We took a look at Conquest of the Planet of the Apes a long while back. Today, let’s look at the film that preceded it, Escape from the Planet of the Apes. EFTPOTA was released in May of 1971 and ended up as the 16th highest-grossing film of the year. The movie follows the ape-team of Cornelius (Roddy McDowall) and Zira (Kim Hunter) as they land on modern-day Earth and become media sensations. Complications arise when the government decides Zira’s baby, Milo is too much of a threat to mankind to be left alive.

I can remember seeing Escape from the Planet of the Apes with my mother, sister and our family friend, Bernie, when I was a mere four-and-a-half-years-old. We all enjoyed the socially-relevant adventure story and for years afterward, Bernie’s high-pitched imitation of the baby ape saying “Mama!” never failed to make us giggle. Roll the trailer.

Escape from the Planet of the Apes Theatrical Trailer 1971

Escape from the Planet of the Apes Wiki, IMDb

Previously, on Trailer Tuesday: Gene Hackman in ‘The Conversation’