Dr. Jeff Huntley (Lester Brown) is a scientist. He works with Professor Nichols (William Mayer). They are researching space travel and are working on building a rocket that will take them into space. When Jeff gets an unexpected windfall, in the form of an inheritance from an uncle who passed away, they are able to realize their dream. Jeff invests the money in completing the rocket. Both Jeff and Nichols launch their spaceship. Their destination is the moon.
Once they land on the Moon they begin exploring the area. They are amazed that there are plants and water where they are. They determine that they must be at the bottom of a crater that cannot be seen on Earth to account for the strange landscape. Of course that doesn’t account for the sky and clouds but one thing at a time.
They come upon a wall that looks as if intelligent beings may have made it. They climb a convenient ladder and find that behind the wall is a civilization of humanoids. The Moon people communicate telepathically using headbands with little reindeer antenna coming out of them. Except for panties the Moon people are naked.
The two astronauts are soon discovered. The Queen of the Moon people (Marietta) calls a meeting of the Great Council to determine if the strangers are dangerous. She believes that the two strangers are friendly and are there for scientific investigation. The two men are allowed to wander around the compound by themselves. Jeff takes pictures of the Moon people doing everyday stuff, which mostly consists of lying around and frolicking, while Nichols makes notes.
Jeff and the Moon Queen are attracted to each other. Since the Moon Queen is telepathic they basically just stare at each other. With their oxygen running low, Professor Nichols urges Jeff to return to Earth. Jeff wants to stay but the Moon Queen casts a spell on him and Nichols is able to take him back to the ship. Unfortunately they manage to leave behind their camera. Without it they have no proof of what they saw, or that they were ever on the moon at all.
“Nude on the Moon” was released in 1961 and was written and directed by Raymond Phelan and Doris Wishman. It is the second of eight “Nudie Cutie” movies the two did together. The opening of the film features and adorable song sung by Ralph Young called “I’m Mooning Over You (My Little Moon Doll). Young was part of the singing team Sandler and Young for you Baby Boomers. The part of the Moon was played by Coral Castle in Homestead Florida.
The moon people are actually just topless not totally nude. Even if you’re not into “Nudie Cuties” or boobs it’s still a cute little fantasy film. Of course it’s still short on plot and heavy on bad acting but it’s a low budget “B” movie so… don’t expect much.
The movie starts out real slow so if you want to fast forward to the nude moon part you’ll get there about a half hour into the film. (In the movie is takes the astronauts two hours to get to the moon.) At the time it was made the movie was considered soft core porn. Now it is just a sample of 60’s style exploitation. There is no sex; there isn’t even any kissing in the film. Just women and men in panties walking around or sitting around. You’ve seen more on TV. When it was made it was almost an underground film. Now it’s just boobs. Quite a few boobs yes, but that’s it.
Granted it’s not for everyone. There is no plot or special effects, not even much dialogue, and definitely no science. As for anything else that would put it in the science fiction realm, well, the space suits are leotards with go cart helmets and Roman gladiator style collars. The astronauts have to use their own oxygen, but plants and trees on the Moon grow without it. In space you need microphones to talk, even if you are sitting next to each other.
The film is a little historical curiosity in what is now acceptable and what, at one time, was so risqué as to be shown only in the lower class theaters. It is also one of the earlier exploitation movies by a woman director.