Ray Harryhausen said that First Men in the Moon (1964) was his favorite sci-fi film he worked on
Harryhausen said that the film "had stood the test of time."
The 1964 film First Men in the Moon wasn’t Ray Harryhausen’s first film venture with Charles H. Schneer. Harryhausen had previously worked with the producer on films like It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) and Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1957). Years later, the two would work together on the popular sci-fi film, as Harryhausen recounted in The Art of Ray Harryhausen.
“It was another seven years before Charles Schneer, my producer, and I worked on another science-fiction adventure,” wrote the creative. “But this time there were no flying saucers and no rampaging monsters on the loose in the city streets; instead, we turned to a period story by H.G. Wells.”
With such a lengthy career, Harryhausen admitted that of all his films, the adaptation held a special place in his heart.
“Of all the science-fiction films I worked on, First Men in the Moon is most certainly my favorite, a story of high adventure that contains action, humour, and a strong message. Sadly, it didn’t go down well with audiences at the time, perhaps because the genre had by then lost its appeal.”
Despite the less-than-warm reception, Harryhausen enjoyed his time working on the project.
“First Men in the Moon was a satisfying film to design and work on,” said the creator. “My admiration for Wells helped the project to come together relatively easily, apart from some problems with the anamorphic ratio (wide-screen). The end product was, I think, one of the best features Charles and I did, and, gratifyingly, it has stood the test of time, which can be the cruelest critic.”
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