Woman In The Moon

Woman in the Moon
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Fritz Lang
Screenplay by	Fritz Lang Thea von Harbou
Based on	The Rocket to the Moon by Thea von Harbou
Starring	Willy Fritsch Gerda Maurus Klaus Pohl Fritz Rasp Gustl Gstettenbaur Gustav von Wangenheim
Cinematography	Curt Courant
Distributed by	UFA
Release date	15 October 1929 (1929-10-15)
Running time	156 min. / 200 min. (2000 restoration) / Spain:104 min. / Spain:162 min. (DVD edition) / USA:95 min / West Germany:91 min (edited version) (1970)
Country	Germany (Weimar Republic)
Language	Silent film German intertitles

Woman in the Moon (German Frau im Mond) is a science fiction silent film that premiered 15 October 1929 at the UFA-Palast am Zoo cinema in Berlin to an audience of 2,000. It is often considered to be one of the first "serious" science fiction films. It was written and directed by Fritz Lang, based on the novel The Rocket to the Moon by his collaborator Thea von Harbou, his wife at the time. It was released in the USA as By Rocket to the Moon and in the UK as Woman in the Moon. The basics of rocket travel were presented to a mass audience for the first time by this film, including the use of a multi-stage rocket. The film was shot between October 1928 and June 1929 at the UFA studios in Neubabelsberg near Berlin

The film is a melodrama with scientific speculation. Helius (Willy Fritsch) is an entrepreneur with an interest in space travel. He seeks out Professor Mannfeldt (Klaus Pohl), a visionary who has written a treatise on the likelihood of finding gold on the moon, only to be ridiculed by his peers. Helius recognizes the value of Mannfeldt's work, but a gang of evil businessmen have also taken an interest in Mannfeldt's theories.

Meanwhile, Helius's assistant Windegger (Gustav von Wangenheim) has announced his engagement to Helius's other assistant, Friede (Gerda Maurus). This is disconcerting to Helius, who secretly loves Friede, so he avoids their engagement party. He is mugged on the way home from his meeting with Mannfeldt by henchmen of the evil businessmen, commanded by an American, "The man who calls himself Walter Turner," (Fritz Rasp) as stated in the opening credits. They steal the research that Professor Mannfeldt had entrusted to him and also burgle Helius's home, taking other valuable material. They then present him with an ultimatum: they know he is planning a voyage to the moon; either he includes them in the project, or they will sabotage it and destroy his rocket, which is also named Friede. Reluctantly, Helius agrees to their terms.