Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Encyclopedia
Escape from the Planet of the Apes, directed by Don Taylor, is a 1971 science fiction
film starring Roddy McDowall
, Kim Hunter
, Bradford Dillman
and Ricardo Montalbán
. It is the third of five films in the original Planet of the Apes
series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs
, the second being Beneath the Planet of the Apes
(1970). Its plot centers around many social issues of the day including scientific experimentation on animals, nuclear war and government intrusion. This film was followed by Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
.
.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes begins by establishing that three apes (Cornelius, Zira, and Dr. Milo, played respectively by Roddy McDowall
, Kim Hunter
, and Sal Mineo
) escaped the Earth's destruction by salvaging and repairing the astronaut Taylor's spaceship (which sank in the first movie) and piloting it through the shock wave
of Earth's destruction, sending the ship through a time warp. The salvage, repair and launch all happen within the brief period of the final act of the previous film.
The apes arrive on Earth in 1973, splashing down on the Pacific coast. They are transported to a secluded area of the Los Angeles Zoo, under the observation of two scientists, Stephanie Branton (Natalie Trundy
) and Lewis Dixon (Bradford Dillman
). The apes' power of speech is revealed when Zira's impatience gets the better of her during an experiment. Soon after this, Milo is killed by a gorilla who becomes agitated by an argument amongst the three chimpanzees.
Meanwhile, a Presidential Commission has been formed to investigate the return of Taylor's spaceship and how the apes, which they already are aware are atypically intelligent, came to be aboard it. The apes are brought before the Presidential Commission, where they publicly reveal their ability to speak, and are welcomed as guests. Cornelius and Zira secretly tell Stephanie and Lewis that they knew about Taylor, how humans are treated in the ape dominated future, about the Earth's eventual destruction. Stephanie and Lewis are shocked, but they handle it and tell Cornelius and Zira to keep this quiet until they find the right people to talk to.
The apes become celebrities, being lavished with presents and media attention. They come to the attention of the President's Science Advisor Dr. Otto Hasslein (Eric Braeden
), who discovers Zira is pregnant and fears for the future of the human race. Determined to force the issue, he gets her drunk on champagne (which he assures her is harmless, calling it "grape juice plus"). The resulting interrogation enables him to convince the Commission that Cornelius and Zira must be subjected to more rigorous questioning.
Both are questioned using various means of interrogation; during this time, one of Hasslein's assistants refers to the apes as "monkeys," stirring Cornelius's anger. Hasslein defuses it, saying they simply want to know how apes rose in dominance over men. Cornelius reveals that the human race will eventually meet its downfall and be dominated by simians, which will later lead to Earth's destruction. However, there are still suspicions about how humans are treated by the future apes rather than the Earth's destruction.
Suspicion had already been aroused by Zira letting slip, during her drunken interrogation by Dr. Hasslein, that she had dissected humans in the course of her work. Hasslein orders Lewis to administer a truth serum
to her, while Cornelius is taken to confinement quarters. Lewis warns Zira that the serum will have the same effect as the champagne Hasslein convinced her to drink earlier. As a result of the serum, Hasslein learns for himself that Zira examined and operated on humans in the future.
Zira is taken to join Cornelius in confinement while Hasslein takes his findings to the U.S. President (William Windom
). An orderly bringing food refers to the unborn child as a "little monkey;" Cornelius has heard enough of the epithet and knocks the tray out of the orderly's hands, thinking he has only knocked the orderly unconscious; he is stunned later to overhear that the boy died. Hasslein uses it as an illustration of the future danger the apes present and calls for the apes' execution. The president reluctantly orders that the unborn child's birth be terminated and that both be sterilized. Running for their lives, Cornelius and Zira (assisted by Stephanie and Lewis) find shelter in a circus run by Señor Armando (Ricardo Montalbán
), where an ape named Heloise has just had a baby. There Zira gives birth to a son, whom she names Milo.
Hasslein, knowing that Zira's giving birth was imminent, orders a search of all circuses and zoos. As a result, Armando must send the apes away; Lewis gives Cornelius a pistol to use as a last resort. Hasslein tracks the apes down to an abandoned ship, and finds Zira resting with her infant. Hasslein shoots Zira after she refuses to hand over her infant and then proceeds to fire several shots into the infant; he is immediately shot to death by Cornelius, and falls overboard. After Cornelius kills Hasslein, he is shot by an unseen Marine Corps
sniper and, as Stephanie and Lewis watch, falls to the deck of the ship. Zira tosses her dead baby over the side of the ship before crawling to lie with her husband.
