Some very strange things happened to Anne Bancroft during the years before she achieved stardom and won an Oscar for Best Actress for THE MIRACLE WORKER (1962). As a contract player at 20th Century-Fox in the 1950's, she was cast in a variety of supporting and leading roles in B movies. In GORILLA AT LARGE she found herself cast as a trapeze artist in an amusement park side show performing a daring routine with a rather insipid looking gorilla. When her character, Laverne, isn't consorting with her hairy cohort, she's busy managing all the men in her life. One of them is her husband, Raymond Burr, the owner of the park. Another is top-billed Cameron Mitchell, sporting an orange-colored hairstyle, as a young guy Laverne recruits into her act, while also attempting to recruit him into her bed. There are other assorted gents mixed-up with Laverne, including a disgruntled ex-husband who happens to be the trainer of the aforementioned gorilla.
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| Anne Bancroft's initial reaction to the script of Gorilla At Large. |
As the story progresses, and Lavere's overactive pheromones unleash all manner of aggressive male reactions, various cast members began dropping dead with broken necks. The logical culprit appears to be the gorilla. However, there is also someone running around the park in a gorilla suit, which tends to complicate matters. But don't worry. Cynical cop Lee J. Cobb arrives on the scene to harass everyone unmercifully until he nails the killer. He is ably assisted by detective Warren Stevens and bumbling cop Lee Marvin.
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| Lee Marvin looking justifiably perplexed. |
Pay close attention here. The "real" gorilla in the film is played most of the time by someone in a gorilla suit. The killer is someone in a gorilla suit who is pretending to be the "real" gorilla...someone in a gorilla suit. You may need a drink right now.
Miss Bancroft is slinky and sexy, while Mitchell does a good job as an overaged Boy Scout. Burr is his usual intense pre-Perry Mason self. But the acting honors go to the various gorillas, real or otherwise.
Directed by Harmon Jones. In Technicolor. Originally released in 3-D.
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Even with all the talent involved, it's a very goofy movie. And whenever a "gorilla" shows up in a classic movie or TV show, inevitably someone will be running around disguised as that gorilla.
ReplyDeleteIt's goofy for sure, and great fun. I have to hand it to Miss Bancroft and the other actors. They played it with straight faces. All except for Lee Marvin. I may show up at the Bash in a gorilla suit. Keep an eye out.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea!
DeleteLike the new format, Michael. Always like your reviews and the way you interject humor into them (the picture of Ann Bancroft with the caption about her seeing the script cracked me up!). The review was informative, entertaining, and makes me want to watch a B movie!
ReplyDeleteHey Jim! Thanks for the visit and the nice comments. It's always fun to write something snarky. Being deadly serious takes a lot more work! The new format looks 100% better. And Blogger makes it all so easy. One click, and there it all is. I'm trying to make the blog more accessible and readable. So, if and when the hordes of fans come out of nowhere and start ravenously devouring my content, they'll find a welcoming atmosphere. (I can dream, can't I?) You can't go wrong with a good B movie, Jim. Or even a bad one!!!
DeleteYou've got to admire the audacity of a script that features a "real" gorilla and a fake one, and both are played by a guy in a suit. And yes, you are undoubtedly right that a drink (or two) will help the viewer process it all. :) If that wasn't enough, the cast boasts a lot of star power for a movie that seems to be barely a step up from The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters. At the moment there's a pretty good copy streaming on Youtube, so I'm definitely going to reacquaint myself with it.
ReplyDeleteBrian, thanks for the comment and the sub! I really appreciate it. Apart from the script, the most audacious thing about this film is what they did to Cameron Mitchell's hair. Speaking of the Bowery Boys, there is no truth to the rumor that Leo Gorcey was initially offered the Lee Marvin role but turned it down for artistic reasons. Cheers!
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