A gorilla costume display with club and rifle from Franklin J. Schaffner’s sci-fi classic Planet of the Apes. Astronaut George Taylor (Charlton Heston) crashed on a future Earth dominated by an advanced ape civilisation. Gorillas wore costumes such as this throughout the film. This costume was also used for the subsequent films and television show in the Planet of the Apes franchise.

The dark brown vest is made of vinyl and has ribbed piping detail. It closes at the front via hidden snapping buttons and is worn over a purple canvas shirt, which matches a pair of purple canvas trousers. The costume also includes a pair of gloves and a pair of leather boots, which each have an ape-foot shaped toe box.

Each article of clothing has a Western Costume tag sewn in. The tag on the vest displays the production number “2954-1”, while the trousers display the number “2954-3”; the shirt’s tag displays a number that is no longer legible. Costume tags on the trousers are marked for stunt performer Ron Stein, while the shirt is marked for actress Erlynn Mary Botelho.

The costume also comes with an original wooden club and an original rifle shell. The club attaches to a canvas bandolier via a clip. The rifle shell is an original piece, originally created for 1970 sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and has an original leather strap. Made of metal, the shell is hand-painted with details that mimic wood grain and was designed to fit over an actual blank-firing rifle during the production. The bayonet, receiver and barrel are replica components added for completion.

This piece is displayed on a custom-made mannequin which has posable limbs. The mannequin also features a head which recreates the classic look of the gorillas from the films. The costume shows signs of wear throughout, including scuffs to the vest, cracking to the gloves and fading to the purple fabric. However, the piece remains in fine overall condition. Dimensions (display): 66 cm x 35.5 cm x 167.5 cm (26” x 14” x 66”); (rifle): 89 cm x 13 cm x 5 cm (35” x 5” x 2”); (club): 6.5 cm x 6.5 cm x 37 cm (2 ½” x 2 ½” x 14 ½”)

£12,000 - 15,000