WHAT: Planet of the Apes (1968) 50th anniversary screening (presented on DCP)
WHEN: May 16, 2018 2 PM & 7:30 PM
WHERE: Pickwick Theatre, Park Ridge, IL
WHAT ELSE: Organist Jay Warren provides prelude music at 7 PM!
Season 5 finale and final classic film shown on the current screen in Theatre 1.
A small collection of Apes memorabilia will be on display in the lobby.
HOW MUCH: $10/$8 advance or $6 for the 2 PM matinee. For advance tickets: Click Here!
“Amazingly, when Arthur P. Jacobs first became captivated by Pierre Boulle’s original novel in 1963, there was no Star Trek, no 2001: A Space Odyssey, and no Star Wars. In fact, with the exception of Forbidden Planet and The Day the Earth Stood Still, there had barely been any intelligent science fiction films that attempted to deal with issues affecting humanity with a genre backdrop. Creatively, the Hollywood community thought that sci-fi was a dead end, a sure-fire way to lose money at the box office. But Jacobs believed, and that belief turned the Hollywood community and its limited vision on its ear. Planet of the Apes was deemed an instant classic.” ~Joe Russo, Larry Landsman, and Edward Gross, Planet of the Apes Revisited (2001)
Reflection
There are two landmark science fiction films celebrating a 50th anniversary this year, but on May 16, 2018, I will be presenting my favorite of the two. The original Planet of the Apes and the universe it created has been an influential part of my life as a classic movie buff. Unlike 2001: A Space Odyssey, which I did not experience until much later in life, some of my earliest childhood memories are connected to PotA. It’s hard to pinpoint when it all began, but I remember as a child rummaging around in the family basement and finding 1970s issues of Creepy, Monsters Unleashed, and Famous Monsters of Filmland, and there was always a section in the back of these magazines where they advertised the PotA merchandise. Though I read about these collectibles several years after the fact, I remember being intrigued as I saw the different masks and action figures that were released by a company called Mego. The merchandising of the franchise had taken off in the wake of the original 1968 film and reached its peak with the debut of the 1974 television series.
It was on the small screen where I first experienced the Apes films and its television offshoot. Of the latter, the ABC network had repackaged episodes of the TV series into films. (Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of the Planet of the Apes is a title I distinctly remember.) But it was the feature films that had the greatest impact. As I look back on them now and try to recall my initial reaction to each, the strongest impressions were, not surprisingly, from the original film. I remember the sense of mystery of the opening sequence depicting the astronauts walking through a desolate landscape. It was all very effective with the avant-garde music by composer Jerry Goldsmith. It wasn’t the kind of symphonic score that I knew by heart, like John Williams’ theme to Superman, but it was so distinct and atmospheric there was no mistaking which film it was from. As a kid, I was equally fascinated by Beneath the Planet of the Apes and particularly Escape From the Planet of the Apes, which was both comic and tragic. As I grew older and revisited these films it was clearer which ones stood out from the others. Ten years ago, during the 40th anniversary, my friend Tony and I had an “Ape Night” every week in which we viewed all the films in the series– as well as the exceptional Behind the Planet of the Apes documentary hosted by Roddy McDowall. I would now contend that Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is the second best film in the series.
One of the vintage ads for the model kits– and other PotA tie-ins.
My first experience with Planet of the Apes in a theatre came when I screened it as the projectionist and programmer of the LaSalle Bank Theatre near Six Corners in Chicago. It was part of my 2003 series called “Atomic Cinema.” At that time, I screened a 16mm print of it for my Saturday night audience. Also in 2003– ten years before I started the Pickwick Theatre Classic Film Series– the Pickwick Theatre screened PotA with Linda Harrison (“Nova”) as a guest. In recent years, I saw it again in a theatre when our friend Nick Digilio of WGN Radio presented it as part of his film series. That was a couple of years ago, and at that time I knew I wanted to show the original in my own series for its golden anniversary.
