Woman in the Moon (1929) - full transcript
Thirty years ago, at a scientific conference, Prof. Manfeldt presented his theory on the existence of gold on the Moon. It was greeted with laughter by the assembled academics. Today, Herr Helius has ambitious plans to build a spaceship... and take it to the Moon! Windegger, his chief engineer, will be going, and so will Prof. Manfeldt, now living in a cramped garret alone with his theory. But there are disagreements with the financiers who insist that their man Turner also accompany the flight... The unmanned Rocket H 32 brings back valuable information from the dark side of the Moon. Helius is upset by the news of Windegger's engagement to the pretty Friede. And the financiers have a secret agenda: to control the world's gold supply... Finally, the Spaceship "Friede" is ready as it rolls out on its gantry for takeoff. The staged rocket works as planned, but the acceleration is fierce. As they approach the Moon, they discover a stowaway on board, Gustav, a little boy...
The Restoration of FRAU IM MOND
was carried out in 2000
by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau
Foundation in Wiesbaden,
based on the camera negative from
the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv in Berlin.
The intertitles
were taken from the negatives.
The comparison and copying was carried out
by L'Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna.
The master negative of this edit
was used for the 2K digital version.
WOMAN IN THE MOON.
For the human mind,
there is no Never, — only a Not Yet.
Georg Manfeldt, Ph.D.
Professor of Astronomy
You should have let that skunk
break his neck, Helius —
For thirty years I live like a dog
for the sake of my ideas —
and then comes this louse-fellow
speculating on my misery,
and wants to buy my manuscript
from me as a curiosity —
I'd like to have dinner with you,
Professor — can you spare some bread?
I found this in my coat when
you left the other day —
buy yourself some bread
with it, Mr Helius —
Spare me having to take handouts
from my only friend, Helius...
If you don't join me, Professor,
I won't be able to enjoy it.
FOOL OR SWINDLER?
Thursday, 17 August, 1896
Hypothetical Account
of the Gold Content
in the Mountains
of the Moon
I maintain, after many years of
comparative analyses,
that primitive moon-rock contains
more gold than the earth's mountains.
One day, the first spaceship
will fly to the moon,
to bring its gold
back to the earth.
Laughter, gentlemen, is
the argument of idiots
against every new idea —
The progress of the world
will not fail
due to learned ignoramuses
lacking in fantasy
whose brains work in inverse
proportion to their calcification —
Professor —
I've decided to go...
But not without me, Helius —
not without me —
Now your idea
will triumph after all, Professor...
Naturally Windegger
will go along?
What — ? Windegger won't — ?
Your collaborator and best friend?
Friede Velten,
student of astronomy,
and Hans Windegger, Chief Engineer
of Helius Hangars are engaged.
Dear Friede.
Best wishes to you and Hans.
Don't be upset that I can't come tonight
to your engagement party.
Please accept the flowers
as a substitute.
Yours, Wolf Helius.
He doesn't even know anything
about my decision —
no-one does — except for you...
I tell you, Helius, more people
than you and I know of your plan —
— and the fellow whom I threw
down the stairs before is one of them —
Three nights ago —
So you think someone
knows of my plans
and is thus also interested
in your moon-gold theory...?
Helius, don't be angry —
it's my life's work — go home —
I can't rest until I know the
manuscript is in your safe.
Dear Helius. I write to you
in incomparable bliss
and you should be the first to know
that Friede has agreed to be my wife.
Perhaps I took her a bit
by surprise, but she said yes.
Come tonight to the engagement
party at Friede's apartment.
I am ridiculously happy.
Windegger
Fresh violets, sir?
Wolf Helius, Bergstr. 86-3
To be delivered in person
Mr Helius isn't home...
Please... let me wait for Mr Helius
anyway. Mr Windegger sent me...
To be delivered in person
Dear Helius. Accept this poor soul,
if you can, and give him work
and a chance to make a life —
he won't disappoint you.
Warmest regards,
Windegger
Drive to the nearest
police station —
don't hold things up
with long explanations —
just bring some sort
of officer here to me.
