Destination Moon
“Two years in the making!”
Synopsis
A team composed of an aerospace scientist, an ex-Air Force general, and an industrialist conceives an ambitious plan to land Americans on the moon. From their base in the Mojave Desert, they construct and successfully launch a spacecraft named "Luna" that contains a cargo of four astronauts. But a critical miscalculation of needed power to escape the moon's gravitational pull may put the astronauts' lives in danger.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Destination Moon 1950 Trailer HD | John Archer | Warner Anderson
Type: Trailer • Published 2017-09-11
Top Cast
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John Archer
Jim Barnes
Warner Anderson
Dr. Charles Cargraves
Tom Powers
General Thayer
Dick Wesson
Joe Sweeney
Erin O'Brien-Moore
Emily Cargraves
Steve Carruthers
Businessman at Meeting (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum
Factory Worker (uncredited)
Jack Gargan
Businessman at Meeting (uncredited)
Everett Glass
Mr. La Porte (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Businessman at Meeting (uncredited)
Knox Manning
Himself (uncredited)
Mike Miller
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
Irving Pichel
Off Screen Narrator of Woody Woodpecker Cartoon (voice) (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo
Businessman at Meeting (uncredited)
Grace Stafford
Woody Woodpecker (voice) (uncredited)
Bert Stevens
Businessman at Meeting (uncredited)
Ted Warde
Brown (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
June 27, 1950
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$592K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$5M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
8.45x
+$4.4M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Irving Pichel
- Screenplay & Story
- Alford Van Ronkel, Robert A. Heinlein, James O'Hanlon
- Original Score
- Leith Stevens
- Original Title
- Destination Moon
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 31m
- Production Budget
- $592K
- Worldwide Gross
- $5M
- Production Studios
- George Pal Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Irving Pichel
Alford Van Ronkel, Robert A. Heinlein, James O'Hanlon
Leith Stevens
Lionel Lindon
Duke Goldstone
George Pal
Department Leadership Roster
Irving Pichel
Director
Alford Van Ronkel
Screenplay
Robert A. Heinlein
Screenplay
James O'Hanlon
Screenplay
George Pal
Producer
Leith Stevens
Original Music Composer
Lionel Lindon
Director of Photography
Duke Goldstone
Editor
Ernst Fegté
Production Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Universal — Suitable for all audiences.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Destination Moon.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Destination Moon.
Mid Hunting List
A list of mids found by Mid Hunters
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Movies categorized under Science_Fiction
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My Movie Collection
Spaceflight Cinema
Stories featuring astronauts going on grand journeys on the big screen.
1950s Sci-Fi Boom
Science fiction films of 1950 to 1959.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Destination Moon
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Destination Moon about?
A team composed of an aerospace scientist, an ex-Air Force general, and an industrialist conceives an ambitious plan to land Americans on the moon. From their base in the Mojave Desert, they construct and successfully launch a spacecraft named "Luna" that contains a cargo of four astronauts. But a critical miscalculation of needed power to escape the moon's gravitational pull may put the astronauts' lives in danger.
Who directed Destination Moon?
Destination Moon was directed by Irving Pichel.
Who stars in Destination Moon?
The principal cast of Destination Moon includes John Archer, Warner Anderson, Tom Powers, Dick Wesson, Erin O'Brien-Moore.
When was Destination Moon released and how long is it?
Destination Moon was released in 1950 with a total runtime of 1h 31m.
What was the box office and production budget of Destination Moon?
Destination Moon had a reported production budget of $592K and grossed $5M at the worldwide box office (8.45 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Destination Moon?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Destination Moon was composed by Leith Stevens.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Destination Moon?
Destination Moon holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); GB: U (Universal — Suitable for all audiences.).