THe making of PLaneT of THe aPes
How they finally really did it
released OUT NOW! 304 pages | Hardback/ebook
Author JW rinzler Publisher Harper design
Hardcore Star Wars fans should need no introduction to JW Rinzler; his trio of Making Of books on the original trilogy quite rightly won critical acclaim. This similarly-formatted look back at Franklin Schaffner’s 1968 post-apocalyptic classic is equally impressive.
Conscientiously mining not only the archives of Twentieth Century Fox but also those of star Charlton Heston and producer Arthur Jacobs, it’s astonishingly detailed. For practically every smallest decision made during the movie’s production (and its extended gestation) there’s documentation to quote, from letters and memos to the journals Heston hand-typed onto calendar pages. Changes to each successive draft of the screenplay are summarised, with due credit given to script doctor John T Kelley (the man responsible for “It’s a madhouse!”). The detail level is microscopic, with Rinzler zooming in on everything from which film a stock sound effect was originally recorded for to where the hair for the ape wigs was sourced (South Korea). And conflicting points of view are scrupulously weighed for veracity, with much of what Jacobs – a man Heston memorably describes as “a slippery character” – had to say filed under “hype”.
The book is also crammed with treasures: concept art, behind-the scenes stills, photos of make-up and costume tests. Every turn of the page seems to bring a fresh revelation or visual treat. If you love the original movie, prepare to go ape. Ian Berriman
Actress Kim Hunter was so freaked out by the chimp make-up process that she got her doctor to prescribe her Valium!