12 to the Moon (1960)

Really Surprised!

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Very minor B grade sci-fi from Columbia Pictures tells the story of 12 men and women from around the globe, selected to be astronauts on a mission to the moon based on their area of expertise. After a fair bit of exploring (and some really stupid behaviour), they discover that an alien intelligence exists on the moon. The aliens, naturally, order the meddling humans to get the hell out, but the problems for planet Earth don't end after our heroes leave."12 to the Moon" may well be yet another example of the budget size limiting any ambitions on the filmmakers' part. As it is, it's a talky, dull, mostly uneventful picture. David Bradley's direction is flat and he fails to achieve any real dramatic tension. The script doesn't appear to have been that well thought out, which is surprising considering that the writer is DeWitt Bodeen of "Cat People" fame. The scenario fails to offer much surprise, or even much entertainment, although the movie is not without atmosphere. The one moment that comes closest to working is when one of the astronauts is sucked beneath the surface of the moon.The characters are predictable (the Russian team member is an arrogant prick), and the performances are, to put it charitably, pretty underwhelming right across the board. Ken Clark ("Attack of the Giant Leeches") is our jut jawed hero, Captain John Anderson. Tom Conway, co-star of three Val Lewton productions (including the aforementioned "Cat People") is the somewhat amusing Russian, John Wengraf ("The Return of Dracula") is the guilt ridden German, and lovely Anna-Lisa is the Swede. Francis X. Bushman wastes his time making a special guest appearance as the guy delivering the exposition at the outset.Dedicated sci-fi buffs might find some value here, but overall this is quite forgettable.Four out of 10.

As a fan of vintage scifi, I felt that the dark Gothic lunar landscapes and the overall moody sets (i.e. a fogbound launching pad, shadowy lunarites, smoky craters and frequent meteor bombardments of the lunar surface), created a unique cinematic look for a scifi film of this period. Most B&W scifi films are shot in a flat neo-realistic look, but this film strives for a much more expressionist style.Unexpectedly, there was a bizarre sequence of a freeze ray from the moon that froze the spaceship of the twelve in space. Meanwhile, Washington D.C. became encased in a giant ice cube! How can you not love a film that features a baker's dozen team of international astronauts, mysterious cat loving aliens, Universal Studio-like sets filled with of swirling fog, and instant ice age rays that freeze the entire North American continent? Too fun!

This is a magnificent display of boredom. The space ship was unbelievable but then this is a movie, so there. The acting was over dramatic and pretentious. It reminded me of a 6th grade attempt to make a sci-fi movie. (actually, I think the 6th grade attempt would be better.) I am sorry, I wish I could be more generous in my comment. I did give it a 2 out of a generous heart but that is as far as it goes. I was attending movies at the time this was made and I would have probably walked out on it as soon as I had finished my popcorn and drink; unless of course someone enticed me with a candy bar. It just did not come across in a serious light; now as a comedy it might have had potential.

Speaking for the "International Space Order" of Earth, Francis X. Bushman announces our planet's "Lunar Eagle 1" mission to the Moon. It will be Earth's first manned Moon mission, and features a diverse crew of twelve leading scientists: American Captain and hunk Ken Clark (as John Anderson), Japanese photographer and pharmacist Michi Kobi (as Hideko Murata), Russian geologist and mapmaker Tom Conway (as Feodor Orloff), handsome Brazilian pilot Anthony Dexter (as Luis Vargas), German spaceship architect John Wengraf (as Erich Heinrich), young mathematics genius Robert Montgomery Jr. (as Roddy "Rod" Murdock), British geophysicist Phillip Baird (as William Rochester), Polish-born Israeli aeronautic engineer Richard Weber (as David Ruskin), Turkish space medicine expert Muzaffer Tema (as Selim Hamid), French engineer and technician Roger Til (as Etienne Martel), Nigerian astronomer Cory Devlin (as Asmara Markonen), and beautiful Swedish physician Anna-Lisa (as Sigrid Bomark).The filmmakers get Mr. Clark to strip down to a towel, early in the flight, when he interrupts Ms Kobi taking an "ultrasound shower" (the towel would be for modesty, since no drying is involved). When the crew lands on the Moon, and exits the ship, you can clearly see a man on the moon, walking away from the camera. This is probably a stagehand or somebody caught on the set in error. Well, the crew claims the Moon as international territory for the planet Earth; then, they look for air and signs of life. They find both. And, the Moon inhabitants are understandably not amused by the appearance of Earthlings on their world. Let the battle begin! The main story becomes the conflict between the representatives of Earth and the emotionless Moon beings, and whether or not they will be able to resolve their differences. There is a well-meaning parallel to Earth's overcoming of differences, with this "diverse" group presented as evidence. The sub-plot involving German "Heinrich" and Israeli "Ruskin" drives the point home. The fate of cats "Mimi" and "Rodolfo" is never resolved, unfortunately. Relatives to watch include Bob Montgomery Jr. (son of Robert & brother of Elizabeth Montgomery, in his best feature film part) and Tom Conway (brother of George Sanders).*** 12 to the Moon (6/60) David Bradley ~ Ken Clark, John Wengraf, Robert Montgomery Jr.