KILLER APE (1953)
Article #771 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 4-25-2003
Posting Date: 9-22-2003
Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
Featuring Johnny Weissmuller, Carol Thurston, Ray ‘Crash’ Corrigan

Jungle Jim has to cope with mad scientists performing experiments on jungle animals, and a giant ape-man.

Here we have more monkeyshines with Jungle Jim and Tamba the chimp. It’s pretty ordinary stuff, though for fans of fantastic cinema, I will point out that the science fiction and horror content is somewhat higher than it was in FURY OF THE CONGO; the scientists are working on a drug that will sap the will from humans, and the Man-Ape is a major part of the story. Quite frankly, the movie is stolen by Max Palmer, who was eight feet tall and weighed 450 pounds; as the Man-Ape, he literally towers over the rest of the cast, and he’s bulky enough to be a real threat to all. The animal stock footage gets a little brutal at times, so animal lovers beware.

Public service: this movie is not to be confused with any of these other classics.

THE KILLER APP – A boring documentary about software and web page designers.

THE KILLER GRAPE – A deadly fruit monster kills people who w(h)ine too much.

THE KILLER GRAPE APE – Ill-fated attempt by the Hanna-Barbera people to resurrect an old cartoon character and breathe new life into him.

KILTED APE – A Scottish chimpanzee wreaks havoc on a golf course.

KILLER ABE – Our 16th president as you’ve never seen him before.

CRULLER APE – Various customers of the Doughnut Shop of the Congo mysteriously disappear.

Okay, I’ll stop.