First Men in the Moon

"H.G. Wells' Astounding Adventure in Dynamation!"

1964 1h 43m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 150

AdventureScience Fiction

Synopsis

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The world is delighted when a spacecraft containing a crew comprised of the world's astronauts lands on the moon, but are shocked when the astronauts discover an old British flag and a document declaring that the moon is taken for Queen Victoria, proving that the astronauts were not the first men on the moon.

“H.G. Wells' Astounding Adventure in Dynamation!”

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Cast

Edward Judd
Arnold Bedford
Martha Hyer
Kate Callender
Lionel Jeffries
Joseph Cavor
Miles Malleson
Dymchurch Registrar
Norman Bird
Stuart
Gladys Henson
Nursing Home Matron
Hugh McDermott
Richard Challis
Betty McDowall
Margaret Hoy

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nathan Juran
Writers: Jan Read, Nigel Kneale, H. G. Wells
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, 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

ERA

Did you know

62 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Nathan Juran, shot by Wilkie Cooper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Edward Judd and Martha Hyer and Lionel Jeffries carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "H.G. Wells' Astounding Adventure in Dynamation!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0058100 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nathan Juran directs. Wilkie Cooper behind the camera. Laurie Johnson scores. Maurice Rootes cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

162 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by Nathan Juran, shot by Wilkie Cooper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Laurie Johnson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Maurice Rootes shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Edward Judd and Martha Hyer and Lionel Jeffries carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "H.G. Wells' Astounding Adventure in Dynamation!".
8IMDB entry: tt0058100 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 11 themes, including "moon", "based on novel or book", "space travel", "moon landing".

The technical file

Cinematography: Wilkie Cooper
Original score: Laurie Johnson
Editing: Maurice Rootes
Runtime: 103 min · 1h 43m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $1,650,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: First Men in the Moon (1964)

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Nathan Juran

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2020-02-16
★ 7/10
Could you believe, they put a man on the Moon - that early!? Directed by Nathan Juran, First Men In The Moon is an adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel "The First Men in the Moon". Nigel Kneale (creator of Quatermass) and Jan Read write the screenplay, Ray Harryhausen provides the stop-motion effects, and the cast is made up of Lionel Jeffries, Edward Judd & Martha Hyer. The story sees a UN rocket flight to the Moon land in 1964 thinking it is the first landing in history. However, they discover a British Union Flag and a notice written by a Katherine Callender (Hyer) stating that the Moon has already been claimed in the name of Queen Victoria. This starts off a search by the UN to locate Katherine so as to get to the bottom of the story. They soon find that she has passed away but locate her husband Arnold Bedford (Judd) in an old people's home. Arnold has over the years been dismissed as being "not right" for his claims of having once been to the Moon. But now the authorities are very keen to listen to what Arnold has to say. He tells a fantastical story of the time in 1899 when Professor Joseph Cavor (Jeffries), Katharine and himself, went to the Moon and met an alien race known as the Selenites. Nathan Juran's movie opens with a booming piece of music by Laurie Johnson, the sort of score opening that promises either end of the world like dramatics, or something resembling the onset of War. We then open with astronauts on the Moon finding the Union Flag of Great Britain - the tone is set for some H. G. Wells sci-fi dalliances. Only what follows for the next 45 minutes is a sedate comedy like piece featuring three over the top Victorian caricatures. It's such as shame that the first two thirds of the movie is actually flat, given that the last third and the production in general really gathers pace and hits the spot. It's a distracting contrast, and one that begs the question on who is responsible for this silly misstep?. Still, the bonkers plot is fine, even if it's some way away from Wells' social commentary tinged novel, while the actors, possibly in preparation for playing second fiddle to Harryhausen's work, just about keep it watchable till the pace and drama kicks in. As is the case with most Harryhausen led pictures, it's the appearance of his creations and his Dynnamation work that considerably lifts proceedings. Once our dynamic trio land on the Moon the theme considerably changes and we finally get the film that that opening hinted at. Selenite aliens (a kind of winged beetle race), a giant Caterpillar thingy and the Grand Lunar leader showcase some, what is admittedly, second tier Harryhausen work. However, it's enough to entertain with charm whilst giving the piece some dramatic thrust. Best of all, though, is the art work on show from John Blezard and his team, where terrific sets (and the ever gorgeous in her 40s, Martha Hyer) are enhanced by Wilkie Cooper's excellent colour photography (in LunarColor noless). One can't help thinking that the craft on show deserves a much better film than we, as a whole, get. So this is one for nostalgists like me, who as a youth looked forward to a Saturday afternoon viewing of something Harryhausen inspired, for completists of the great man's work and of course for lovers of "B" movie sci-fi schlock. 7/10

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