer and conductor of radio and film scores. Early life and education Leith Stevens was born in Mount Moriah, Missouri,DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An ...

(music), David Torbett (orchestration) * Technical -

(technical advisor of astronomical art),

(technical advisor), John S. Abbott (technical supervisor)

Soundtrack

The soundtrack music, written by composer

, is noteworthy for its atmospheric themes and musical motifs, all of which add subtle but important detail and emotion to the various dramatic moments in the film. According to

biographer

, "Stevens ... consulted with numerous scientists, including

Wernher von Braun Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun ( , ; 23 March 191216 June 1977) was a German and American aerospace engineer and space architect. He was a member of the Nazi Party and Allgemeine SS, as well as the leading figure in the develop ...

, to get an idea of what space was like in order to create it musically." The Stevens ''Destination Moon'' film score had its first U.S. release in 1950 on a 10-inch 33 rpm

Monaural Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction (often shortened to mono) is sound intended to be heard as if it were emanating from one position. This contrasts with stereophonic sound or ''stereo'', which uses two separate audio channels to reproduc ...

LP by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

(#CL 6151): Later in the 1950s, the score was re-released on a 12-inch high-fidelity mono LP by Omega Disk (#1003). Omega Disk re-released it in 1960 as a

stereophonic Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...

33 1/3 LP (#OLS-3). In 1980, the score was re-released on stereo LP by Varèse Sarabande (#STV 81130) and again in 1995 on stereo LP by

Citadel Records Citadel Records is an independent record label from Sydney, Australia. It was established in the early 1980s by John Needham. Bands released through Citadel include Died Pretty, Deniz Tek, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, The Trilobites, Porcelain ...

(#STC 77101). An expanded and complete 56.32 minute version of Steven's original film score, limited to 1,000 copies, was released on CD in 2012 by Monstrous Movie Music (#MMM-1967); also on the CD is

Clarence Wheeler Clarence E. Wheeler (September 27, 1885 – December 28, 1966) was an American musician and composer. He created the music for many of ''Woody Woodpecker'' series cartoons under Walter Lantz Productions along with films in the 1950s. Biography Wh ...

's incidental music used for the film's Woody Woodpecker cartoon. An illustrated 20-page booklet of

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desce ...

is also included.

Reception

Release

Despite a budget of approximately $500,000 and a large national print media and radio publicity campaign preceding its delayed release, ''Destination Moon'' ultimately became the "second" space adventure film of the post-World War II era. Piggybacking on the growing publicity and expectation surrounding the Pal film,

Lippert Pictures Lippert Pictures was an American film production and distribution company controlled by Robert L. Lippert. History Robert L. Lippert (1909-1976) was a successful exhibitor, owning a chain of movie theaters in California and Oregon. He was frustrat ...

quickly shot ''

Rocketship X-M ''Rocketship X-M'' (a.k.a. ''Expedition Moon'' and originally ''Rocketship Expedition Moon'') is a 1950 American black-and-white science fiction film from Robert L. Lippert, Lippert Pictures, the first outer space adventure of the post-World War ...

'' in 18 days on a $94,000 budget. The film, about the first spaceship to land on

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...

, opened theatrically 25 days before the Pal feature. Nevertheless, despite the fact that ''Destination Moon'' was indeed the second space film of the era to be released to theaters, its two years of production, hefty budget, its use of Technicolor, its significant influence in the film industry, and the technical consultation by important scientists and engineers during production—the ultimate value of the picture, also its priority, transcends the mere physical fact that it was second in the marketplace. Certainly, ''Rocketship X-M'' itself would never have been made if the highly probable success of ''Destination Moon'' had not caught Robert Lippert's attention.

Critical reaction

The film has had numerous admirers and detractors over the years.

