Maddening Monkey Mystery....SOLVED !!!...Meet Jack Leonard !

Hiya gang !,
If there's on thing I love, it's solving a mystery !
Especially if the mystery is finding the identities of those hard working guys who toiled long hours in impossibly hot and heavy gorilla suits....and never got credit !!!
For over 6 years we've searched far and wide trying to find the secret Identity of THIS gorilla !

This fellow has appeared in Terry and the Pirates (1940 ) Mickey's Ape Man (1933) and  Tim Tyler's Luck (1937 )
This had not only stumped Gorilla man and myself but also the grand master of gorilla history, Bob Burns.

Thanks to (Charles Gemora) historian Jason Barnett... we have the answer ! While doing research for his upcoming  documentary about Charlie, (more to come on that !) Jason came across this article :

After a quick check into it, Jason also produced this photo :

Here Jack Leonard grapples with big Tom Tyler in "The Jungle Mystery" (1932 )

With that bit of concrete information on Jack Leonard, the members of our sister site on Facebook, Ape Suit Cinema went into action...and the info started growing. As we would compile it, we would find even more clues along the way

 As you can see, Jack Leonard's gorilla was the focal point of at least one chapter of The Jungle Mystery.

You can really see the beautiful hair work on Leonard's suit in this shot ! The proportions are fantastic as well.

Photo courtesy Craig Scott Lamb/ASC

Leonard had a second, more comical head he used with the same body later in his gorilla career.

This head was seen most prominently in Terry and the Pirates 1940.

For Terry, the ears were made more  pronounced by trimming the fur on the head shorter.

As goofy as it was, it did look kind of fun to me.

Leonard's role in Terry was huge by gorilla standards and came very close in screen time to Emil Van Horn's hefty role as "Satan" in Peril's of Nyoka .

Leonard had teamed up with the great Charles Gemora three years earlier in Tim Tyler's Luck (1937) as two rampaging gorillas locked in deadly combat !

Jack Leonard (left) Vs Charles Gemora !

Note the very distinct differences in faces. 

Jack Leonard...another lost gorilla man found !

A very special thanks to Bob Burns, Jason Barnett, Craig Scott Lamb, Chris Walas, and George Chastain, for their invaluable help solving this Monkey Man Mystery !

Hair Raising Gorilla tid-bits!

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 !

E-gor's Gorilla Goodies!.....The Ghost Busters!

Hiya gorilla gang!
This will be the first in a series, showcasing the premium primate contributions of the
 great George "E-gor" Chastain.
George has been instrumental in finding a ton of gorilla goodies and simian signatures as he tirelessly scours the web, and auction sites for an undiscovered gorilla treasure, and generously shares them here!
So lets get E-gors Gorilla Goodies kick-started with autographs of two of the stars of the classic Saturday morning series...Filmation's, The Ghost Busters!
The show that made Tracy the gorilla a household name, and introduced an entire generation to the coolness of Gorilla Men!

This great photo is autographed by Larry Storch and Bob Burns, "Spenser and Tracy" respectively.
They are on either side of the late Forrest Tucker as the leader of the Ghost Busters, "Kong".

Keep watching here gang, for more monkey madness from old "E-gor"!

O.K. Bull...Go and Get It !

( photo courtesy George E-gor Chastain)

Bull Montana.....A name that strikes awe in the most devoted of gorilla men !
Where other ape actors worked their primate wonders with elaborate costumes and
mechanized masks, Bull Montana played apes... without a mask !
In the 1920 film " Go and Get It" Bull plays a fierce ape man named Ferry.
Ferry it seems, was a poor gorilla who had a human brain transplanted into his hairy noggin by a mad scientist. (is there any other kind?)
To help Bull channel his inner ape, he was teamed with skilled make-up artists Cecil
Holland, and Charles Gemora.

Using materials of cotton, colodian, yak hair, and hand carved gorilla dentures, Holland skillfully transformed the hulking ex-boxer into a gruesome gorilla.
The great Charles Gemora had the task of  making Bull's fur suit, hand tying the hair a few strands at a time with a crochet needle, into a loose weave backing.

The beastly team were so successful in their efforts, that five years later, they teamed up again for
" The Lost World" 1925.
In the Lost World, Bull played an early ancestor of man, who terrorized the Challenger expedition.
Bull was filmed fairly close-up, drooling horrifically while peering from behind rocks.
This was a true testament to Cecil Holland and Charles Gemora's incredible artistry !

A very special thanks to our great friend, and fellow gorilla man fan, George Chastain for sending us the fantastic photo of Bull Montana in the Wids Daily Newspaper !

Ingagi gets fired up !

One of the more odd bits of film promotion comes from the film INGAGI.

To spread the word, the theater owners had specially printed match books as give aways to attending audiences brave enough to see the ape-ic film INGAGI !

Matches were a sure bet as the film was geared towards an adult audience, with nudity, and implications of simian bestiality. The film was shot in a documentary style, and the producers originally tried to pass off legendary gorilla man Charles Gemora as a genuine gorilla.

But the problem was that the gorilla happened to have a bad habit of dragging naked native women into the jungle and ravaging them.

As a result of the uproar due to the subject matter, the producers were forced to disclose that it was indeed, a work of fiction, and that the gorilla was actually a man in a suit.

 The matches vividly illustrate the basic premise of the film, with beautiful comic style artwork, complete with topless native girl.

This is a great collectible for this nearly lost film.

I say nearly lost because I believe there are only two prints of INGAGI known to exist.

We were alerted to these fantastic pics by the great, George" E-Gor" Chastain!

Terror at the Circus !

One type of gorilla performer that's particularly near and dear to old Bongo's heart , is the live show performer. These are the fellows that thrill live audiences in circuses, night clubs, stage acts,theme parks, and burlesque shows all over the world.

Most of these poor guys received no recognition for their efforts, tho there is the rare exception who parlays their act into a higher profile gig like movies or TV.

Emil VanHorn is a good example of the latter, who actually returned to his burlesque exploits at the end of his career.

The poster you see here is for a Chicago based family who toured with the Shrine Circus.

The Gutis Family!

The poster promises one of the wildest moments EVER seen in Chicago !

As seen, the act seems to consist of a bargain basement version of Laurel and Hardy, with an Ellie May looking Jungle Girl thrown in for eye candy. The two gorillas featured, are actually quite well done as circus gorillas go. Both suits are a good deal more realistic than many of their peers.

This wonderful poster art was brought to our attention by the great George "E-Gore" Chastain, who's tireless search for historic coolness fills us with awe and admiration !

Hello Wilbuuuurrr!

Alan Young of "Mister Ed" fame, appears clad in gorilla fur in the 1955 classic film "Gentlemen Marry Brunettes !"

Joining Mr. Young are Jane Russell, and Jeanne Crain, ( the brunettes), as well as Rudy Vallee, Guy Middleton, and Scott Brady.

Why is he dressed as an ape you ask ? I have no idea...But judging by the way the ladies are dressed I may have to do my gorilla duty and give it a view sometime.

This photo was brought to our attention by the great George "E-Gor" Chastain , a friend to gorilla men everywhere ! Eagle Eyed "E-Gor"is a great supporter of our cause, and keeps us alerted to all the gorilla goodies he finds !

King of the Gorilla Men

Here's a cherished piece of art that hangs in my wee alcove of comic books, film ephemera and vintage magazines. I found this gem on Ebay several years ago and upon purchase became fast friends with artist George Chastain who created the work as a tribute to the venerable Bob Burns. George is a gorilla film aficionado much like myself, who has been gracious with his encouragement and generous with his support of Gorilla Men.

You can appreciate George Chastain's work further on Facebook