GHOSTBUSTIN' GORILLA

ORIGINALLY POSTED 9-26-2008

After I posted about Bob and THE ORIGINAL GHOSTBUSTERS (originally just THE GHOSTBUSTERS but Harold, Dan and Bill have necessitated the alteration) I thought a couple of clips to show the gang in action were in order. The series is now available on DVD and rates as fine family fare. The show was quite popular when it aired Saturday mornings in 1975 and 1976 but fell under the axe due to budgeting issues.
I love the credits that note Tracy (the Gorilla) trained by Bob Burns. Classic. :-)

THEY'RE CREEPY AND THEY'RE KOOKY....

ORIGINALLY POSTED 7-19-2008

The explosion of television in the fifties and sixties lead to the migration of gorilla men from the silver screen to the cathode ray tube. Although George Barrows racked up a number of film credits including GORILLA AT LARGE and the infamous ROBOT MONSTER, a good portion of his work was performed on TV both as an ape and as an extra in a variety of small roles . Barrows' suit had a comic softness and the man inside had a wonderful sense of timing. His appearance as Gorgo the Gorilla in an episode of THE ADDAMS FAMILY, 'Morticia Joins the Ladies League' was a perfect vehicle to showcase both his incredible suit and his comedic skills.
A quick synopsis - Gorgo follows Pugsley and Gomez home from the circus and quickly fits into the quirky household. Lurch finds himself wary of the big ape as Gorgo displays a natural affinity for buttling (yes, that's what butlers do) )Unfortunately for the ape, Morticia's attempts to impress the local ladies league with afternoon tea put his abilities to the test.
Here are a couple of screen caps from the show (more at Flickr). The first season is now available on DVD inexpensively and is well worth the few pennies - if you don't have a few pennies, catch all three parts of the show on YouTube ( the first installment is below!).

MAN OF A THOUSAND BEASTS

ORIGINALLY POSTED 7-12-2008



I have to admit I am not a big fan of Prohaska's ape suits - they tend to be somewhat primitive,crude and ,dare I say, cheap looking. What is made quickly apparent by this promo sheet is the wide variety of creatures he portrayed for film and television. Most gorilla men at some point in their career have hopped into other effects suits or makeup; Corrigan played It from IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE and also tweaked his gorilla suit for FLASH GORDON and UNKNOWN ISLAND, Steve Calvert appeared as a robot in both TARGET EARTH and THE BOWERY BOYS MEET THE MONSTERS, and Charles Gemora played a bear for ROAD TO UTOPIA and manipulated the Martian from THE WAR OF THE WORLDS. However, Prohaska cannot be matched - the man had a virtual menagerie of creatures he created and portrayed, servicing a host of television programs during the 60's and early 70's. In my estimation, Mugato from STAR TREK's 'A Private Little War' is his finest creation - I actually found that damn silly ape suit bristling with spikes and the prominent horn intimidating as a young lad.
A plane crash in 1974 killed both Janos and his son, cutting short an impressive career.

Below are a few clips of memorable appearances from STAR TREK. Enjoy!

GILLIGAN VS GORILLA

Janos Prohaska was a contemporary of Bob Burns and George Barrows,working in the increasingly dominant medium of 60's television. Janos played not only gorillas but a wide variety of other creatures. Perhaps his most recognizable creations were featured on STAR TREK; Janos both designed the effects suits and performed on the show as Mugato, the snow white horned ape, and as the Horta, a silicon based life form that was essentially a throbbing blob. Bob Burns related in his book IT CAME FROM BOB'S BASEMENT that Janos had a sizable ego and was fiercely competitive, resentful of Bob's entry into the narrow field of simian performers.
This episode of DUSTY'S TRAIL revolves around an escaped circus ape who runs off with one of the shows maidens. This western sitcom followed on the heels of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND's demise and is a shameless ripoff of the classic comedy. All of the character archetypes are reproduced here although that critical element of actual hilarity is in short supply. The stand-in for the Skipper is played by Forest Tucker, a gentleman that would spend a great deal more screen time with an ape shortly after this show ended. Tucker teamed up with Larry Storch and Bob Burns as Tray the Gorilla in THE ORIGINAL GHOSTBUSTERS.


