Veteran actor Edward G. Robinson was recruited to play the role of Dr. Zaius in the March 1966 Planet of the Apes screen-test. The screen-test was to persuade Twentieth Century-Fox executives of the viability of a movie about talking apes. While the make-up (initially created by Ben Nye, not to be confused with the design by John Chambers for the actual film) was under scrutiny, the promised involvement of such Hollywood big-hitters as Edward G. Robinson and Charlton Heston was also used as leverage to green-light the project. It should be remembered though, that as the main actor demonstrating the ape make-up, the performance given by Robinson was what, more than anything else, cleared the way for the movie to finally go ahead. Robinson was committed to the role and looked forward to working with Heston. Ultimately, however, he left the project around April 1967, weeks before filming began.
According to the film's make-up designer, John Chambers, the star refused to shave off his beard, making his ape transformation impossible, and even attempted to commission an independent make-up artist to create a custom facial appliance: "I told the producer he would have to get rid of him." Arthur P. Jacobs had already been considering dropping Robinson to replace him with someone cheaper and the row was just the excuse he needed. By mutual agreement, Robinson was paid off, the Shakespearean actor Maurice Evans was hired and Jacobs saved money. It was in no one's interest that the truth came out and it remained a secret for over thirty years.[1][2] The public explanation for Robinson's departure was the stress on his health caused by working under such uncomfortable and restrictive heavy make-up. Both Charlton Heston and Kim Hunter maintained that a recent heart-attack was the reason that Robinson could not agree to wear the oppressive ape make-up for a three-month filming schedule. Nevertheless, Robinson was invited to a premier screening of the completed movie.
Robinson, who had earlier co-starred with him in The Ten Commandments, would go on to appear with Heston once again in another of the latter's trio of sci-fi classics, Soylent Green. This would prove to be Robinson's final movie, as he was terminally ill during filming and died a matter of weeks after it was completed.
Though it was supposed to be destroyed, a print of the Apes screen test showing Robinson as Dr. Zaius was given to Robinson by Arthur P. Jacobs. This 'lost' film reel was later purchased by Kevin Burns, who was inspired to build it into the 1998 documentary, Behind the Planet of the Apes.[2] The screen test was subsequently added as bonus material to DVD and blu-ray releases.
