# What old sci-fi movie had this sexist scene? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520 "2013-10-06T18:53:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/1 "2013-10-06T18:53:46Z")
There was a movie I saw maybe around 1970 that already looked a bit old. It was black and white. A small band of scientist and astronaut types were in trouble - their spaceship was lost, or they’d crashed, or somebody else was about to crash, or some such crisis. They had to do some kind of calculations by hand to figure out what to do or where to go next (I think this was pre-computer). There was a paternalistic leader figure calling the shots, and he said he would do the calculations, and also told the meek woman on the team to do the calculations, so they could compare results as a kind of check. When they reconvened and compared results, the two were completely different, so the paternalistic leader figure said something like “There is no time to recalculate so we must use my results.” The meek woman looked at the floor in shame. Nobody acknowledged that anybody was behaving dickishly; the significance of the scene was to underscore what difficulties threatened them. This is going out on a limb because the memory is very foggy and I’m a bit face blind anyway, but I kinda think the paternalistic leader figure looked kind of like Howard Hughes, and the meek woman looked kind of like Veronica Lake with dark hair. Can anybody figure out what movie this was? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/2 "2013-10-06T19:01:29Z")
**Moderator Action** Recalculating… Moving thread from General Questions to Cafe Society ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/3 "2013-10-06T19:24:09Z")
I don’t know what movie it was, but the premise doesn’t make sense: If they disagreed, the captain’s calculation stands, and if they agreed, of course the captain’s calculation would also stand. So why have the woman do the calculation, too, if her result wasn’t going to matter? It makes more sense to have at least three people doing the calculation, so that if one differs from the other two, you use the two that agree. ---
**Author:** ![chinchalinchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@chinchalinchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chinchalinchin)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/4 "2013-10-06T19:25:25Z")
Edited: Totally misread the title. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/5 "2013-10-06T19:29:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I don’t know what movie it was, but the premise doesn’t make sense… Yes, I know that. For that matter, if you have to choose between two people’s calculations, and all you know is that one of the two people is a jackass, aren’t you going to choose the other one anyway? I think the superficial premise was that it was a big deal they were under so much duress they had to make tough choices, and the subtext was that the writers could presume about their audience the mutual understanding that it’s cool to be a sexist jerk. Which is actually why I’m trying to remember the movie itself. I am interested in how people presume being a sexist jerk will be considered cool. But, in this thread, I’m really just hoping for the name of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/6 "2013-10-06T19:46:32Z")
Rocketship X-M? > **[Rocketship X-M](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocketship_X-M)** > > Rocketship X-M (a.k.a. Expedition Moon and originally Rocketship Expedition Moon) is a 1950 American black-and-white science fiction film from Lippert Pictures, the first outer space adventure of the post-World War II era. The film was produced and directed by Kurt Neumann and stars Lloyd Bridges, Osa Massen, John Emery, Noah Beery Jr., Hugh O'Brian, and Morris Ankrum. > Rocketship X-M tells the story of a Moon expedition gone awry. Through a series of unforeseen events, the expedition's crew find... ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/7 "2013-10-06T19:46:56Z")
I haven’t seen the movie in decades, but is the answer [_Crack In The World_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059065/)? Hmmm, wait that was in color, so prolly not. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/8 "2013-10-06T19:56:20Z")
It is Rocketship X-M. I found it on youtube. The scene the OP refers to is around the 29 minute mark: ETA: And hoo-boy, is it ever sexist. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/9 "2013-10-06T20:37:30Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > It is Rocketship X-M. I found it on youtube. The scene the OP refers to is around the 29 minute mark: > > > ETA: And hoo-boy, is it ever sexist. Wow! This is it! I should have remembered Lloyd Bridges, as I was a Sea Hunt fan at the time. The glans-like stabilizer fins on the nose of the rocket, though, I had completely forgotten. Thank you e\_c\_g! ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/10 "2013-10-06T20:48:09Z")
And Noah Beery Jr. ! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/11 "2013-10-06T20:48:45Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > It is Rocketship X-M. I found it on youtube. The scene the OP refers to is around the 29 minute mark: > > > ETA: And hoo-boy, is it ever sexist. To link to a specific time, just add **#t=XXmXXs** to the link; here’s your link set to start at the correct time: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXe2twD8Z5Y#t=28m57s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXe2twD8Z5Y#t=28m57s) Oh, and nice job remembering the movie and finding the scene! ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/12 "2013-10-06T21:44:22Z")
I’m surprised I didn’t remember it because MST3K did this film! It’s an old, classic Joel episode.[\*\* Here it is on YouTube.\*\*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqeU1gcDbAU) The scene in question starts right at 0:40:00 and Joel & the bots react as you’d expect! ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/13 "2013-10-07T03:04:57Z")
So whose figures were right, anyway? Does the movie settle the point? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/14 "2013-10-07T03:16:47Z")
I thought Yvette Mimieux in _The Time Machine_ did a pretty good job of making me think happy thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/15 "2013-10-07T03:48:08Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > And Noah Beery Jr. ! Rocky! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/16 "2013-10-07T04:22:32Z")
I don’t have the ability to check out youtube right now. Can somebody tell me if the Captain’s result was correct? ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/17 "2013-10-07T04:45:36Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I’m surprised I didn’t remember it because MST3K did this film! It’s an old, classic Joel episode.[\*\* Here it is on YouTube.\*\*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqeU1gcDbAU) The scene in question starts right at 0:40:00 and Joel & the bots react as you’d expect! Wow. I’d say that’s even _more_ sexist than the OP remembered. For those who can’t watch it, the woman initially objects to the man’s decision, and he accuses her of being “emotional”. She says that she’s sure she didn’t make a mistake with her calculations and that with people’s lives at stake he can’t just insist on using his results…but before he can respond, she apologizes and looks down in shame. The man says she doesn’t need to apologize for “momentarily being a woman”. Joel: “Thank you, Mr. White Male Reality.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/18 "2013-10-07T05:56:37Z")
What gets me is that they’re doing all these vital calculations with paper and pencil only, while the spacecraft (excuse me, **rocket ship** ) is traveling toward the Moon at at least seven miles a second. Not a computational aid in sight! :rolleyes: Reminds me of a Gerry Anderson pilot from 1977 called _ **Into Infinity** _ (which mercifully did _not_ become a television series): an interstellar ship was being sucked into a black hole while the Chief Engineer used a _slide rule_ to figure out what course change was needed to escape! Even if the ship’s designers had neglected to include an on-board navigational computer, they had handheld calculators back in the late '70s! (Maybe the CE had just forgotten to change the batteries before they embarked on the mission.) ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/19 "2013-10-07T06:19:52Z")
Even before the 70s they had abacuses and slide rulers. Slide rulers were in common use among engineers prior to the advent of handheld calculators. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520/20 "2013-10-07T06:37:52Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Even before the 70s they had abacuses and slide rulers. Slide rulers were in common use among engineers prior to the advent of handheld calculators. Your point being…? 😕 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-sci-fi-movie-had-this-sexist-scene/670520.md?page=2)