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Black Zoo
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Black Zoo
Black Zoo (also known as Horrors of the Black Zoo) is a 1963 American horror film directed by Robert Gordon and starring Michael Gough, Jeanne Cooper, Rod Lauren, Virginia Grey, Jerome Cowan, and Elisha Cook, Jr. It was produced by Herman Cohen and written by Cohen and Aben Kandel.
Los Angeles zoo owner Michael Conrad, insanely devoted to his animals, stops at nothing to eliminate obstacles to his work. While the police investigate two deaths by wild-animal maulings, Michael commands one of his lions to kill Jeffrey Stengel because of Stengel's insistence that Michael sell his zoo terrain for a housing development. Michael's wife, Edna, is suspicious of his actions and also resents his harsh treatment of the mute keeper, Carl. After an argument, she decides to leave Michael and resume her circus career. Her agent, Jenny, is killed by a gorilla after Michael overhears her make a tempting job offer to his wife. Meanwhile, Edna and Carl prepare to run away but are discovered by Michael; in a rage, he beats Edna and reveals that Carl is his own son, mute since childhood when he watched a lioness kill his mother on Michael's command. Michael commands a lion to kill Edna; Carl goes to her aid and is forced to kill his father in self-defense. The dying Michael calls in vain for his beloved beasts to save.
Herman Cohen had the idea for the film, and hired Aben Kandel to work with him on the script. Finance came from Allied Artists.
Cohen had worked with Gough previously in Horrors of the Black Museum and Konga. He was brought into the US for the role. Gough later said this film was the favorite of the ones the actor made for Cohen because of the involvement of the animals.
The film was shot at Raleigh Studios. The animals were provided by Ralph Helfer, most notably Zamba, who played one of the two male lions (Zamba Jr. and Tammy also appeared playing another lion and a lioness, respectively). The zoo was built at Raleigh Studio (formerly Producers Studio) on North Bronson in Hollywood, California. The entire zoo seen in the picture was an interior set.
Publicity was done with the cats – including an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Cohen did not like the title, preferring Horrors of the Black Zoo.
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "As a macabre essay, this has some unusual moments, notably the scenes showing the wild menagerie draped around the living-room furniture; but as a whole it suffers from an extravagant and rather silly script, and from Michael Gough's (perhaps inevitable) overplaying in the central role. Jeanne Cooper is rather fetching as his wife."
The film grossed $260,000 in its first seven days in New York.
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Black Zoo
Black Zoo (also known as Horrors of the Black Zoo) is a 1963 American horror film directed by Robert Gordon and starring Michael Gough, Jeanne Cooper, Rod Lauren, Virginia Grey, Jerome Cowan, and Elisha Cook, Jr. It was produced by Herman Cohen and written by Cohen and Aben Kandel.
Los Angeles zoo owner Michael Conrad, insanely devoted to his animals, stops at nothing to eliminate obstacles to his work. While the police investigate two deaths by wild-animal maulings, Michael commands one of his lions to kill Jeffrey Stengel because of Stengel's insistence that Michael sell his zoo terrain for a housing development. Michael's wife, Edna, is suspicious of his actions and also resents his harsh treatment of the mute keeper, Carl. After an argument, she decides to leave Michael and resume her circus career. Her agent, Jenny, is killed by a gorilla after Michael overhears her make a tempting job offer to his wife. Meanwhile, Edna and Carl prepare to run away but are discovered by Michael; in a rage, he beats Edna and reveals that Carl is his own son, mute since childhood when he watched a lioness kill his mother on Michael's command. Michael commands a lion to kill Edna; Carl goes to her aid and is forced to kill his father in self-defense. The dying Michael calls in vain for his beloved beasts to save.
Herman Cohen had the idea for the film, and hired Aben Kandel to work with him on the script. Finance came from Allied Artists.
Cohen had worked with Gough previously in Horrors of the Black Museum and Konga. He was brought into the US for the role. Gough later said this film was the favorite of the ones the actor made for Cohen because of the involvement of the animals.
The film was shot at Raleigh Studios. The animals were provided by Ralph Helfer, most notably Zamba, who played one of the two male lions (Zamba Jr. and Tammy also appeared playing another lion and a lioness, respectively). The zoo was built at Raleigh Studio (formerly Producers Studio) on North Bronson in Hollywood, California. The entire zoo seen in the picture was an interior set.
Publicity was done with the cats – including an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Cohen did not like the title, preferring Horrors of the Black Zoo.
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "As a macabre essay, this has some unusual moments, notably the scenes showing the wild menagerie draped around the living-room furniture; but as a whole it suffers from an extravagant and rather silly script, and from Michael Gough's (perhaps inevitable) overplaying in the central role. Jeanne Cooper is rather fetching as his wife."
The film grossed $260,000 in its first seven days in New York.
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