Borden plays wirewalker Olivette, - MONSTERS FROM THE … · her 8-month-old baby. More would...
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MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #23 32 SPRING 2007 33 An abridged chapter from the upcoming book Symphony of Horror: How the Hor- ror Film Came to Be. On October 7, 1926, Gorilla Hunt,a documentary about the Ben Burbridge expedition to capture six gorillas in Africa, went into general release. Theatergoers watched as the expedition shot exotic wild- life and encountered menacing crocodiles and pygmy tribesmen. Though newspaper ads depicted a ferocious gorilla staring back at the reader, audiences had to sele for the questionable thrill of witnessing the capture of six baby gorillas. Elsewhere, the hunt for the Gorilla Man killer followed a gruesome trail of homicide into Portland, Oregon, where the maniac added three more women to his cast of victims. Before New Year’s Day, he claimed seven more in five states, includ- ing 28-year-old Mrs. Germania Harpin and her 8-month-old baby. More would follow. Gorilla Hunt was still wending its way through the circuits in early 1927, but was soon eclipsed by Fox’s The Monkey Talks, a deliriously oeat circus film starring Olive Borden. Based on the René Fauchois stageplay imported from Paris to en- tertain New York between late December 1925 and March 1926, the film drew a lukewarm reception from audiences and critics. The strange circus drama never gained traction, playing to big audiences in some loca- tions, but pulling only fair business elsewhere. Borden plays wirewalker Olivette, who becomes the object of affection of Jocko (Jacques Lerner), a tiny performer who, with an elaborate costume (and a phenomenal chimp makeup by Jack Pierce), convinces the world he is a talking chim- panzee. Olivee, in love with Sam (Don Alvarado), also becomes the target of lion tamer Bergerin (Malcolm Waite), who ab- ducts Jocko and replaces him with a real, but malevolent, chimp. The real chimp aacks Olivee, but Jocko arrives in time to engage the ape in mortal combat. Fatally injured, Jocko saves Olivee for Sam. Interestingly, in some contemporary reviews, Sam is named Pierre and Jocko is renamed Fano, similar to the name Faho used in the play. Olive Borden was a timeless beauty whose looks would have been as esteemed in the 2000s as they were in the 1920s. Bor- den leſt Fox aſter a contract dispute and made eighteen more pictures of diminish- ing stature until appearing in Chloe, Love is Calling You with Mickey Neilan at the helm. By this time, Neilan was clinging to the boom rungs of the Hollywood production ladder. In 1947, at the age of 40, charwoman Olive Borden died of an unknown stomach malady in a home for destitute women. The Monkey Talks is extant—one print, suffering some nitrate damage, survives in the George Eastman House archive. But 1927 was the Year of The Gorilla, not only in general, but specifically in refer- ence to the film version of the Ralph Spence mystery-comedy play. That The Gorilla would be a hit was no surprise; Spence’s play had conquered every major city in America, as well as London’s West End. Aſter working for various newspapers in Houston, Galveston, Dallas and El Paso as either a reporter or ad solicitor, Ralph Spence entered the publishing game by starting up the first English-language paper in Houma, Louisiana. Unfortunately, almost everybody spoke French in the village and the newspaper quickly foundered. Stung by his collapsed venture, Spence moved to Los Angeles, where Mack Senne hired him to write intertitles for the movies. Soon enough, Spence was writing original scenar- ios and eventually began penning movies for Tom Mix and working for Fox in New York and scripting some of Harold Lloyd’s latest screen comedies. By 1921 Spence was writing for the Ziegfeld Follies. Before long a gentlemen’s wager would propel him to success on Broadway. The Wager The genesis of The Gorilla as the re- sult of a wager is something of a legend; whether or not it happened in the way described (the wager is even mentioned in contemporary newspaper accounts), it is a good story. Spence was having dinner in a New York restaurant with two playwrights, authors of a mystery play then running on