Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Short description
The third film in the Planet of the Apes series follows two chimpanzees, Cornelius and Dr. Zira, who travelled back through time from a future in which apes rule and humans are mute. Their spacecraft comes down on present-day Earth, where the talking, reasoning pair are taken in for study. Public interest and scientific curiosity soon turn to fear, and the apes find themselves in danger as officials weigh what their knowledge of what is to come means for humanity's future. Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter play Cornelius and Zira, with Bradford Dillman, Natalie Trundy, Eric Braeden and William Windom among the credited cast of 53.
Don Taylor directed the film, which was released in May 1971. It sits second in his directing career, between The 5-Man Army and Tom Sawyer, and Paul Dehn wrote the screenplay, with Arthur P. Jacobs producing for 20th Century Fox and APJAC Productions. Made for about 3 million dollars, it took in roughly 12 million worldwide, a return that suggests a sequel from an established series could still be profitable without a large outlay.
On IMDb, the film holds 6.3 out of 10 from around 44,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.4 out of 10 from about 1,274 votes. A critics' rating of 5.8 out of 10 from 28 reviews places it somewhat below the audience scores, while still in similar territory: a mixed but not dismissive response. At 98 minutes, it is an action and science fiction entry that continues a series rather than standing alone.
What's left behind the scenes
- According to actress Kim Hunter, who played Zira, the makeup process in Franklin J. Schaffner's original 1967 film took four and a half hours. By the end of work on the third film in the franchise, the makeup artists had become so skilled that they could do it an hour faster. The actress recalled that in the heat, her skin would overheat under the latex, while in freezing weather, it would cool down quickly. The film was shot in winter, and insulation had to be placed under the rubber masks.
- The box office returns for Ted Post's 'Beneath the Planet of the Apes' (1970) proved to be more than satisfactory, and four months after the film's premiere, producer Arthur P. Jacobs sent a telegram to screenwriter Paul Dehn regarding the need for a sequel.
- Zira's first line in the presence of humans ("I can't stand bananas") reflects Kim Hunter's own feelings toward the fruit. It all started on the set of the first film in the franchise, when the actors playing apes had to remain in their masks and makeup even during breaks; the rest of the crew openly mocked them and jokingly offered the ape actors bananas.
- Sal Mineo agreed to a role in this film hoping to revitalize his film career (as Roddy McDowall had managed to do with filming in the first film of the franchise). However, due to a number of reasons, the script was rewritten, and Mineo's character was killed off earlier than originally intended. This turned out to be Mineo's last film released in theaters, and the actor died on February 12, 1976, at the age of 37.
Similar movies
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
