Review #1,349: 'Cat-Women of the Moon' (1953)

The 1950s and early 60s produced countless low-budget sci-fi movies that depicted women as a strange and dangerous race who used their feminine wiles to lure poor unsuspecting men into their deadly traps. The Wild Women of Wongo and Mesa of Lost Women are two unfortunate examples, but none really come close to the shameless sexism demonstrated in Cat-Women of the Moon, which is surely one of the worst movies ever made. If you've ever seen the fantastic Mad Men and wondered whether or not the misogyny on show is as a little far-fetched, then think again. This is a movie in which the square-jawed hero flirts with the line "You're too smart for me baby, I like 'em stupid!", and the leading lady enjoys being man-handled by her colleague at every opportunity.

We open in space, with the crew of the first manned mission to the Moon waking up from some kind of dream state before they finally touch down at their destination. Even for a 1950s movie, the science is utter nonsense, with the cardboard-looking spaceship decorated with what looks like outdated military equipment and lots of pointless nobs and buttons. Things get even worse when navigator Helen (Marie Windsor) insists that they touch down on the dark side of the Moon, to which the crew agree to despite not having a clue what lies there. Helen is joined by captain Laird (a sozzled Sonny Tufts), saggy-faced, trigger-happy tough guy Kip (Victor Jory), young rookie Doug (William Phipps), and mustachioed engineer Walt (Douglas Fowley). After entering a dark cave, the crew soon discover that the air is in fact breathable, and press on to explore this strange new world. What mysteries lie in waiting for them?

Giant rubber spiders and women dressed in leotards, that's what! Yes, not only is the Moon populated with arachnids (what do they eat?), but its most intelligent inhabitants is an ancient civilisation of cat-women who dwell in their Aztec-like palace and posses the ability to teleport and transmit thoughts telepathically. They hope to steal the rocket and take over Earth, but this is all the film's way of warning men of the dangers of the opposite sex. The cat-women start to systematically seduce the men, even luring one with the promise of a mine full of gold, as well as poisoning Helen's mind with their seductive ways. I usually find movies as cheesy and poorly-made as Cat-Women of the Moon amusing and oddly charming, but I became increasingly angry as the painfully long 64 minutes dragged by. It is the cinematic equivalent of calling a female work colleague 'sugartits' or patting their behind as they wait at the photocopier. On top of this, the rest of the film is so inept that its offensive for a completely different reason. It's no surprise that director Arthur Hilton never made another feature after 1953.


Directed by: Arthur Hilton
Starring: Sonny Tufts, Victor Jory, Marie Windsor, Susan Morrow, Douglas Fowley, William Phipps
Country: USA

Rating: *

Tom Gillespie