The Gorilla (1939 film)
| The Gorilla | |
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A promotional film poster for The Gorilla
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| Directed by | Allan Dwan |
| Produced by | Harry Joe Brown |
| Written by |
Ralph Spence Rian James Sid Silvers |
| Starring |
Al Ritz Harry Ritz Jimmy Ritz Anita Louise Patsy Kelly Lionel Atwill Bela Lugosi Joseph Calleia Edward Norris Wally Vernon |
| Music by |
David Buttolph David Raksin Cyril J. Mockridge Alfred Newman |
| Cinematography | Edward Cronjager |
| Edited by | Allen McNeil |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation |
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Release date
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Running time
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66 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Gorilla is a 1939 horror comedy film starring the Ritz Brothers, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, and Patsy Kelly. It was based on a play of the same name by Ralph Spence.
When a wealthy man (Lionel Atwill) is threatened by a killer known as The Gorilla, he hires the Ritz Brothers to investigate. A real escaped gorilla shows up at the mansion just as the investigators arrive. Patsy Kelly portrays a newly hired maid who wants to quit because the butler, played by Bela Lugosi, scares her.
By October 1938, 20th Century Fox bought the rights to Ralph Spence's play The Gorilla. Fox wanted production on the film to start in January, which would be when The Ritz Brothers finished their tour. The studio wanted Kane Richmond to play a part in the film, but Richmond was replaced by Edward Norris who signed on for the film Charlie Chan in Reno. Fox signed on Bela Lugosi for the film as the butler. This character was originally meant for Peter Lorre.
The death of the Ritz Brothers' father caused production of the film in January to be delayed. Fox placed a $150,000 suit against the Ritz brothers for a breach of contract as the film was stated to start production on January 30, but was halted when the Ritz Brothers did not show up. By March, the film began shooting again with the Ritz brothers returning to the film. The Gorilla became the last film made for Fox by the Ritz brothers.
The Gorilla premiered on May 26, 1939. A negative review of the film was written in The New York Times stating, "It's all supposed to be either really funny or shockingly thrilling, depending on how you look at it. We couldn't see it either way."
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