the Great White Way. The two dramatists were discussing the difficulties of writing a good mystery, when Spence declared there was nothing to it. Aſter puing up with the high-hat playwrights who were openly contemptuous of his claims, Spence bet the gentlemen that he could write a good mystery play in three days. The Broadway dramatists jumped at the opportunity like bums on a ham sandwich. Overhearing the spirited debate was producer Al H. Woods. Woods was so taken by the sporting enthusiasm of Spence’s wager that he offered to produce the play once it was completed. The offer satisfied one of the conditions of the bet; the play would be judged good if it were produced. Spence began work on his mystery that night; the next day he showed the first act to Woods, who promptly gave Spence an advance. Com- pleting one act a day, Spence finished his play within the al- loed three-day period. When Woods could not obtain the actors he desired for The Gorilla, his interest waned and he sent the play back to Spence six months later. Another account claims producer Sam H. Harris had first crack at the play but his reader rejected it. Spence’s work seemed to be going nowhere fast. But a friend who knew that Broad- way actor Donald Gallaher wanted to get into the produc- ing game showed Gallaher a manuscript of the play. Gallaher quickly fell under the play’s spell and became enamored by its possibilities. Gallaher had been a stage actor since the age of four, appearing in Sol Smith Rus- sell’s “Poor Relations.” His natural abilities secured him a contract, and he quickly es- tablished a reputation as a reliable juvenile actor. Aſter a two-year retirement from the stage at the ripe old age of fiſteen, Gallaher relearned his craſt and accepted a juvenile lead in the Broadway production of Our Mrs. McChesney. But Gallaher was bien by the production bug aſter reading Is Zat So, a boxing comedy. He produced the play in Worcester, Massachuses, but was forced to relinquish most of his share of interest in an aempt to bring the play to Broadway. The production was no longer truly his. Is Zat So was a hit and eventually was filmed a few years later starring Edmund Lowe. More experienced and now armed with The Gorilla, Gallaher again trained his sights on Broadway. The story, implausible as it was, was fast-paced and packed with thrills. The Play Alice Denby, niece of Cyrus Stevens, is visiting her uncle, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a lile girl. With her is her boyfriend, Arthur Marsden, a playwright looking for his first break. Uncle Cyrus has recently returned to the family manse, Courtesy of Photofest Courtesy of Gary L. Prange Courtesy of Gary L. Prange The beautiful Olive Borden in an atmospheric publicity still from The Monkey Talks. In the film, Olivette is menaced by a real ape switched for the kidnapped, gentle Jocko.
Transcript of Borden plays wirewalker Olivette, - MONSTERS FROM THE … · her 8-month-old baby. More would...
MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #2332 SPRING 2007 33
An abridged chapter from the upcoming book Symphony of Horror: How the Hor-ror Film Came to Be.
On October 7, 1926, Gorilla Hunt, adocumentary about the Ben BurbridgeexpeditiontocapturesixgorillasinAfrica,went into general release. Theatergoerswatchedastheexpeditionshotexoticwild-lifeandencounteredmenacingcrocodilesandpygmytribesmen.Thoughnewspaperadsdepictedaferociousgorillastaringbackat the reader, audiences had to settle for the questionablethrillofwitnessingthecaptureofsixbabygorillas.Elsewhere,thehuntfortheGorillaMankillerfollowedagruesometrail of homicide into Portland, Oregon,wherethemaniacaddedthreemorewomentohiscastofvictims.BeforeNewYear’sDay,he claimed seven more in five states, includ-
ing28-year-oldMrs.GermaniaHarpinandher8-month-oldbaby.Morewouldfollow. Gorilla Huntwasstillwendingitswaythroughthecircuitsinearly1927,butwassooneclipsedbyFox’sThe Monkey Talks,adeliriouslyoffbeat circus film starring OliveBorden.BasedontheRené Fauchois stageplayimportedfromParistoen-tertainNewYorkbetweenlate December 1925 andMarch 1926, the film drew alukewarmreceptionfromaudiencesandcritics.Thestrangecircusdramanevergainedtraction,playingtobigaudiencesinsomeloca-tions,butpullingonlyfairbusinesselsewhere.
