Cat Women of the Moon
| Cat Women of the Moon | |
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| Directed by | Arthur Hilton |
| Produced by | Jack Rabin Al Zimbalist |
| Written by | Roy Hamilton |
| Starring |
Sonny Tufts Victor Jory Marie Windsor |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | William P. Whitley |
| Edited by | John A. Bushelman |
| Distributed by | Astor Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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64 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Cat-Women of the Moon is an independently made 1953 American black-and-white 3D science fiction film, produced by Jack Rabin and Al Zimbalist, directed by Arthur Hilton and starring Sonny Tufts, Victor Jory, and Marie Windsor. The film was released by Astor Pictures.
Notably, the musical score was composed by Academy Award-winner Elmer Bernstein, though his last name is misspelled as "Bernstien" in the opening credits.
Using a spaceship furnished with wooden tables and rolling chairs, a "scientific expedition" to the Moon encounters a race of Cat-Women, the last eight survivors of a 2-million-year-old civilization. Residing deep within a cave wherein they have managed to maintain not only the remnants of a breathable atmosphere and Earth-like gravity but also a pair of gigantic spiders, the Cat-Women sport black unitards, beehive hair styles, and elaborate cosmetics. Realizing that the remaining air in the cave will soon be gone, the Cat-Women plan to steal the expedition's spaceship, migrate to Earth, and in the words of the Cat-Women's leader, Alpha (Carol Brewster), "We will get their women under our power, and soon we will rule the whole world!"
Through the use of their telepathic ability the Cat-Women have been subliminally controlling Helen Salinger (Marie Windsor), the mission navigator and only female member of the expedition. Once the expedition arrives on the Moon the Cat-Women take complete control of Helen's mind, after which she leads the entire crew - clad in heavy spacesuits and equipped with matches, cigarettes, and a gun - to the Cat-Women's cave. Although unable to control their minds, the Cat-Women are nevertheless able to influence the male crew members through the combined application of the mind-controlled Helen, their own superior intellectual abilities and feminine wiles. As explained to Helen by the Cat-Woman named Beta (Suzanne Alexander), "Show us their weak points. We'll take care of the rest."
Along with telepathy, the Cat-Women have the ability to transport themselves unseen, and instantly, from place to place within their living space. They use this ability to steal the crew's spacesuits from the mouth of the cave, where they had been left unguarded. This act forces the crew deeper into the cave and into violent confrontations with the two resident spiders and the Cat-Women themselves. Having failed to exterminate them in this manner, the Cat-Women approach the men openly, using Helen to help establish friendly relations. Kip (Victor Jory), who has been suspicious throughout the encounter, confronts Alpha about the missing spacesuits, and she promises to return them in the morning. Food and drink are then brought out, and private conversations between crew and Cat-Women commence. As the conversations progress (sample dialog: "You're too smart for me, baby. I like 'em stupid") the gun-wielding Kip sits alone, unable to intervene, while the Cat-Women successfully exploit the "weak points" of expedition commander Laird (Sonny Tufts) and the other men.
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