View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

THE IVORY APE of my dreams

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED 01-15-2007

If I ever submitted myself to a penetrating and thorough psychoanalysis regarding my obsession with gorilla suits and simian pop culture in general, I have a gut instinct that there is one film from my childhood that had a reverberating impact on me.
KING KONG?
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG?
Uh, not quite....I was referring to THE IVORY APE.


Airing when I was only about 7 years old, I can't remember whether I saw it when the film premiered on the ABC Friday Night Movie or some time after. Regardless of exactly when I saw the made-for-TV production, when I began seeking out gorilla suit information, I rediscovered the film. I have yet to actually see the movie again (it is my gorilla suit "White Whale",as it were) but I have hunted tirelessly for any related photos and a copy of the title. I know it had a VHS release, yet in about a year of item watching, none have surfaced on Ebay.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to procure a promotional ABC still that pointedly reminded me that we see the world through very different eyes when we are kids. I recall the wild, white ape as a fearsome beast, innocent but brutal - this fellow looks like a Gund stuffy! Still, the silly bugger holds a special place in my furry heart and I will continue to gather whatever I can from the film.

The film is outlined in the ABC PR attachment that was glued to the still:

Steven Keats and Cindy Pickett have both devoted their lives to the protection of wild animals, but the fabled albino gorilla creates a special problem when a savage mob stalks the innocent animal for both profit and revenge in "The Ivory Ape".

Pretty snappy eh? Well, maybe not, but the film also stars the always interesting Jack Palance as a flinty hunter who captured the Ivory Ape in Africa but must hunt him again when he escapes from the boat transporting him to the USA.
The movie was an odd live action product of the Rankin Bass studio, best known for all those charming Christmas stop motion programs such as RUDOLPH, THE RED NOSED REINDEER and FROSTY THE SNOWMAN. Shot in Bermuda, the film still has a presence in local history and is often mentioned in travel and historical websites.

From Bermuda-online.org:

1980 - Bermudian film and television producer Arthur Rankin Jr. cast Jack Palance in a 1980 made-for-TV film shot entirely on location in Bermuda. Palance specialized in playing villains during his five-decade Hollywood career which began in the early 1950s with Attila the Hun. He spent several weeks in Bermuda cast against type as the hero in Mr. Rankin's made-for-television movie The Ivory Ape. It was written and produced by Mr. Rankin and aired on prime time on the ABC television network. The film featured such local performers as Grace Rawlins, Charles Jeffers, Marlene B. Landy, Jane Bainbridge, John Lough and George Rushe in supporting roles. Palance starred in the film as Bermuda-based big game hunter Marc Kazarian. The plot focuses on a hunt for a rare albino gorilla, recently captured in Africa, which escapes from a freighter bound for New York that's forced to dock on the island during a storm. In a nod to the classic Empire State Building climax of 1931's King Kong, the albino ape is finally tracked to the steeple of Holy Trinity Church, Harrington Sound. The gorilla is killed by a trigger-happy Bermudian before Palance's Kazarian character - who has turned his back on his former career as a hunter can save the animal, a female which has just given birth.

I am a little confused about Rankin's apparently Bermudian origins, as I have seen him elsewhere described as American and his birthplace given as New York.

We all have cinematic guilty pleasures but I can't even categorize this film as one yet! As with many gorilla suit films, this elusive beast is all the more desirable because of it's scarcity. Goodness knows, if I ever track it down, I will be wondering why I wanted to see it so badly once the credits roll.

But until then, if you happen to catch wind of a copy or pic available - WRITE ME!!!!!

UPDATE FEBRUARY 18-2010


Please don't write me! I finally have in my possession, my most avidly persued film of the past decade - let's just say the thrill of the hunt FAR exceeded the thrill of viewing it. It's incredible how our youthful impressions are so drastically different from our adult, mature critique of the same material. I have great satisfaction that this rare gorilla suit film now rests among other classics of the genre but I won't be spinning this disc on a monthly basis. I will upload a whack of screen caps to Flickr sometime soon and perhaps write in greater detail about my thoughts about the film in the future. If you wish to add this gem to your cinematic treasure chest you can purchase it here at SUPER STRANGE VIDEO.