Saturn-Pirates
The thieves' craft approaches
unlucky Saturn —
God in Heaven; you must have some
idea when you last phoned —
Did you leave the flat
unattended — ?
Only for a moment, when
Gustav came to get me...
but then there was that man
whom Mr Windegger had sent —
Would you allow me
to use your telephone?
My phone isn't working...
Christ, madame —
someone has to pick up —
there's at least half a dozen
people sitting around that phone —
I'm only the foreman
of Helius Hangars —
but if you keep working like this,
you, Miss Friede, will soon be
the forewoman of us all.
I was supposed to have sent you
somebody with a letter
of recommendation — ?
I'm begging you, Hans,
get over here...
I can't tell you over the telephone
what this is all about...
just, please, come...
You can be assured, Hans,
that I would not call you away
from your engagement party
if it weren't absolutely necessary...
We'll be there right away,
Helius.
Allow me to introduce myself — :
Turner...
If you go flying down those
steps again, Mr Turner,
I won't be standing at the
bottom to catch you...
Believe me, Mr Helius, there's
no wiser way to pass the time
till the arrival of Ms Velten
and Mr Windegger
than to have a chat with me...
First, a small request...
tell your chauffeur it's no longer
necessary to inform the police...
The police have already
been informed, Mr Turner...
Just a measure of caution,
Mr Helius, — as well as this...
Also a measure of caution,
Mr Turner?
I now grasp the phenomenon,
Mr Turner,
how you haven't been whiling
away in prison all this time —
You do flatter,
Mr Helius.
Perhaps you can also
reveal to me, Mr Turner,
where the stolen manuscript —
and the contents missing
from my safe are located — ?
Five of the wealthiest
and cleverest minds
who wish to keep the earth's
gold reserve under their control —
One of the most interesting
documents, madame and sirs...
To prove the accessibility
of the moon,
Helius sent the unmanned
trial rocket H.32,
filled with magnesium, moonward —
the explosion of which,
upon impact, was viewed and
photographed from the earth.
Thanks to the competence
of our representative
I can show you something
completely different —
things that Helius himself has thus
far not made accessible to science.
Cinematographic images
of the surface of the moon
by H.32 during its first
orbit of the moon.
The unmanned
register-rocket H.32,
equipped with automatic
imaging-instruments.
The rocket-jet.
In its nose-cone...
...is located the egg-shaped
register-chamber
with the automated
imaging-instruments.
The imaging-instrument,
linked to a clockwork.
The mirror tele-objective.
Schematic depiction
of the H.32's trajectory.
Earth---384,000km---Moon
Gravitational Field
of the Earth
Gravitational Field
of the Moon
Zero-G Zone
Trajectory of H.32
Necessary starting speed
11,200 metres per second
First image of the moon,
36 hours after lift-off;
Distance of the rocket from
the moon: approx. 40,000 km.
At an altitude
of approx. 1000 km
H.32 flies over the
moon crater Eratosthenes —
— in its depths the astronomer
W. H. Pickering,
director of Mandeville
Observatory, Jamaica,
believes to have observed
swarms of insects.
The objective's eye sees what
no man's eye has ever seen:
the opposite side of the moon
turned away from the earth.
Cryptic, monochrome planes
of colossal dimensions —
Vegetation? Fog?
Water? —
— all seem to confirm the theory
of Prof. Peter Andreas Hansen
— of the Seeberg Observatory
near Gotha —
that on the opposite side
of the moon
exists an atmosphere
and, therefore, life.
Why lose any more time?
I for one want the
moon's riches of gold,
should they actually prove
to exist, to fall into the hands
of businessmen and not
visionaries and idealists.
At this moment our
representative is making
Mr Helius aware
of our intentions
in a very concrete manner...
You have only two choices,
Mr Helius:
either make the trip
to the moon in our employ —
— or not at all...
If we don't come to an
agreement, Mr Helius,
five minutes after
my departure,
your hangar, along with the
nearly completed spaceship,
will be reduced to
a heap of rubble...
What would you gain, by
removing me, Mr Helius? —
at the most, a travel companion
who is less considerate.
