Project Moonbase (1953)

Two more Cody episodes to start. Yawn.

It’s 1970 and the United States is planning on building bases on the moon. A reconnaissance mission is scheduled to photograph potential sites. Colonel Briteis (Donna Martell) and Major Moore (Ross Ford) are scheduled to make the flight. The third member of the crew is Doctor Wernher (Larry Johns). Unbeknownst to everyone he is an imposter sent by the “enemies of freedom” to destroy the space station the US has put in orbit. There is also the problem of Briteis and Moore who do not seem to like each other.
After an initial flight to the station the crew members leave for the mission around the moon. During the flight Major Moore begins to suspect the Doctor is a phony and tells the Colonel. Wernher attacks and in the ensuing battle the rockets are fired. After regaining control they are forced to land on the far side of the moon. Realizing they do not have enough fuel to get back the Major forces Wernher to help him set up a relay station on a mountain nearby so they can contact the space station. After setting it up, Wernher unfortunately falls to his death. Major Moore barely has enough oxygen to get back to the ship.
Having established communications, SPACOM decides to turn the landing site in to the first moon base. General Greene (Hayden Rorke) then has a talk with Major Moore. Since the two of them will have to stay on the moon for several weeks, he talks the Major into proposing to Colonel Briteis. Briteis accepts on one condition. She requests that Major Moore be promoted to Brigadier General so that he will outrank her. And with that they are married.

This movie really annoyed me. I’m not sure what it is. Maybe it was the blatant misogyny. The silly use of split screens.

The moronic space outfits.

Or the dumb way they called the Colonel “bright-eyes.” This movie is bad and its not even fun to watch. It was originally slated to be a tv show but when it was not picked up it was turned into this movie.

Donna Martell made her film debut at 17 year’s old in 1947 in Apache Rose with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. She continued acting into the 1960’s before she called it quits.

Ross Ford went on to star in Reform School Girl in 1957 and guested on numerous tv shows.

Hayden Rorke was best known as Dr. Bellows on I Dream of Jeannie in the 1960’s.

Larry Johns appeared in many tv western’s in the 1950’s.

Best riffs
# They’re using Viewmaster technology.

# Boy, walkin’ on the walls must be a big problem.

# “We built this city of Spacom!”

# It’s hard to take anyone in a flannel skull-cap seriously.

# mmm juicy fruit

There are some pretty good riffs here.
The whole bit on SPACOM is really good.

The show is definitely improving from week to week but this movie just drives me crazy. As a result it brings this one down some.
I rate this a 2 out of 5