Reaching for the Moon almost describes Fairbanks' career at the beginning of the sound era. The title is the same as a film directed by John Emerson, also starring Fairbanks, from 1917. In the newer film, Fairbanks' character, Larry Day, is described as a young man. Fairbanks, was forty-seven in 1930, and looked his age, albeit a very fit forty-seven. What had not diminished was his on-screen enthusiasm and likability. Larry Day is a wealthy stockbroker pursued by aviatrix Vivien Benton. Benton captures the heart of the long time bachelor, and Day ignores business to pursue Benton on an ocean liner bound for England. The film isn't completely Depression era escapism, as Day loses everything he has financially, only to learn that Benton loves his him for himself. Day's financial free fall is cushioned by Benton being independently wealthy herself.

Fairbanks show off his athletic ability mostly in leaping into bed, and running around the ocean liner without a shirt. More rewarding to watch are the fantastic art deco sets by William Cameron Menzies. The historically minded may want to see Bing Crosby's first film appearance, prior to the more intimate kind of singing he was known for. There is also some amusement to be found in the pre-Code gay humor when valet Edward Everett Horton demonstrates to Fairbanks how to put the moves on Bebe Daniels. The DVD version is apparently the surviving version of a film that had a running time of about ninety minutes. The film was made two years before director Edmund Goulding hit his stride with Grand Hotel. As an early talkie, there are some indications that Goulding was experimenting with sound and moving the camera as the film progresses, most clearly in several traveling shots on the ocean liner set. I don't know if Douglas Fairbanks could have re-invented himself for the sound era, or if he really wanted to, but Reaching for the Moon describes a film career that took off like a rocket, and almost as quickly fell back to earth.