The Auctioneer sold the apes upon the completion of their training in Ape Management or if a slave owner wished to sell their apes to new owners. He sold Caesar to Governor Breck in 1991. Part of the Auctioneer's job was to extol the virtues of the ape slaves in order to attract bids.
When Ceasar was put on the auction block, the Auctioneer remarked how well Ceasar did during his indoctrination at Ape Management that they nearly recommended against conditioning. As expected, Ceasar's bidding goes higher than most other apes, attracting the attention of Breck, who on a whim, orders Ceasar to be bought. Mr. MacDonald, Breck's aide, shouts an expensive bid, causing the Auctioneer to remark "$1,500 for His Excellency Governor Breck!". MacDonald's bid (as proxy of Breck) wins, either because no other other bidder can afford to outbid him or the humans figure it would be foolhardy to get in a bidding war with the Governor, and Ceasar is transferred to Breck's command. The Auctioneer is not seen after the auction, and it is unknown if he perished during the ape revolt or the subsequent wars. However, it can be inferred that with the destruction of Ape Management during the Night of the Fires, the Auctioneer's career became moot.
Trivia[]
- The Auctioneer is played by Gordon Jump, who was also known as Mr. Horton in the "Bicycle Shop Man" episode of Different Strokes, but is arguably best known for a series of TV commercials as the Maytag Repairman.
- In the script, he discouraged anyone from bidding against the Governor, but in the film, he seemed to be unbiased to all customers.
Appearances[]
- Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
- Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (novel)
- Planet of the Apes Magazine (issue #18)
Gallery[]