So what is the fascination of Planet of the Apes? For one thing, it’s a film with substance– a film that mixes science fiction ideas with parallels to what was then going on in American society in the late 1960s. It’s a serious film that makes us think, but it’s also a film that is simply fun to revisit. Part of the enjoyment stems from the many iconic moments and lines of dialogue that have become ingrained in our consciousness. Consequently, the film lives on in popular culture. Who hasn’t seen a clip of the movie with Charlton Heston delivering with seething menace, “Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!” Certainly the merchandising aspect appealed to the family audiences of the time and has since become a boon to avid collectors. Planet of the Apes has left a physical imprint even beyond the marketing. In fact, one enterprising Apes fan on YouTube went in search of the original film locations and even found stone steps that had been part of Ape City! Movie locations are always fun because it involves some detective work, especially when it’s off the beaten track. Fans are drawn to these locales because of the happy memories associated with their use in the movies. Last month when I screened The Sound of Music, a few patrons told me they had taken the “Sound of Music” tour in Salzburg, Austria, but for me, I’d rather plant a small American flag in the barren land around Lake Powell, Utah– the “Forbidden Zone” of Planet of the Apes.
Origin
Planet of the Apes was based on the 1963 novel La Planete des Singes by French author Pierre Boulle. The story, told in a flashback, follows the adventures of Ulysse Merou. A journalist who is part of a space expedition, Merou ends up on an alien world where apes are intelligent and humans are mute. After being caged and evaluated, he reveals his intelligence to Zira, a sympathetic chimpanzee who studies human behavior. Merou is eventually accepted into this technologically-advanced simian society, but suspicians and fear ultimately force him to flee it with his pregnant mate, Nova. In his escape, he is aided by Zira and her fiancé, Cornelius. For those only familiar with the film, there are recognizable elements, but overall, the book is markedly different with a conclusion more in line with the Tim Burton 2001 remake than with the 1968 original. Boulle, who had also authored The Bridge on the River Kwai, was one of France’s great writers, but it would take other talents to develop the science fiction concepts from the book.
Arthur P. Jacobs saw potential in the Pierre Boulle novel and purchased the screen rights in 1963 shortly before the book was published. Jacobs was a Hollywood publicist and agent who had become a producer in the early 1960s. With his connections to the stars, he was able to make What a Way to Go! (1964), a film that was to star one of his clients, Marilyn Monroe, before her untimely death. Though Boulle considered his novel to be one of his lesser works, Jacobs saw the cinematic potential in it and believed it could be a visually interesting film. Jacobs contacted prolific television writer Rod Serling, best known for “The Twilight Zone,” who adapted the novel into a screenplay. In 1972, Serling said of the author that “as talented and creative a man as Boulle is, he does not have the deftness of a science fiction writer. Boulle’s book was… a prolonged allegory about morality more than it was a stunning science fiction piece. But it contained within its structure a walloping science fiction idea.” After a year– and about thirty drafts– Jacobs took Serling’s screenplay to the various studios to pitch the idea. In addition, Jacobs had with him a portfolio of concept art which he had commissioned. Studios like Warner Bros. were not impressed. Envisioning a movie with men in monkey suits, producers rejected the idea.
Charlton Heston as Taylor with the Lawgiver statue…
Knowing he needed a star to sell the movie, Jacobs arranged a meeting with Charlton Heston, who was intrigued with the idea. It was Heston who in turn recommended director Franklin J. Schaffner, with whom he had worked on 1965’s The War Lord. Jacobs then met with 20th Century Fox vice-president Richard Zanuck, who had distributed Jacobs’ What a Way to Go! Zanuck was interested in the idea but concerned about how it could be pulled off without becoming laughable on the screen. In March 1966, he agreed to have a makeup test done at Fox. The test scene came from one of Serling’s drafts and featured Charlton Heston (as “Thomas”) and Edward G. Robinson (Dr. Zaius) with James Brolin and Linda Harrison playing the two chimpanzees. The makeup was by Ben Nye, and although it was primitive, the filmmakers believed it was a good start. Zanuck green-lit Planet of the Apes, but his decision was not based solely on the test. The success of Fantastic Voyage later that year proved the viability of the science fiction genre.
One of the first orders of business was to find a makeup artist who could handle the challenge of turning 200 men and women into gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans. Jacobs needed an artist with experience in latex appliances. The call went out and John Chambers was hired. Chambers was a former World War II medical technician who had built prosthetics for disfigured veterans. He had done work on television shows like “The Munsters” and “Lost in Space.” (He made Dr. Spock’s pointed ears on “Star Trek.”) The challenge was to design makeup that would not hinder an actor’s ability to perform; the actor needed to express emotion. This would prove to be one of the great successes of the film. Actors didn’t wear pull-over masks or suits like those found in B pictures. Their performances were able to come through despite the many layers of makeup and appliances; although, as Kim Hunter pointed out in an interview, actors had to overly-emote for those facial expressions to register properly.
