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"Project Moonbase" (1953) takes us to the distant future—1970!—when United States is about to take the big step from its fully operational space station to—are you sitting down?—circling the moon! The mission is piloted by Colonel Breiteis (Donna Martell) and co-piloted by Major Bill Moore (Ross Ford), who might never figure out what's going on between them is called attraction without the inadvertent help of Dr. Wernher, the scientist/enemy agent along for the ride.
Watching this film in the 21st century, it's hard to miss its reflection of 1950s America's ambivalent and often openly hostile attitude toward professional women. While the U.S. President in the story is female, not all the characters seem comfortable with women in positions of power. Bill openly admits that he was "sweet on" Breiteis (whom he later calls a "kid") until she was promoted to outrank him. When the prospect of traveling with her is presented to him, Bill complains volubly to the General issuing the order. General Greene calmly and rationally explains why he considers Bill suitable for the job, and that's that.
Compare this treatment to how the General breaks the news to Breiteis herself. Not only does he mispronounce her name (calling her "Bright Eyes"), when she voices similar concerns to Bill's, the General calls her brat, says she didn't deserve her promotion, and threatens to spank her. At the end, it becomes clear that Breiteis has requested that Bill be named Brigadier General—which makes everything all better.
Portrayals of women as childish and needy (i.e., dependent on men) flew fast and thick in Hollywood's heyday. Many scholars point out that these characterizations were not only deployed to undermine the notion of women being competent in the workplace, but also to imply that women who didn't fit them were "unfeminine" (read: unattractive). Nevertheless, by 1956 as many as 35 percent of American women and 25 percent of married American women worked outside the home, though chiefly in positions with relatively little status and lower pay than fields open to men.
