Planet Of The Apes

The original movie was cowritten by Rod Serling, based on Pierre Boulle's novel about an apparently parallel world where apes have evolved intelligence and Man lives in wild tribes. There were several sequels and a one-season tv series. Only Roddy McDowall starred in both the movie series and the tv series.

The TV series was seen on the SciFi Channel in the past, and returned with a marathon in 2006:
04/04/2006  Planet Of The Apes episodes marathon:
       11:00 AM  THE GLADIATORS    
       12:00 PM  THE TRAP    
       01:00 PM  THE GOOD SEEDS    
04/29/2006  Planet Of The Apes movie marathon:
       09:00 AM  BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES    
       11:00 AM  CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES    
       02:00 AM  PLANET OF THE APES 
08/21/2007 03:00 AM (MOVIE) BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES    
08/22/2007 03:00 AM (MOVIE) CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES    
08/23/2007 03:00 AM (MOVIE) BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 
Previous Planet Of Apes broadcasts on the SciFi Channel

Planet of the Apes videos available:

Planet of the Apes Collection  
Planet of the Apes (1967)
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) 
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

The movie that started it all was Planet of the Apes -
Three astronauts on a deep space expedition land on an Earth-like planet only to find it ruled by apes who treat humans like animals. Charlton Heston holds up the banner of humanity with much-appreciated bravado. Based on the novel by Pierre Boulle with a screenplay co-written by Rod Serling, complex sociological themes run through this science-fiction classic.
The stunned trio discovers that these highly intellectual simians can both walk upright and talk. They have even established a class system and a political structure. The astronauts suddenly find themselves part of a devalued species, trapped and imprisoned by the apes. But one, Taylor, manages to break out and, aided by a pair of compassionate chimps, makes his escape to an uninhabited section of land. However, during the trek Taylor makes a startling, unsettling discovery about the planet -- and realizes he's come full circle when he sees something on the beach ...
Exteriors filmed in Utah and Arizona National Park.
Film debut for actress Linda Harrison
Director Franklin J. Schaffner
Stars: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly, Linda Harrison, Robert Gunner, Lou Wagner, Woodrow Parfrey
Additional cast: Robert Gunner (London), Lou Wagner (Lucius), and Jeff Burton (Dodge). See Monstervision host segments of this movie...Warning: Re-make is imminent! Sequel: "Beneath the Planet of the Apes." Halle has already agreed to be in the new sequel.
Academy Award Nominations: 2, Best Score, Best Costume Design. Edward G. Robinson was originally slated to play the role of Zaius, but had to pull out at the last minute due to health problems. He and Heston would finally work together in Soylent Green (1973), based on the novel "Make Room Make Room!" set in the year 2022. Robinson did one of the best dying-scenes ever, then died 2 days later in real life. Soylent Green was made by, for and of the people...

By the way, Charlton Heston agreed to make a cameo (as an ape) in the new Apes movie the summer of 2001. It is not called a remake because the script is based on the original book, not the 1967 script.

In the tv series Roddy McDowall played ape Galen in the distant future when apes rule. Two more astronauts, played by Ron Harper & James Naughton, have crash-landed 1000 years in the future and live a life of fugitives with Galen as their only trusted friend. Zaius (Booth Colman) is an orangutang, one of the ruling elite, while Urko (Star Trek's Mark Lenard) is one of the brutal gorillas in the military class. The series started 13 September 1974 and was cancelled the same year after the 27 December episode, though the few unaired episodes were seen in Britain, where critics loved it.

Galen befriends the two astronauts and tries to help them in their flight from Urko. In the tv-series, Zaius is not exactly a friend, but spends much of his time trying to reign in Urko's excesses. Roddy and the other "apes" had to come in early each day for 3 and a half hours of makeup. The series aired in Britain starting in October 1974, to great success, but only pulled in 27% of the ratings in America - not enough to justify it's expensive special effects (the CBS network required 30% for renewal at the time). The first season story arc was 24 episodes, but only 14 were actually filmed so the story ended in mid-air and only seen in its entirety in Britain (and in the US on the SciFi Channel).
It is not being rerun anywhere as far as I know and none of the episodes are available on video.

                 

TV Series Episodes:

Escape From Tomorrow The Gladiators (guest star Marc Singer of Beastmaster The Trap (in a San Francisco subway tunnel) The Good Seeds The Legacy Tomorrow's Tide (guest Roscoe Lee Browne) The Surgeon The Deception The Horse Race The Interrogation (guests Beverly Garland, Anne Seymour) The Tyrant The Cure (guest George Wallace) The Liberator (guest John Ireland) Up Above The World So High (they build a glider) Descriptions & cast lists of episodes
All Planet Of The Apes stuff available

Make A Living Online Click here for a free 5-page report: high quality online marketing advice (with no fluff) from a guy who has been making his living on the internet since 1996

Back to Monstervision or Sci-fans.com

Click here to hear Charlton Heston again

Soylent Green is People!

You're not dealing with AT&T

Email: planet@of.apes