Written By Ken Hulsey
In 1966, Franklin J. Schaffner acquired the rights to an exciting project he believed would make a fantastic film: Pierre Boulle's novel "La Planète des singes." He took his idea, initially dubbed "Monkey Planet," and pitched it to nearly every studio in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the response was lukewarm; many studio executives doubted that a story about talking apes would resonate with audiences. However, Schaffner's luck turned when he presented his concept to Arthur P. Jacobs and Charlton Heston, both of whom jumped on board to produce and star in the film. With Heston’s star power and Jacobs' production support, Schaffner finally had the credibility to approach 20th Century Fox.
Despite gaining traction, there were still some concerns to tackle. Would the apes look convincingly real? To address this, a makeup test was organized featuring Heston, Edward G. Robinson as Dr. Zaius, and Linda Harrison as Zira. The results were promising! The makeup looked great, proving that the vision could come to life without appearing cheesy. The project was officially greenlit.
Next up was the story itself. Boulle's novel depicted an advanced ape civilization with modern technology and infrastructure. Initially, Rod Serling had crafted scripts that reflected these themes. However, Fox's budget constraints meant they couldn't manage both extensive special effects and complex makeup. Since the makeup was essential for the film's success, the apes were reimagined to be more primitive. Screenwriter Michael Wilson joined the team, and together with Serling, they refined the script to feature a less technologically advanced society for the apes.
With these changes and the outstanding makeup by John Chambers ready to go, production commenced. Despite facing various technological challenges along the way, the film was completed right on schedule and within budget!
The film centers around George Taylor (Charlton Heston), an astronaut who has given up on humanity and traveled the stars to discover what else the universe has to offer. He and his crew of three—one woman and two men—travel to the deepest reaches of space in suspended animation. However, something goes terribly wrong with their spacecraft, and it crash-lands off course on an unknown world. While the three men survive, the woman dies in her sleep about a year before the crash.
The three survivors trek across a hostile desert until they reach a lush oasis with food and running water. A relaxing dip in the pond leads to them losing their clothes and their first encounter with a group of primitive humans. Is this truly the best this planet has to offer?
Their moment of peace is short-lived. The humans seem to be the hunted on this world, as frightened tribesmen run in every direction. The astronauts witness the dominant species: apes. A desperate chase ensues, resulting in one astronaut being killed, another captured in a net, and Taylor being shot in the throat and knocked unconscious.
When he awakens days later, Taylor finds himself in a cage within what appears to be an animal hospital. He is under the care of a kind chimpanzee doctor named Zira (Kim Hunter). Zira has compassion for the humans she treats and believes they can be civilized, a notion ridiculed by her fellow doctors. She sees potential in Taylor.
Due to his throat injury, Taylor is unable to speak, which draws attention since no other humans can communicate. Zira presents him with a young woman named Nova (Linda Harrison) as a mate. Despite her primitive status, Taylor can connect with her. Zira nicknames Taylor "Bright Eyes" because of his striking blue eyes and advanced skills. She shows him off to both her fiancé, Cornelius and her supervisor, Dr. Zaius, who dismiss her belief that he is different from other humans. However, Zaius recognizes the danger an advanced human poses and begins to plot Taylor's demise.
Taylor eventually steals Zira's notepad and writes his name, revealing his ability to communicate. This realization puts him in danger. He manages to escape but is pursued throughout the ape city before being recaptured. In a moment that seals his fate, he utters his first words: "Get your paws off me, you damned dirty ape!" The apes are terrified. Taylor is put on trial as a heretic, facing experimental brain surgery orchestrated by Dr. Zaius, who knows more than he lets on.
Zira and Cornelius decide to free both Taylor and Nova. Their only hope is to reach Cornelius's dig site in what the apes call "The Forbidden Zone," a vast area known for its emptiness. This is the same desert Taylor and his crew traversed days earlier. Once there, Cornelius shows Taylor artifacts that prove an advanced civilization existed before the apes. Zaius, along with his gorilla army, soon finds them. Taylor takes Zaius hostage at gunpoint and reveals the truth: humanity was indeed there first, and it was mankind that destroyed its own society. Taylor agrees to let Zaius go in exchange for safe passage into the Forbidden Zone, a deal Zaius accepts, hoping that Taylor will perish in the desert. After bidding farewell to his new ape friends, Taylor ventures forth with Nova, while Zaius destroys all evidence of human civilization.
The film culminates in one of cinematic history's greatest scenes—the half-buried Statue of Liberty on the beach. Taylor then delivers one of the most memorable lines in film history upon realizing he is on Earth and that mankind has destroyed itself in a nuclear nightmare.
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