FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON / RKO - 1958

Hello everbloody, welcome to Mondo Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon! Tonite we have another flick that's not that well remembered, and, pretty much for good reasons... I actually saw this one when it came out, but, it didn't have any rubber monsters, so, it totally bored me.

Based on the Jules Verne novel, this 101 minute story goes... After the Civil War ended, American businessman and inventor, Victor Barbicane, invents a new force called Power X. To prove its potential, he plans a trip to the moon in a special projectile he's designed. Joining him for the expedition are his assistant Ben Sharpe and Barbicane's arch-rival, Stuyvesant Nicholl. Nicholl believes that Power X goes against the will of God and he sabotages their voyage so that they cannot return to Earth.

Three uncredited performances are Morris Ankrum as President Ulysses S. Grant, Robert Clarke as narrator and Les Tremayne as the countdown announcer! It was RKO Picture's very last production...

The music is by Louis Forbes, Louis only had 24 composing credits, but, wrote music for these films... LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE, THE FABULOUS DORSEYS, THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF, PASSION, CATTLE QUEEN OF MONTANA, ESCAPE TO BURMA, THE BAT and THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN ALIVE. You will also hear borrowed music effects from FORBIDDEN PLANET in the soundclip, used for the 'space' sounds!

Okay then, lettuce bring in that littlest of all Dungeon helpers, right, Rufus The Gnat, and get this show on the road! Push that big red 'GO' button, Rufus, and start our Eariffic Earclip for... FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON!

At a scientific convention, Victor Barbicane (Joseph Cotton) unveils his plans to build a manned projectile and go to the Moon. Of course, it creates some controversy.

At the test site, to evaluate the potential of Power X, Barbicane's assistant prepares a small cannon with the experimental substance.

And, the test is more successful than ever imagined!!

There's lots of dangerous work to be done at the foundry as they incorporate... Power X.

This is one of my very favorite stills, jus' sez it all for me!..

Later, Barbicane meets with President Grant to discuss the implications of possessing such a powerful element. Yes, that's our friend Morris Ankrum as the prez.

Debra Paget plays Virginia, daughter of Stuyvesant Nicholl. She has fallen in love with Ben, but, Ben has to leave tomorrow, you know... for the Moon!

Great model work!

Virginia slips onboard while no one's looking and goes below to hide, she wants to be with Ben. Later, she has to climb into a spacesuit to survive the violent takeoff!

Barbicane bids adieu to the puny Earthlings.

Don't ask me, looks like it came from the THE FLY set! Hey, did Mel Tillis write that line?..

The blast from the takeoff devastates the area around it as the projectile's hurled toward space!

It doesn't take long before things start going south, and, Nicholl (George Sanders) even admits his sabotage efforts, he works for God. Wait til he finds out that his daughter's onboard!

If electrical cables aren't needing to be reattached...

Then, Roman candle meteors come whizzing dangerously by!

It's always something!!

Barbicane and Nicholl finally work together and plan a landing for their part of the spacecraft on the Moon.

Ben and Virginia watch from their capsule as her dad and Barbicane touch down on the Moon. Speaking of the Moon, check how great this last photo looks, those RKO guys really knew their stuff when it came to miniatures!

Ghoulnight Everbloody!!..