This movie is being released on Blu-ray by Olive Films (www.olivefilms.com – www.facebook.com/olivefilms) on March 21st, 2017.
In the late 50s and early 60s, Hollywood was all-in when it came to producing big, star-studded comedies involving exaggerated, location-hopping adventures. Starting with titles like Around the World in Eighty Days (1956) and continuing through It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), The Great Race (1965) and Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines (1965), these pictures raked in box office revenue. Due to their success, it wasn’t long before the rest of the world attempted stories in a similar vein.
Though lesser known and made on a slimmer budget, the British feature Blast-Off (1967) aka Jules Verne’s Rocket to the Moon aka Those Fantastic Flying Fools was made in exactly the same style. While all of these films are a little broad and dated, this effort is just as amusing as a goofball family comedy as the previous titles mentioned. It’s been hard to come by now for some time, but Olive Films have just released a Blu-ray of the feature that will please fans.
For those curious about all of the alternate titles, the movie itself had some difficulty finding audiences during its original release. Frankly, it was a bit of a Johnny-come-lately entry to the genre. As such, it went through various moniker changes in different markets. So while this disc goes by the name Blast-Off (which was the title given a truncated version of the film released in the US), viewers will be pleased to note that the feature contained is the complete 120 minute cut. Everything is here, sharply transferred to high definition.
The ridiculous plot, very loosely based on the work of Jules Verne, is set in the UK in 1875. It involves some enthusiastic, if not entirely competent, men of science trying their best to mount man’s first trip to the moon. Their elaborate plan involves blowing the top off of a nearby mountain and converting it into a cannon. With powerful new explosives, they plot to launch a spaceship into orbit. Sounds like a perfectly practical solution.
Led by a financially strapped P.T. Barnum (Burl Ives), this forward thinking group includes Tom Thumb (Jimmy Clitheroe), a local Duke and science supporter (Dennis Price), German explosives expert Siegfried von Bulow (Gert Frobe), engineer Sir Charles Dillworthy (Lionel Jeffries) and balloon/space travel enthusiast Gaylord (Troy Donahue). Amusingly, even among these noble ranks, all attempts are met with nothing but mishaps. For the team each failure is a terrible setback, but is fantastic news to business partner/public works contractor, Captain Sir Harry Washington-Smyth (Terry-Thomas); he wants nothing more than to cut corners and pocket as much of the funding for himself as he can.
As mentioned, the humor is very broadly delivered, but I must give it some credit. Several of the gags are quite funny and there are numerous chuckles over its running time. Just about every explosion that could go awry does and the film milks every moment surrounding any detonation for maximum comedic impact. A cannon test sequence goes on for an absurdly long period as a wary soldier tries to load an experimental charge for firing. Every squeak is emphasized as the volatile substance is slowly lowered. Even the lighting of the fuse is extended (with Barnum himself wandering in front of the weapon and endangering himself without realizing it) as viewers wait for the inevitable to occur. It’s all very silly and juvenile (almost like a Looney Tunes short) but the tone is good-natured and amusing throughout.
What also sets Blast-Off apart are the smiles and unfettered optimism on the parts of many of the characters. They fail time and time again, yet never lose their enthusiasm as they attempt to foster progress and reach their goal. As rivalries are introduced and spies attempt to throw a wrench in the works, the madcap tone is further emphasized.
The movie also has a great deal of fun with production design. Its Jules Verne-inspired spacecraft is amusingly decked out with Victorian decor and furniture. And the costume includes perhaps the funniest, most impractical spacesuit getup ever created for a film. There are a lot of pratfalls and physical comedy. The cast does well to sell the material and some of the wipe-outs surely amused kids of the day. Terry-Thomas makes for an entertainingly slimy and less-than-subtle villain. It’s all very absurd, but manages to entertain nonetheless.
Admittedly, Blast-Off is not exactly a masterpiece. It’s shaggy, loose and leisurely-paced. Despite this, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it overall. The new Blu-ray looks great. Once the opening credits are completed, viewers will enjoy a sharp and bright widescreen picture capturing very picturesque natural scenery (the film was largely shot in Ireland). If you enjoy movies like The Great Race, Blast-Off is a title well worth your attention.