Gorilla Men

BOLLYWOOD GOES APE

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 00:06:06 -0700

Way, way back when I first began this journey into the mysterious cinematic regions of the Gorilla Men, I recall coming across a mention of an East Indian picture called GORILLA that one would naturally assume, had a gorilla suited lead. Unfortunately, I was unable to uncover much about it and apart from coming across a few muddy pics of lobby cards on Ebay, I haven't given it much thought in quite some time. My usual auction crawl revealed the lovely poster above - and the angry fellow tossing about the native has given me a renewed desire to find this early Bollywood offering. The possibilities of a large scale musical dance number featuring a shaggy simian boggles the mind!
The poster above also features a nicely reworked swipe from THE BRIDE OF THE GORILLA, released two years earlier.

TIPPY TOES

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:06:03 -0700

I have tried three times to watch MARK OF THE GORILLA (1951) and I have yet to make it through without snoozing! It's by no means a terrible film but not one to excite the mind of a sleepy, old curmudgeon who has to watch gorilla suit flicks after the missus has gone to bed. I have a particular fondness for films that have the gorilla suit itself as a plot point. Rascally white men, in full simian regalia, are using the fear of the great ape to intimidate and harass African locals to do something dastardly that I forget because I keep nodding off. Naturally our hero Jungle Jim is not deterred. I was familiar with Weissmuller from the Tarzan films but I was unprepared for his decidedly unimpressive line delivery. When pressed to utter poly-syllabic words he seems to fall a little flat. I certainly prefer, "Me Tarzan, you Jane."
This still recently arrived at the Gorilla Den and features the sneaky tip-toeing of Steve Calvert.

STRANGLER OF MEN - KIDNAPER OF WOMEN!

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 17:25:55 -0700

Print Advertisement for the first film adaptation of the smash hit stage production - March 4th, 1928.

ORIGINS OF A BEAST AND HIS BEAUTY

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 21:04:05 -0700

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, L'Amour

"SEX is of course the subject interest, which is here given additional morbid pungency by the sadistic implications of the theme." -- Mortensen

I confess that I have not heard of Mortensen before but his career and creative work is fascinating.

From
Monsters & Madonnas: Looking at William Mortensen An essay by Cary Loren

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.

From
Monsters & Madonnas: Looking at William Mortensen An essay by Cary Loren

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.

BEAUTY IS THE BEAST

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 21:01:18 -0700

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 Men wants you to check out a photo on MySpace in the My Photos album

Image originally discover on Tumblr courtesy of PHANTOM OF THE RADIO

ROAMS THE AUDIENCE IN THE DARK!

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:09:45 -0700

Ladies accompanied by one of those squeeky voiced, pimply punks can expect things to go very badly once the house lights dim.

GORILLAS SERIOUSLY THINK

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:08:42 -0700

I just don't spend enough time with my favourite four-colour simians anymore. Several years ago, I cobbled Comic Book Gorillarama together to celebrate my love of the Gorilla Cover - a devious sales ploy cooked up in the 1950's by editors at DC Comics to suck the hard earned coinage out of the pockets of unsuspecting children. Ah, simpler times....

GORILLA VS BELA

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:08:08 -0700

I have such mixed feelings about RUE MORGUE - I love Lugosi without refrain, he can do no wrong, even in a somewhat muddled rendition of the classic Poe tale but the butchery of Gemora's role as Erik the ape is painful to watch. Ludicrous inserts of a real chimpanzee was substituted for all of Gemora's suit closeups. Why it was thought to be necessary when Gemora's talents in INGAGI(1930) had fooled audiences into believing the ape was the real deal just 2 years earlier, I cannot fathom. I will simply have to soothe my savage emotions with this wonderful still of our two stars having a difference of opinion. Unfortunately, this gem surpassed $100 on Ebay some time ago and I had to let slip through my fingers.

KILLER-DILLER GORILLA

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:07:45 -0700

Somehow "Kink Kunk" sounds dirty to me but I am relatively depraved in the first place. Atom Ant puns like mad in this classic Hanna Barbera toon - a nice light way to cap off a moody Monday.
Enjoy!

THE BEAUTY OF THE BEAST

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:06:15 -0700

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.

