If anyone knows of any way to contact those involved with this show, please let me know -- handleyr@optonline.net -- as I'm writing a Planet of the Apes encyclopedia and would love to interview those behind the show. Unfortunately, no amount of research has turned up any sign of them. Thanks! -- Rich Handley, Hasslein BooksRassmguy 16:59, 12 June 2009 (UTC)
Sorry, I am not sure if I am updating this correctly but I was at the Planet of the Apes appearance in Moor Park Preston in 1976. It was part of a bigger event Called Metro 76. There was a "looking back" type feature on it in the local paper a while back. They say it was original cast members from the TV show, which I didn't think it was even back then. I can't really remember much of the detail as I was very young. I do remember a lot of running about and the apes on horses. I remember being very impressed with it at the time. I was very much into the Planet of the Apes series on television and I also had a couple of badges (possibly bought at Metro 76). I also had a board game where pieces got captured and were put on top of the cage and it was random whether the trap door opened or not. I used to love that!
Here is a picture of one of the apes at the Preston Moor Park event Metro 76
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blacksod/6835490990/in/photostream/
- September 10, 2012
Hi there ..
I think someone is getting their dates confused ... I was MD for Circus Hoffman in 1975 and we did a show at the old Bingley Hall in Birmingham with the Apes unit over the Xmas/New Year of 75/76.
Alan86.174.135.182 09:09, May 23, 2013 (UTC)
- Thanks Alan, it'd be great to get that straightened out, I notice that the poster on the main page says the circus were in Newcastle 22 December 1975 to 17 January 1976. If you'd like to contact Rich Handley at the above address, I know he has been contacted by quite a few people involved in the Apes show at that time. MagicManky 19:36, May 23, 2013 (UTC)
- When I was a toddler in the 1970s my parents took me to a show where you got to meet the apes from Planet of the Apes. Apparently I met Urko and Galen, and they signed the images for me, which are currently on eBay for sale. Some time later my mother got the images framed and they've been on my wall or in a box ever since.
- The image for Galen says: "To Karl love from Galen x"
- The image for Urko says: "To Karl from Urko"
- This is what my mother said:
- - It was part of a huge event somewhere in England, c.1975/6 (so I was only 3 or 4). A massive outdoor thing with helicopter flights etc on a summer's day. Lots of big displays and stalls connected with Planet of the Apes, and some other films.
- - She thinks it was the original actors from the film or TV, partly because it was all so huge, thousands of people had gone there wanting their photos taken with Galen and Urko and to speak to the actors, we had to queue for ages in the heat. She spoke to them but they were in costume the whole time, continually meeting people and kids. Urko towered over us - he was the only one we got to speak to for more than a few words, not Galen. Apparently I thought they were really talking apes. She said there is a photo of that day somewhere in our albums.
- - The event also had a gyrocopter from a Bond film, flown by the guy who built it and flew it in the film.
- Looking at the cast and date I thought it could well be that it was part of promotions for the TV series but tied to the films, with Urko and Galen being the main focus.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_Apes_(TV_series)#Cast
- However, I have just this second found this main article, and the entry below must be referring to that same day! I have a photo from the day but can't upload it without an account.
- "(Before September 1976): Doncaster Racetrack ('arena show', featuring Mike McCarthy. Fan Club member 418, John Sellars, sent the newsletter a report and cutting about this show. The Evening Post estimated that 23,000 people attended the 'Metro 76' show staged by a Leeds group over the weekend at Doncaster Racecourse. The same programme of events was repeated on both days, featuring a James Bond 'autogyro' flying machine, boxer Henry Cooper and "Zoltan - the man with 'Bionic Eyes'", alongside the Planet of the Apes characters on horseback chasing humans, making occasional frightening lunges into the crowd and signing autographs.)"