Contemporary reviews

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

in his review of ''Destination Moon'' for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', opined, "... we've got to say this for Mr. Pal and his film: they make a lunar expedition a most intriguing and picturesque event. Even the solemn preparations for this unique exploratory trip, though the lesser phase of the adventure, are profoundly impressive to observe". Science writer, science fiction novelist, and early space enthusiast Arthur C. Clarke wrote: " is s aremarkable exciting and often very beautiful film, the first Technicolor expedition into space. After years of comic strip treatment of interplanetary travel, Hollywood has at last made a serious and scientifically accurate film on the subject, with full cooperation of astronomers and rocket experts. The result is worthy of the enormous pains that have obviously been taken, and it is a tribute to the equally obvious enthusiasm of those responsible".

Later 20th century reviews

“Trivial in plot ... viewed today ''Destination Moon'' is less than impressive; the rocket journey is ploddingly consistent with the scientific standards of 1950... ''Destination Moon'' makes rather dull viewing nowadays”. —John Baxter in ''Science Fiction in the Cinema'' (1970) In his 1979 autobiography, science writer and science fiction novelist

Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...

called the Pal film "the first intelligent science-fiction movie made". "Today it seems dated and slow-moving with flat characters". —John Brosnan in ''The Science Fiction Encyclopedia'' (1979) Peter Nicholls in ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (1993) said, “''Destination Moon'' is a film with considerable dignity and, in a quiet way, a genuine sense of wonder”. “The ''Destination Moon'' script seems colorless and wooden”. —Phil Hardy in ''The Overlook Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction'' (1994)

21st century reviews

“''Destination Moon'' now seems tame”. —John Stanley in ''Creature Features: The Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Movie Guide'' (2000) “The visual effects in Pal’s 'Destination Moon''were art. They are aesthetically stunning ... they bear the imprint of gifted artists’ hands.... The Luna rocket of ''Destination Moon'' still asthe capacity to astonish”. —Justin Humphreys in “A Cinema of Miracles: Remembering George Pal”, from the memorial program notes for the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

’ ''George Pal: Discovering the Fantastic: A Centennial Celebration'', August 27, 2008 In 2010, author and film critic

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fil ...

awarded the film two-and-a-half out of four stars, calling it "modestly mounted but still effective". He also praised Bonestell's lunar paintings as being visually striking. “''Destination Moon'' has aged badly ... tseems old hat and pedestrian to today’s viewers”. — Barry Atkinson in ''Atomic Age Cinema'' (2014) “But make no mistake about it, this picture, flaws and all, is a very important step in the evolution of the serious, special effects-laden science fiction motion picture that reached its peak with ... '' 2001: A Space Odyssey''”. — Barry Atkinson in ''Atomic Age Cinema'' (2014)

Awards and honors

''Destination Moon'' won the

for Best Special Effects in the name of the effects director, Lee Zavitz. The film was also nominated for the

Art Direction Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the visi ...

Academy Award, by

and George Sawley."Destination-Moon - Cast, Crew, Director and Awards."
''

''. Retrieved: January 12, 2015. At the 1st Berlin International Film Festival it won the Bronze Berlin Bear Award, for "Thrillers and Adventure Films"."1st Berlin International Film Festival: Prize Winners."
''

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

'' ( Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), 2013. Retrieved: January 12, 2015. Retro Hugo Awards: A special 1951

Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation is given each year for theatrical films, television episodes, or other dramatized works related to science fiction or fantasy released in the previous calendar year. Originally the award covered both ...

was retroactively awarded to ''Destination Moon'' by the

59th World Science Fiction Convention The 59th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), also known as The Millennium Philcon, was held on 30 August–3 September 2001 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and Philadelphia Marriott Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United Stat ...

(2001) exactly 50 years later for being one of the science fiction films eligible in calendar year 1950. (50 years, 75 years, or 100 years govern the time periods when a Retro Hugo can be awarded by a

Worldcon Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during ...

for the years prior to 1953 when the Hugos were established and first awarded.)

