Movie Poster 'Planet of the Apes'

by Michael Wilson
and Rod Serling


"Somewhere in the Universe, there must be something better than man!"

In the year 1972 A.D., a spaceship and its four astronauts are carrying out an exploratory mission when they encounter a time warp. Hurled thousands of years into the future to the year 3978, the vessel crash-lands in the sea of an unknown planet; the three surviving crewmen, Taylor, Dodge and Landon, make their way to shore and begin to explore their surroundings, only to learn that they are on a world where humans are treated as slaves by their masters: the apes! Dodge is shot and killed by gorilla troopers, who then capture Taylor and Landon at take them back to their city. While Landon is subjected to brain surgery that leaves him in a state of living death, Taylor, his throat injured in the attack, finds himself subjected to testing. Unable to speak, Taylor manages to convince chimpanzee scientist, Doctor Zira, and her archaeologist friend, Cornelius, of his intelligence, surprising them further when his voice finally recovers. But when Zira tells her supervisor, Doctor Zaius, of her subject’s talents, the orang-utan becomes gravely concerned, realising the threat to ape society that an intelligent human could pose, and orders that Taylor be lobotomised. However, with the aid of Zira and Cornelius, Taylor is able escape, along with a human girl named Nova; together they head for the planet’s Forbidden Zone, where the astronaut’s spaceship crashed. Hotly pursued by Doctor Zaius, General Urko and his gorilla troopers, Taylor soon discovers his destiny – and the shocking secret behind the planet and its inhabitants…

Charlton Heston (George Taylor), Roddy McDowall (Cornelius), Kim Hunter (Zira), Maurice Evans (Doctor Zaius), James Whitmore (President of the Assembly), James Daly (Doctor Honorious), Linda Harrison (Nova), Robert Gunner (Landon), Lou Wagner (Lucius), Woodrow Parfrey (Doctor Maximus), Jeff Burton (Dodge), Buck Kartalian (Julius), Norman Burton (Leader of the Hunt), Wright King (Doctor Galen), Paul Lambert (Minister), Priscilla Boyd (Human #1)*, Eldon Burke (Gorilla)*, David Chow (Chimpanzee )*, Billy Curtis (Child Ape)*, Frank Delfino (Bit part)*, Robert Lombardo (Gorilla Photographer)*, Felix Silla (Child Gorilla)*, Jerry Maren (Bit part)*, Harry Monty, Gene O'Donnell, Jane Ross
*Uncredited

Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner
Associate Producer Mort Abrahams
Produced by Arthur P. Jacobs
Based on the novel by Pierre Boulle


Released: 1968
Certificate: M [Mature Audiences](USA) / A (UK)
Runtime: 112 min (Argentina:115 min)

Notes:
*Working title: ‘Monkey Planet’

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