But old Bongo is back with more ape goodies for you to ravenously consume !
If you're on Facebook, be sure and check out our Facebook Page, Ape Suit Cinema! ASC founder Craig Scott Lamb Burns the midnight oil, along with his moderation team of film historians, and Ape Suit experts from around the World!
We have a great many working professional and amateur simians for hire who regularly contribute to the group. Legends like Bob Burns, and Don McLeod, to current ape performers like Misty Rosas, Garon Michael, and Adam Meir !
But I mentioned something about Alice Cooper, you say ?
Indeed I did !
It seems our favorite horror themed musical mad man has a soft spot in his heart for apes !
Not only have apes appeared in concerts, stage shows, and TV appearances with Mr.Cooper, but one member of his band actually wore an ape mask on the album Billion Dollar Babies !
If the mask worn by his band mate looks familiar, it's because you likely saw it advertised in comics as a seventies kid as the "Deluxe Planet of the Apes Mask"
For those kids who were born in the early late 40's and early 50's TV was still a relatively new thing in their lives....especially COLOR programing !
Yet in 1954, when there were very few color television sets around, there were a few high profile shows that stood out from the crowd by being shot in color.
One such show was " The Cisco Kid" a heroic Mexican "Robin Hood" of sorts, who rode through the old West, stealing from corrupt wealthy villains, and giving to the poor and downtrodden.
Cisco Kid has the distinction of being the very first TV series to be shot in color...Though most fans saw him in black and white until the 60's when color TV was much more commonplace.
Cisco was played by the heroic and dashing Duncan Renaldo, with his faithful and comedic sidekick
Pancho, played by the great character actor Leo Carillo.
The series was even immortalized in the 70's by the rock group WAR in their hit song " Cisco Kid" !
By now you are likely scratching your head wondering what in the heck this has to do with Gorilla Men...Well, oddly enough, Cisco featured a gorilla .. Not just any gorilla, it was Steve Calvert in
one of the suits he bought from Crash Corrigan. This suit had a new face, distinctive to Calvert.
Not only do we see it in action as a gorilla...in color!...but we also get a fantastic glimpse of the suit
AS a gorilla suit !!! You guessed it, the gorilla was a fake, used to scare people off in the finest tradition of Scooby Doo ! I won't spoil the fun, but you'll be asking yourself how much adventure can you cram into a half hour show!
You can find the episode online if you'd like to give it a watch, the episode is called " Cisco Meets
The Gorilla" .
A huge thanks goes out to Craig Scott Lamb, founder of the Facebook
Ape Suit Cinema group for the following screen captures !!!
Hey there true believers ! How much excitement are you looking for ?!?!
I just had to borrow Stan Lee's line because it seems so perfect for this great discovery !
My dear friend and brother in arms, Craig Scott Lamb ( the creator of our Facebook sister site Ape Suit Cinema) has gone above and beyond in this exciting discovery !
While researching an exciting new movie project about a gorilla man we know and love (more on this later)
Craig stumbled across this incredible bit of history !
The 20 chapter serial " the Perils of Pauline" (1914) featured this early gorilla suit.
Unfortunately the full 20 chapter version is lost to the ages and we are left with the shorter 9 chapter version.
As bad luck would have it the gorilla does not appear in the shorter version...
All that is left are these few amazing photos, and damned fine ones they are !
With a date of 1914, we can't find any instances of an earlier ape suit in a motion picture....ever!
So it looks like Craig found the one...the only...First ever Hollywood Gorilla Man!
This is truly an amazing find !
Our HGM master gorilla suit builder Chris Walas pointed out that the eye opening for this suit was a single opening rather than two individual eye holes.
Another more famous instance of this configuration was Emil VanHorn's suit !
It a damned shame that this gorilla footage was lost with the longer cut of the serial.
Had it survived it would be a great addition to our collection of Simian Cinema !
The Perils of Pauline (1914) was produced by the Electric Film Company and distributed by Pathe.
WOO-HOO !!!
It's finally here and ready to purchase, my fellow Monkey Movie Maniacs !
Monster Gorilla is a delightfully fun tribute to most of our favorites in classic simian cinema.
You'll see nods to such classics as The Ape Man with Bela Lugosi, Bride of the Gorilla, Nabonga, and White Pongo ! There are literally dozens of scenes inspired by these and many more of your favorites !
Monster gorilla came about as a short film contest sponsored by our Facebook sister site Ape Suit Cinema.