You still don't get the
picture, Mr Helius...
we'd rather annihilate
all of your plans
than let you shut us
out of the operation...
Tell your clients,
Mr Turner, that I do not aim
to found upon the moon
a criminal colony...
Give me 24 hours
to think it over...
Will your... plans be seriously
affected by the theft, Helius?
Don't worry about the plans — .
I have duplicates
of everything, safe in my
desk's secret compartment.
Hans dear, if I were you, I
wouldn't be so sure about that.
Why did you conceal from us,
Helius, the fact that you now
actually want to take on
the voyage to the moon?
You've called me your good
comrade so often at work —
in the laboratory —
in this very room...
now you want to lie
to me, Helius?
I didn't mean to lie
to you, Friede —
I just wanted to spare
Hans the conflict
between his love for you
and his sense of duty
towards the work
we've been doing.
But do you really
believe, Helius,
that Hans would ever be
capable of letting you down?.
Oh no, Helius. You won't make
the trip to the moon without Windegger...
— and not without me —
Have you forgotten, Friede,
how those fared
that dared this trip
to the moon before us —
IN MEMORY OF...
TO THE BOLD PIONEERS
OF SPACE NAVIGATION
WHO DID NOT RETURN FROM
THEIR JOURNEY INTO OUTER SPACE
THEY LIVED AND DIED FOR
A GREAT IDEA
HONOUR THEIR MEMORY
Friede — don't you get it?.
I just couldn't stand
to know you were in danger —
God in heaven —
and what danger indeed —
He's decided to travel
to the moon, Hans...
So when do we start — ?
And who will go with us...?
Ask Friede...
Friede... Do you want to
go with me — ?
...in exactly 24 hours...
Mr Helius, the 24 hours
for consideration
were up 61 minutes ago...
The explosion is of no
concern, Mr Helius —
it's nothing but a small
accentuation of my offers...
The price of this first
warning, Mr Windegger,
is the hangar;
just a shack...
the second one will cost
the lives of men...
the third,
the spaceship...
Don't force me, Mr Helius,
to take stronger measures;
choose the lesser of
two evils — : me.
I give you my word,
Mr Helius,
the very hour that we
come to an agreement,
you'll get your
stolen material back,
complete and in
perfect condition...
...the Spaceship "FRIEDE"
[Peace] is ready for launch...
...at moonrise the spaceship
will soar into outer space,...
...only to land — if God sees
fit — 36 hours later
upon the opposite side
of the moon...
...at this moment
bells will ring —
the sirens of all the
factories, trains and ships
around the world will wail
to honour the pioneers
of space navigation...
In this final hour I must
once again warn all of you...
You, Manfeldt, and you —
Mr Turner;
I'm leaving out Windegger;
and as for you... Friede —
Friede... in this last minute...
— I'm begging you —
Don't beg me, Helius.
Helius, in this last instant,
do you want to shame
me as a woman?
...the whole world's eyes
are directed upon us... —
...the whole world's ears
are listening to us...
Everyone to their stations...
We launch in 50 minutes —
...the whole world's eyes
are directed upon us... —
...the whole world's ears
are listening to us...
Just now
Just now the
Just now the spaceship
Just now the spaceship has
Just now the spaceship has
reached
Just now the spaceship has
reached the
Just now the spaceship has
reached the launch pad...
...because the spaceship is built
too light to stand freely,
it's submerged in a water-basin
in which it floats upright...
From the moment of launch
till attaining the necessary
speed of 11,200 km
per second...
SPEED
...there will be 8 critical minutes
in the battle with the increase
in speed, with G-force,
which has a fatal effect
upon human organisms
when it goes over
40 metres per second...
G-FORCE
...after these 8 minutes,
during which we'll feel
an intolerable burden pulling
our bodies back to earth,
we'll be victors in the battle
with gravitational force... or —
...and if we aren't able to
maintain our speed of 11,200...
then we'll hurtle — and hurtle —
further — and further still —
— irretrievably lost
in outer space —
never again... never again...
to return to the earth...
I'll be the one to pull the
stop-lever, Windegger....