Roddy McDowall transforms into Galen from the 1974 television series…
While the makeup was being tested and prepared, there was a major shift in the screenplay. The original drafts that Rod Serling had provided were truer to the vision of Pierre Boulle and maintained the high-tech civilization described in the novel. However, with a budget of only $5.8 million– a half a million alone for makeup– the filmmakers chose instead to go more primitive and depict an ape society that was not much past the horse and cart stage. The art director, William Creber, set about creating an Ape City that was more rural and natural with homes giving the illusion they were carved out of stone. The city was inspired by the work of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi and by the rock formations of the Goreme Valley in Cappadocia, Turkey. The dwellings were actually made out of polyurethane foam and were built on the Fox Ranch– the 20th Century Fox backlot.
Michael Wilson, who had previously adapted Pierre Boulle’s The Bridge on the River Kwai for the screen, was hired to do the final rewrite for the film. Though on the surface Planet of the Apes was an adventure film, it was also a political work that touched upon the anxieties of the time. Audiences saw their own society reflected back at them. PotA was made at a turbulent time in American history with Vietnam raging and the counterculture rising. There were also issues of Civil Rights and race due to many riots in the streets. (The film would be released the day before Martin Luther King’s assassination.) With this turmoil in the background during production, PotA has been interpreted as a political/racial allegory.
Controversial topics dealing with race and intolerance were generally not seen in mainstream movies, but these issues could be addressed in the guise of science fiction. The film overtly presents issues of class (within the ape society, for instance) and prejudice, particularly in how the simians and humans interact. Michael Wilson had in fact been blacklisted during the infamous McCarthy era, so his script presents an atmosphere of suppression and fear. This is most evident when Charlton Heston’s character is put on trial and forbidden to speak in the kangaroo court. Though set in a fantastical realm, the social messaging and commentary in the film remain as relevant today as it did back in 1968. Fifty years ago, the advancement of science and knowledge were at their peak in America during the 1960s space race, but by 2018, we’ve de-evolved as a society and live in a world in which our elected leaders in the Monkey House openly embody ignorance.
Charlton Heston, who was one of the biggest stars in America and embodied the Hollywood epic, portrayed astronaut George Taylor. In an interview for the Beyond the Planet of the Apes documentary, Heston said he was drawn to the dichotomy of Taylor. Here was a man who had been disillusioned by civilization and mankind but who ultimately defends it against the apes. Heston had been a heroic symbol of strength in so many films prior to PotA, but in its wake, he would reinvent himself as a hero of dystopian, sci-fi movies like The Omega Man and Soylent Green. Edward G. Robinson, who had appeared in the original makeup test, withdrew from playing Dr. Zaius due to the physical demands of the makeup. The part went instead to English-born Maurice Evans (who had starred with Heston in The War Lord). Kim Hunter, best known for playing Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire, was hired for the role of Zira, the chimpanzee scientist who is sympathetic towards Taylor. (Ingrid Bergman reportedly regretted turning down the part.) Former child star Roddy McDowall portrayed her fiancé and fellow scientist, Cornelius. In the role of the mute Nova, former Miss America contestant Linda Harrison was chosen. She brought an instinctual, animalistic quality to the character that was in line with the character from the novel. (At the time, Harrison was dating the head of the studio, Richard Zanuck.) Robert Gunner (“Landon”) and Jeff Burton (“Dodge”) were Taylor’s fellow, time-displaced astronauts. Also in the cast were James Whitmore as the President of the Assembly and James Daly as Honorious.
Production began on May 21, 1967. Some of the first scenes shot included the astronauts’ trek across the Forbidden Zone. It is here where the film establishes the remoteness of this strange planet. These scenes were photographed in Arizona near the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River, as well as at Lake Powell and Glen Canyon. It was a very elaborate sequence to shoot, but according to associate producer Mort Abrahams, Schaffner’s intent here was to set the mood, tone, and objective of the film. It would prove to be one of the most memorable sections of PotA. Part of that eerie mood is established by the film score by Jerry Goldsmith. Throughout the film, he used a variety of unusual instruments, one of which was a Brazilian cuika that replicated the sound of a gorilla! His percussion-based, atonal score featured many disquieting effects that were unlike traditional film scoring.
Filming the sinking of Taylor’s ship, Liberty 1, in Lake Powell (near the border of Arizona and Utah).
