Reaching for the Moon

About the production

The film was among the costliest productions of its time, costing nearly a million dollars. It was originally conceived as a full-scale musical with a complete score by Irving Berlin. However, during production, the 'musical craze' in Hollywood died out, leading director Edmund Goulding to cut almost all the musical numbers. This caused a major rift between Goulding and Berlin, who eventually walked off the set and later condemned the film despite retaining a story credit.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

1930 placed Reaching for the Moon within United States cinema as Joseph M. Schenck Productions navigated wartime markets, immigration audiences, and the shift from intertitles to sound.

Why this film matters

Archivists revisit Reaching for the Moon (1930) for Edmund Goulding style, genre norms at Joseph M. Schenck Productions, and the exhibition context of 91 minutes (original); 72-74 minutes (surviving versions) programming.

Making of

The production was plagued by a creative clash between director Edmund Goulding and songwriter Irving Berlin. Goulding, who also wrote the screenplay, wanted a sophisticated comedy-drama, while Berlin had envisioned a traditional musical. As the public's appetite for musicals waned in late 1930, Goulding took the drastic step of cutting Berlin's songs after they had already been filmed. This decision not only alienated Berlin but also left the film with an uneven pace and 'dead air' where musical transitions used to be. Bing Crosby's scene was filmed late at night at the Cocoanut Grove after he had finished his live singing engagement there.

What critics said

Retrospective writing on Reaching for the Moon stresses craft by Edmund Goulding, print survival, and repertory value rather than opening-week gross alone.

Did you know?

• This film features the first solo film appearance of Bing Crosby, who sings 'When the Folks High Up Do the Mean Low Down'.
• The film was originally titled 'Lucky Break' during production.
• Irving Berlin wrote 14 songs for the film, but only one full number and bits of the title track survived the final cut.
• Douglas Fairbanks, known for his silent swashbuckling roles, appears here in modern dress and performs his own acrobatic stunts, including climbing walls under the influence of a cocktail.
• The role of Kitty was originally intended for a young Ginger Rogers before June MacCloy was cast.
• The 'Angel's Breath' cocktail in the film is described as containing a powerful drug from the northern coast of Africa.
• The film is a partial remake of Fairbanks' own 1917 silent film of the same name, though the plots differ significantly.
• Surviving prints are significantly shorter than the original 91-minute theatrical release because the musical numbers were physically excised from the negatives.
• The Art Deco sets were designed by the William Cameron Menzies, who later won the first-ever Oscar for Art Direction.

Visual style

Photographed by Ray June and Robert H. Planck, the film features innovative camera movements for the early sound era, including a traveling shot through a miniature New York skyline. The lighting is high-key and glamorous, emphasizing the sleek, metallic surfaces of the Art Deco sets.

Innovations

The film utilized advanced miniature work for the opening New York sequence and featured some of the most elaborate and expensive interior sets built at the United Artists studio to that date. It also experimented with 'post-syncing' or dubbing, though the results were considered crude by contemporary standards.

Music

The soundtrack is famous for what is missing. While Irving Berlin wrote a full score, the only significant survivor is 'When the Folks High Up Do the Mean Low Down', performed by Bing Crosby, Bebe Daniels, and June MacCloy. The title song, 'Reaching for the Moon', is heard primarily as instrumental underscoring and over the opening credits, though it became a major hit for other artists like Ruth Etting and Ella Fitzgerald later on.

Famous quotes

Larry Day: 'I just discovered something... She's not just the sort of thing that you pursue and love and hold. She's something that leans over and whispers in your ear what you are.'

Roger: 'The caveman is a piker compared to the primitive beasts wandering through the forests in search of their mates.'

Larry Day: 'If you don't think that cotton situation is a wow, then I'm an Egyptian!'

Memorable scenes

• The 'Angel's Breath' sequence: After drinking a potent cocktail, the usually stiff Larry Day becomes a whirlwind of energy, performing acrobatic stunts and scaling the walls of the ship's bar.
• Bing Crosby's performance: A young, uncredited Crosby leads a vibrant, rhythmic rendition of 'When the Folks High Up Do the Mean Low Down' in the ship's lounge.
• The Stock Market Crash: Larry receives the news of his financial ruin via radio while in the middle of the ocean, a stark contrast to the luxury surrounding him.

What audiences thought

Audiences in 1930 were somewhat confused by the film's shift from a financial drama to a slapstick comedy on a boat. While Fairbanks' physical agility still drew laughs, the film failed to recoup its massive million-dollar budget, signaling that Fairbanks' brand of optimism was losing its grip on a Depression-era public.

Film connections

Influenced by

• Reaching for the Moon (1917 silent film)
• The sophisticated 'Continental' comedies of Ernst Lubitsch

This film influenced

• The Lady Eve (1941)
• Arthur (1981)

Film restoration

The film exists but is incomplete. The original 91-minute version is considered lost; surviving prints are typically the 72-minute or 74-minute television edits from the 1940s and 50s. It has not undergone a major digital restoration.

Where to watch

• Amazon Prime Video (Rent/Buy)
• Internet Archive (Public Domain)
• YouTube (Classic Movie Channels)
• DVD (Synergy Entertainment or Alpha Video)