Statue of Liberty from Planet of the Apes

[Supa troop]

Ive recently been reading an article regarding the 15ft Staue Of Liberty prop that was supposedly used during the Filming of POTA 1968.

The Article stated that no such prop actually exsisted and the two scenes that feature TSOL were infact Just a crown for the shot that shows Taylor and nova on the beach and the second shot was actually a matt painting of the half liberty body.

If this is true then how does one explain the 15ft Prop and its supposed origins to the movie.

apologise's if this has been covered

 

[CessnaDriver]

Ive recently been reading an article regarding the 15ft Staue Of Liberty prop that was supposedly used during the Filming of POTA 1968.

The Article stated that no such prop actually exsisted and the two scenes that feature TSOL were infact Just a crown for the shot that shows Taylor and nova on the beach and the second shot was actually a matt painting of the half liberty body.

If this is true then how does one explain the 15ft Prop and its supposed origins to the movie.

apologise's if this has been covered

That sounds right to me.

Maybe it was Megamaid from Spaceballs instead.

 

[Rhett J Martin]

We'll there goes the planet!!

 

[Supa troop]

i take it that this has been covered before :confused

 

[Noeland]

It's both. There was a pratical on set prop used for the tracking shot across the points in the crown when they are riding up on the horse, it's just not the entire thing we see soon after.

 

[GKvfx]

I think this is surfacing because of the recent (last year) Profiles in History auction that purported to have the 'original' Statue head/crown. The consignors claimed it what was used in the film for the over the crown shots of Heston. The problem I had with it was that it was very detailed on the face and was made out of bead foam. Even though the owners claimed it had been restored (owing to it's good condition), it just didn't look right to me. And I thought the materials choice was odd. Linda Harrison supposedly authenticated it, but she was a hundred yards away and this thing was 40' up on a scaffolding.

I showed the picture to Bill Creber, the production designer of the film and he flat out said that wasn't it. He designed it, helped build it, and was on the scaffolding when it was shot. I also heard someone say they saw it on the Fox lot in the 70's.

So, I don't know what came up for auction, but I'd really like to know what it was.

As for the wide shot that we pull back from the reveal the head/body - that was a matte painting by Fox artist Emil Kosa, Jr. (Who, incidently, designed and painted the Fox logo that was seen at the beginning of every fox film for decades....)

Gene

 

[skyit]

here the 3 views

 

[darendoc]

I just saw the 15 foot Liberty head at the "Hollywood Show" Autograph gathering...

It's not from POTA, of course. It is in fact from "The Terminal", the Spielberg/Tom Hanks movie. I worked on this, and it was for a scene where Hanks goes into a NY Souvenir store in the terminal and "sees himself" in the top of the statue's crown via a closed circuit camera. I'm not sure this scene ever made it into the film... but I worked on the movie, and did a production illustration for this scene... I have the photos of this being carved from foam... and shame on Profiles in History for trying to pull a fast one without full research.

 

[ItsThatGuy]

Damn dirty apes...

 

[TridCloudwalker]

I just saw the 15 foot Liberty head at the "Hollywood Show" Autograph gathering...

It's not from POTA, of course. It is in fact from "The Terminal", the Spielberg/Tom Hanks movie. I worked on this, and it was for a scene where Hanks goes into a NY Souvenir store in the terminal and "sees himself" in the top of the statue's crown via a closed circuit camera. I'm not sure this scene ever made it into the film... but I worked on the movie, and did a production illustration for this scene... I have the photos of this being carved from foam... and shame on Profiles in History for trying to pull a fast one without full research.

Wow. That's interesting! That scene definitley didn't make it into the movie. I'll have to pop the DVD in tomorrow and see if it's in the deleted scenes.

 

[DrMcoy]

I believe John Long worked on the restoration before it went to Profiles -- perhaps he would be willing to chime in with some info. I also have a friend who is crazy about the film -- perhaps he knows something.

 

[jdebord]

Les Hemstock’s “Planet of the Apes” Statue of Liberty Prop: A “Terminal” Error in Authentication

Jason De Bord

 

[CeSquared]

Les Hemstock’s “Planet of the Apes” Statue of Liberty Prop: A “Terminal” Error in Authentication

Jason De Bord

Great read!

 

[jdebord]

Actually, I was just going through The Terminal again and just spotted the Liberty head way in the background...

Will update a little later tonight...

Jason

 

[jdebord]

Sample screencapture:

For more, see "Reader Comment" to the article:

LINK

Jason De Bord

 

[AKU-AKU]

Wow, that seller has a pair on him, that's for sure. I'm amazed he thought he'd get away with it...

 

[GuntahKela]

What an embarrassing mix-up.

 

[Apollo]

and shame on Profiles in History for trying to pull a fast one without full research.

Pfft!

Thats sop for them! :unsure

 

[Laffo]

Seems this same discussion pops up once every six months.
Laffo.

 

[GKvfx]

I called "BS" the moment I saw the catalog. Ironically, I received the catalog about an hour or so after I got off the phone chatting with Bill Creber about an upcoming APES screening in LA. I immediately e-mailed him a photo of the thing and he confirmed that it wasn't from APES. He does have photos of the actual rig that was built and shot - he designed it, helped build it, and was on the scaffolding (because either the DP or director (I forgot which) suffered from vertigo and wouldn't climb up the scaffolding). Unfortunately, Bill has been burned before by fans taking his stuff and selling it and has been reluctant to pass along any photos. I haven't even seen them. I think if he had passed those along to Profiles and other places, this sham would have been exposed for what it was. But in the end, it didn't sell. And won't ever sell.

Gene

PS - I think Scott Alexander or Phil Broad mentioned that they saw the real thing on the Fox lot in the late 60's/early 70's during one of their visits. that's when Fox had a large outdoor area for storage of oversized set pieces.