It's rare that I have a mystery dispelled so quickly but my recent creation of a Tumblr page has revealed the origins of the image in the previous post THE BEAUTY OF THE BEAST. As I discussed in the post, the photo of Ray "Crash" Corrigan had been retouched and manipulated to produce the drooling monstrosity that hunches over the limp half naked body of a fair woman. While the risque setup suggested some sort of relation to a burlesque promotion, it was an odd arrangement for Corrigan to be involved in. I could not recall where I had stumbled across the photo on the web but this evening I was shocked to bump into it again. Following the bread crumbs of attribution links, I finally came upon a Tumblr page where the photograph had credits and a title.
William Mortensen (1897 - 1965) was one of the most well known and respected photographers in America in the thirties. He worked primarily in Southern California as a Hollywood and studio portraitist and later taught his methods and ideas to younger generations. (See Larry Lytle's online biography of Mortensen.) Mortensen's obscurity today is mainly due to his championing of Pictorialism, a force within photography that promoted retouching, hand-worked negatives, chemical washes, and an artistic, painterly approach that soon faded with the advance of modernism.
The Mad Hatter above is the man himself. While Mortensen's technique has an appeal for modern viewers who have been tempered by the pervasive manipulation of reality in all types of media, his contemporary critics were not as accepting.
Mortensen was considered an anachronism in photography, an outsider in a field that rejected the theatrical set-ups, retouching and strong imaginative subject matter. Ansel Adams, high priest of the straight print, described Mortensen as both "the devil" and "the anti-Christ." Historians seem to have sided with Adams, as there are few mentions of Mortensen in most of the major photo histories.
From what I can see of Mortensen's subject arrangements, it appears that he worked with live models and props (during the creation of L'amour). My brief perusal of his work seem to indicate he did not alter photos of this period by compositing separate photographic elements. My supposition is Ray posed for the photo but I will have to contact those more learned about Mortensen to lend their thoughts on the matter.
To learn more about William Mortensen read the essay quoted above and also check out another fine page on the artist at The Scream Online. The second article also features a illuminating description of Mortensen's process-well worth checking out.
I adore burlesque "Beauty and Beast" acts of old where ill-fitting, gorilla suited guys sweated it up on stage, pawing and groping pretty gals in skimpy, diaphanous outfits. A delightfully surreal twist on the act blends the two elements together in a Siamese twinning of the fair maiden and her animalistic tormentor. Pictured below is Little Brooklyn, a modern burlesque dancer I discovered on MySpace, who still cavorts about the stage in the same fashion as her predecessor above.
Gorilla suit "Beauty and Beast" photos are far from rare but this shot of Ray "Crash" Corrigan in his earliest suit stands out as a particularly odd and unique image of the Cowboy apeman. While Emil Van Horn migrated from the silver screen to the stripper's stage and back again throughout his career, I can think of no other Gorilla Man who cavorted about with scantily dressed erotic dancers. Our resident g-man The Mighty Bongo discussed the shocking still with Bob Burns who recalled seeing the image years ago. Bob felt confident that it is a pastiche of a Corrigan still and some studio elements - he expressed the unlikelihood that Ray would be involved in a risque topless shoot. Ever the sharp eyed ape, Bongo noted the proportional differences between gorilla and gal. With Ray approximately 6'6" in his suit, the lovely lass would measure about 4'6". Bongo also remarked that the eyes have been accentuated with a little white and a tasteful helping of drool was added to the gruesome grimace.
Regardless of the photos dubious origins, it remains a salacious and disturbing tableau, indicative of the twisted undercurrents of the psyche of years past.
You would think that anyone with a passion as singular as mine would have a deep and abiding affection for all things gorilla suit but the truth is, my love for the profession wanes somewhat once you look past the work of Bob Burns. With the arrival of effects wunderkind Rick Baker in the seventies , the 'gorilla suit' would eventually become indistinguishable from the real flesh and blood animal it is meant to depict. I love the film and images of Golden Age Hollywood Gorillas because of their evocations of the idea of a mighty jungle beast . Why this preamble to a review of a cheesy ribald tribute to serials of old? Bill Black's new short THE RETURN OF NYOKA THE JUNGLE GIRL not only celebrates and pokes fun at the classic Saturday matinee cliffhanger but it also features a Modern Gorilla Man, Chris Casteel, who would not look out of place alongside Gemora, Corrigan or Van Horn in his guise as The Mighty Bongo. Not to confuse names, but Bongo appears as the fearsome ape Satan, played by Emil Van Horn in the original serials.
NYOKA is naturally patterned after the classic source material with other twists thrown in, namely the appearance of the Crimson Skull who has resurrected the devil ape Satan with the mystical Amulet of Vultura (the gorilla's former master). The story unfolds with Satan on the lam and Nyoka Gordon in possession of the charmed bauble. It's not long before our comely heroine is in dire straits at the hands of the Crimson Skull and his simple minded henchmen. Fisticuffs, firefights and fearsome fur on flesh action follows!