Borden plays wirewalker Olivette,who becomes the object of affection ofJocko (Jacques Lerner), a tiny performerwho, with an elaborate costume (and aphenomenalchimpmakeupbyJackPierce),convincestheworldhe isa talkingchim-panzee. Olivette, in love with Sam (Don Alvarado),alsobecomesthetargetofliontamerBergerin(MalcolmWaite),whoab-ductsJockoandreplaceshimwithareal,butmalevolent, chimp. The real chimp attacks Olivette, but Jocko arrives in time to engage theapeinmortalcombat.Fatallyinjured,Jocko saves Olivette for Sam. Interestingly, in some contemporary reviews, Sam is namedPierreandJockoisrenamedFano,similartothenameFahousedintheplay. Olive Borden was a timeless beautywhoselookswouldhavebeenasesteemedinthe2000sastheywereinthe1920s.Bor-den left Fox after a contract dispute and madeeighteenmorepicturesofdiminish-ingstatureuntilappearinginChloe, Love is Calling YouwithMickeyNeilanatthehelm.By this time, Neilan was clinging to thebottom rungs of the Hollywood production ladder. In 1947, at the age of 40, charwoman OliveBordendiedofanunknownstomachmaladyinahomefordestitutewomen.The Monkey Talks is extant—one print, suffering somenitratedamage,survivesintheGeorgeEastmanHousearchive. But1927wastheYearofTheGorilla,not only in general, but specifically in refer-ence to the film version of the Ralph Spence mystery-comedy play. That The Gorillawould be a hit was no surprise; Spence’s play had conquered every major city inAmerica,aswellasLondon’sWestEnd. After working for various newspapers inHouston,Galveston,DallasandElPaso
as either a reporter or ad solicitor, RalphSpence entered the publishing game by starting up the first English-language paper inHouma,Louisiana.Unfortunately,almosteverybodyspokeFrenchinthevillageandthe newspaper quickly foundered. Stung by his collapsed venture, Spence moved to Los Angeles, where Mack Sennett hired him to write intertitles for the movies. Soon enough, Spence was writing original scenar-iosandeventuallybeganpenningmoviesforTomMixandworkingforFoxinNewYorkandscriptingsomeofHaroldLloyd’slatest screen comedies. By 1921 Spence was writingfortheZiegfeldFollies.Beforelongagentlemen’swagerwouldpropelhimtosuccessonBroadway.
The Wager The genesis of The Gorilla as the re-sult of awager is something of a legend;whether or not it happened in the waydescribed(thewagerisevenmentionedincontemporarynewspaperaccounts),itisagood story. Spence was having dinner in a NewYorkrestaurantwithtwoplaywrights,authorsofamysteryplaythenrunningontheGreatWhiteWay.Thetwodramatistswere discussing the difficulties of writing a good mystery, when Spence declared there was nothing to it. After putting up with thehigh-hatplaywrightswhowereopenly
contemptuous of his claims, Spence bet thegentlementhathecouldwriteagoodmysteryplayinthreedays.TheBroadwaydramatistsjumpedattheopportunitylikebumsonahamsandwich. Overhearing the spirited debatewas producerAl H. Woods. Woods wasso taken by the sporting enthusiasm ofSpence’s wager that he offered to produce
theplayonceitwascompleted.The offer satisfied one of the conditionsofthebet;theplaywouldbejudgedgoodifitwereproduced. Spence began work onhismysterythatnight;thenext day he showed the first act to Woods, who promptlygave Spence an advance. Com-pleting one act a day, Spence finished his play within the al-lotted three-day period. When Woods could not obtain theactorshedesiredforThe Gorilla,hisinterestwanedandhesentthe play back to Spence six monthslater.Anotheraccountclaims producer Sam H. Harris had first crack at the play but hisreaderrejectedit. Spence’s work seemed to be going nowhere fast. But afriend who knew that Broad-way actor Donald Gallaherwantedtogetintotheproduc-
ing game showed Gallaher a manuscriptoftheplay.Gallaherquicklyfellundertheplay’s spell and became enamored by itspossibilities. Gallaherhadbeenastageactorsincethe age of four, appearing in Sol Smith Rus-sell’s“PoorRelations.”Hisnaturalabilitiessecuredhimacontract,andhequicklyes-tablishedareputationasareliablejuvenileactor. After a two-year retirement from the stage at the ripe old age of fifteen, Gallaher relearned his craft and accepted a juvenile lead in the Broadway production of Our Mrs. McChesney. But Gallaher was bitten by the production bug after reading Is Zat So,aboxingcomedy.HeproducedtheplayinWorcester, Massachusetts, but was forced torelinquishmostofhisshareofinterestinan attempt to bring the play to Broadway. Theproductionwasnolongertrulyhis.Is Zat So was a hit and eventually was filmed a fewyears later starringEdmundLowe.MoreexperiencedandnowarmedwithThe Gorilla,GallaheragaintrainedhissightsonBroadway.Thestory,implausibleasitwas,wasfast-pacedandpackedwiththrills.
The Play Alice Denby, niece of Cyrus Stevens, isvisitingheruncle,whomshehasn’tseensince she was a little girl. With her is her boyfriend,Arthur Marsden, a playwrightlooking for his first break. Uncle Cyrus hasrecentlyreturnedtothefamilymanse,C
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The beautiful Olive Borden in an atmospheric publicity still from The Monkey Talks. In the film, Olivette is menaced by a real ape switched for the kidnapped, gentle Jocko.
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