****SPOILERS**** The movie "Gorilla at Large" is actually about three not one gorilla all played by human not primate actors. There's of course the gorilla in the movies title Goliath the biggest gorilla in captivity played by George Barrows in a loose fitting monkey suite. Then there's circus manager Cyrus Miller played by the gorilla like, before he lost 100 pounds for his role as Perry Mason Esq, Raymond Burr who in fact played a gorilla three years earlier in he movie "Bride of the Gorilla". And then there's Goliath's trainer and poker & gin playing partner, when he's not entertaining the audience, Kovacs played by unshaven and grizzled looking six foot three 275 pound Peter Whitney. As things turn out a number of people working for the circus end up with the necks broken by someone with enormous strength that only a gorilla, not human, could have. With Goliath the very obviously #1 suspect in these murders he's kept in his cage under around the clock observation by Det. Sgt. Garrison, Lee J. Cobb, to see if, by breaking out of his cage and killing someone, he's in fact the killer.With that going on full-time circus handy man and part time law student Joey Matthews, played by a bleach blond looking Cameron Mitchell, takes it upon himself to single handedly solve the murders in order to show up the police headed by Det. Sgt. Garrisoin and his partner Mister Mack, Warren Stevens. This has Joey uncontrollably fall for sexy trapeze artist Leverne Miller, Ann Bancroft, who's married to her boss Cyrus the manager of the circus as well as have been married to the other gorilla Kovacs whom she left for her trapeze partner the handsome Kewpie known as the human cannonball. That's until Kewpie died in a tragic accident when the swing he was doing his act with Laverne snapped causing to fall to his death.****SPOILERS**** It turns out that everyone including Goliath are falling all over Laverne with Cyrus who was totally innocent in Kewpie death confessing, like in those Raymond Burr dealt with in the Perry Mason series, to his murder! As it turned out Cyrus was covering up something that only he as well as the ape-like Kovacs knew about. Even if it meant for him being strapped into the state electric chair. As for Kovacs he wasn't so understanding and was more then willing to see justice is done in the case of the person who committed the latest murders and let the chips fall where they may. As for poor Goliath the innocent victim in all this he paid with his life for a crime or crimes that he didn't commit where at the end of the movie no one at all, but possibly his trainer Kovac, felt a bit sorry for!P.S Check out a young 30 year old Lee Marvin as the "Sleeping Policeman" Officer Shaughnessy who as luck would have it and without realizing it actually proved the very maligned gorilla Goliath totally innocent! That by him spending the night, by falling asleep drunk, in Goliath's cage without him getting his neck wrung!

This is one of the best B movie thrillers of the 1950's. Apart from the hokie gorilla costume (there are places where you can see the fingers bend backward), it's a fun movie and worth watching. A great Halloween double feature with "The Deadly Mantis." However, Cameron Mitchell is totally unbelievable as a young law student at age 34! A mere year younger than amusement park owner Raymond Burr.A delight for fans of Anne Bancroft to see her as a bit of posh tottie! Lee J. Cobb is great as the crabby police detective. Lee Marvin is a riot as the bumbling cop. Kudos to whomever played the gorilla, Goliath! Great job!If you like Raymond Burr as Perry Mason, this film is a must see. Lots of similarities in his delivery in this and in Perry Mason. One of my all-time favorite "corny but great" movies. Enjoy!

The title of this film would bring to mind the myriad low budget shockers from the 50's. But with a cast including Anne Bancroft, Lee Marvin, Raymond Burr, Cameron Mitchell, Lee J. Cobb, John Kellogg, and Warren Stevens, we're talking 8 Academy Award nominations, and 2 wins. That doesn't sound like the typical low budget 50's shocker and this Technicolor 3-D thriller is nothing of the sort. Of course, none of the nominations had yet occurred, and whether this film was the springboard that launched the careers of the aforementioned actors is no absolute. But there is no question that shortly after this film all of them began to appear on a regular basis in more important roles and in more important films and television, the most successful examples being Anne Bancroft, Lee Marvin, Raymond Burr and Lee J. Cobb. And this film is a perfect example of Lee Marvin's early work where it was obvious he was emblazoned with "Star". Oddly, it was the director Harmon Jones whose career seemed to go downhill after this film. After having previously directed such notable efforts as, Paddy Chayefsky's "As Young as You Feel", the popular biopic "The Pride of St. Louis", "The Silver Whip", "The Kid from Left Field", and "City of Bad Men", Harmon's career seemed from then on to be destined for weekly television episodes.As for production values, script, suspense and action, the film is not bad. That is with the exception of the man in a gorilla suit which was supposed to be a real gorilla. I guess they were never able to get that right until "Planet of the Apes"! We're fortunate that Fox Movie Channel had rediscovered this peculiar gem. Although the film's current condition is good, a restoration for release on DVD and the inclusion of 3-D glasses would surely be a success.

Just saw the new print of this maligned fun house of a production. First of all if you can't see this in real projected 3-D, I suggest skipping it. The color 3-D photography is excellent and the crew only pulls off the typical stick-it-in-the-camera 3-D hijinks a few times. The opening sequence of Raymond Burr walking through the carnival is some of the most effective 3-D photography I have ever seen.The story...yipes! It's campy and weird in an Ed Wood sort of way but it seems that the entire cast and crew were in on the joke. Lee Marvin and Lee J. Cobb both time their performances in a very strange but funny way. Anne Bancroft vamps up a storm in some scenes and Raymond Burr plods thru his role. The gorilla suit is funny too. Good movie? No! Fun? Yes!The second half drags at points and the 3-D photography loses a little steam here. I wouldn't want to sit through this movie in 2-D at this point. Who knows if this is ever going to be projected again, but if it is and you enjoy 50's kitsch make it a priority. The screening I was at, during the intermission, projected 1950's era 3-D nudie slides by...HAROLD LLOYD, the silent film comedian! Unfortunately, I don't think that will ever happen again.