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The Moon Is Blue

Play trailer Poster for The Moon Is Blue PG 1953 1h 39m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
44% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 53% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
In New York City, prim and proper would-be actress Patty O'Neill (Maggie McNamara) meets charming architect Donald Gresham (William Holden) and, despite learning he has a girlfriend and being wary of his intentions, accompanies him to his apartment for dinner. They meet Don's girlfriend, Cynthia (Dawn Addams), in the elevator, but she ignores both of them. Later, when Don goes to buy groceries, Cynthia returns -- as does her decadent father, David (David Niven), who Patty unexpectedly likes.

Critics Reviews

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Bosley Crowther New York Times 03/25/2006
2.5/5
Aside from its candor, however, and its audacity with the words, The Moon Is Blue is not outstanding, either as a romance or as film. Go to Full Review Tom Milne Time Out 02/09/2006
Despite the fuss at the time, there's little blue about this except the title. Go to Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 01/01/2000
For all the movie's staginess and datedness, it's a more personal and ambiguous work than it initially appears to be. Go to Full Review Manny Farber The Nation 11/24/2020
The Moon Is Blue is a small comedy that seems to sparkle, sound monotonous, look machine-made, and appear smartly guided at the same moment. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 09/18/2010
B-
Known today because it challenged the Hollywood Production Code. Go to Full Review TV Guide 10/23/2007
2/4
No one today is likely to mistake this smarmy little sex farce for a good film, but it is significant historically as one of the nails in the coffin of Hollywood's self-imposed Production Code. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Martin B Jul 26 Watched it beginning to end but can't quite figure out why. Maybe admiration for all the lines Maggie McNamara had to deliever. Maybe and hour play but it failed as a movie and lost me in the home stretch. Interesting concept but even Niven and Holden couldn't save it. See more Ed M 07/17/2022 Boring and dated. William Holden is good, but the rest of the cast is bad. See more steve d 07/21/2020 A weak romance with a weak premise. See more 04/06/2019 Comedia a la antigua. See more 05/16/2018 Enjoyable comic romantic story. See more 02/18/2017 I really enjoyed this movie. Started my Saturday morning with it, and it made me feel light hearted and warm. Kind of like riding my old 68 motorcycle, throttle brakes and a clutch, horn doesn't work, speedometer fell off a long time ago, but it purrs like a kitten. See more Read all reviews
The Moon Is Blue

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Otto Preminger

Director

William Holden

Donald Gresham

David Niven

David Slater

Maggie McNamara

Patty O'Neill

Tom Tully

Michael O'Neill

Dawn Addams

Cynthia Slater

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The Moon Is Blue

The Moon Is Blue (1953) The Moon Is Blue (1953) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In New York City, prim and proper would-be actress Patty O'Neill (Maggie McNamara) meets charming architect Donald Gresham (William Holden) and, despite learning he has a girlfriend and being wary of his intentions, accompanies him to his apartment for dinner. They meet Don's girlfriend, Cynthia (Dawn Addams), in the elevator, but she ignores both of them. Later, when Don goes to buy groceries, Cynthia returns -- as does her decadent father, David (David Niven), who Patty unexpectedly likes.
Director
Otto Preminger
Producer
Otto Preminger, F. Hugh Herbert
Production Co
Otto Preminger Films
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 3, 1953, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Oct 21, 2009
Runtime
1h 39m