Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)

Director:

Ted Post

Writers:

Pierre Boulle (characters)
Paul Dehn (story) ...

Release Date:

26 May 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The bizarre world you met in 'Planet of the Apes' was only the beginning... What lies beneath may be the end!

Plot:

The sole survivor of an interplanetary rescue mission searches for the only survivor of the previous expedition. He discovers a planet ruled by apes and an underground city run by telekinetic humans.

Plot Keywords:

Ape | Astronaut | Planet Of The Apes | Survivor | Sequel

Cast

James Franciscus	...	Brent
Kim Hunter	...	Zira
Maurice Evans	...	Dr. Zaius
Linda Harrison	...	Nova
Paul Richards	...	Mendez
Victor Buono	...	Fat Man
James Gregory	...	Ursus
Jeff Corey	...	Caspay
Natalie Trundy	...	Albina
Thomas Gomez	...	Minister
David Watson	...	Cornelius
Don Pedro Colley	...	Negro
Tod Andrews	...	Skipper
Gregory Sierra	...	Verger
Eldon Burke	...	Gorilla Sergeant

Also Known As:

Planet of the Apes Revisited (USA) (working title)
Planet of the Men (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Norway:16 (1970) | Singapore:PG | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | USA:G | West Germany:16 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Red Rock Canyon State Park - Highway 14, Cantil, California, USA

Company:

APJAC Productions

Trivia:

This was the first appearance of Natalie Trundy in the "Apes" series. She is the only person to play both a human and an ape in the series.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: In the beginning of the film, Taylor is wearing only a loincloth (his uniform being mostly ripped to shreds by the primitive humans in the original movie). When Brent meets him in the prison cell near the end of the film, Taylor is wearing clothes the other humans gave him, not his original uniform.

Quotes:

Dr. Zaius: Someone, or something, has outwitted the intelligence of the gorillas.
Dr. Zira: That shouldn't be difficult.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "I Love the '70s: Volume 2" (2006)

Best of the rest - GREAT ending!

Originally entitled ''Planet of the Apes Revisited'', Ted Post took over direction from Franklin Schaffner in what is the best of the Planet of the Apes films after the original. While it deviates significantly from what the audience might have imagined would happen, script writer Paul Dehn takes us a step closer to understanding how this ''upside down'' civilization came to be.

The film is hindered by having less subtle commentary to make than its predecessor did (the Vietnam overtones are hard to miss), but none the less the excellent Cathedral sequence - ''the almighty bomb, who created heaven under earth'' - is masterfully orchestrated. A credit to Dehn and to composer Leonard Rosenman, who more than fills the shoes of Jerry Goldsmith in providing an riveting score for the film.

Controversy has always centred around the film's ending more than any other feature of it. Those who critisise it miss the point - this was intended to be the LAST apes film, and although producer Arthur Jacobs kept his mind open for a possible 3rd film, it was felt that another movie set in a post-apocalyptic ape ruled world would just be ''flogging a dead horse''. One of the greatest features of these films, started by the Statue of Liberty sequence in the original, was that they all contained ''shocker'' endings, designed to send a shiver down the spine of the cinema audience. Beneath is so final, so clear cut, so definate in its climax - and is successful BECAUSE of this. 'Escape' featured the talking baby Chimp at its end. 'Conquest' featured the apes take over in its ultimate moments.

Beneath suffers less than the other films from having an inadiquate budget, but is hindred by Chuck Heston's absence. The fact that James Franciscus looks so similar is slightly irritating. But considering the storyline, script, locations, music and great shocker ending, this film is a definate 'hit' for the series.

And as for Linda Harrison........well, let's just say I've kept the best to the last.....