One clear difference 50 plus years make from one incarnation of Nyoka to another - Kay Aldridge, the last jungle girl, never looked so shapely. Bill Black obviously has a penchant for well endowed women. His selection of other original offerings at Cult Retro are unmistakably cleavage oriented and I am unashamed to admit it certainly got me interested in forking over the $11.95 to download the flick. Where Black's material distinguishes itself is the execution of a simple premise with a flair, humour and style that I found surprising for what could have been a dreary retread with boobs. A major challenge faced with any tribute work, big budget or no budget, is establishing a psychological bridge to the beloved original. The usage of the classic music cues and sound effects of the 40's production immediately had me engaged - a thrifty and effective choice. The 30 minute 'Chapter' has a lively pace with a decent allotment of shots and cuts, always keeping the viewer engaged, and I also found the action and dialogue to be pretty damn snappy for a home grown effort. NYOKA features a surprising number of laughs as the cast skewer Serial touchstones like not sticking around to witness the hero/heroine done in by the death trap of the day or through the delightfully hammy delivery of their lines. Did I mention breasts yet? I'm a weak, red blooded male and I would be a damn dirty liar if I didn't admit to enjoying Nicola Rae jiggling about while tussling with the villains. What makes Nicola all the more enjoyable is her capable performance that keeps your eyes above her shoulders - most of the time. I will note however that the outtakes at the conclusion of the serial, reveal Nicola's natural, youthful charm and I hope she can further tap into that for future returns as Nyoka.
And what of the ape you say? Chris Casteel's performance as Satan feels torn from the celluloid of old. The suit appearing in NYOKA is a recent construction that looks impressive in action and the ape's visage is a curious amalgam of gorilla mugs familiar to fans, a bit of Bob Burns, a shade of Barrows, but with a personality that is singular and distinct. For me it is gratifying to see a lost art embraced and represented so effectively. Satan has a presence in NYOKA that nearly outshines his buxom co-star.
Put simply THE RETURN OF NYOKA THE JUNGLE GIRL is fun. Bill Black's home studio production bears up to repeat viewings because it's true to roots of it's premise but also has a naughty playful attitude that will beckon to me again and again. And it's got a gorilla, so there - it's just about perfect!
Where will The Mighty Bongo appear next? Well, I'm pleased to report that shooting will commence on another chapter of Nyoka later this month. I'm curious to see what Bill and his players have in store for us and wish them all the best.
You may have noticed the addition of The Mighty Bongo underneath ol' Kong on the sidebar as GORILLA MEN's official Gorilla Man - I'm thrilled to have Bongo's acceptance of this humble honour and eagerly anticipate sharing his lifelong quest to tread in the footsteps of Gemora and his brethren in posts yet to come. In the meantime download or order THE RETURN OF NYOKA THE JUNGLE GIRL - it's GORILLA MEN ape-proved.
This mag's been kicking around the Gorilla Den for some time now - hell, it was already sitting in the scanner waiting for me to get my ass in gear.
Truly awful title for the photo spread - polka doesn't quite capture the essence of provactive interspecies courting. The text names the gorilla as Scotty Roche, who apparently learned the craft from his Hungarian poppa who also performed a similar act back in the homeland. Scotty's wife, Diane Revere, is the Beauty to his Beast.
I haven't come across any other references to this particular act outside of this men's mag but the duo worked the Sunset Strip and there is likely local publications of the period that mention them.
Enjoy!
Strange that I have not heard of this one before, though it's possible that the ape on the poster (who looks to be Prohaska) does not actually appear in the film.
My oh my, I bet when this mag was published the reader's sentiments probably differed from mine.
Regardless of who you might be putting your Benjamins on, the artist has captured a near perfect 'OH SHIT!' moment.
Think he's got enough time to reload before Gargantua turns him into a pretzel?
My regular rhythm of near daily posts took a bump this past week as work crushed me under it's steely thumb. How you been ?
Here's a little something to ease the sting. This lovely lady was brought to my attention by MrDanteFontana of PCL Linkdump.
Thank you kind sir!
My mood is properly elevated.
Here's a link to the source, a great post on the exquisite work of pin-up master, Alberto Vargas.
I am uncertain where this illustration was used but it reminds of the cheeky one page gags in old Penthouse and Playboys.
What I don't quite understand - why does the ape looks so damn cross?
Not so SFW
Follow peekaboo to Flikr and the full image will be adjacent in my Photostream.
Or click HERE!
Enjoy!
To celebrate the addition of a quick list of Gorilla and Girls posts now found on Gorilla Men's sidebar (found on gorillamen.com but not yet listed on Blogger), here's a great shot of East Coast Gorilla Bob and the deliciously curvaceous Kristen Lee.
One of my favourite SEINFELD episodes featured this dynamite sex symbol - here's a silly cheesecake shot of Ms. Welch climbing out of one gorilla suit.
And what's with that blond fro? Possibly a BLONDE VENUS homage?
Offline for an evening thus no entry for yesterday.
And I was making such progress in maintaining a daily post schedule.
At least I don't have Miss Jaguar's problems - a great card I came across that was probably sold as a burlesque show souvenir.
Girls and gorillas go together like milk and cookies. It's only fitting that the greatest pin up goddess this good earth has seen, or ever will see, had a shoot with a goofy ape. I adore Betty Page - my precious kitten with a whip. Sigh...
Where was I? Here's a charming two page spread from a 50's/60's men's magazine - I think it may have been FROLIC but I can't recall at the moment and a quick Google search came up empty. If anyone can remember please drop me a note so I can sleep at night.
