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Moon Pilot is a science fiction comedy film released in 1962. The movie features Tom Tryon in the lead role as Capt. Richmond Talbot, an Air Force pilot who is selected for a top-secret mission to the moon. The film also stars Brian Keith as Maj. Gen. John Vanneman, who is in charge of the space program, and Edmond O'Brien as McClosky, an agent from the Central Intelligence Agency.

The story starts with Capt. Richmond Talbot preparing for his mission to the moon. However, just before the launch, he meets Lyrae, a beautiful but mysterious woman who claims to be a tourist. Talbot is immediately smitten with her, and they spend the night together. The next morning, Talbot wakes up to find that Lyrae has disappeared, and he cannot remember anything about her, except that she gave him a strange green pill.

Talbot is launched into space, but his mission immediately gets off to a rocky start when his spacecraft starts veering off course towards the sun. He manages to stabilize it, but then he discovers that he has accidentally brought a stowaway on board. To make matters worse, the stowaway turns out to be a chimpanzee named "Morton" who has been trained to act like a human and have basic conversations.

Despite these setbacks, Talbot manages to land safely on the moon. However, he soon discovers that the moon is already inhabited by a group of alien beings. The aliens are friendly and welcome Talbot, but he is unable to communicate with them. Talbot is convinced that the aliens are peaceful and that there is no reason to fear them. However, when he tries to radio back to Earth to tell them about the aliens, his signal is jammed, and he is unable to communicate with anyone on Earth.

With the help of Morton, Talbot develops a plan to contact the aliens and establish a line of communication between Earth and the moon. The plan works, and soon scientists on Earth are able to talk to the aliens. However, the CIA agent McClosky suspects that the aliens are actually hostile and that Talbot is a traitor. He hatches a plan to sabotage the mission and turn the public against Talbot.

The rest of the movie follows Talbot's attempts to clear his name and prove that the aliens are peaceful. Along the way, he is helped by Lyrae, who reappears and turns out to be an extraterrestrial who has been sent to Earth to study human behavior. Talbot and Lyrae fall in love, but their romance is threatened by the CIA's efforts to discredit Talbot.

Moon Pilot is an entertaining and lighthearted science fiction movie that combines adventure and comedy in equal measure. The movie is notable for its impressive special effects, which were ahead of their time for the early 1960s. The film's depiction of a manned mission to the moon was particularly groundbreaking, as the first moon landing did not occur until seven years after the movie's release. Moon Pilot also benefits from strong performances by its lead actors, particularly Tom Tryon, who imbues the character of Talbot with a likable charm and sense of humor.

Despite its age, Moon Pilot remains an enjoyable and engaging film that is well worth watching for science fiction fans and anyone who enjoys a good adventure story. From the entertaining performances to the imaginative sci-fi themes, Moon Pilot is a true classic of the genre that continues to delight viewers over fifty years after its original release.

Moon Pilot is a 1962 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 38 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.4.