Adaptations

Episode 12 of the '' Dimension X'' radio series was called ''Destination Moon'' and was based on Heinlein's final draft of the film's shooting script. During the broadcast on June 24, 1950, the program was interrupted by a news bulletin announcing that

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

had declared war on

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, marking the beginning of the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

."'Destination Moon' Radio broadcast (22:48)."
'' Dimension X'',

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

, June 24, 1950.

published a short story

adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

of his screenplay in the September 1950 issue of ''

Short Stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

'' magazine. A highly condensed version of the Dimension X ''Destination Moon'' radio play was adapted by Charles Palmer and was released by

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

for children, who had become familiar with their recordings through a

Bozo the Clown Bozo the Clown, sometimes billed as "Bozo, The World's Most Famous Clown", is a clown character created for children's entertainment, widely popular in the second half of the 20th century. He was introduced in the United States in 1946, and to te ...

-approved record series. The series featured 7-inch, 78-rpm recordings and full-color booklets which children could follow as they listened to the stories. The ''Destination Moon'' record was narrated by Tom Reddy, and Billy May composed the incidental and background music. The record's storyline took considerable liberties with the film's plot and characters, although the general shape of the film story remained."BOZO approved singles, Week 46."
''Kiddie Records Weekly'', 2005. Retrieved: January 12, 2015. In 1950,

Fawcett Publications Fawcett Publications was an American publishing company founded in 1919 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota by Wilford Hamilton "Captain Billy" Fawcett (1885–1940). It kicked off with the publication of the bawdy humor magazine ''Captain Billy's Whiz B ...

released a 10-cent ''Destination Moon'' film tie-in

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

also published a comic book preview on the Pal film; it was the cover feature of DC's brand new science fiction

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

comic book ''Strange Adventures'' # 1 (September 1950).

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Adamson. Joe ''The Walter Lantz Story: With Woody Woodpecker and Friends''. New York:

G.P. Putnam's Sons G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group. History The company began as Wiley & Putnam with the 1838 partnership between George Palmer Putnam and ...

, 1985. . * Buhle, Paul and Dave Wagner. ''A Very Dangerous Citizen: Abraham Lincoln Polonsky and the Hollywood Left''. Berkeley, California:

University of California Press The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty ...

, 2002. . * Heinlein, Robert A. "Shooting Destination Moon". ''Astounding Science Fiction''. London: Atlas Pub. and Distributing Co., July 1950. ISSN 1059-2113. * Hickman, Gail Morgan. ''The Films of George Pal''. New York: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1977. . * Johnson, William. ''Focus on the Science Fiction Film'' (Illustrated ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1972. . * Kondo, Yoji. ''Requiem: New Collected Works by Robert A. Heinlein and Tributes to the Grand Master''. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1992. . * Koszarski, Richard. ''Hollywood Directors, 1941–1976''. New York:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1977. . * Lev, Peter. ''Transforming the Screen: 1950–1959''. Berkeley, California:

, 2003. . * McBride, Joseph. ''Searching For John Ford: A Life''. New York:

St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...

, 2003. . * Miller, Thomas Kent. ''Mars in the Movies: A History''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2016. . * Parish, James Robert and Michael R. Pitts. ''The Great Science Fiction Pictures''. Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, 1977. . * Pym, John, ed. "Destination Moon." ''Time Out Film Guide''. London: Time Out Guides Limited, 2004. . * Schneider, Cy. ''Destination Moon'' soundtrack liner notes, Omega Disk label stereophonic 33 1/3 LP (#OSL-3), 1960. ASIN: B002MK54BQ. * Strick, Philip. ''Science Fiction Movies'' (Illustrated ed.). London: Octopus Books 1976. . * Warren, Bill. ''Keep Watching the Skies!: American Science Fiction Movies of the 50s'' (21st century ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009. .

External links

* * * * *
Original soundtrack for ''Destination Moon''
{{Authority control 1950 films 1950s independent films 1950s science fiction films American films with live action and animation American science fiction adventure films American space adventure films Moon in film Eagle-Lion Films films Films about astronauts Films adapted into comics Films based on American novels Films based on science fiction novels Films based on works by Robert A. Heinlein Films directed by Irving Pichel Films produced by George Pal Films scored by Leith Stevens Films that won the Best Visual Effects Academy Award Films with screenplays by Robert A. Heinlein Hard science fiction films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films