One of the most exciting sequences in the film was Taylor’s escape and foot chase around Ape City. In Planet of the Apes Revisited, Charlton Heston says of this sequence, “The hunt through the town is a favorite scene of mine. It’s extraordinary. I think it’s cinema at its best. It’s inventive, resourceful, original, well shot, well cut…” Director Franklin Schaffner elaborated, “Two things are happening. On the melodramatic level, he is seeking to escape, but on an entirely different level we are attempting to show facets of simian society. Showing the latter just by themselves would have been mechanical exposition, which is never really very good. So we do two things at once.”
The conclusion of the film contains one of the most iconic images in American cinema and has seeped into popular culture. The final shot was the perfect symbol of how America itself was seemingly falling apart at the time. Audiences in 1968 felt they were living in an upside-down world, and as Taylor discovers, it’s one that had been laid to waste ages ago. The ending had its origin in one of the early Rod Serling drafts and fortunately made it into the final film. Unlike the novel, the Serling ending gives the film a stronger resonance and theme– humanity’s self-destruction. Though this final twist turns up everywhere today, we prefer not to spoil it for those few readers who haven’t seen the film. Strangely, even in today’s marketing, they incorporate the film’s final image in the artwork! As a result of this saturation, familiarity lessens the impact on future audiences. Why assume everyone has seen it? This advertising strategy only diminishes the surprise of the film.
Planet of the Apes wrapped production on August 10, 1967. After several months of post-production, the film opened in New York on February 8, 1968, and was released nationally on April 3. PotA became a hit with audiences and the majority of critics and was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Costume Design and Best Original Score. It won a special honorary award for the groundbreaking makeup achievements of John Chambers. PotA went on to gross $22 million at the box office and was such a success that it unleashed a phenomenon that continues to this day.
Legacy
The immediate sequels included Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). Unlike the James Bond series which grew in scope with each successful film, the Apes series suffered from diminishing budgets that hampered its potential. Sadly, its creator would never live to see its continuation. Arthur Jacobs passed away in 1973 at the age of 51, but his Apes franchise lived on (briefly) in the medium of television. There was a short-lived series in 1974 that ran for 14 episodes and starred Roddy McDowall. An animated series followed in 1975. In 2001, Tim Burton directed a dismal reimagining of the original that is probably best remembered for having a cameo of Charlton Heston as an ape. In recent years, Planet of the Apes has returned to movie screens in a more successful reboot. These films include Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). The franchise endures not only in these newer incarnations but on the Internet with many websites and social media groups devoted to all things Planet of the Apes.
I have not seen the new films, although a friend tells me they’re good– just different. For me, though, I’ll always be drawn to the original universe which remains a fondly-remembered memory. Although Charlton Heston helped make the first film a classic, the true heart of the series as a whole was Roddy McDowall. I’m obviously too attached to those characters to accept a remake of the concept. Though the new series is obviously successful enough that they keep making them, it’s hard to imagine anything today being as fun as the Arthur Jacobs films or generating that sense of wonder that audiences first experienced in 1968. The uniqueness of the series is how it played with time, opening in the future and then working backwards to show how society got to that point. Interestingly, there was one unrealized project in the mid-1990s that was promising. There was talk of director James Cameron making a sequel that would’ve been set in the world of the original films. That idea, and the hope that Roddy McDowall might have been involved, was a tantalizing prospect for Ape fandom. However, James Cameron ultimately turned his attention to making Titanic, which certainly paid off for him. And with the passing of Roddy McDowall in 1998, all hope of any nostalgic return to the Planet of the Apes died once and for all.
“Beware the beast man, for he is the devil’s pawn…”
The Planet of the Apes saga is the most influential science fiction series of the 20th century because it plays with science fiction ideas. (Star Wars, on the other hand, is a fantasy series with science fiction devices.) The original film has all the ingredients of a classic– from cast and script to makeup and music. It’s a film that continues to intrigue us today. Planet of the Apes has become part of our popular mythology, and that mythology is fueled by many perspectives. Some authors write about the film’s social and political relevance while others chronicle the series’ intricate timeline– even exploring the space and time theories of the fictional “Dr. Hasslein”! It’s a wonderful tradition to share, and we’re thrilled to be honoring the film fifty years after its debut. Let’s hope Planet of the Apes will still be with us in 3978 A.D– or 1,960 years from the present.
~MCH
Charlton Heston as Taylor and Linda Harrison as Nova…
Planet of the Apes opens in Chicago!
And it played at the Pickwick Theatre: October 4, 1968…