60 seconds to go —
20 seconds to go — lie still —
take a deep breath —
NOW
Launch-rocket depleted.
Full throttle on middle-rocket.
Windegger... jettison...
middle---rocket...
Turn... back...
Maybe this chap is dead?.
I think Josephine
needs a brandy.
I think Mr Turner needs
one even more.
Don't you see, someone is
stowed away in the cargo hold.
You wretched scoundrel,
how did you get in here?
I've devoted my whole life
to moon-issues, Mr Helius.
Moon Vampire
The Mystery of the
Deadly Moon-Rays
Battling with Moon-Calves
Mingo's Homecoming
to the Earth
The earth...
where is our earth — ?
The sun is rising on our earth...
Logbook of the Spaceship
FRIEDE
Turning the spaceship's
black side toward the sun...
to absorb warmth. —
All's well on board.
227,000 km from earth.
Stopping the last jets,
flying without propulsion.
Weightlessness
on board.
Have entered the moon's
gravitational field. —
Are within 9000 km of the moon.
Through the directional
boosts mentioned above
weight regained on board.
Turning the spaceship
with the jets in direction of
destination to fire brake
boosts to prevent
premature crash
on the moon. —
Are about to reach the
side of the moon
facing away from earth.
Watching the earth set.
We're seeing it again, Hans...
we're seeing it again.
And when are we finally
going to land?
If we had a spark of reason
in us, we wouldn't ever land —
You're just afraid —
you weakling —
Tell him he has no right
to jeopardise all our lives
for the sake of his
ambition....
By God now is not the time
for arguments, Hans —
Shut the window hatches —
Full brake-power —
we're plummeting —
Hold on tight — ....
The ignition cable probably
isn't going to fix itself.
The moon awaits....
First though we have to
do an air sample,
to tell whether we can
breathe outside.
Do what you want.
I'm only interested in how
I'll get back out of here.
I'll tell you just
one thing, Friede,
as soon as I have
the spaceship ready
to launch again, I'll
fly back to earth —
and neither Helius nor
Manfeldt will stop me — .
Do you really aim to
stab Helius in the back?
Do you really aim to
stab me in the back?
Now Helius has no choice
but to prepare right away
for the trip back —
But Helius is convinced that
we'll find water with the divining rod.
You know what
the only thing is
that we'll find on the moon —
— death.
Professor, please, help me
with the air-sample.
For God's sake,
don't open it —
If he opens the outer door
and outside there's no
breathable atmosphere,
then we're done for good.
He's taken the divining rod
with him.
It's as if the rod is
pulling him forward.
Mingo would follow
this trail, Mr Helius.
The main objective should be
to look for water.
I have enough to do, to
get us ready to launch again.
May I volunteer to look
for Professor Manfeldt
and, at the same time, water?
Atmosphere breathable,
not yet analysed.
Törner on the trail
for three hours
of Manfeldt searching
for water.
Since when is Gustav
your secretary?
I can't stand it anymore...
I'm going to look
for Manfeldt —
From Miss Friede...
so you won't go hungry.
Don't let him into the ship..
Don't let him into the ship...
Is there anyone in the world
to whom we should relay
your last regards — if we
get back to earth?
The oxygen containers —
the shot hit the oxygen
containers —
What does this mean,
Miss Friede,
with the oxygen containers?
Let's pray to God
it means nothing.
We've lost more than
half of the oxygen.
That means: one of us
can't go back to earth —
One of us has to
stay on the moon —
Yes, Windegger:
one of us.
Do you know what this
means — do you?
To stay here —
alone on the moon —
just because you didn't
want to listen to me —
you and him..
Short one loses —
long one wins...
and we draw three times...
how's that?
You draw —
So draw then —
Would it be easier
for you, Hans,
if I stayed with you
on the moon?
I have only one desire:
to get back to earth —
Let's drink to a happy
homecoming to earth —
for all of us...
...to a happy homecoming —
for all of us, Hans.
The depot is ready,
Mr Helius.
Now you must prove, Gustav,
that I can rely upon you.
