Destination Moon

"Two years in the making!"

1950 1h 31m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 106

Science FictionAdventureDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A team composed of an aerospace scientist, an ex-Air Force general, and an industrialist conceives an ambitious plan to land Americans on the moon. From their base in the Mojave Desert, they construct and successfully launch a spacecraft named "Luna" that contains a cargo of four astronauts. But a critical miscalculation of needed power to escape the moon's gravitational pull may put the astronauts' lives in danger.

“Two years in the making!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Fandango At HomeRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

John Archer
Jim Barnes
Warner Anderson
Dr. Charles Cargraves
Tom Powers
General Thayer
Dick Wesson
Joe Sweeney
Erin O'Brien-Moore
Emily Cargraves
Steve Carruthers
Businessman at Meeting (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum
Factory Worker (uncredited)
Jack Gargan
Businessman at Meeting (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Irving Pichel
Writers: Robert A. Heinlein, Alford Van Ronkel, James O'Hanlon
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 8.4× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

76 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Irving Pichel, shot by Lionel Lindon. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Leith Stevens. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Editor Duke Goldstone shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Archer and Warner Anderson and Tom Powers carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Irving Pichel directs. Lionel Lindon behind the camera. Leith Stevens scores. Duke Goldstone cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 8.4× over at the box office.
376 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Irving Pichel, shot by Lionel Lindon. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Leith Stevens. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Duke Goldstone shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8John Archer and Warner Anderson and Tom Powers carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Two years in the making!".
10IMDB entry: tt0042393 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 10 themes, including "spacecraft", "moon", "based on novel or book", "cold war".

The technical file

Cinematography: Lionel Lindon
Original score: Leith Stevens
Editing: Duke Goldstone
Production design: Ernst Fegté
Runtime: 91 min · 1h 31m
Status: Released
Budget: $592,000
Box office: $5,000,000
Return: 845% of budget
Original language: EN
IMDB: Destination Moon (1950)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Special Effects

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Irving Pichel

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Sierbahnn2026-08-17
★ 5/10
Post-war science fiction like this is oddly optimistic. In this case, it is also foolhardingly patriotical, capitalistic, and extremely cynical. It's almost as if you're watching the film version of Jules Verne's work about traveling to the moon, considering how little time is spent actually working out how to get to the moon and instead delving into how to rip a set apart in order to strip weight from a rocket. The characters are weird and feel very much at home in a story like this, whereas in reality, they would never have gotten into this situation. It's a strangely comforting movie because of its optimism, but infuriating because of everything else. The production value is fantastic given the time and the effects with stop motion astronauts whenever there is a wide shot is great. Note that some of the shots of space helmets have glass in them and some do not. I'm guessing they weren't very comfortable for the actors to wear on set.

Production companies