The survivors are unaware of the real fate of the infant ape: Cornelius, Zira, and Armando switched babies with the common ape Heloise before their escape. Armando now watches over the intelligent infant Milo. The film ends with the baby Milo sitting in a cage, plaintively speaking the words "Mama? Mama?"
In this film, actor Roddy McDowall returns to the character of Cornelius which he played in the first film but not in the second. A new character of Dr. Milo is introduced played by actor Sal Mineo
, who hoped his career would gain from the new project much as McDowall's career had from participating in the first film. Charlton Heston
, star of the first film and supporting actor in the second, appears in this third installment only in two brief flashback sequences.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film starring Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
, Kim Hunter
Kim Hunter
Kim Hunter was an American film, theatre, and television actress. She won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, each as Best Supporting Actress, for her performance as Stella Kowalski in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire...
, Bradford Dillman
Bradford Dillman
-Early life:Bradford Dillman was born on April 14, 1930 in San Francisco, California, the son of Josephine and Dean Dillman, a stockbroker. He studied at Town School for Boys and St. Ignatius High School. Later he attended the Hotchkiss boarding school in Connecticut, where he became involved in...
and Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
. It is the third of five films in the original Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (franchise)
Planet of the Apes is a United States media franchise with seven films , two television series, and comic books. The series began with the 1968 science fiction film Planet of the Apes, which was based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle.-Background:The original series of...
series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs
Arthur P. Jacobs
Arthur Jacobs was a twentieth century film producer responsible for numerous classic films of the 1960s and 1970s, including the Planet of the Apes series, Doctor Dolittle, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Play It Again, Sam and Tom Sawyer...
, the second being Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Beneath the Planet of the Apes is a 1970 American science fiction film directed by Ted Post and written by Paul Dehn. It is the second of five films in the original Planet of the Apes series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs...
(1970). Its plot centers around many social issues of the day including scientific experimentation on animals, nuclear war and government intrusion. This film was followed by Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is a 1972 science fiction film directed by J. Lee Thompson. It is the fourth of five films in the original Planet of the Apes series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs. It explores how the apes rebelled from mankind's ill treatment following Escape from the Planet of...
.
Plot summary
The preceding film, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, ends with the apes' future Earth and everything on it being destroyed by a nuclear weaponNuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes begins by establishing that three apes (Cornelius, Zira, and Dr. Milo, played respectively by Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
, Kim Hunter
Kim Hunter
Kim Hunter was an American film, theatre, and television actress. She won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, each as Best Supporting Actress, for her performance as Stella Kowalski in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire...
, and Sal Mineo
Sal Mineo
Salvatore "Sal" Mineo, Jr. , was an American film and theatre actor, best known for his performance as John "Plato" Crawford opposite James Dean in the film Rebel Without a Cause...
) escaped the Earth's destruction by salvaging and repairing the astronaut Taylor's spaceship (which sank in the first movie) and piloting it through the shock wave
Shock wave
A shock wave is a type of propagating disturbance. Like an ordinary wave, it carries energy and can propagate through a medium or in some cases in the absence of a material medium, through a field such as the electromagnetic field...
of Earth's destruction, sending the ship through a time warp. The salvage, repair and launch all happen within the brief period of the final act of the previous film.
The apes arrive on Earth in 1973, splashing down on the Pacific coast. They are transported to a secluded area of the Los Angeles Zoo, under the observation of two scientists, Stephanie Branton (Natalie Trundy
Natalie Trundy
Natalie Trundy is an American actress, and the widow of movie producer Arthur P. Jacobs.She made a sizeable contribution to the Planet of the Apes movie series during the 1970s. She appeared as the telepathic mutant Albina in the first sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, as Dr...
) and Lewis Dixon (Bradford Dillman
Bradford Dillman
-Early life:Bradford Dillman was born on April 14, 1930 in San Francisco, California, the son of Josephine and Dean Dillman, a stockbroker. He studied at Town School for Boys and St. Ignatius High School. Later he attended the Hotchkiss boarding school in Connecticut, where he became involved in...
). The apes' power of speech is revealed when Zira's impatience gets the better of her during an experiment. Soon after this, Milo is killed by a gorilla who becomes agitated by an argument amongst the three chimpanzees.