I'm staying back
here on the moon...
— and you will guide the
spaceship away from the moon.
Do you want Mr Windegger
to perish — ?
And Miss Friede,
who loves him — ?
The enormous shock
of the launch
will naturally wake
the sleepers —
and then Mr Windegger
will take over the command...
Dear Hans. I am convinced
that you won't let me down
just as I haven't let you down.
I shall wait calmly
and with confidence
that you'll come to get me.
My greetings to Friede. — Helius.
Farewell.
was carried out in 2000
by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau
Foundation in Wiesbaden,
based on the camera negative from
the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv in Berlin.
The intertitles
were taken from the negatives.
The comparison and copying was carried out
by L'Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna.
The master negative of this edit
was used for the 2K digital version.
WOMAN IN THE MOON.
For the human mind,
there is no Never, — only a Not Yet.
Georg Manfeldt, Ph.D.
Professor of Astronomy
You should have let that skunk
break his neck, Helius —
For thirty years I live like a dog
for the sake of my ideas —
and then comes this louse-fellow
speculating on my misery,
and wants to buy my manuscript
from me as a curiosity —
I'd like to have dinner with you,
Professor — can you spare some bread?
I found this in my coat when
you left the other day —
buy yourself some bread
with it, Mr Helius —
Spare me having to take handouts
from my only friend, Helius...
If you don't join me, Professor,
I won't be able to enjoy it.
FOOL OR SWINDLER?
Thursday, 17 August, 1896
Hypothetical Account
of the Gold Content
in the Mountains
of the Moon
I maintain, after many years of
comparative analyses,
that primitive moon-rock contains
more gold than the earth's mountains.
One day, the first spaceship
will fly to the moon,
to bring its gold
back to the earth.
Laughter, gentlemen, is
the argument of idiots
against every new idea —
The progress of the world
will not fail
due to learned ignoramuses
lacking in fantasy
whose brains work in inverse
proportion to their calcification —
Professor —
I've decided to go...
But not without me, Helius —
not without me —
Now your idea
will triumph after all, Professor...
Naturally Windegger
will go along?
What — ? Windegger won't — ?
Your collaborator and best friend?
Friede Velten,
student of astronomy,
and Hans Windegger, Chief Engineer
of Helius Hangars are engaged.
Dear Friede.
Best wishes to you and Hans.
Don't be upset that I can't come tonight
to your engagement party.
Please accept the flowers
as a substitute.
Yours, Wolf Helius.
He doesn't even know anything
about my decision —
no-one does — except for you...
I tell you, Helius, more people
than you and I know of your plan —
— and the fellow whom I threw
down the stairs before is one of them —
Three nights ago —
So you think someone
knows of my plans
and is thus also interested
in your moon-gold theory...?
Helius, don't be angry —
it's my life's work — go home —
I can't rest until I know the
manuscript is in your safe.
Dear Helius. I write to you
in incomparable bliss
and you should be the first to know
that Friede has agreed to be my wife.
Perhaps I took her a bit
by surprise, but she said yes.
Come tonight to the engagement
party at Friede's apartment.
I am ridiculously happy.
Windegger
Fresh violets, sir?
Wolf Helius, Bergstr. 86-3
To be delivered in person
Mr Helius isn't home...
Please... let me wait for Mr Helius
anyway. Mr Windegger sent me...
To be delivered in person
Dear Helius. Accept this poor soul,
if you can, and give him work
and a chance to make a life —
he won't disappoint you.
Warmest regards,
Windegger
Drive to the nearest
police station —
don't hold things up
with long explanations —
just bring some sort
of officer here to me.
Saturn-Pirates
The thieves' craft approaches
unlucky Saturn —
God in Heaven; you must have some
idea when you last phoned —
Did you leave the flat
unattended — ?
Only for a moment, when
Gustav came to get me...
but then there was that man
whom Mr Windegger had sent —
Would you allow me
to use your telephone?
My phone isn't working...
Christ, madame —
someone has to pick up —
there's at least half a dozen
people sitting around that phone —
I'm only the foreman
of Helius Hangars —
but if you keep working like this,
you, Miss Friede, will soon be
the forewoman of us all.
