The Apes of Rath (28 Nov. 1969)

Agents are receiving bananas and being murdered. Max receives one and is being protected by Agent Armstong an ape that was surgically changed to look like a human.

Director:

Richard Benedict

Writers:

Lloyd Turner, Gordon Mitchell,

Stars:

Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, Edward Platt

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Don Adams	...	Maxwell Smart
Barbara Feldon	...	Agent 99
Edward Platt	...	Chief
Reuben Singer	...	Dr. Matthew Rath
John Barbour	...	Webster
Robert Carroll	...	Otto Cronin (as Bob Carroll)
Robert Karvelas	...	Larabee
Maury Wills	...	Roberts
Charles Bateman	...	Chuck Armstrong

Storyline

Agents are receiving bananas and being murdered. Max receives one and is being protected by Agent Armstong an ape that was surgically changed to look like a human.

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Plot Keywords:

banana | talking gorilla | banana peel | character name in episode title | gorilla

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 1969 (USA)

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Talent Associates-Norton Simon, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title is from the novel 'The Grapes of Wrath' written by John Steinbeck.

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Quotes

Maxwell Smart - Agent 86: That's right, Armstrong: the old fake fingertips on the fire escape trick.

User Reviews

86th Wonder of the World

This parody of "King Kong" features Charles Bateman as Agent Chuck Armstrong (Carl Denham in KK was played by Robert Armstrong) who is really a killer ape made to look human by KAOS scientist Dr. Rath (Reuben Singer). Before he kills, Rath sends his targets a boxed banana. When Smart gets a banana, the Chief assigns Armstrong to guard Smart (despite the fact he also was supposed to guard Agent Roberts, played by Los Angeles Dodger star Maury Wills!). When Armstrong cuts his finger, 99 bandages it, and once again the beast falls for the beauty, which leads to his downfall.

Despite a pretty good script with a number of decent jokes, "The Apes of Rath" falls a bit flat, mostly due to Charles Bateman. Unlike Dick Gautier as Hymie, who really seemed convincing as a robot, Bateman makes the effort, but just isn't convincing as an ape in a man's body. He's neither very threatening or very funny. One wonders if perhaps Bateman was a last minute substitution for a bigger "name" guest star (as season five seemed to have--Vincent Price, Victor Bueno, John Dehner, etc.). The music is also uncharacteristically wrong. Melencholy, almost melodramatic cues are heard again and again that just drain the comedy out of scenes. Usually the score can be depended on to enhance the comedy on "Get Smart", but not this time. In all, not a terrible episode, just not a particularly good one.