Gorilla Men

I spend so much time looking for the occasional rare image or shred of gorilla film ephemera I don't already have in my digital Gorilla Men collection that I often fail to stop and appreciate what I already have! Flipping through the hundreds of pics on my hard drive I came across an interesting ad mock-up for BRIDE OF THE GORILLA (1951), one of my favorite gorilla suit films. Scrutinizing the ad, I quickly noticed that there was a portion that was lifted off a lobby card from the original release of MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE - the ape hovering over the women on the lowermost portion is Charles Gemora as Erik atop Sidney Fox. The gorilla of BRIDE is Steve Calvert performing in the suit he had purchased from it's original owner, Ray 'Crash' Corrigan. RUE MORGUE had a Realart re-release so perhaps their promotion department tossed it into the mix when putting together the campaign for BRIDE. It is certainly odd though - the pilfered pic only appears in the print ad and the corresponding 3 sheet.

THE GORILLA MYSTERY perfectly illustrates the perceptions of Depression era audiences regarding apes. The beast who snatches up Minnie is a loathsome, toothsome, snarling, drooling brute with talon like fingers and a nasty demeanor. The cartoon is simple enough, but takes it's cues from popular Dark House mysteries of the period. It's interesting to note that Mickey addresses the gorilla as Mr. Ingagi, a clear sign that the title of the 1930 exploitation film INGAGI had become rapidly synonomous with apes or gorillas.
You can read more about INGAGI at the Gorilla Men Gemora Tribute site.

It's getting late here but I have had an unbroken streak of posts and I want to maintain the regularity of entries here. If I am short of time or cannot whip up a fervor about a particular topic, I promise to at least post a striking image from the Gorilla Men archives.
The Finnish poster for WHITE GORILLA (1945) has some fantastic graphics and a bold colour scheme. I am uncertain when the Finnish release would have dated from but the apparent age of the poster would lead me to think that it was a recent rerelease, possibly from the 50's or 60's.

No, truly..I have never liked clowns and cannot fathom how people think the pasty faced weirdos appeal to small children.
And this pic ain't changin my opinion! I can't recall where I came across this image but apparently this is Al Sherwin as Sunshine the Clown, astride a real, live go-rilla.
I have to avert my eyes before I get the hee-bee jee-bees - more tomorrow!

Care to see why?


Stupid videos

Kids + Gorilla Suits = DANGER!!

I love the Drive-In. I was reminded of that this past week as a local mall here in Victoria hosted the first night of a three evening revival of the Drive-In experience. With a good chunk of parking lot to utilize, a BC outdoor film company set up a massive inflatable screen upon which they projected the American classic GREASE. The wife loves this film but I usually loathe 99% of all musicals - all it took was the Drive-In experience to turn me into a fan. Sitting there waiting for the sun to set in a convertible with the top down, munching on popcorn and admiring the Chevy Bel-Air parked a few feet away, childhood memories were reawakened. Around 25 years ago, my sister and I would climb into the family sedan in our pj's, squirm for twenty minutes as we headed out of town. When we finally arrived and found the best spot to view the show, usually a double feature, my sister and I would impatiently wait for it to get dark . Inevitably, mom and dad fell asleep halfway through the second film and we would have to rouse them as the headlights of exiting cars streamed by. Sadly, the Drive-In theatre has completely vanished from the lower half of Vancouver Island and is a rare sight throughout much of Canada today. I understand there is a revival of Drive-Ins across North America but damned if I don't see it happening around these parts.
Which brings me to today's selection - a great handout from a Drive-In out of Kissimmee, Florida. I particularly love the notation that CHILDREN UNDER 12 IN CARS FREE! - you goddamn freeloaders on your bikes, scram!! I find it somewhat odd that GORILLA AT LARGE is playing in the middle of the week and the flyer seems to imply that it is a "Family Nights" feature. Nothing like a murderous ape and a slutty Anne Bancroft to keep the kids entertained!
I couldn't help poking around YouTube for a few other clips on Drive-Ins to remind myself of this abandoned cornerstone of family entertainment culture.

DRIVE-IN MEMORIES



DRIVE-IN INTERMISSION FILMS



THE HISTORY OF THE STARLITE DRIVE-IN



THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS

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, thats 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 selection of screen caps from the show. The first season is now available on DVD inexpensively and is well worth the few pennies.





More images follow...