Movie review – “Cat Women of the Moon” (1954) **

Famously bad 50s sci fi, using a plot that was too commonly found in that decade: an intrepid bunch of explorers (in this case, astronauts to the moon) discover an all-female society who pant over the hunky newcomers. (Other examples include World Without End and Queen of Outer Space.) At least this one varies the formula a little by having a woman (Marie Windsor) among the explorers. It’s also got a strong cast for this kind of thing – along with Windsor there’s Victor Jory and Sonny Tufts. Okay it’s not exactly Oscar time, but at least they’re well known.

Some wonderful camp moments – a ridiculous looking giant spider; the layout of the rocket; the splendid cat women themselves, with their history and manipulation of men (“you’re too smart for me baby,” says one astronaut. “I like ‘em stupid”); the cat women dance; astronauts bringing cigarettes and a gun when they go walking on the moon... and both turn out to be useful. 

Incredibly sexist – the cat women want to move back to Earth in order to take over the world with the help of the women there, but one of their number ruins it by falling in love with an astronaut (you can’t have power and love you see).
You know something? There is a possible sequel in what would happen on earth had the women been successful in their mission, overthrowing the patriarchy.

On the technical side of things, this is full of more scientific errors than you'd care to think. It's not particularly well directed, although some suspense is created by delaying the appearance of the cat women. Sonny Tufts is ostensibly the hero but the real he man is Victor Jory who gets the girl (Windsor only likes Tufts because she's brainwashed) and is the one man who doesn't fall for the cat women's act. I liked the character stuff of the astronaut who wanted to make a quick buck and was determined to accumulate as many souvenirs as he could. Good, silly fun.