Rocketship X-M (1950)

ONE OF TWO SPACE TRAVEL FILMS TO JUMPSTART THE FIFTIES GOLDEN AGE,
THIS BEAT EVEN DESTINATION MOON TO THE THEATERS,
BEING MORE OF A QUICKIE LOW BUDGET EFFORT

This movie has long been considered a classic, and rightfully so. Easily a dozen subsequent space opera films imitate Rocketship X-M in one way or another. News conferences that explain the science behind the launch, hard-nosed military men monitoring the rocket from mission control, anxious crew members in a cramped space module, glimpses of Earth through round portholes... you'll see all that here for the first time. You 'll also see the model for many a future rocket crew : the macho captain (played here by a smiling and charismatic Lloyd Bridges), the "older" scientist with a moustache or a beard, the wisecracking overweight engineer (here a Texan instead of the more common Jew or Italian), and the voluptuous scientist babe. Unlike later movies for whom a crew of four is enough, Rocketship X-M also offers a dashing, dark-haired astronomer played by Hugh O'Brien who went on to star in dozens of B-Westerns.

Goldweber, David Elroy (2012-06-14). Claws & Saucers: Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Film: A Complete Guide: 1902-1982 (Kindle Locations 60426-60439). David E. Goldweber. Kindle Edition.