The most popular science fiction franchise of the first half of the Seventies was unquestionably The Planet Of The Apes, spawning five feature films, a live-action television series, an animated Saturday morning series, comic books, trading cards, action figures, et al. So it's probably no surprise that someone at 20th Century Fox got the brilliant idea in 1974 to offer all five movies at once to select movie theaters, and program them together as a "Go Ape!" movie marathon.
I'm not sure that I would have had the stamina to sit through all five movies in the theater as a nine year-old, but man, I sure would have loved to try! As it was, I only got to see these films as they came on network TV a few years later. Of course, nowadays I have all of them on Blu-ray disc (and, by the Lawgiver, they look grand!), but I'm sure it would have been a very different experience watching them one after another in a darkened theater, surrounded by other youthful fans...
I would have too young this as well, but it would have great to go to. My introduction to POTA was the series as I have faint memories of seeing it when I was 4. That Christmas a neighbor got me a POTA playset with plastic apes figures, trees with a bridge and for some reason it had Army men too. I played with it until it fell apart.
I was thirteen when this was shown at my local theater: Go Ape for a Day! I told my parents and we all went. I had a blast. But, of course, the idiots running the projector managed to show the movies out of order (1, 3, 4, 2 and 5). And some genius blew up a cherry bomb in the bathroom during the bomb explosion in Beneath... But it was a truly memorable experience all in all.
I love the apes movies, i to have retired my dvd box set, the bluray upgrade is worth it for conquest uncut alone, iv watched that one four times this month, i remember hearing about it in the beyond doc, the ten year wait was worht it, its like a whole new film
I remember going to a Drive in movie "from Dusk to Dawn" show. the first movie started around 8:00 PM. I remember the the sun coming up and pretty much washing out the screen during the final battle scene of BFTPA.
I did go see this. My older brother and I went ape all the way-wore the ape masks- My brother had the Gorilla mask and being the family nerd I got the Cornelius one. We had great time and the audience-a lot of whom were our ages- made ape noises throughout in a packed theater. So it was a good show all the way around- including concession stand sales for the theater. We got it when we got home as we had left out the fact that the last movie didn't end until 12:30 AM . We got grounded for two weeks. C'est la vie.
My buddies and I were there. The Jerry Lewis theaters on freeport Blvd. in Sacramento. I was 10. I had about 10 of the Mego Gorillas and the Planet of the Apes Treehouse. Ape shall not kill Ape!
Go Ape for a Day is how the ad ran in my paper. I went to the Parma theater which originally was a 1,000 seats +. The theater was packed for the first film. By the time "Battle" started, there were maybe 30 people left. And I was one of them.
I went to work with my dad for 5 days in a row and the movie theater was right across the street from his store so I set through all 5 movies twice daily for a total of 10 movies a day grand total by the end of the week was 50 movies so I guess you could say that I went ape and still do to this day
I went with my folks. I still cannot believe to this day that they actually said yes and took me. I had a blast. Dad was bored out of his mind. My mom just didn't get it but I had the time of my life.
Best thing? Some yahoo set up a cherry bomb and scared everyone but we all had a good laugh after a while.
Worst thing? The idiots at the theater showed the movies out of order. But it was still great fun.
I was there in Great Falls MT. 13 years old. Rode the bus from the AFB to the theater didn't get home until after 10 that night. First time I had seen any of the movies. It was great.
I saw this in Times Square - they actually did it twice in one day - I think the first showings were 10am to 6pm, and the showing I went to was 6pm to 2am. I sat through all 5 movies one after the other, and can remember walking out of the theater into Times Square, looking up at the Coca Cola sign, and it was 2:10am - and I had an hour commute home on the 7 line to Flushing and then the Q15 bus to the house. Wouldn't be able to do that again, but at 18, it was awesome!
I would have too young this as well, but it would have great to go to. My introduction to POTA was the series as I have faint memories of seeing it when I was 4. That Christmas a neighbor got me a POTA playset with plastic apes figures, trees with a bridge and for some reason it had Army men too. I played with it until it fell apart.
ReplyDeletePOTA was one of the most popular film franchises in the history of modern cinema.
DeleteYes that was until Star Wars came out :-)
DeleteI was thirteen when this was shown at my local theater: Go Ape for a Day! I told my parents and we all went. I had a blast. But, of course, the idiots running the projector managed to show the movies out of order (1, 3, 4, 2 and 5). And some genius blew up a cherry bomb in the bathroom during the bomb explosion in Beneath... But it was a truly memorable experience all in all.
DeleteI love the apes movies, i to have retired my dvd box set, the bluray upgrade is worth it for conquest uncut alone, iv watched that one four times this month, i remember hearing about it in the beyond doc, the ten year wait was worht it, its like a whole new film
ReplyDeleteI remember going to a Drive in movie "from Dusk to Dawn" show.
ReplyDeletethe first movie started around 8:00 PM.
I remember the the sun coming up and pretty much washing out the screen during the final battle scene of BFTPA.
I did go see this. My older brother and I went ape all the way-wore the ape masks- My brother had the Gorilla mask and being the family nerd I got the Cornelius one. We had great time and the audience-a lot of whom were our ages- made ape noises throughout in a packed theater. So it was a good show all the way around- including concession stand sales for the theater. We got it when we got home as we had left out the fact that the last movie didn't end until 12:30 AM . We got grounded for two weeks. C'est la vie.
ReplyDeleteDid Twentieth Century Fox want me to "Go Ape?"
ReplyDeleteMy buddies and I were there. The Jerry Lewis theaters on freeport Blvd. in Sacramento. I was 10. I had about 10 of the Mego Gorillas and the Planet of the Apes Treehouse.
ReplyDeleteApe shall not kill Ape!
Go Ape for a Day is how the ad ran in my paper. I went to the Parma theater which originally was a 1,000 seats +. The theater was packed for the first film. By the time "Battle" started, there were maybe 30 people left. And I was one of them.
ReplyDeleteI went to work with my dad for 5 days in a row and the movie theater was right across the street from his store so I set through all 5 movies twice daily for a total of 10 movies a day grand total by the end of the week was 50 movies so I guess you could say that I went ape and still do to this day
ReplyDeleteI went with my folks. I still cannot believe to this day that they actually said yes and took me. I had a blast. Dad was bored out of his mind. My mom just didn't get it but I had the time of my life.
ReplyDeleteBest thing? Some yahoo set up a cherry bomb and scared everyone but we all had a good laugh after a while.
Worst thing? The idiots at the theater showed the movies out of order. But it was still great fun.
Damn! Were we at the same theater?? Benson Movie Theater, 19th Ave & 86th St., Brooklyn, NY.
DeleteI was there in Great Falls MT. 13 years old. Rode the bus from the AFB to the theater didn't get home until after 10 that night. First time I had seen any of the movies. It was great.
ReplyDeleteBob T.
I saw this in Times Square - they actually did it twice in one day - I think the first showings were 10am to 6pm, and the showing I went to was 6pm to 2am. I sat through all 5 movies one after the other, and can remember walking out of the theater into Times Square, looking up at the Coca Cola sign, and it was 2:10am - and I had an hour commute home on the 7 line to Flushing and then the Q15 bus to the house. Wouldn't be able to do that again, but at 18, it was awesome!
ReplyDeleteThey were showing only the last three movies at my neighborhood theater but it was worth it.
ReplyDelete