The poster tells the tale: that pretty young thing never does get her arm out the meat-eating plant. Left there* while we head off to terrorize London with Konga, the over-grown chimp turned over-grown-man-in-gorilla-suit carrying Professor Michael Gough away from the sexy student he was busy molesting. It’s the climax of this Saturday Matinee Kiddie Thriller, think KING KONG meets MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE, from schlock producer Herman Cohen, and still good dopey fun. Gough, exceptional as the calmly insane research botanist, sends his fast-growing pet ape off to kill enemies & rivals, tests in simian loyalty, approved by flutey-voice secretary/accomplice Margo Jones as long as he promises to marry her. But since he’s fallen for that blonde student vixen, all bets are off. Made with tinker-toy model sets and process shots, yet unexpected care taken with some priceless dialogue (‘There’s a huge monster gorilla that’s constantly growing to outlandish proportions loose in the streets!’), and what’s with those color-matched interiors (Green for Gough’s lab & apartment; Brown for the Dean’s office & matching suits; Powder Blue suits and offices for the detectives; Purple candles to match purple dining room walls. Fussy art direction by C. Wilfred Arnold, with credits going back to Hitchcock silents; and an Oscar nom’d lenser in Desmond Dickinson. Everyone bringing something irresistibly silly to the table.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Filmed in a process labeled Spectamation which doesn’t seem to be anything at all other than optical enlargements & cheesy matte effects.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *We never do get back to her. Could she still be there? Is her arm intact? Yikes!
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