Blast-Off Reviews

Combining elements of Jules Verne's stories with the legend of P.T. Barnum, this slight science-fiction comedy has some high spots but fails to maintain them. When his circus burns down, Ives decides to send the reluctant Clitheroe (the ever-present "comedy midget") on a rocket to the moon. This attracts the attention of spies around the world. Frobe is a German scientist who has invented the device, and Jeffries the man who designed the final craft. There is just one flaw with the spaceship: there is no way for it to make a return trip from the moon. Donahue, in yet another forgettable appearance, is a balloonist who claims his rockets can make return trips. Numerous subplots involving spies and sabotage pad out the rest of the film, most having no relation to Jules Verne. The finale finds the rocket landing in czarist Russia and the cast assuming that the Russians beat them to the moon. The precredit opening is very funny, promising good entertainment that is never delivered. Despite some quality names in the cast, nobody stands out in this uninspired work.