MovieChat Forums > First Men in the Moon (1964) Discussion > Great film for those with humour and ima...

Great film for those with humour and imagination

posted 17 years ago by Invariable Self
6 replies | jump to latest

I have to confess the film has its low points (i.e., the professor's zaniness gets irritating, and the child actors dressed as ants). But as someone who grew up in the late 60's - early 70's, I have fond memories of this film. I think there is something wonderfully quirky about this movie that younger viewers will probably not appreciate.

I gave it 7 stars. (More than I gave to LOTR: Return of the King.)

I.S. Oxford

"The books have nothing to say!"
-- Fahrenheit 451

[–] Big G-2 17 years ago

and the child actors dressed as ants

Ray Harryhausen did not want that to happen, but he stated that it would have taken a long time to animate all of those Selanites, and since time and money were of the essence, Ray had to use suits, a process he deeply disliked.

When watching THE ASTRONAUT FARMER with Billy Bob Thornton, I couldn't help to think of FIRST MEN IN THE MOON, where you had some similar situations - eccentrics trying to go into space by their own means, a passion absorbing their lives, etc.

[–] DrGlitterhouse 17 years ago

The ending of First Men in the Moon is what's always appealed to me most about the film. I saw it for the first time in decades at the Detroit Institute of Arts last weekend, and I still love the ending, as well as Laurie Johnson's score (particularly the main theme), but Bedford was a lot less heroic, and his attitude at the end was a little snarkier, than I remembered.

And if there were ever an IMDB question starting "To me, Lionel Jefferies will always be...", my answer would defnitely be "Cavor in First Men in the Moon."

[–] taracinemaphile 16 years ago

I've been watching this film with my dad since I was little and we never get sick of it. Lionel Jerreries is hilarious. "my mother warned me and she was right!". "leave the room!"

[–] scotbpens 15 years ago

"Not married? Kindly leave the room!"

Yes, that's the funniest line in the entire picture, when Cavor's Victorian sense of propriety momentarily makes him forget that the three of them are in a tiny sphere hurtling toward the moon!

All the universe . . . or nothingness. Which shall it be, Passworthy? Which shall it be?

[–] scribe1270 15 years ago

lol. That's the line that I remember best from the movie too, and the look on Bedford's face when Cavor says it is classic.

[–] Blueghost 7 years ago

It's still a good film. It was made in a different time when emphasis on aspects of commercial feature films were also different. Story, character and theme were of primary importance, and convincing the audience of the environment.

It's dated, but I still enjoy it immensely.