$500 REWARD FOR ESCAPED GORILLA!

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:04:51 -0700

Repost from PCL LINKDUMP with addition of Window Card

The Spook Shows that pervaded the local movie houses of the 50's and 60's must have been a real rush for the impressionable youth who cozied up with their steadies as ghouls, gorillas and ghosts terrorized them as second rate B pictures flickered on the screen. I have been hunting about for any Real Live Gorilla appearances and have been duly impressed by the promises made by the Mad Ray-Mond - forget the 500lb Gorilla that "becomes aroused at the sight of beautiful girls" - Buzz saws cut off heads!!? Oh brother!

Here's a quick history on the Spook Show phenomenon and some handsome window cards also available as T-Shirts.

(The ad above was chopped and stitched for easy blog viewing)

STAY OF EXECUTION

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:10:51 -0700

Well, it wasn't an April Fool's gag - I had ever intention of deep sixxing this blog as we know it but I have put that on indefinite hold while I explore the possibility of replacing Serendipity with Wordpress or another alternative. Regular posts will continue at gorillamen.blogspot.com while I get this figured.
I've also created a Gorilla Men Tumblr blog to revel in the oodles of stills, posters, lobby cards and other goodies I've accumulated over the years. Stop by and see.

THE END IS NIGH

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:05:50 -0700

So close I can almost taste it - if all proceeds as planned, Gorilla Men 2.0 currently residing at www.gorillamen.blogspot.com will migrate to this domain in the next few days pending some assistance from my current provider. I relish the thought of not having to piss about with this blog software or my hosting management site. I am no web wizard and this avenue has made for a whack of wasted time and effort. I have so little spare time between family, work and the rest of life, that I prefer to have my energies directed toward actually sharing the great images I possess and the tales that accompany them.
No more new posts here until the charges blow. The fuse is lit.
In the meantime, bunker down at Gorilla Men 2.0

SPOOK SHOW AT THE OASIS

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:57:11 -0700

I love the notion of the spook show - the prospect of a live gorilla (man) rampaging through the crowds as KONG tosses sailor's into the crevasse on Kong Island makes me giddy. I imagine the reality of the experience is something less than the hype but if you were twelve, I'm betting it was pretty damn fun. Below is a great piece on a local Halloween Drive-In spook show in 60's Iowa - the print photo of the menacing ape is pretty muddy but the list of hijinks in the text is awe inspiring. 50,000 crickets dropped from a helicopter! A legion of gorillas and ghouls terrorizing the popcorn munching populace!
Forget AVATAR and 3-D chum, take me back baby!

Thrills, scares and fun will be part of the Halloween program when a giant Spook-tacular takes place at the Oasis Drive-In Theatre, Higgins and Elmhurst Roads, Saturday night.
Weighted ghosts and 50,000 imitation crickets will be thrown from a helicopter over the cars, as a ground barrage frightens off the invaders. Twenty actors dressed as full grown gorillas, apes, skeletons and ghosts will pop all over the place trying to scare the audience and then make up for it by giving each patron a free mask. Each child will also receive a free mask and a real pumpkin
BEFORE THE show starts at 5:30, there will be a costume parade for the kiddies between 5.30 and 6:30, followed by a costume contest at 6:45 with dozens of free prizes.
"Witchcraft," a story of ghouls returning after 300 years to leap blood havoc, starring Lon Chaney, and "The Horror of It All," a man-monster horror film starring Pat Boone, are the screen fare. The driver of every 13th car will be admitted free, and so will the driver of every car with a 13 in the license. All occupants in every car with a black cat will be admitted free.

UNBELIEVABLE PICTURES OF THE MONKEY WORSHIPPERS!

nospam@example.com (Admin) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:20:46 -0700

Between uploading gallery items to Flikr, transferring posts to gorillamen 2.0, and sifting through NewspaperArchive.com for all manner of gorilla suit film ads, articles and fresh leads on Gorilla Men, I'm amazed I still find the time to post something here! I am still in information overload mode with the archive searches. Here's a wee sample of FORBIDDEN ADVENTURE (1935) print advertisements - another flick following in the deplorably racist footsteps of INGAGI, coupling tedious travelogue footage of Angkor with staged sequences of jungle giants and their amorous native girls. More to come.