Meanwhile, a Presidential Commission has been formed to investigate the return of Taylor's spaceship and how the apes, which they already are aware are atypically intelligent, came to be aboard it. The apes are brought before the Presidential Commission, where they publicly reveal their ability to speak, and are welcomed as guests. Cornelius and Zira secretly tell Stephanie and Lewis that they knew about Taylor, how humans are treated in the ape dominated future, about the Earth's eventual destruction. Stephanie and Lewis are shocked, but they handle it and tell Cornelius and Zira to keep this quiet until they find the right people to talk to.
The apes become celebrities, being lavished with presents and media attention. They come to the attention of the President's Science Advisor Dr. Otto Hasslein (Eric Braeden
Eric Braeden
Eric Braeden is a German-American film and television actor, best known for his role as Victor Newman on the soap opera The Young and the Restless and as John Jacob Astor IV in the 1997 film Titanic...
), who discovers Zira is pregnant and fears for the future of the human race. Determined to force the issue, he gets her drunk on champagne (which he assures her is harmless, calling it "grape juice plus"). The resulting interrogation enables him to convince the Commission that Cornelius and Zira must be subjected to more rigorous questioning.
Both are questioned using various means of interrogation; during this time, one of Hasslein's assistants refers to the apes as "monkeys," stirring Cornelius's anger. Hasslein defuses it, saying they simply want to know how apes rose in dominance over men. Cornelius reveals that the human race will eventually meet its downfall and be dominated by simians, which will later lead to Earth's destruction. However, there are still suspicions about how humans are treated by the future apes rather than the Earth's destruction.
Suspicion had already been aroused by Zira letting slip, during her drunken interrogation by Dr. Hasslein, that she had dissected humans in the course of her work. Hasslein orders Lewis to administer a truth serum
Truth Serum
Truth Serum is an independent comic book series created, written and drawn by author Jon Adams.-Overview:Originally published as a mini comic in 2001 and given away for free, it appeared as a three-issue mini series published by Slave Labor Graphics in 2002...
to her, while Cornelius is taken to confinement quarters. Lewis warns Zira that the serum will have the same effect as the champagne Hasslein convinced her to drink earlier. As a result of the serum, Hasslein learns for himself that Zira examined and operated on humans in the future.
Zira is taken to join Cornelius in confinement while Hasslein takes his findings to the U.S. President (William Windom
William Windom (actor)
William Windom is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his work on television, including several episodes of The Twilight Zone; playing the character of Glen Morley, a congressman from Minnesota like his own great-grandfather and namesake in The Farmer's Daughter; the character of John...
). An orderly bringing food refers to the unborn child as a "little monkey;" Cornelius has heard enough of the epithet and knocks the tray out of the orderly's hands, thinking he has only knocked the orderly unconscious; he is stunned later to overhear that the boy died. Hasslein uses it as an illustration of the future danger the apes present and calls for the apes' execution. The president reluctantly orders that the unborn child's birth be terminated and that both be sterilized. Running for their lives, Cornelius and Zira (assisted by Stephanie and Lewis) find shelter in a circus run by Señor Armando (Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
), where an ape named Heloise has just had a baby. There Zira gives birth to a son, whom she names Milo.
Hasslein, knowing that Zira's giving birth was imminent, orders a search of all circuses and zoos. As a result, Armando must send the apes away; Lewis gives Cornelius a pistol to use as a last resort. Hasslein tracks the apes down to an abandoned ship, and finds Zira resting with her infant. Hasslein shoots Zira after she refuses to hand over her infant and then proceeds to fire several shots into the infant; he is immediately shot to death by Cornelius, and falls overboard. After Cornelius kills Hasslein, he is shot by an unseen Marine Corps
Marine corps
A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
sniper and, as Stephanie and Lewis watch, falls to the deck of the ship. Zira tosses her dead baby over the side of the ship before crawling to lie with her husband.
The survivors are unaware of the real fate of the infant ape: Cornelius, Zira, and Armando switched babies with the common ape Heloise before their escape. Armando now watches over the intelligent infant Milo. The film ends with the baby Milo sitting in a cage, plaintively speaking the words "Mama? Mama?"
Cast
- Roddy McDowallRoddy McDowallRoderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
- Cornelius - Kim HunterKim HunterKim Hunter was an American film, theatre, and television actress. She won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, each as Best Supporting Actress, for her performance as Stella Kowalski in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire...
- Zira - Bradford DillmanBradford Dillman-Early life:Bradford Dillman was born on April 14, 1930 in San Francisco, California, the son of Josephine and Dean Dillman, a stockbroker. He studied at Town School for Boys and St. Ignatius High School. Later he attended the Hotchkiss boarding school in Connecticut, where he became involved in...
