Project Moon Base
Directed by Richard Talmadge
Written by Robert A. Heinlein and Jack Seaman
1953/USA
Galaxy Pictures, Inc.
First viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] Gen. ‘Pappy’ Greene: [Turns and walks towards her, facing her to step back as he talks] ONE: Colonels don’t say, “No”, to Generals! TWO: You’re not a superwoman, you’re a spoiled brat! THREE: Anymore guff out of you and I’ll turn you over my knee and spank you. [/box]

1953 was a good year for bad movies.  This one hit my funny bone.

The year is 1970 and the Cold War is in full force.  As the film begins, evildoers are planning to destroy the U.S. space station.  They have trained (not extremely well as it turns out) doubles for all the U.S. aerospace scientists.  They get the chance when they learn of a mission to orbit the moon and substitute their man for the civilian Dr. Wernher who is take photographs of the dark side of the moon during the voyage.

Major Bill Moore of the U.S. Space Force has been chosen to pilot the craft.  At the last minute, however, the President demands that Colonel Briteis captain the mission.  There is bad blood between Moore and Briteis but he finally agrees to serve as co-pilot.  And a good thing too as he must subdue the false Dr. Wernher and then summon help after the craft has been forced to land on the moon.

Well, this thing is an entertaining mess.  First we have some of the most ludicrous costumes ever including, but not limited to, the skull caps and hot pants which our astronauts wear in space.  The special effects are dreadful.  My favorite part was the obsolete sexual politics, however.  The good Colonel’s name is pronounced as BRIGHT-EYES by all the men and they spend most of their time ribbing her.  And she apparently deserves most of it for incompetence.  And yet we get the reveal of a female U.S. President by the end.

I’m coming closer to my definition of what makes a bad movie “good”.  Whether from its badness or its plot, it needs to keep my interest to the end.  This certainly did that and provided a few chuckles to boot.

Trailer

MST3K Clip