Directed by Nathan (THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD) Juran, starring Edward Judd, Lionel Jeffries, Martha Hyer, Miles Malleson and an uncredited cameo by Peter Finch.

When a team of astronauts land on the moon, they discover an old Union Jack flag and a document, which states that the moon has already been claimed… for Queen Victoria!

Back on Earth, an investigation team locates the last of the original Victorian crew, a very old Arnold Bedford (Judd), who tells them the story of how he and his girlfriend Katherine (Hyer) met up with an idiosyncratic inventor called Joseph Cavor (Jeffries).
As the story unfolds, we see that Cavor has invented a gravity-defying substance called Cavorite, which allows them to fly a sphere all the way to the moon. Once there, the intrepid trio discovers a lunar civilisation composed of various types of intelligent, insect-like beings, referred to as selenites…

This light, comedic slice of Victorian-era science fiction, shot in Panavision, features fine performances from Lionel Jeffries and Edward Judd. I think Jeffries is especially good as Cavor, who is the standout character in a script written by Nigel (THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT) Kneale. The story is, of course, an adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel.

The Grand Lunar and several higher-status selenites are stop-motion creations courtesy of Ray Harryhausen, while the worker selenites are children in costumes, which I think works okay as they aren’t focused on in detail.

The giant mooncalf is also created via stop-motion by Ray Harryhausen: its attack on the heroes is my favourite moment in the movie.

The movie boasts some pleasing moonscape sets, subterranean vistas, plus a clever modern day wraparound plot device, which all add to the enjoyment of the viewing experience.

Some posters for the movie…

Here are some Italian Fotobustas (lobby cards)…

Cover for the Gold Key comic adaptation…

Some colourful art…

Okay, let’s focus on the lovely mooncalf…

The special visual effects for the film were provided by Ray Harryhausen, who worked alongside British special effects expert Les Bowie at his Slough studio to produce the complicated travelling matte sequences that combined live action footage with the miniatures. Ian Scoones, who frequently collaborated with Bowie, drew the concept artwork for the mooncalf skeleton.
Here you can see Scoones’ skeleton drawing on the top right, next to Ray’s initial concepts for the look of the mooncalf stop-motion model’s face and body…

Finally, here’s a publicity shot of Martha Hyer…