Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998)

The story behind the making of the 5 "Planet of the Apes" movies.

Directors:

Kevin Burns, David Comtois

Writers:

Brian Anthony, David Comtois,

Stars:

Roddy McDowall, Mort Abrahams, Charlton Heston

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roddy McDowall	...	Himself - Host
Mort Abrahams	...	Himself
Charlton Heston	...	Himself
Richard D. Zanuck	...	Himself (as Richard Zanuck)
Edward G. Robinson	...	Dr. Zaius (archive footage)
James Brolin	...	Dr. Cornelius (archive footage)
John Chambers	...	Himself
William J. Creber	...	Himself (as William Creber)
Kim Hunter	...	Herself
Maurice Evans	...	Himself (archive footage)
Eric Greene	...	Himself, film historian
Linda Harrison	...	Herself
Franklin J. Schaffner	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ted Post	...	Himself
Frank Capra Jr.	...	Himself

Storyline

This documentary was shown as part of the American Movie Classics (AMC) cable TV channel's celebration of the 30th anniversary of the release of Planet of the Apes. We learn how the original French novel was transformed into the first film; the problems that the producers encountered during production of the entire series (often involving shrinking budgets); how the stories related to current events (e.g., the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement); and how the series became a pervasive part of American popular culture. The film includes interviews with virtually all of the people involved in the production of the film series, including all the main performers. Personal movies taken on the shooting sets and early ape makeup test footage (with Edward G. Robinson and James Brolin!) are also featured.

---

Plot Keywords:

ape | planet of the apes | interview | earth | making of | 

---

Taglines:

Journey Back To The Planet Of The Apes!

---

Genres:

Documentary

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 September 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Detrás del Planeta de los Simios

Filming Locations:

Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Van Ness Films, Foxstar Productions, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (as Dolby Surround)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Host Roddy McDowall died on October 3, 1998, less than a month after the broadcast of this special.

---

Connections

References Twilight Zone (1959)

User Reviews

Interesting

I saw this on the sci-fi channel one night and found it to be pretty interesting. If you like the PLANET OF THE APES movies, you'll love BEHIND THE PLANET OF THE APES, but if you aren't a PLANET OF THE APES fan, I don't think you won't find this interesting at all. It's fun to watch.