Konga (1961)

User Rating:

2.7/10   

Director:

John Lemont

Writers:

Herman Cohen (story)
Aben Kandel (story)

Release Date:

March 1961 (UK)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Not since "King Kong"...has the screen exploded with such mighty fury and spectacle!

Plot:

Dr.Decker comes back from Africa after a year, presumed dead. During that year, he came across a way of growing plants and animals to an enormous size...

Plot Keywords:

Plant | Chimpanzee | University | Student | Laboratory

Cast

Michael Gough	...	Dr. Charles Decker
Margo Johns	...	Margaret
Jess Conrad	...	Bob Kenton
Claire Gordon	...	Sandra Banks
Austin Trevor	...	Dean Foster
Jack Watson	...	Supt. Brown
George Pastell	...	Prof. Tagore
Vanda Godsell	...	Bob's mother
Stanley Morgan	...	Insp. Lawson
Grace Arnold	...	Miss Barnesdell (Foster's secretary)
Leonard Sachs	...	Bob's father
Nicholas Bennett	...	Daniel (student with radio)
Kim Tracy	...	Mary
Rupert Osborne	...	Eric Kenton
Waveney Lee	...	Janet Kenton

Also Known As:

I Was a Teenage Gorilla (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating)

Company:

Merton Park Studios

Trivia:

Producer Herman Cohen first considered using "ape" actor 'Steve Calvert', who had worked with Cohen on Bride of the Gorilla (1951) and Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952), but Calvert had retired from performing in his gorilla suit. Cohen turned to another renowned "ape" actor George Barrows, but only hired Barrows' gorilla costume, not Barrows himself. The actor Paul Stockman was instead chosen, based primarily on being a good fit for Barrows' costume. Barrows was annoyed when his gorilla costume was returned from England in bad shape.

Goofs:

Continuity: The close-ups of Konga's feet on the streets are out of scale with how he appears on full shots.

Quotes:

Dr. Charles Decker: Konga! Put me down! Konga! Put me down!
[line repeats several more times]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fantastic Fantasy Fright-o-Rama Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

not bad British giant gorilla movie

Herman Cohen has done a lot of good movies fir American international pictures like i was a teenage werewolf.teenage Frankenstein,the black museum.and konga is one of those campy movies thats pretty good.even if some of the special effects are below par.Micheal gough plays the professor who returns home from Uganda Africa with a chimp named konga and carnivorous plant bulbs,he uses the plant extract to turn his playful chimp into a ferocious gorilla to get revenge on those who crossed his path and upset him.he makes advances on a busty blonde college student,his jealous companion doesn't like how things are going and things turn ugly.the music on the soundtrack is very good and memorable.konga was filmed in great Britain and imported by American international pictures.yes i did hear that George barrows the Hollywood gorilla expert played konga.konga is no classic but its much better then the mighty gorga and a*p*e*.Micheal gough went on to play Alfred in the batman movies from 1989 to 1997.i give konga 8 out of 10.