Konga (1961)

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)

Filming Locations:

Putney, London, England, UK

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 Trailer Cinema (1992) (TV)

Hilarious Campy Delight

Konga is one heck of a movie. Basically it's Frankenstein and King Kong with some cheesy special effects and a truly wonderful performance from Michael (Now Alfred the Butler of Batman Movies) Gough.

Thought to be dead in a plane crash while doing research in Africa, a brilliant botanist/scientist returns home to his teaching post while continuing experiments on his little monkey with the help of his assistant/lover.

A breakthrough occurs and the chimpanzee is transformed into a man in a gorilla suit.

When our scientist starts falling for a sexy co-ed, the woman he's promised to marry gives Konga an extra dose of stuff and voila, he grows right through the roof of the house and becomes an Attack of a Fifty Foot Man in a Gorilla Suit named Konga. Throw in some very large carniverous plants, some priceless dialogue, surprisingly good acting, lots of cliches and you've got a campy delight. Not to be missed. In Glorious color too!