Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

Pierre Boulle (characters)
Paul Dehn (story)
(more)

Release Date:

15 June 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The final chapter in the incredible Apes saga. The most suspenseful showdown ever filmed as two civilizations battle for the right to inherit what's left of the earth!

Plot:

Ten years after conquering the Earth, ape leader Caesar wants the ruling apes and enslaved humans to live in peace. But warring factions of apes led by a militant gorilla general as well as various human groups threaten the stability.

Plot Keywords:

Ape | General | Gorilla | Planet Of The Apes | Fifth Part

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Roddy McDowall	...	Caesar
Claude Akins	...	Aldo
Natalie Trundy	...	Lisa
Severn Darden	...	Kolp
Lew Ayres	...	Mandemus
Paul Williams	...	Virgil
Austin Stoker	...	MacDonald
Noah Keen	...	Teacher
Richard Eastham	...	Mutant Captain
France Nuyen	...	Alma
Paul Stevens	...	Mendez
Heather Lowe	...	Doctor
Bobby Porter	...	Cornelius
Michael Stearns	...	Jake
Cal Wilson	...	Soldier
Pat Cardi	...	Young Chimp
John Landis	...	Jake's Friend
Andy Knight	...	Mutant on Motorcycle
John Huston	...	The Lawgiver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Bacon	...	Gorilla Soldier (uncredited)
Eric Braeden	...	Dr. Otto Hasslein (archive sound) (uncredited)
Colleen Camp	...	Julie - Lisa's Servant (uncredited)
Paula Crist	...	Girl in Corral (uncredited)
Jimmy Gambina	...	Orangutan (uncredited)
David Gerrold	...	Chimp (uncredited)
Dominique Green	...	Female Ape (uncredited)
Kim Hunter	...	Dr. Zira (archive sound) (uncredited)
Sam Maronie	...	Mutant Technician (uncredited)
Lou Wagner	...	Busboy (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
J. Lee Thompson

Writing credits
Pierre Boulle		(characters)
Paul Dehn		(story)
John William Corrington		(screenplay) &
Joyce Hooper Corrington		(screenplay)

Produced by
Frank Capra Jr.	....	associate producer
Arthur P. Jacobs	....	producer

Original Music by
Leonard Rosenman

Cinematography by
Richard H. Kline		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John C. Horger
Alan Jaggs		(as Alan L. Jaggs)

Casting by
Ross Brown

Art Direction by
Dale Hennesy		(as Dale Hennessy)

Set Decoration by
Robert De Vestel		(as Robert deVestel)

Makeup Department
Jack Barron	....	makeup artist
John Chambers	....	creative makeup design
Joe DiBella	....	makeup supervisor (as Joe Di Bella)
Werner Keppler	....	makeup artist
Carol Pershing	....	hair stylist
John Inzerella	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)
Verne Langdon	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Jan Van Uchelen	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Michael S. Glick	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ric Rondell	....	assistant director
Barry Stern	....	second assistant director
Bob Jeffords	....	director trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
Gus Basso	....	greensman (uncredited)
Russell Goble	....	property master (uncredited)
Dan Goozee	....	set illustrator (uncredited)
Dianne Wager	....	set designer (uncredited)
John Zemansky	....	assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don J. Bassman	....	sound (as Don Bassman)
Herman Lewis	....	sound
Orrick Barrett	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gerald Endler	....	special mechanical effects
Johnny Borgese	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard E. Butler	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Caruso	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roydon Clark	....	stunts (uncredited)
Erik Cord	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paula Crist	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russ Dodson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Duran	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Durock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Hice	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Holt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hubie Kerns	....	stunts (uncredited)
Denver Mattson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Troy Melton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regina Parton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regis Parton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Victor Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)
Allen Pinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Thomas Rosales Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Sharp	....	stunts (uncredited)
Felix Silla	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Richard Washington	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Waters	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred M. Waugh	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Al Baerthlin	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Albert Bettcher	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Douglas Bolder	....	second company grip (uncredited)
John C. Flinn III	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Alan Goldenhar	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Clayton Gray	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Ted Holt	....	best boy (uncredited)
Jay Johnson	....	crab dolly operator (uncredited)
Lou Pazelli	....	key grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Carl Joy	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Albert H. Frankel	....	assistant wardrobe man (uncredited)
Wally Harton	....	wardrobe man (uncredited)
Barbara Siebert	....	wardrobe woman (uncredited)
Ronald Wind	....	assistant wardrobe man (uncredited)

Other crew
Don Record	....	title designer
John Campbell	....	publicist (uncredited)
David Richardson	....	head wrangler (uncredited)
Duane Toler	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Apjac International
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox-MGM (1973) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MGM-Fox (1973) (Finland) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1975) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• FS Film Oy (2001) (2007) (Finland) (DVD) (both 6-disc editions)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2005) (Finland) (TV)
• Nelonen (1997) (1999) (Finland) (TV)
• Playhouse Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Showtime (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1991) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Cinemobile System  locations (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min | USA:96 min (extended version) | UK:86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | USA:G | Canada:PG | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Apjac International

Trivia:

Roddy McDowall and Natalie Trundy are the only cast members to appear in 4 of the 5 original "Planet of the Apes" movies. Roddy McDowall appeared all except the first sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970). Natalie Trundy did not appear in the original Planet of the Apes (1968) movie, but appeared in all 4 sequels. 'Roddy McDowall' also starred in the "Planet of the Apes" (1974) TV series. It's also noted that Roddy is the only actor to voice three different apes, Cornelius, his son, Caesar and Galen in the TV series.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Caesar's famous "Now, fight like apes!" line is marred by his ape lower-mouth appliance beginning to fall off, revealing his own human mouth inside. The director tried to hide this by blurring those frames of film at the lower end of the screen. What looks like dust on the camera was intentional.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Title Card:North America, 2670 A.D.
The Lawgiver:In the beginning God created beast and man so that both might live in friendship and share dominion over a world of peace. But in the fullness of time evil men betrayed God's trust and in disobedience to His holy word waged bloody wars, not only against their own kind...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Black Windmill (1974)

Afternoon type of thing

This final installment in the series may be a bit corny, but it sure as hell does provide us with some action. Humans and apes are again at war, and as a result a lot of stuff explodes, that's pretty much the summary. The usual philosophic remarks are thrown in, but they just work up to the battle the title promised. The action scenes are pretty chaotic but still look good, especially the scene early in the movie where they enter the forbidden zone/undergrond parking lot works out well. By this time the actors knew what they were making and seemed to be loving it, Claude Akins hams it up like crazy. His portrayal of man-hating general Aldo has one dimension, and that dimension is really built to last. We meet Aldo and he's angry, we see him again later and he's angry, and then finally he's well what do you know, angry. His best scene comes near the ending though, you'll know it when you see it. You can say a lot of negative things about this movie, but boring it ain't.