Moon Pilot Movie Review (1962)

1962 blasts off with this next movie, featuring a monkey, a mysterious woman and a trip to outer space. For this project, I’m focusing on the story itself, including dialogue, character development, any subplots, how a story presents itself, the speed at which it moves, if it slows down unnecessarily, etc.

A Brief Summary

(Taken from D23)

Richmond Talbot, a young space scientist, is tricked into volunteering for a space trip to the moon. On a last visit to see his mother he is contacted by Lyrae, a messenger from a planet off in space. They know everything and want to help America get there before the Russians. The FBI moves in when Lyrae makes contact, but she slips through their hands. After a series of comical experiences that confound and confuse the Air Force and the FBI, Lyrae winds up in the space capsule in the arms of Richard, culminating the romance that was gathering impetus as the story unfolded. Instead of going to the moon, they detour to her planet, Beta Lyrae, to meet her folks.

What works

• The General’s character reminds me of Bill Dunn from Ten Who Dared (and not just because the actor is the same). He yells a bit more in this than Bill Dunn did, but the temper feels similar.
• I like that rather than it being a “space race” with another country, it’s 2 branches of government service that distrust each other. Major paranoia. 
• The presence of Charlie (the monkey) is helpful plot-wise because his antics after his own trip to space at the beginning of the movie later gives a tangible reason for Richmond to start believing Lyrae.
• The yelling of the general at the end was entertaining, the best use of yelling in the entire movie, but for obvious reasons could not save the show.
  

What may or may not work

• The plausibility for this storyline is low (and I’m not talking about Lyrae, the space girl)
  • The urgency of which the timeline is created doesn’t feel realistic. Though the week-long turnaround before the next mission makes it easy for the other men to say no and for Richmond to say yes, it feels so fast that I almost cringed when I first heard it.
• Because I’m watching this in 2019 v. 1962 when it aired, the manner in which all of the space business is handled feels super fake and keeps pulling me out of the story.
• Richmond seems a bit naive
• Charlie was shown for 2-3 scenes in the beginning but was never seen and only mentioned in the rest of the film
• “Authority people’ in this seem incompetent
• the poker game seems out of place for the yelling session for Talbot to visit home
• The kissing lesson between Richmond and Lyrae was a cheesy pile of awkward..
  • Not only that, the romance between the two felt rushed and/or forced, yet I expected it to happen so it probably fell to the execution for why it didn’t work as well as it should have.
• Sgt. McClosky is a bumbling idiot with many temper outbursts that seem unnecessary plotwise
  • To be fair, in general, McClosky bugs me, temper tantrums or not.
    

Honorable Mentions

• Quotes from the movie:
  • “Haven’t you read our booklet, Simple Science for Senators?”
    • “I didn’t have time, besides my kid said it was juvenile”
  • “You don’t have to clam up with me, Captain, we’re on different teams, sure, but we both work for the same old coach.” – McClosky to Richmond
  • “All this time, I’ve been running away, thinking you were the enemy.” -Richmond
    • “oh yes, that is funny. A big strong man like you and a weak little girl like me” (it sounds better with Lyrae’s French accent)
  • “You can’t just go around materializing children out of thin air for guys like the General or McClosky or anybody else who happens to come along and wants some proof. It wouldn’t be decent.” – Richmond to Lyrae
  • “For me, there is no one else but you.” – Lyrae (my thoughts: girl, please)
  • “your point, sir, your point.” The General
    • “The point is… I don’t have any. Do you?”-McClosky
  • “Did you break any of the rules?” The General to Richmond
    • “With a beatnik sir?”
    • “yes or no”
    • “no sir” (my thoughts, technically true. Lyrae isn’t a beatnik)
  • “a little late getting back” Richmond to the General
    • “say goodbye General, dear” -Richmond
    • “Goodbye General Dear”- Lyrae
      

Side Questions

• Who said the senator could just come to the control room? (sure, he has a badge but still)
  • Also, why is the room so small? Are they at mission control?
• How did Richmond get selected to be among the potentials if he doesn’t like flying?
  • Also, he’s in the air force and he doesn’t like flying.
  • on the one hand, his naivety & discomfort with flying adds some good tension to the story.
• How did the Federal Security Officer find out about him if there was no actual leak? Or was there actually a leak, but no one realized that there was a leak because they were too focused on Lyrae?
• He gets taken into protective custody without telling his mom and brother? He just left and never came back to his mom’s house.
• Shouldn’t the general be with the engineers getting everything ready instead of focusing on Richmond?
  

Would I watch this movie again?

• It’s fine, it’s alright, but not a big winner for me. Am I glad to have seen it? Yes, I am, but I probably won’t be watching it again for some time.
  

If you’ve seen Moon Pilot, what are some of your thoughts? Share in the comments below!

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