Planet of the Apes (1968)

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner

Writers:

Michael Wilson (screenplay) and
Rod Serling (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 April 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Somewhere in the universe there must be something better than man. In a matter of time, an astronaut will wing through the centuries and find the answer. He may find the most terrifying one of all on the planet where apes are the rulers and man the beast.

Plot:

An astronaut crew crash lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species, and humans are the oppressed and enslaved.

Plot Keywords:

Wound | Satire | Time Travel | Paranoia | Chase

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	George Taylor
Roddy McDowall	...	Cornelius
Kim Hunter	...	Zira
Maurice Evans	...	Dr. Zaius
James Whitmore	...	President of the Assembly
James Daly	...	Honorious
Linda Harrison	...	Nova
Robert Gunner	...	Landon
Lou Wagner	...	Lucius
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Maximus
Jeff Burton	...	Dodge
Buck Kartalian	...	Julius
Norman Burton	...	Hunt Leader
Wright King	...	Dr. Galen
Paul Lambert	...	Minister

Also Known As:

Monkey Planet

Runtime:

112 min | Argentina:115 min | Spain:107 min (DVD edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Brazil:12 | Iceland:L | Canada:G (Manitoba/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:PG (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Norway:16 (1968) | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1969) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/12 | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

APJAC Productions

Trivia:

Once Roddy McDowall got used to the ape make up, he reportedly became a merry prankster. He usually drove home with his make-up on and shocked some of the other drivers on the freeway.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Taylor's log states that his ship is traveling near the speed of light. But the amount of fuel his ship would have to carry to attain such a speed would be prohibitive to even launching such a spacecraft in the first place.

Quotes:

[first lines]
George Taylor: And that completes my final report until we reach touchdown. We're now on full automatic, in the hands of the computers. I have tucked my crew in for the long sleep and I'll be joining them soon. In less than an hour, we'll finish our sixth month out of Cape Kennedy...

Movie Connections:

Featured in How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog (2000)

A milestone; one of the best films ever made

When I recently, for fun, ranked my favorite films in a top 100 list, Planet of the Apes ended up at 33. It was the second sci-fi on the list, after 2001, which ranked #1. I have always been disappointed and irked at the ill-will that some people have towards Planet of the Apes. I almost assaulted someone who described Apes as "one of those so-bad-it's-funny type of movies" a few months ago. I take this film very seriously, and I wish others would do the same.

I think one of the reasons there is so much animosity against this one is that it is undeniably dated. Not too much, but it would be difficult to sit a young teenager, raised on 1990s movies, down in front of it and have him/her enjoy it. Even a young adult, between the ages of 18 and 25, would find it difficult. Planet of the Apes definitely exists in a specific time, the late 1960s. This was the best decade for film, churning out tons of both American and foreign masterpieces. Times were rough, and the Vietnam War was growing in intensity by the time Planet of the Apes was made. Because of this, we see many references to the current dilemma. The film willy-nilly debates issues like hunting, violence, animal rights, evolution vs creationism, class structure, and nuclear war. Taylor tells a young, rebellious, teenage chimpanzee not to trust anyone over 30 (a common youth adage in the late 60s). Yes, it has so many topics that it seems to be about to burst at times. And, yes, the satire does go overboard once in a while. Still, it is all argued passionately. You can tell that everyone involved, even Heston, believes in what they are saying. In its own way, Planet of the Apes is as intellectual and philosophical a film as 2001. I know that, when teens and younger people go see the Tim Burton remake (which is not great, btw), there are going to be many who overpraise it and say that it is much better than the original. You would have to be mentally handicapped to honestly believe so.