9 things you never knew about the 1968 classic film Planet of the Apes

This Friday, April 22nd, Sydney’s Event Cinemas is holding a special screening of the 1968 classic Planet of the Apes as part of their In the House series (you can win tickets HERE!). In anticipation of the screening, we’re looking back at the film to bring you some of our favourite trivia about the film… here now are 9 things you may have never known about Planet of the Apes:

1. In the scene at the Ape City natural history museum, a large claw of a strange animal can be seen prominently displayed several times on a pedestal at the top of the stairs. It is the plaster cast made of the foot of the monster that attacks the spaceship in Forbidden Planet (1956).
2. This isn’t the only item you may have seen in another film – the water pool where the astronauts enjoy a swim was built on the Fox Ranch by producer Arthur P. Jacobs for his adaptation of Doctor Dolittle (1967).
3. Although Charlton Heston’s character is listed in the credits as ‘George Taylor’, the name ‘George’ is never seen or heard in the film. He is referred to only as ‘Taylor’.
4. There are no female gorillas or orangutans in the film.
5. All five original “Planet of the Apes” movies were #1 at the U.S. box office when released.
6. It is one of only two G rated movies to feature nudity, the other being The Bible: In the Beginning… (1966). However, in the original script, the female native humans were all bare breasted. This idea was quashed by Fox to appease censors. Furthermore, this was Charlton Heston’s first nude film scene.
7. Charlton Heston was sick during much of the film with the flu. Rather than wait for him to get better, the producers felt that his hoarse voice added something to the character of Taylor. According to Heston’s diary, after filming the scene where Taylor and Nova are forcibly separated, he wrote that he was feeling like hell while shooting because of his illness, and felt even worse “every time that damn fire hose hit me”.
8. Variety columnist Army Archerd, along with several other journalists, were enlisted to play an ape, ensuring publicity for the film.
9. The final scenes were shot at Point Dume in Malibu, California, and NOT in Mexico as it is often claimed. Escape from the Planet of the Apes was shot around the other side of the rocks.

For more details about he In The House screening of Planet of the Apes, head to the official Event Cinemas website.

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