Basil Dearden wasn't known for his comedies and there's a definite smart arse tone to this satire, which never works, despite solid work from Kenneth More in the lead. He is charming and accomplished as ever but the material defeats him starting with a dim central idea - More is impervious to all illness due to his cheerful nature, so is selected to be the first man on the moon. That's a weak basis for a comedy and the execution doesn't help.
The jokes are lame and a bit smug in that we're-socially-progressive-and-making-a-comedy-aren't-we-funny way so you sometimes get when do-gooders try to lay them in the aisles (eg "are you political?" "I vote conservative" "So that's a no."). More does his best and there's good support from Michael Hordern and Charles Gray (as a rival astronaut).
I took me a while to get used to a blonde Shirley Ann Field as More's stripper girlfriend (who seems to be a stripper mainly to get her into some crazy outfits which I guess is fine) and her acting is a bit erratic, but she's very good looking and sexy. She's not the problem with the film - none of the actors are: it's the script. Actually it's the idea.
NB Australian viewers might get a kick out of the fact that the end of the movie is set at Woomera - when More thinks he lands on the moon at the end it turns out to be the Australian desert (an annoying shaggy dog finish which robs the piece of further excitement but at least gives a laugh to Aussies).
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