Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

In a futuristic world that has embraced ape slavery, Caesar, the son of the late simians Cornelius and Zira, surfaces after almost twenty years of hiding out from the authorities, and prepares for a slave revolt against humanity.

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

Paul Dehn, Pierre Boulle (characters)

Stars:

Roddy McDowall, Don Murray, Natalie Trundy

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roddy McDowall	...	Caesar
Don Murray	...	Breck
Natalie Trundy	...	Lisa
Hari Rhodes	...	MacDonald
Severn Darden	...	Kolp
Lou Wagner	...	Busboy
John Randolph	...	Commission Chairman
Asa Maynor	...	Mrs. Riley
H.M. Wynant	...	Hoskyns
David Chow	...	Aldo
Buck Kartalian	...	Frank - Gorilla
John Dennis	...	Policeman
Paul Comi	...	2nd Policeman
Gordon Jump	...	Auctioneer
Dick Spangler	...	Announcer

Storyline

Cornelius and Zira's son Caesar leads apes to revolution in this installment of the apes saga. Dogs and cats have been wiped out by a plague and now apes are household pets that are treated like slaves. Caesar has the intelligence to fight this oppression.

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Plot Keywords:

ape | future | intelligence | slave revolt | slavery | 

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Taglines:

All new! The revolt of the apes. The most awesome spectacle in the annals of science fiction!

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 June 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Conquista do Planeta dos Macacos

Filming Locations:

Avenue of the Stars, Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,700,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, APJAC Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The fourth of five Planet of the Apes movies.

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Goofs

When Caesar is being tortured, you can see a small rectangular hole in his mask at the rear of the upper lip, presumably for the actor to breathe through.

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Quotes

Woman: [referring to cigarettes] Funny, now that I know these things won't kill me, I don't enjoy them.

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Connections

Followed by Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

User Reviews

Aiming to imitate the first movie...

These movies are a mixed bag to say the least and it doesn't pay to scrutinise several incongruities...but they are enjoyable none the less.

Conquest for the Planet of the Apes, the fourth in the series, covers the 'pre-history' of the first movie, where the apes first start to gain some ascendancy in the world of humans. And like the first movie (and to a lesser degree the second) it actually strives to make a social statement AND does a decent job. Parallels are drawn between the apes struggle against slavery to humans and the struggle for civil rights of black people in America with the ape riot scene intended to imitate a famous riot in the sixties. The point is well made considering the censorship restrictions on violence and the touchy nature of the underlying subject matter - a topic well discussed today but not overtly talked about in 1972. The result is daring, well-made (the riot is stunning) and well-meaning, but sometimes a little clumsy.

Some fairly elementary things are overlooked, as well, such as the fact that in the first movie the apes were evolved by 2000 years thus excusing their very human bearing, but here, in the 'future' of 1991, they are just supposed to be apes with clothes on...doesn't quite work.

All in all, though, an entertaining film and a good showcase for Roddy McDowall's real acting abilities. 7 out of 10.