1. Destination Moon (a.k.a. Operation Moon) is a 1950 American Technicolor science fiction film, independently made by George Pal, directed by Irving Pichel, that stars.
2. For listing in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER For listing in ALPHABETICAL ORDER For listings of SHORT MARS FILMS For listings of MARS DOCUMENTARY FILMS For Mars Movies of the.
3. As of late July, the Lockheed crew was in the throes of testing a full-size mockup of Orion. Off a road called Titan Loop in Colorado, Lockheed engineers test how the.

Destination Moon (film) - Wikipedia. Destination Moon (a. Operation Moon) is a 1. American Technicolorscience fiction film, independently made by George Pal, directed by Irving Pichel, that stars John Archer, Warner Anderson, Tom Powers and Dick Wesson. The film was distributed in the United States and the United Kingdom by Eagle- Lion Classics. With Destination Moon, George Pal produced the first major U.

S. science fiction film to deal with the dangers inherent in human space travel and the possible difficulties of America's first lunar mission landing on and safely returning from our only satellite. The film's premise is that U. S. private industry will mobilize, finance, and manufacture the first spacecraft to the Moon, while making the assumption that the U. S. government will then be forced to purchase or lease this new technology to remain the dominant power in space and on the Moon. Industrialists are shown cooperating to support the private venture. In the final scene, as the crew approaches the Earth, the traditional "The End" title card heralds the dawn of the coming Space Age: "This is THE END..

Beginning".[4]When their latest rocket test fails and government funding collapses, rocket scientist Dr. Charles Cargraves (Warner Anderson) and space enthusiast General Thayer (Tom Powers) enlist the aid of aircraft magnate Jim Barnes (John Archer). With the necessary millions raised privately from a group of patriotic U. S. industrialists, Cargraves, Warner and Barnes build an advanced single- stage- to- orbitatomic 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".

The three idealists circumvent legal efforts to stop their expedition by simply launching the world's first Moon mission well ahead of schedule; as a result, they must quickly substitute Joe Sweeney (Dick Wesson) as their expedition's radar and radio operator. On their way to the Moon, they are forced to go outside Luna in zero gravity, wearing magnetic boots to stay on the hull to free a frozen piloting radar antenna greased- up by the inexperienced Sweeney hours before the launch. In the process, they carelessly lose one of the crew overboard, untethered in free fall. He is cleverly retrieved by using the nozzle of a large oxygen cylinder as an improvised rocket motor.

After achieving orbit around the Moon, the crew begins the complex landing procedure, using too much fuel during the Luna's descent phase. Safely on the Moon, they explore the lunar surface, reporting back by radio how their view of the Earth looks contrasted against the black lunar sky; one crew member photographs another pretending to hold up the Earth like a modern Atlas. The story takes a serious turn when they calculate the mass needed to lighten their spaceship in the Moon's one- sixth gravity in order to get home safely with their remaining fuel. No matter how much non- critical equipment they remove and leave on the lunar surface, the hard numbers radioed from Earth continue to point to one conclusion: Someone will have to stay behind on the Moon if the other three crew are to return safely to Earth. With time running out for their return launch window, the crew engineers their way home. They first jettison the ship's heavy radio equipment, losing contact with Earth, and finally their sole remaining space suit. An oxygen tank is used as a tethered, suspended weight to pull the space suit outside through the open airlock, which is then remotely closed and resealed.

Their critical take- off weight finally achieved, and with all her crew safely aboard, Luna blasts off from the Moon for home. John Archer as Jim Barnes. Warner Anderson as Dr. Charles Cargraves. Tom Powers as General Thayer.

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Dick Wesson as Joe Sweeney. Erin O'Brien- Moore as Emily Cargraves. Franklyn Farnum as Factory Worker (uncredited)Everett Glass as Mr. La Porte (uncredited)Knox Manning as Knox Manning (uncredited)Kenner G. Kemp as Businessman at meeting (uncredited)Mike Miller as Man (uncredited)Irving Pichel as Narrator of Woody Woodpecker Cartoon (uncredited)Cosmo Sardo as Businessman at Meeting (uncredited)Grace Stafford as Woody Woodpecker (voice) (uncredited)Bert Stevens as Businessman at meeting (uncredited)Ted Warde as Brown (uncredited)Production[edit]Development[edit]Pal commissioned an initial screenplay from screenwriters James O'Hanlon and Rip Van Ronkel, but science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein contributed significantly to Destination Moon's final screenplay, also serving as the film's technical adviser.

Certain story elements from his 1. Rocket Ship Galileo were adapted for use in the film's final screenplay. Heinlein also published a tie- in novella, Destination Moon, based on the screenplay. The film's storyline also resembles portions of Heinlein's novel The Man Who Sold the Moon, which he wrote in 1. Pal film opened.[4]Destination Moon's matte paintings, used for the departure of the Luna from Earth, its approach to the Moon, the spaceship's landing on its surface, and showing the panoramic Lunar landscape, are by noted astronomical artist Chesley Bonestell.[5]Director[edit]Irving Pichel was selected to direct the film, his 3. Pichel began his Hollywood career as an actor during the 1.

Dracula's Daughter and The Story of Temple Drake.[6] Pichel had been blacklisted after he was subpoenaed by the House Un- American Activities Committee in 1. HUAAC.[7] He would go on to direct only five more films after Destination Moon before his death in 1.

Woody Woodpecker[edit]Cartoon character Woody Woodpecker's creator Walter Lantz and producer George Pal had been close friends ever since Pal left Europe and arrived in Hollywood. As a result, out of friendship and good luck, Pal always tried to include Woody in all his film productions. On the commentary track of the Special Collector's DVD Edition of George Pal's science fiction film War of the Worlds (1. Ann Robinson and Gene Barry point out that Woody can be seen in a tree top, center screen, near the beginning of the film.) George Pal incorporates Woody in Destination Moon as a vital part of its unfolding storyline.[9]In a cartoon shown within the film, Woody explains the scientific principles behind space travel and then a trip to the Moon. This engaging 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.