USA: HOLLYWOOD CELEBRATES THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF "PLANET OF THE APES"

Record ID: 387684

  • Title: USA: HOLLYWOOD CELEBRATES THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF "PLANET OF THE APES"
  • Date: 27th August 1998
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RTV) PALM TREE AND POSTER FOR "PLANET OF THE APES" GENERAL URSUS AT THE SCREENING
  • Embargoed: 11th September 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAAT7RJWFU765LIRAIQ85SYZ4JH
  • Story Text: Hollywood celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of
    "Planet Of The Apes" on Thursday night.A special
    commemorative screening of the original film took place at the
    Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences theatre.

    "Planet Of The Apes" broke the mould when it was
    released thirty years ago and spawned numerous sci-fi ideas.

    The film stars Charlton Heston as Astronaut Taylor who
    crash lands on a distant planet ruled by apes - who use a
    primitive race of humans for experimentation and sport.

    Taylor is hunted down and captured by the apes.A throat
    injury prevents him from talking - but his injuries bring him
    in contact with scientist Dr Zira (Kim Hunter) and her husband
    Cornelius (Roddy McDowall).The apes quickly realise Taylor
    is not one of the ordinary primitive humans and plan to kill
    him.

    Cornelius and Zira help him to escape to a safe area where
    he realises that he's not on another planet as he first
    thought - but on earth.But time has moved on considerably
    and earth has been destroyed by nuclear weapons - and apes
    have evolved as the superior race.

    The original movie has been fully restored and the
    original stars turned out to see it in its full glory.

    The apes were there too - but this time they had abandoned
    their usual mode of transport in favour of something a touch
    more comfortable.

    Roddy McDowall was "very happy indeed to see that the film
    had survived and was still of interest" Although he did admit
    that the change of character "from working with an animal (as
    Joe Carraclough in "Lassie Come Home") to being one "was a bit
    strange at the time.

    It was like a family reunion - the original surviving cast
    members and fifteen apes together again after three decades.

    Charlton Heston "hadn't seen the film in thirty years but was
    happy to report that "the cheques keep coming in" and is still
    a fan of the movie that "created a whole new genre - the space
    opera"
    The makeup in "Planet Of The Apes" was hailed by all of
    Hollywood at the time - and John Chambers won an academy award
    for his work.It took nearly four hours to apply the
    prosthetics and the makeup on top - but for Kim Hunter "it was
    part of it - and helped to allow them to believe that they
    really were an advanced simian" In fact it was so convincing
    that by the time Kim got back to the makeup room she'd all but
    forgotten what Roddy looked like - Roddy was Cornelius" as far
    as she was concerned.

    Die hard fans have been pressing for the film to be
    restored for years and those who weren't invited to the
    screening can now order the new version on video.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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