I was supposed to have sent you
somebody with a letter
of recommendation — ?
I'm begging you, Hans,
get over here...
I can't tell you over the telephone
what this is all about...
just, please, come...
You can be assured, Hans,
that I would not call you away
from your engagement party
if it weren't absolutely necessary...
We'll be there right away,
Helius.
Allow me to introduce myself — :
Turner...
If you go flying down those
steps again, Mr Turner,
I won't be standing at the
bottom to catch you...
Believe me, Mr Helius, there's
no wiser way to pass the time
till the arrival of Ms Velten
and Mr Windegger
than to have a chat with me...
First, a small request...
tell your chauffeur it's no longer
necessary to inform the police...
The police have already
been informed, Mr Turner...
Just a measure of caution,
Mr Helius, — as well as this...
Also a measure of caution,
Mr Turner?
I now grasp the phenomenon,
Mr Turner,
how you haven't been whiling
away in prison all this time —
You do flatter,
Mr Helius.
Perhaps you can also
reveal to me, Mr Turner,
where the stolen manuscript —
and the contents missing
from my safe are located — ?
Five of the wealthiest
and cleverest minds
who wish to keep the earth's
gold reserve under their control —
One of the most interesting
documents, madame and sirs...
To prove the accessibility
of the moon,
Helius sent the unmanned
trial rocket H.32,
filled with magnesium, moonward —
the explosion of which,
upon impact, was viewed and
photographed from the earth.
Thanks to the competence
of our representative
I can show you something
completely different —
things that Helius himself has thus
far not made accessible to science.
Cinematographic images
of the surface of the moon
by H.32 during its first
orbit of the moon.
The unmanned
register-rocket H.32,
equipped with automatic
imaging-instruments.
The rocket-jet.
In its nose-cone...
...is located the egg-shaped
register-chamber
with the automated
imaging-instruments.
The imaging-instrument,
linked to a clockwork.
The mirror tele-objective.
Schematic depiction
of the H.32's trajectory.
Earth---384,000km---Moon
Gravitational Field
of the Earth
Gravitational Field
of the Moon
Zero-G Zone
Trajectory of H.32
Necessary starting speed
11,200 metres per second
First image of the moon,
36 hours after lift-off;
Distance of the rocket from
the moon: approx. 40,000 km.
At an altitude
of approx. 1000 km
H.32 flies over the
moon crater Eratosthenes —
— in its depths the astronomer
W. H. Pickering,
director of Mandeville
Observatory, Jamaica,
believes to have observed
swarms of insects.
The objective's eye sees what
no man's eye has ever seen:
the opposite side of the moon
turned away from the earth.
Cryptic, monochrome planes
of colossal dimensions —
Vegetation? Fog?
Water? —
— all seem to confirm the theory
of Prof. Peter Andreas Hansen
— of the Seeberg Observatory
near Gotha —
that on the opposite side
of the moon
exists an atmosphere
and, therefore, life.
Why lose any more time?
I for one want the
moon's riches of gold,
should they actually prove
to exist, to fall into the hands
of businessmen and not
visionaries and idealists.
At this moment our
representative is making
Mr Helius aware
of our intentions
in a very concrete manner...
You have only two choices,
Mr Helius:
either make the trip
to the moon in our employ —
— or not at all...
If we don't come to an
agreement, Mr Helius,
five minutes after
my departure,
your hangar, along with the
nearly completed spaceship,
will be reduced to
a heap of rubble...
What would you gain, by
removing me, Mr Helius? —
at the most, a travel companion
who is less considerate.
You still don't get the
picture, Mr Helius...
we'd rather annihilate
all of your plans
than let you shut us
out of the operation...
Tell your clients,
Mr Turner, that I do not aim
to found upon the moon
a criminal colony...
Give me 24 hours
to think it over...
Will your... plans be seriously
affected by the theft, Helius?
Don't worry about the plans — .
I have duplicates
of everything, safe in my
desk's secret compartment.
Hans dear, if I were you, I
wouldn't be so sure about that.