- Karl Drinkwater - http://karldrinkwater.blogspot.com/ 94.30.11.224 17:23, August 10, 2013 (UTC)
- Hi Karl, it certainly sounds like you attended one of the bigger arena shows. To the best of my knowledge the stars of the movies or TV series didn't make any promotional appearances outside the USA, but the actors in the UK live shows were officially licensed, which they took to mean they could sell photographs of the 'real' ape characters and sign autographs on their behalf. If you wish to upload your photo elsewhere, I'd be happy to add it to the page, and if you're still selling your autographed photos, perhaps leave a message with the PotA Collectables Facebook group, as they might be interested. MagicManky 12:53, August 11, 2013 (UTC)
This is me having my photo taken at the summer show at Great Yarmouth 1976.
- Ah, that's great. Thanks very much, I'll add it to the page. MagicManky 15:07, February 22, 2014 (UTC)
Seeing the new planet of apes film my daughter jogged my memory that went to see a wild west rodeo show which included the planet of apes show.I searched the loft and found the photos of the day also an autographed programme with the apes signatures.the date was 06/o7/1975 , but the programme has no venue on it? It was in essex somwhere ?
- I'm afraid the only information I have is what's on the page at the moment. If you get a chance to scan the photos and programme we'd love to add them here, and may even be able to help identify the venue. If you prefer, you could send them to Rich at the above email address or via the Hasslein Books site (http://www.hassleinbooks.com/pages/contact.php) and I'm sure he'll pass them on to us. MagicManky 00:19, July 29, 2014 (UTC)
Coventry[]
I'm sat watching Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which brought back a childhood memory I've had which took place on Hearsall Common in Coventry. Around 1975, at which time I would have been 5 years old, I remember vividly sat with my nan in a circus tent watching the life-like experience explained exactly as below involving the characters as described. I remember it with a sense of realism as the show was so life-like, loud with guns going off and horses running around the circus ring. The fact is that it is probably one of my earliest memories as a child and the delight in knowing now I actually was there and it's not just a fantasy memory! Thankfully Google exists enabling me to have found this article and the details within it. Where are they now? I'm thinking would it still have a place today in a live circus event, with the new generation of films which continues to capture people's imagination!
Loz F Coventry. 23:20, February 25, 2017
Hi. My name is Kari and I was on tour with the travelling rodeo/Planet of the Apes show in 1975. The "actors" were just a bunch of us kids that were going along for the adventure. I did all the photography (amatuer) and the man who became my husband played the role of Dr Zaius. His brother played the role of Urko. They had come along to take care of the horses that had been rented from a farm near where they lived in the New Forest. Anyone who could ride a horse was in the show. My girlfriend and I did the makeup and glued the gorilla hair on them! I was just an American girl looking for adventure and hitchhiking around England with a girl I had met at a Hard Rock Cafe in London when we happened upon the show in Cornwall in June of 1975. Other kids had been picked up along the way and all of us mucked in and did all the daily routine chores that were needed. We slept on haystacks in barns and cleaned up when and where we could. There was a large van with loudspeakers on the top and we drove it around the area near each fairground that we played at and handed out fliers and advertisements for the shows. We drew big crowds wherever we went. The rodeo part of the show used American soldiers from army bases around the country. The show ran into financial troubles at the end of 1975 and Mike Caulfield (as mentioned in your article) decided to break off a piece of the action and took three characters - Urko, Dr Zaius and Galen (and me) to London to participate in a Christmas gig at Selfridges. As you can see from the pictures (probably taken by me), we had a booth that had the theme from PotA and the characters stood all day and took pictures with children and adults alike. It was so much fun. People were alternately thrilled and terrified of the characters. After that run was over, we left the show and resumed our 'normal' lives in London.
Last night I dug out the pictures that I had of the rodeo and our time at Selfridges. Many thanks for this rush down memory lane.
- Hi Kari, thanks a lot for your memories. I'm certain that the Planet of the Apes fanzine 'Simian Scrolls' would love to get in touch with you as they've run a number of articles on the live shows over recent issues. Photos would be fantastic too. If you feel like contacting them the email is john@johnroche6.wanadoo.co.uk
- Thanks! - MagicManky 19:47, May 29, 2018 (UTC)
73.205.214.119 11:43, May 29, 2018 (UTC)Kari