Rock on rock monsters
A scientist, Dirk Green (Michael Whalen) learns that the government is going to take over his moon rocket project. He finds two convicts Gary Fennell (Tommy Cook) and Lon (Gary Clarke) that escaped from prison are hiding in his rocket ship. He plans to launch his rocket into space before the government can take over. He forces the two convicts to act as crew for him. Two other people are accidentally trapped in the spaceship, scientist Steve Dayton (Richard Travis) and his fiancé June Saxton (Cathy Downs). On the way to the moon Dirk reveals that he is a moon man and that he is trying to get home. Unfortunately, he dies before they can get there. The four remaining passengers have no choice but to continue on to the moon.
On the surface of the moon they run into the rock monsters. The group must confine themselves to the shadows. Apparently if they stray into the sunlight they will spontaneously combust and there will be nothing left but a skeleton. To get away from the rock people they run into a cave. While they are hiding in the cave they are attacked by a giant spider. Trying to avoid the spider they end up being captured by the moon people.
The leader of the moon people is called “The Lido” (K. T. Stevens). The Lido has plans to steal the space ship and rule the Earth. But there is dissention in the ranks. The second in command is Alpha (Nina Bara). The second in command wants to be the first in command. The second in command kills the first in command.
"Missile to the Moon" was released in 1958 and was directed by Richard E. Cunha. Labeled as “the remake of the century” it is based on the “legendary sci-fi thriller” “Cat Women of the Moon”. What I’m not too clear on here is if “Cat Women” is so legendary why do they need a remake?
The only thing I remember about this movie from when I was a kid was the rock monsters. I thought they were cool. I was nine. The giant spider is a marionette. It is the same spider used in Cat-Women of the Moon (1953). The Moon people are all women. They are blue with Mr. Spock eyebrows.
As for the rock people, OK so they do look like “Gumby damn it”. And they waddle. I still like them. The spiders look like pipe cleaners with paper mache heads. I like them too. There are so many silly things going on that are typical of your basic 50’s science fiction thriller. Of course the budget was small, about $65,000. They spared every expense. Fans of the movie are basically fans because they remember it fondly from their childhood. Whether they saw it at the movie theater or on Saturday afternoon TV there are at least two generations that have this movie on their must have list. My only reason is for my rock monsters.