Why did you conceal from us,
Helius, the fact that you now
actually want to take on
the voyage to the moon?
You've called me your good
comrade so often at work —
in the laboratory —
in this very room...
now you want to lie
to me, Helius?
I didn't mean to lie
to you, Friede —
I just wanted to spare
Hans the conflict
between his love for you
and his sense of duty
towards the work
we've been doing.
But do you really
believe, Helius,
that Hans would ever be
capable of letting you down?.
Oh no, Helius. You won't make
the trip to the moon without Windegger...
— and not without me —
Have you forgotten, Friede,
how those fared
that dared this trip
to the moon before us —
IN MEMORY OF...
TO THE BOLD PIONEERS
OF SPACE NAVIGATION
WHO DID NOT RETURN FROM
THEIR JOURNEY INTO OUTER SPACE
THEY LIVED AND DIED FOR
A GREAT IDEA
HONOUR THEIR MEMORY
Friede — don't you get it?.
I just couldn't stand
to know you were in danger —
God in heaven —
and what danger indeed —
He's decided to travel
to the moon, Hans...
So when do we start — ?
And who will go with us...?
Ask Friede...
Friede... Do you want to
go with me — ?
...in exactly 24 hours...
Mr Helius, the 24 hours
for consideration
were up 61 minutes ago...
The explosion is of no
concern, Mr Helius —
it's nothing but a small
accentuation of my offers...
The price of this first
warning, Mr Windegger,
is the hangar;
just a shack...
the second one will cost
the lives of men...
the third,
the spaceship...
Don't force me, Mr Helius,
to take stronger measures;
choose the lesser of
two evils — : me.
I give you my word,
Mr Helius,
the very hour that we
come to an agreement,
you'll get your
stolen material back,
complete and in
perfect condition...
...the Spaceship "FRIEDE"
[Peace] is ready for launch...
...at moonrise the spaceship
will soar into outer space,...
...only to land — if God sees
fit — 36 hours later
upon the opposite side
of the moon...
...at this moment
bells will ring —
the sirens of all the
factories, trains and ships
around the world will wail
to honour the pioneers
of space navigation...
In this final hour I must
once again warn all of you...
You, Manfeldt, and you —
Mr Turner;
I'm leaving out Windegger;
and as for you... Friede —
Friede... in this last minute...
— I'm begging you —
Don't beg me, Helius.
Helius, in this last instant,
do you want to shame
me as a woman?
...the whole world's eyes
are directed upon us... —
...the whole world's ears
are listening to us...
Everyone to their stations...
We launch in 50 minutes —
...the whole world's eyes
are directed upon us... —
...the whole world's ears
are listening to us...
Just now
Just now the
Just now the spaceship
Just now the spaceship has
Just now the spaceship has
reached
Just now the spaceship has
reached the
Just now the spaceship has
reached the launch pad...
...because the spaceship is built
too light to stand freely,
it's submerged in a water-basin
in which it floats upright...
From the moment of launch
till attaining the necessary
speed of 11,200 km
per second...
SPEED
...there will be 8 critical minutes
in the battle with the increase
in speed, with G-force,
which has a fatal effect
upon human organisms
when it goes over
40 metres per second...
G-FORCE
...after these 8 minutes,
during which we'll feel
an intolerable burden pulling
our bodies back to earth,
we'll be victors in the battle
with gravitational force... or —
...and if we aren't able to
maintain our speed of 11,200...
then we'll hurtle — and hurtle —
further — and further still —
— irretrievably lost
in outer space —
never again... never again...
to return to the earth...
I'll be the one to pull the
stop-lever, Windegger....
60 seconds to go —
20 seconds to go — lie still —
take a deep breath —
NOW
Launch-rocket depleted.
Full throttle on middle-rocket.
Windegger... jettison...
middle---rocket...
Turn... back...
Maybe this chap is dead?.
I think Josephine
needs a brandy.
I think Mr Turner needs
one even more.
Don't you see, someone is
stowed away in the cargo hold.
You wretched scoundrel,
how did you get in here?
