First Men in the Moon

First Men in the Moon begins with an international space mission that lands on the lunar surface and finds evidence that someone got there long before: an old British flag and a document claiming the Moon for Queen Victoria. The discovery turns the astronauts' triumph into a mystery, and the search for answers leads back to an elderly Englishman who has been quietly living out his days in a nursing home, and who remembers a journey made decades earlier with a scientist, a young woman and a remarkable invention.

The film was directed by Nathan H. Juran, working from a screenplay by Nigel Kneale and Jan Read. It followed a run of fantasy and science fiction pictures for Juran that included 20 Million Miles to Earth, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and Jack the Giant Killer, and it came before Land Raiders. Charles H. Schneer produced, and the cast is led by Edward Judd as Arnold Bedford, Martha Hyer as Kate Callender and Lionel Jeffries as Joseph Cavor, with Miles Malleson, Norman Bird and Gladys Henson among the credited players.

Released in 1964, the film runs 103 minutes and belongs to the adventure and science fiction genres, made as a British and American co-production through Columbia Pictures and Ameran Films. Its worldwide box office reached about 2 million dollars. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.5 from roughly 7,100 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.3 from 149 votes, showing a modest but consistent level of approval from viewers.