Nude on the Moon

Nude on the Moon, a 1961 science fiction escapade directed by Doris Wishman and Raymond Phelan, provides a unique, and at times uncanny, exploration of classic sci-fi tropes with a dash of erotica. Starring Marietta, William Mayer, and Lester Brown, the film unfolds a fascinating tale that takes its characters – and the audience – from Earth to the Moon and back in an indulgence of primitive rocket age fancy.

The movie begins by introducing the central character, a young, affluent scientist named Dr. Jeff Huntley, played deftly by William Mayer. As a well-to-do, curious scientist with a thirst for the unknown, Huntley inherits a significant fortune, which he promptly uses to finance his lifelong aspiration – building a spaceship and journeying to the Moon. His loyal assistant, Professor Nichols, portrayed coolly and efficiently by Lester Brown, joins him on this grand adventure.

Soon enough, they're rocketing off into the cosmos, guided only by their boundless enthusiasm for science, exploration, and the unexpected. In line with the period's fascination with outer space, the film portrays their voyage into the unknown with a unique combination of respect, romance, and whimsy.

Upon landing on the moon, the spellbound explorers stumble upon a veritable Garden of Eden inhabited by a group of Moon Nymphs, an analogy that the movie deliberately indulges in. These beautiful, enigmatic beings are the titular "nudes," dressed only in skin-tight gold shorts and pasties, which serves to convey not just their other-worldly essence, but also an explicit eroticism that was relatively new to the mainstream cinema of the era. This exotic colony of lunar inhabitants lives in a tranquil world of peace and simplicity and is primarily women, including the stunningly beautiful Queen, played ravishingly by Marietta.

The lunar society's differences from Earth prompt several sequences of comedic misunderstandings and language barriers, which are portrayed as humorous, nonsensical, and even a little farcical. The movie’s alien depiction of lunar life veers off from established sci-fi conventions, presenting an almost utopian society based on harmony and peace.

The Queen in particular is a memorable character in this bizarre lunar society. Marietta’s uncanny and captivating depiction of the moon Queen, with her ethereal charm and beauty, brings a unique enchantment to the storyline. The Queen and Dr. Huntley quickly form a romantic bond, with Mayer and Marietta delivering convincing performances despite the surreal storyline.

Nude on the Moon unashamedly immerses itself in its outlandish premise, using it to question earthly notions of decency, morality, love, and even human society. Despite having an essentially simple premise, the film takes the audience on a lush, vivid journey that blurs the boundaries between science fiction and fantasy by utilizing artful, albeit limited special effects of the time to depict an enchanting lunar landscape. The film's sets, supposed to represent the moon's surface and the Moon Nymphs' settlement area, appear deliberately exaggerated and slightly dream-like, perhaps evoking a sense of wonder and mystery associated with The Moon.

The film also carefully treads the line between erotic fantasy and experimental cinema while maintaining a critically engaging narrative. The scantily clad Moon Nymphs signal the initial stages of sexual liberation in mainstream cinema, but for its time. The movie's erotic undertones line up rather poignantly with the societal change that was to come later in the decade.

Nude on the Moon shows us a different face of the moon, a naked moon, if you will, painting a lush, vivid picture of an alien society free of earthly restrictions and conventions. It invites us to question our own societal norms as we immerse ourselves in this offbeat fantasy world. Derivative of its time, the film explores familiar themes - exploration, human curiosity, and the quest for knowledge - framed through the lens of a surreal, fantastical voyage to the moon.

While it may lack the depth or the sophistication of some of its peers, Nude on the Moon's strength lies in its entertaining narrative, bold erotic undertones, and an unusually convincing depiction of a lunar civilization. It's fruitfully explored the charm of the forbidden, the allure of the unknown, and the magic of the moon.