I've devoted my whole life
to moon-issues, Mr Helius.
Moon Vampire
The Mystery of the
Deadly Moon-Rays
Battling with Moon-Calves
Mingo's Homecoming
to the Earth
The earth...
where is our earth — ?
The sun is rising on our earth...
Logbook of the Spaceship
FRIEDE
Turning the spaceship's
black side toward the sun...
to absorb warmth. —
All's well on board.
227,000 km from earth.
Stopping the last jets,
flying without propulsion.
Weightlessness
on board.
Have entered the moon's
gravitational field. —
Are within 9000 km of the moon.
Through the directional
boosts mentioned above
weight regained on board.
Turning the spaceship
with the jets in direction of
destination to fire brake
boosts to prevent
premature crash
on the moon. —
Are about to reach the
side of the moon
facing away from earth.
Watching the earth set.
We're seeing it again, Hans...
we're seeing it again.
And when are we finally
going to land?
If we had a spark of reason
in us, we wouldn't ever land —
You're just afraid —
you weakling —
Tell him he has no right
to jeopardise all our lives
for the sake of his
ambition....
By God now is not the time
for arguments, Hans —
Shut the window hatches —
Full brake-power —
we're plummeting —
Hold on tight — ....
The ignition cable probably
isn't going to fix itself.
The moon awaits....
First though we have to
do an air sample,
to tell whether we can
breathe outside.
Do what you want.
I'm only interested in how
I'll get back out of here.
I'll tell you just
one thing, Friede,
as soon as I have
the spaceship ready
to launch again, I'll
fly back to earth —
and neither Helius nor
Manfeldt will stop me — .
Do you really aim to
stab Helius in the back?
Do you really aim to
stab me in the back?
Now Helius has no choice
but to prepare right away
for the trip back —
But Helius is convinced that
we'll find water with the divining rod.
You know what
the only thing is
that we'll find on the moon —
— death.
Professor, please, help me
with the air-sample.
For God's sake,
don't open it —
If he opens the outer door
and outside there's no
breathable atmosphere,
then we're done for good.
He's taken the divining rod
with him.
It's as if the rod is
pulling him forward.
Mingo would follow
this trail, Mr Helius.
The main objective should be
to look for water.
I have enough to do, to
get us ready to launch again.
May I volunteer to look
for Professor Manfeldt
and, at the same time, water?
Atmosphere breathable,
not yet analysed.
Törner on the trail
for three hours
of Manfeldt searching
for water.
Since when is Gustav
your secretary?
I can't stand it anymore...
I'm going to look
for Manfeldt —
From Miss Friede...
so you won't go hungry.
Don't let him into the ship..
Don't let him into the ship...
Is there anyone in the world
to whom we should relay
your last regards — if we
get back to earth?
The oxygen containers —
the shot hit the oxygen
containers —
What does this mean,
Miss Friede,
with the oxygen containers?
Let's pray to God
it means nothing.
We've lost more than
half of the oxygen.
That means: one of us
can't go back to earth —
One of us has to
stay on the moon —
Yes, Windegger:
one of us.
Do you know what this
means — do you?
To stay here —
alone on the moon —
just because you didn't
want to listen to me —
you and him..
Short one loses —
long one wins...
and we draw three times...
how's that?
You draw —
So draw then —
Would it be easier
for you, Hans,
if I stayed with you
on the moon?
I have only one desire:
to get back to earth —
Let's drink to a happy
homecoming to earth —
for all of us...
...to a happy homecoming —
for all of us, Hans.
The depot is ready,
Mr Helius.
Now you must prove, Gustav,
that I can rely upon you.
I'm staying back
here on the moon...
— and you will guide the
spaceship away from the moon.
Do you want Mr Windegger
to perish — ?
And Miss Friede,
who loves him — ?
The enormous shock
of the launch
will naturally wake
the sleepers —
and then Mr Windegger
will take over the command...
Dear Hans. I am convinced
that you won't let me down
just as I haven't let you down.
I shall wait calmly
and with confidence
that you'll come to get me.
My greetings to Friede. — Helius.
Farewell.