Craig Scott Lamb, the administrator of ASC asked for submissions to enter, with the winner to be shown at the Ape Suit Cinema sponsored Jungle-Con !
Monster Gorilla won the contest, and will be featured in the program!
Monster Gorilla stars the stunning Heather Brinkley as a ship wrecked Damsel, washed ashore on a mysterious island...and evil island.
The island is inhabited by the maddest of mad scientists, the deranged Doctor Vornoff, played with scenery chewing brilliance by Bill Fredericks.
Bill channels the very essence of Bela Lugosi at his hammiest !
The hapless Heather falls into Vornoff's evil clutches and prepared for an evil experiment...Vornoff actually plans to ....NOPE !!!! I'm not gonna tell ya !
What I will tell you is that in Monster gorilla you WILL see:
Incredible island locations!
A gorgeous girl running for her life !
Mad science gone wild !
Awe inspiring transformations !
And the most vicious gorilla battle ever captured on film!!!!
This throw-down makes the gorilla fights in White Gorilla and White Pongo look like a thumb wrestling match in comparison !
Monster Gorilla was written by your humble simian servant Bongo under my human guise of Chris Casteel.
Monster Gorilla was produced and directed by the incomparable Bill Black !
Monster Gorilla also stars Scott Mena, and on the all important gorilla front Chris Casteel, and new gorilla sensation, (and my daughter) Kelley Young !!!!
A real live gorilla girl ...Though Kelley plays a male gorilla here with all the ferociousness of Crash Corrigan !
The disc includes :
The Monster Gorilla trailer
The 30 minute version of Monster Gorilla in living color OR glorious Black and White !!!!
The 20 minute black and white "contest cut"
Behind the scenes production photos
Footage taken from SyFy Saturdays Bartow , which hosted the world premier of Monster Gorilla in front of a live audience, and guest appearances by Heather and Bongo !
And saving the SUPER BONUS for last....A collection of some of the finest photos of classic gorilla men ever assembled ! These come from the collection of Bob Burns, the expansive Hollywood Gorilla Men Archives, and the gorilla historians at Ape Suit Cinema !
Hi gorilla gang,
Wow, where to start.
First, old Bongo has finally stepped his furry foot into the wild and woolly world of Facebook.
I resisted temptation for many years, dismissing Facebook as a juvenile wast of time. Well folks, I was wrong. Sure there are plenty of brain cell popping games and diversions.
Not to mention millions of teens, and pre-teens favoriting photos of puppies pooping in peoples shoes.
But why would I finally give in and sign up you ask?
It's E-Gor's fault !
My evil hunch-backed co-conspirator George"E-Gor" Chastain, tipped me to an amazing group on Facebook called Ape Suit Cinema.
The group is the creation of Craig Scott Lamb, who is every bit as crazed, and ridiculously knowledgeable about movie gorillas as I am! ( Hard to fathom, I know)
Craig graciously welcomed me into the group with open furry arms, and made me feel at home.
Hollywood Gorilla Men uber fan Mark Holmes has gone above and beyond to welcome me to the group, and has posted several great photos of old Bongo from the various Nyoka films and personal appearances.
I've been "friended" by a who's who of devoted monkey movie aficionados, both professional, and fans.
Now for the REALLY cool news....
One of the folks I've met is the one and only Mr. Don McLeod !
I hardly need to mention to the loyal readers of this humble blog, who Don is...But for those who may be new to our group, Don is the American Tourister Gorilla!
Don has also played gorillas in "Trading Places", "The Man With Two Brains", and "Mom, Can I Keep Her?".
Don's wildest role has been as the beast "Blue" to D.D. (Vanity)Winters ,beauty, in the cult classic ;
"Tanya's Island"
Worry not my magnificent monkey minions, old Bongo won't leave you for newer pastures!
If anything, this new found interaction will bring more great new gorilla features !
We've got a lot of exciting things in store for you coming soon to Hollywood Gorilla Men :
More of E-Gor's Gorilla Goodies !
The name game....were we will get to know the gorilla men and their furry counterparts !
And the piece I'm most excited about...."So you want to be a Gorilla".
This will be a series of posts documenting the creation of a classically styled, movie quality gorilla suit, and how to build your own!
So hang in there, gang! it's about to get VERY interesting here at Hollywood Gorilla Men!
And for those on Facebook, be sure to check out Ape Suit Cinema!
It's Hollywood Gorilla Man approved !
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