Bride of the Gorilla
Bride of the Gorilla | |
---|---|
Film poster | |
Directed by | Curt Siodmak |
Produced by |
Jack Broder Edward Leven |
Written by | Curt Siodmak |
Starring |
Barbara Payton Lon Chaney Jr. Raymond Burr Tom Conway |
Music by |
Raoul Kraushaar Mort Glickman |
Cinematography | Charles Van Enger |
Edited by | Francis D. Lyon |
Distributed by | Jack Broder Productions Inc. |
Release dates |
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Running time | 70 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Bride of the Gorilla is a 1951 horror B-movie film directed by Curt Siodmak and starring Raymond Burr, Lon Chaney Jr., Barbara Payton and Tom Conway.
Plot
Deep in the South American jungles, plantation manager Barney Chavez (Burr) kills his elderly employer in order to get to his beautiful wife Dina Van Gelder (Payton). However, old native witch Al-Long (Gisela Werbisek) witnesses the crime and puts a curse on Barney, who soon after finds himself turning nightly into a rampaging gorilla. When a wise but superstitious police commissioner Taro (Chaney) is brought in to investigate the plantation owner's death and a rash of strange animal killings, he begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. Dina is also becoming suspicious of Barney, who seems to be more in love with the jungle than with her. She follows him one night into the jungle, only to be attacked by the feral Barney. Taro and his friend Dr. Viet (Conway) follow her screams in the jungle and shoot Barney.
Cast
- Raymond Burr as Barney Chavez
- Lon Chaney Jr. as Police Commissioner Taro (credited as Lon Chaney)
- Barbara Payton as Dina Van Gelder
- Tom Conway as Dr. Viet
- Gisela Werbisek as Al-Long (credited as Giselle Werbisek)
- Carol Varga as Larina
- Paul Cavanagh as Klaas Van Gelder
- Paul Maxey as Van Heusen
- Woody Strode as Nedo (Policeman)
- Felippa Rock as Stella Van Heusen
- Moyna MacGill as Mrs. Van Heusen
- Steve Calvert as Gorilla (uncredited)
In other media
There is a mocking reference to the movie in the 1973 first season episode "Sticky Wicket" of M*A*S*H.
The movie is featured in the first episode of the Ed the Sock series This Movie Sucks! with commentary making fun of the movie by Ed, Liana Kerzner and Ron Sparks.
The film was also the first movie lampooned on MSTing show Incognito Cinema Warriors XP in 2008. The film was greatly ridiculed by the characters, who made much light of the overly-dark scenes taking place in the jungle, as well as the promiscuous nature of Barbara Payton's character.
Production
The film was shot in 10 days. Edward G. Robinson Jr. was originally cast for the movie but was fired by the producers after his arrest for writing a bad check for $138 to the Laguna Beach Garage. The gorilla of the movie's title only appears in the last few minutes of the film. The film's working title was The Face in the Water. Curt Siodmak considered interchanging the roles of Lon Chaney Jr. and Raymond Burr, but because of Chaney's deteriorating looks the idea was dropped.
See also
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bride of the Gorilla. |
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Bride of the Gorilla |
- Bride of the Gorilla at the Internet Movie Database
- Bride of the Gorilla is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- Bride of the Gorilla at Google Videos
- Bride of the Gorilla at AllMovie
- Joe Dante on Bride of the Gorilla at Trailers From Hell