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:

Lobotomy | Caged Human | Chase | Wound | Ape Man

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 30

11:30 AM

AMC

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:PG (video rating) | Brazil:12 | Iceland:L | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | 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:

Early scenes in the movie where the spaceship crash-lands in a lake on an unknown planet were filmed at Lake Powell. It straddles Utah and Arizona and was formed by a dam on the Colorado River.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In the original theatrical release, a double moon was seen in the sky shortly after Taylor and his crew landed at the beginning of the movie. This was removed in later releases in order to continue the series, as the double moon couldn't be explained in the next movie.

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:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Ruth Gordon/Chuck Berry (#2.12)" (1977)

Going 'Apes' Over Heston's 'Planet'

This film, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner ("Patton"), is one of the most stylized films of the late 1960's. "Planet of the Apes" - which was based on the novel by Pierre Boulle - is social commentary at it's best. The film's post apocalyptic look is breathtaking, and Roddy McDowall (Dr. Cornelius), Kim Hunter (Dr. Zira) and Maurice Evans (Dr. Zaius) are the standouts in this finely written tale by Michael Wilson and "Twilight Zone's" Rod Sterling. The ending - which is still considered one of the best twist endings of all time - still doesn't disappoint. The film spawned four sequels, novelizations, cartoons, a TV series, as well as a nicely done remake by Tim Burton. This is a must see for all film purists.