Might be best to run the film earlier at 1234, as I’ve a fairly torrid two hours coming up, phone off.
Review:
“More historical curiosity than entertaining science fiction film, “Destination Moon” is a must see for those interested in the evolution of the genre and the political climate of the early cold war years. Don’t expect any cheap thrills or exploitation elements. There are no aliens, no monsters, and no hot women. Instead it presents a detailed speculation of what they thought it would be like to go to the moon in a rocket-ship.
Despite looking like a massive version of a Von Braun rocket from WWII, the speculation about the problems faced by the engineers and crew of such a product are surprisingly accurate and must have been fascinating viewing back in 1950. Both the rocket and the moon are considerably more realistic than the old “Flash Gordon” stuff.
Like another science fiction classic “Them”, “Destination Moon” is loaded with political references conveying a not so subtle distrust of the federal government. But the two films convey the same message from polar opposite perspectives. “Them” placed the blame for its giant mutations on reckless atomic bomb testing and portrayed the federal response to the crisis as clueless until assisted by local law enforcement and an eccentric university scientist.
“Destination Moon” has a hawkish perspective, with unidentified fifth columnists sabotaging America’s early space program. Fortunately, selfless patriotic industrialists come to the rescue and finance a successful private enterprise program to claim the moon for the United States.
The deliberately low-key documentary style is relieved by the last minute addition of space novice Joe Sweeney (Dick Wesson) to the crew. With a Brooklyn accent (his first view of earth from space elicits a desire to know who is pitching for the Dodgers that day) Sweeney provides both comic relief and an excuse for the expect members of the crew to expound in layman’s terms about the details of space travel. I couldn’t help thinking of “Dark Star’s” Sgt. Pinback whenever Sweeney began to whine about not belonging on the mission.
Another concession to the unsophisticated 1950’s audience has the project leaders making their pitch for financing through a special Woody Woodpecker space training film. The skeptical fowl and his two audiences receive their indoctrination at the same time. “Destination Moon” must have infused the nation with a sense of wonder and faith in what the free enterprise system could achieve because it is actually listed as an event in NASA’s chronology of the history of space travel.
It is likely that the producers were more successful with this upbeat message than with their attempt to spread fear and promote a space race. Although considerable effort is made to sell the audience on the military value of the moon nothing very convincing is presented in that regard. Ironically, much of the actual space race a few years later would have a military purpose.
“Destination Moon” has two moments of suspense. The first is when Charles Cargraves (played by Warner Anderson) exits the ship in space and drifts away once his magnetic boots lose contact with the ship. Since Cargraves is the ship’s designer, it seems rather implausible that he should forget this but no more so than his constructing the ship out of heavy steel. The second is when they botch the landing and must lighten the ship to have enough fuel to return to earth (of course we 21st century viewers knew the thing was too heavy as soon as we learned about the magnetic boot thing).
Science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein teamed with producer George Pal to put “Destination Moon” into production. They soon learned that Kurt Neumann was working to release “Rocketship X-M” in time to benefit from their publicity campaign. For legal reasons Neumann modified his more sensational film to feature a landing on Mars rather than on the moon.
Although Neumann’s paid less attention to scientific details, it turned out to be more accurate in the use of a two-stage rocket and not the one-stage monster featured in the Heinlein/Pal version. Both films were subject to staggering naiveté about the complexity of space travel. Although the film’s version of the moon surface is hauntingly beautiful (thanks to Chesley Bonestell’s backdrop paintings) it looks more like a dried lake-bed than the actual lunar surface.
In retrospect, “Destination Moon’s” most unique sci-fi genre feature is the absolute refusal of its producers to show anything that deviated from what they believed at the time to be the truth about space travel. Although today it is a struggle to really appreciate the film, at least as it would have hit viewers in 1950, how many science fiction films have been criticized as being too real to be entertaining.”
(1012) All well but now clouding over. Happy elevenses. (1117)
15. Moosh corner
14. This song below could almost be his for Netflix
Yes, we’ve had it here three or four times … let’s have it again:
13. Go for it, girls
… that’s all I can say … I know of no one against you on this.
12. So sad
11. Steve B chart quiz
THE CHARTS ARE BACK ❤️❤️
Please repost so others can play ! Top songs chart A nice uk chart .what year is it from Try to do it without using google or Grok . Some great tracks here . #music#popchart#fridaypic.twitter.com/5TDS3wVriU
Have to disqualify myself, Steve, on this one … I know exactly when. Another for free … Splodgeness Abounds was the same year … says the year after but I can guarantee it wasn’t … bought the 45 in Tottenham Court Road from this geezer.
And West Ham won the FA Cup.
And now I’m going further … Special Brew was this song below but as a reaction video … I’ve always seen these two as a special brew but they do not know what it really means here. I used the song, not just in my long saga Masquerade but as our two protagonists sat at a table in Cafe Giuseppe, smiling to each other quietly discussing another couple across the room … truth was that the special brew was us ourselves in RL and we were the two protagonists for real, plus that was our regular cafe.
And I told her that that song was for us, coz we were certainly a special brew.
… far more internal US matters than we ordinarily cover but still interesting …
“California has issued more than 62,000 commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to illegal aliens and migrants.
“The federal audit found California had issued 62,000 CDLs to drivers who entered illegally, John, or do not have a permanent legal status, as required by the feds.”
John Roberts: “Did I hear you right? 62,000? My goodness!”
