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Retro SciFi of the Month…

12 to the Moon (1960)

This film is one of the very few 20th century science fiction films to include a black character. And it’s one of the few of any genre to include a black character before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It also includes an Asian character. As the title suggests, it’s an ensemble cast of twelve who fly to the moon.

The film was produced shortly after the founders of Columbia Pictures had died and a bean-counter had taken over the studio. The company was in flux, as was its produciton quality. So although it was from a major studio, it suffered from a reduced budget. It’s only slightly better in quality than the typical giant-insect scifi films of the era, but it’s kind of quirky and much different in feel from the usual 50’s science fiction films.

It looks like the filmmakers were trying to make a serious and technically accurate film, but of course there were many blunders. It’s a stupid film but fun to watch nonetheless.

Here's a clip from the film showing the astronuats first entering the rocket ship before liftoff.

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