Five Weeks in a Balloon

Sinopse

It is 1862 in England. The ''Jupiter'', a manned balloon with a unicorn-shaped gondola, falls from the sky during its maiden flight. Passenger Sir Henry Vining (Richard Haydn) and his treasurer (Ronald Long) scream in horror. However, Professor Fergusson (Cedric Hardwicke), the balloon's inventor, remains calm, as he planned on giving a dramatic demonstration showing the balloon's controls. On his signal, pilot Jacques (Fabian Forte), ascends the balloon using a pressure gauge that ensures no loss of gas or ballast. Traumatized by their "near-disaster", Sir Henry, head of the Royal Geographic Society, and his treasurer refuse to fund ''Jupiter'''s exploration of East Africa, and walk out on the professor after landing. American publisher Cornelius Randolph comes to the rescue: He will back the venture if his star reporter and nephew, Donald O'Shay (Red Buttons), joins the crew. Unbeknownst to the professor, who is told by Randolph that O'Shea is an "inoffensive young man", O'Shay is notorious in the press for his troublesome antics as a playboy.