Something about this movie just screams "low budget". And it's not merely the lack of fancy special effects or the soundstage-bound nature of what is supposed to be a sci-fi/adventure film. It's mostly the disjointed feel of the scenes, the amateurish editing and the poor pacing. Dullsville.
The acting doesn't help, since it doesn't look like they're trying at all - well, maybe George Sanders, as much as he can with an underwritten part, and Henry Daniell has a spark of life that makes him stand out - but if I hadn't seen Joseph Cotten before, I'd never suspect him of being a competent actor, judging by this performance. Tired and uninspired. I never have seen Debra Paget in anything else, so I'm going to have to say...not much of an actress.
She'd have to be *terrific* to make something of the awful dialogue she's given. The love scenes are laughable. The movie's pretty sexist too...with a condescending remark about including women in future space travels...to provide hope (eh?) and prepare the meals (hey!).
The characters' motivations are unclear, plot holes and inconsistencies make for a weak script and hurts this movie far more than the lack of budget required to take us sightseeing on the Moon... but I suppose other bad scripts with bland acting, have been saved by cool visuals, and this one might've been too.
The late great producer, Irving Thalberg, once said he had no desire to take credit and splash his name all over his films (very commendable modesty), and those were some of the greatest movies ever made. His name became well-known anyway, on the strength of his work and admiration of his peers. When I watched the opening credits of far-from-great "From The Earth To The Moon", I couldn't help noticing the name of the producer...who I've never heard of...kept popping up repeatedly. You can draw your own conclusions.