SUSHI SIMIAN

Perhaps one day I will actually get around to covering a real gorilla suit classic, like THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL or BRIDE OF THE GORILLA, but for now I want to share with you another strange and twisted entry into the pantheon of gorilla suit entertainment. Now mind you, this is not technically a straight up gorilla suit appearance, but it is simply too weird and wonderful to pass up commenting on.
SPECTREMAN was a 1970's Japanese kaiju kiddie program that featured an android superhero from outer space that routinely thwarted the evil machinations of the simian Dr. Gori and his henchman, Rah. The villains seek to dominate Earth and destroy mankind before we make the planet uninhabitable by our reckless polluting. The environmental angle is very strong and apparently figures into the plots of all the shows.

The episode I enjoyed opens with Dr. Gori snatching an Earth gorilla from the zoo, whom he transforms into another flunkie. Rah isn't too pleased by the addition to the ranks but apparently his recent tangles with Spectreman haven't gone well. The new and improved gorilla goon Karis is only one spoke in the wheel of doom! True to the environmental angle, Dr. Gori plots to use pollutant derivative goo fumes to murder the inhabitants of Tokyo. After an initial test on a security guard that proves deadly, Spectreman collects some soil samples (?!) in an effort to track down the furry fiends. In a bid to distract him from the search, Dr. Gori sends a gigantified Karis to do battle with Spectreman, who can also increase his size. Some mediocre Kaiju scrappin' follows, though there are a few Kong inspired moments that are good laugh. The conclusion of the battle is never in doubt and Karis is summoned back to homebase to face the profound disappointment of Dr. Gori.

The evil ape genius later snatches a family that is near and dear to Spectreman (though to them, he is known in his human guise as 'George'), and subjects them to a procedure that makes their very presence toxic to everyone. The 'pollution people ' are returned to their home, unaware that anything has been done to them. It's not long before the first hapless victim crosses their path and collapses in pollution induced agony. Spectreman's alien overlords realize what Gori has done and dispassionately order the hero to snuff out the family. Spectreman finds he is unable to complete the grim task and instead tries to find a cure after containing the family in their home. Dr. Gori sends Kah down to create more havoc, and the evil ape nabs George's gal pal Rita and tosses her in with the foul family. Spectreman is once again called upon to destroy the innocent plague bearers. With Rita in danger, Spectreman acquiesces to the request, charging into the family's home. Human weakness is the undoing of the hero yet again as he succumbs to a child's plea for mercy. Unable to tolerate his impudence, the alien masters strip the hero of his powers and decide to exile him to a distant planet. As he drifts through space, both Kah and Karis pursue him, decked out in inflatable bubble helmets. The apes kick his defenseless shiny metal butt around until they reach his final destination....and then they kick it some more. Displeased with the notion of an unfair fight, Spectreman's masters free him from his powerless state and offer to return him to Earth if he vanquishes his foes. Needless to say, gorilla fur flies and soon our hero is racing back to the apartment. It appears that Spectreman is about to fry the infectious family when he is stopped by the voice from above. A cure has been found and the family no longer must be vaporized.

For an hour long kid's program I was impressed with the ambitious scope of the tale. It's definitely low budget B-movie material but the time constraints keep it from getting dull. The villainous Gori is completely bizarre with his blond locks, soft pink lips and purple leisure suit. One surreal aspect of Gori's performance is the continual hand gestures! Throughout every moment of dialogue, the gorilla is gesticulating; crossing his arms, raising his fists, swinging a thumbs up from one left to right. I can only surmise that the series creators thought the hand gestures would make him somehow more alien.
If you’re into pyschotronic children's programming with a message I heartily recommend checking the show out. I imagine it must be available on DVD somewhere, but I came across the episode on mininova. I'll leave it to you to decide if bootleg downloads is the route you want to take.

Here are some Spectreman YouTube clips to enjoy!

English dub opening sequence


Clip from TERROR OF THE POLLUTION PEOPLE with an extended Spectreman vs Gorilla sequence.



Very odd clip with Gori cruising the downtown wearing a floppy brim hat and a caplet/shawl before heading off to the local disco to grove with some hip Japanese girls.
Not from the episode I reviewed.