- Dr. Lewis Dixon - Natalie TrundyNatalie TrundyNatalie Trundy is an American actress, and the widow of movie producer Arthur P. Jacobs.She made a sizeable contribution to the Planet of the Apes movie series during the 1970s. She appeared as the telepathic mutant Albina in the first sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, as Dr...
- Dr. Stephanie Branton - Eric BraedenEric BraedenEric Braeden is a German-American film and television actor, best known for his role as Victor Newman on the soap opera The Young and the Restless and as John Jacob Astor IV in the 1997 film Titanic...
- Dr. Otto Hasslein - William WindomWilliam Windom (actor)William Windom is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his work on television, including several episodes of The Twilight Zone; playing the character of Glen Morley, a congressman from Minnesota like his own great-grandfather and namesake in The Farmer's Daughter; the character of John...
- President - Sal MineoSal MineoSalvatore "Sal" Mineo, Jr. , was an American film and theatre actor, best known for his performance as John "Plato" Crawford opposite James Dean in the film Rebel Without a Cause...
- Dr. Milo - Albert SalmiAlbert SalmiAlbert Salmi was an American actor.-Biography:Albert Salmi was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Finnish immigrant parents, and following a stint in the Army, took up acting as a career, studying Method acting with Lee Strasberg. In 1955, Salmi starred in Bus Stop on Broadway...
- E-1 - Jason EversJason EversJason Evers was an American actor.Evers was born Herb Evers in New York City, New York. After quitting high school to join the United States Army, Evers was so inspired by stars like John Wayne that he decided to try acting...
- E-2 - John RandolphJohn Randolph (actor)John Randolph was an American film, television and stage actor.-Early life:Randolph was born Emanuel Hirsch Cohen in New York City, the son of Jewish immigrants Dorothy , an insurance agent, and Louis Cohen, a hat manufacturer...
- Chairman - Harry LauterHarry LauterHerman Arthur "Harry" Lauter was an American character actor originally from White Plains, New York....
- General Winthrop - M. Emmet WalshM. Emmet WalshMichael Emmet Walsh is an American actor who has appeared in over 100 film and television productions.-Life and career:Walsh was born in Ogdensburg, New York, the son of Agnes Kathrine and Harry Maurice Walsh, Sr., a customs agent...
- Aide - Roy GlennRoy Glenn-Career:Glenn's career spanned five decades, beginning in radio with shows such as Amos 'n Andy and The Jack Benny Show. He made numerous appearances on television, from its early days until 1970. His first film appearance was in 1937; his career included roles in A Raisin in the Sun , with Sidney...
- Lawyer - Peter ForsterPeter Forster (actor)Peter Edgar Forster was an American film and television actor. He was born and brought up in San Francisco, California, where he trained to become an actor before moving to Los Angeles...
- Cardinal - Norman Burton - Army Officer
- William WoodsonBill WoodsonWilliam "Bill" T. Woodson is a retired American voice artist. He has a small onscreen appearance in the 1950s sci-fi film "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" as a newscaster. He can be heard in the opening narrative of the 1970s television series The Odd Couple, explaining how it is that Felix and...
- Naval Officer - Tom Lowell - Orderly
- Gene Whittington - Marine Captain
- Donald Elson - Curator
- Bill BondsBill BondsBill Bonds is an American television anchor and reporter, best known for his work at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, Michigan. Born in 1933, Bonds became an Action News anchorman beginning in the early 1970s.-Early career:...
- TV Newscaster - Army ArcherdArmy ArcherdArmand Andre "Army" Archerd was a columnist for Variety for over fifty years before retiring his "Just for Variety" column in September 2005. In November 2005, Archerd began blogging for Variety and was working on a memoir when he died.-Life and career:Archerd was born in The Bronx, New York, and...
- Referee - James Bacon - General Faulkner
- Ricardo MontalbánRicardo MontalbánRicardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
- Armando
In this film, actor Roddy McDowall returns to the character of Cornelius which he played in the first film but not in the second. A new character of Dr. Milo is introduced played by actor Sal Mineo
Sal Mineo
Salvatore "Sal" Mineo, Jr. , was an American film and theatre actor, best known for his performance as John "Plato" Crawford opposite James Dean in the film Rebel Without a Cause...
, who hoped his career would gain from the new project much as McDowall's career had from participating in the first film. Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
, star of the first film and supporting actor in the second, appears in this third installment only in two brief flashback sequences.