Depending on where they are from, some countries drive on the opposite side of the road than we do in the US.”
7. Interesting ideas
Saw this on Gab, where I still go to visit the lady Lainey (in Fri 8) …
Yesterday, two near-simultaneous acts of sabotage saw explosions ripping through oil refineries in both Hungary and Romania. In Hungary it was the MOL in Százhalombatta, which reportedly receives Russian oil, while in Romania the Petrotel-Lukoil, a subsidiary of the Russian parent company.
(0435) Firing on three cylinders (of four) … more detailed account in Friday 2 for certain far flung friends who were asking. Everyone else just carry on as normal please.
5. Steve corner at 1181
a. Starmer has just pledged an ‘additional £10 million in security funding to protect Muslim communities from hate crimes and attacks’ – didn’t say how much he was willing to spend on protecting little English girls though. We can be sure it’ll be nothing because they can barely bring themselves to admit that there’s anything wrong. That’s where we are and that’s where we’ll always be with self-haters in charge. Do not vote for people that hate you.
b. War Room:
Joe Allen: The Only Ones Who Benefit From Creating A “Digital God” Are Tech Oligarchs, Not Humanity. When Someone Promises To Radically Change Your Life, Always Ask: For Whose Benefit?
Max Tegmark: Sam Altman Says Humanity Has Two Futures: Fade Away Or Merge With Machines. Who Is He To Decide My Son’s Fate? To Say The Next Generation Must Fuse With AI?
Dr Bradley Thayer: China’s Economy Is Crumbling, And Xi Jinping Is Betting Everything On Artificial Intelligence
Worldwide Anglican Communion in schism over new woke pro-LGBT Arch-Layman of Canterbury appointment
c. Evets at 1181
White House Confirms Democrat-Run California Issued Commercial Driver’s License to Biden Illegal Alien Charged with Killing 3 People
Ninth Circuit — Trump Can Federalize California National Guard
Repeat Criminal of Iryna Zarutska Now Eligible for Death Penalty
‘31 For 1,000’: New Exchange Of Bodies Reveals Ukraine’s Heavy Losses
Moose Limb rape gangs: Mahmood’s commitment to an inquiry is a deflection; Phillips must resign
“We Will Not Be Governed by EU”: Incoming Czech Govt Rejects Migration Pact
Much more.
4. If you examine what govt is doing
… both here and in the US:
… and all around the west, it certainly seems coordinated, directed from Demon HQ. In turning indigenous people into cannon fodder and invading riff-raff into the cushily placed … well you can write the next but.
3. DAD at 1181
a. (JH: youtube of yesterday’s sshot.)
b) “How many illegals in France?”, M. le Minister. Asked about this point on Monday……. Laurent Nunez initially refused to answer…
c) France backing out from helping UK solve the channel crisis.
d) Persecution of Christians world-wide map.
e) According to INSEE, [Official French statistics collector] 31% of births registered in France in 2024 were from at least one parent born outside the European Union.
2. The health of a Higham
Do NOT wish to bore most readers but some readers I know would like to know. It’s written on that basis only.
On the NHS page about lil ole me, it says “fit”. Uh huh … how come the 2017 heart attack and stent then? Similarly, they thought COPD and so it was the treadmill thingy they did, which I passed but not even the docs thought to look at THIS.
What it took decades to realise was that that need not be malingering … judge for yourself from my output and former life. Trouble is, there’s stigma to it. It’s a bit like women … tarred with the Woke left, feminazi, off the brain brush.
Two incidents which had me thinking were firstly, in my 30s, going jogging with a sportsmaster mate (I also was one at that point) and one early 20s. The 30s one was that both were a bit out of condition due to day job … over three weeks, he became fitter, I did not, not in the least … in fact I was worse.
Second I’ve mentioned before and were I Steve, I’d smile too … route marches never increased my fitness. That’s not normal, so one looks elsewhere. First was podiatrics … not really a factor, except with walking. However, treadmill was fine, bike fine, as long as it was medium intense rather than low level hiking or biking over a long period. Hence I train on training bike at medium intensity … not low level marathons. Works.
On that linked page, it also says “sore throat”, “flu like symptoms”. These usually don’t clear for most people in 36 hours … mine do. On the other hand, I do think that we’re being poisoned in the sky, food and water today (call it Gates). All the above have never been life altering, nor the rhinitis, nose bleeds, tinnitus.
One massive factor though is reaction to change in temperature, as with many of you … if there’s a draft and I’m slow to dress warmly, it can suddenly hit … but where? Well some other readers mentioned chronic weak points … in my case, that point in the throat, elbows but not knees, gut, dental, nose bleeds. It’s as if it decides what will we hit today … let’s try gut first. After a time, it gets bored with that and thinks let’s try throat, then moves somwhere else, gives em all a working over.
Usually within 36 hours, it just gives it away and here’s the puzzle … no lingering effects … suddenly I’m fit again, run up and down stairs, blog like crazy. Eat well, heaps of liquid. Why does it go this way? Not a bleedin’ clue. Yesterday’s one decided heart after gut. At that point, I wrote to you here and retreated to bed … usually exercise helps heart but when severe … only copious sleep. All done now and fairly right.
1. Starting with the Sparkle rumour
… ta, IYE. With TEL, I’d always suggest reading comments through. My own comment is “I’ve not a clue,” but this seemed a surprisingly good piece on Wiki to read in conjunction with Ent:
