Black Zoo (1963)

Director:

Robert Gordon

Writers:

Herman Cohen (story)
Aben Kandel (story)

Release Date:

15 May 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Fang and claw killers stalk the city streets!

Plot Keywords:

Animal | Independent Film

Cast

Michael Gough	...	Michael Conrad
Jeanne Cooper	...	Edna Conrad
Rod Lauren	...	Carl
Virginia Grey	...	Jenny Brooks
Jerome Cowan	...	Jerry Stengel
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Joe (as Elisha Cook)
Edward Platt	...	Chief of Detectives Rivers
Douglas Henderson	...	Lt. Mel Duggan
Marianna Hill	...	Audrey
Byron Morrow	...	Coroner
Oren Curtis	...	Radu
Jerry Douglas	...	Lab Technician Perkins
Joseph Mell	...	Frank Cramer
Eric Stone	...	Groom
Eilene Janssen	...	Bride
Warrene Ott	...	Mary Hogan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Barrows	...	Victor the Gorilla (uncredited)
Claudia Brack	...	Carl's Mother (uncredited)
Herman Cohen	...	(uncredited)
Daniel Kurlick	...	Carl as a Child (uncredited)
Dani Lynn	...	Art Student (uncredited)
Susan Slavin	...	Art Student (uncredited)
Michael St. Angel	...	Officer Donovan (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Gordon

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Herman Cohen		story & screenplay
Aben Kandel		story & screenplay

Produced by
Herman Cohen	....	producer

Original Music by
Paul Dunlap

Cinematography by
Floyd Crosby

Film Editing by
Michael Luciano

Art Direction by
William Glasgow

Makeup Department
Phillip Scheer	....	makeup artist (as Philip Scheer)
Peggy Shannon	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Edward Morey Jr.	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William McGarry	....	assistant director
Arthur M. Broidy	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Friedrich	....	property master
James West	....	construction supervisor

Sound Department
Charles Brown	....	music editor
John Bury Jr.	....	sound
Harold E. McGhan	....	sound effects editor
Richard Overton	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Burdick S. Trask	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Pat Dinga	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Al Baerthlin	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Charles Hannawalt	....	grip (uncredited)
Eddie Jones	....	still photographer (uncredited)
David McEwen	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Harry Sundby	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Harry L. Underwood	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jack Masters	....	wardrobe
Norah Sharpe	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Brown	....	music editor
Paul Dunlap	....	conductor

Other crew
Rita Calmanson	....	production secretary
Mary Gibsone	....	script supervisor
Ralph Helfer	....	animal supervisor

Production Companies

• Allied Artists Pictures

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R) (widescreen)

Other Companies

• Howard Anderson Company, The  optical effects (as Howard A. Anderson Co.)
• Ryder Sound Services  sound (as Ryder Sound)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15

Filming Locations:

Producers Studios - 5330 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Allied Artists Pictures

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Maniacs (1996) (V)

Minor Gorilla Correction

This was actually the first time George Barrow himself worked for Herman Cohen. The first time out, KONGA, Barrows sent his ape suit over to London. When it returned the worse for wear, he decided he'd never do it again.

BLACK ZOO was shot in Hollywood. For producer Cohen to have arranged for a foreign actor to come to Hollywood and take a job that could have been done by any number if US actors must've been quite an argument to both SAG and the Imigration Department. "Sirs, you must understand, my script calls for the zoo keeper to be the maddest, most outlandish, least subtle character ever to grace the movie screen. We just don't have an actor anywhere in the country who can do this. There is no one n the world who can out-mug Mr. Gough. I know, I've used him twice, and every time he gets bigger and badder."