When I was a kid I couldn't get enough of movies with gorillas in them. Or should I say movies with "ape-suit actors" in them.Be it a mad scientist movie , sinew & sandal flick , jungle adventure , comedy or horror/mystery programmer. If there was an ape in the movie said movie became that much better in my eyes. Remember I grew up in the Silver Age of Comics. One of my favorite actors from the ape-suit cinema was Emil Van Horn.
Not as large a man as some other ape-suit actors. For instance B-Western star Ray " Crash " Corrigan stood over 6' 4" tall. But Van Horn in his gorilla suit was no less frightening when threatening a serial heroine or other damsel in distress. And besides real gorillas were rarely taller than 5' 9". I'm also a big fan of his costume's elongated arms. Built no doubt to replicate a gorilla's arm length. If nothing else it gave him a unique look.
Aside from appearing in movies like KEEP 'EM FLYING with Abbott & Costello and THE APE MAN with Bela Lugosi Van Horn worked burlesque revues and night clubs performing gorilla and girl acts. These acts were variations of the damsel in distress being threatened by a monster theme found in B-Movies with some adagio dance moves added to the mix.
When I came up with the Phantom Gorilla idea that Vance Capley and myself used in Judo Comics we gave the judoka who had his brain surgically implanted in the body of a gorilla a secret identity as an ape-suit actor in a gorilla and girl act. We also had the Mr.Incognito character face off against a gorilla on a couple of occasions. Largely because there were too few Mexilucha movies that featured the hero going up an enraged ape. Then watch us answer questions and have lots of fun. Finally, go to lulu.com and buy JUDO COMICS by Dave Goode and Vance Capley...you'll be glad you did.
I love those faux comic book covers.
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