Byron Haskin directed From the Earth to the Moon, a Technicolor sci-fi based on Jules Verne’s book, starring Joseph Cotten, George Sanders, and Debra Paget.
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Production of the film originated at RKO, but when that studio went into bankruptcy, the film was acquired and released by Warner.
After the end of the American Civil War, munitions producer Victor Barbicane (Cotten) invents a new explosive, “Power X,” which is more powerful than any previous devise.
Metallurgist Stuyvesant Nicholl (George Sanders) scoffs at Barbicane’s claims and offers a wager of $100,000 that it cannot destroy his invention. Barbicane then stages a demonstration using a puny cannon and demolishes Nicholl’s material.
President Ulysses S. Grant (Morris Ankrum) requests that Barbicane cease development of his invention after some countries consider it as act of war.
Barbicane agrees, but when he discovers that pieces of Nicholl’s metal retrieved from the demonstration have been converted into a strong ceramic, he constructs a spaceship to travel to the Moon, and recruits Nicholl to help build it.
Meanwhile, Nicholl’s daughter Virginia (Debra Paget) and Barbicane’s assistant Ben Sharpe (Don Dubbins) fall in love.
Cast
Joseph Cotten as Victor Barbicane
George Sanders as Nicholl
Debra Paget as Virginia Nicholl
Don Dubbins as Ben Sharpe
Patric Knowles as Josef Cartier
Carl Esmond as Jules Verne
Henry Daniell as Morgana
Credits
Directed by Byron Haskin
Screenplay by Robert Blees, James Leicester, Dalton Trumbo (uncredited), based on From the Earth to the Moon, 1865 novel by Jules Verne
Produced by Benedict Bogeaus
Narrated by Robert Clarke (uncredited)
Cinematography Edwin B. DuPar
Edited by James Leicester
Music by Louis Forbes
Production companies: Waverly Productions, RKO
Distributed by Warner
Release date: Nov 6, 1958 (U.S.)
Running time: 101 minutes
Note:
I am grateful to TCM for showing this film on January 18, 2020.
