Muddflaps' Chris Doohan and his "Planet of the Apes" encounter.

"Planet Of The Apes" has always been at the top of the list as one of the finest films of the sixties (if not for all time) for the staff of "The Time Machine". When screenwriters Rod Serling and Michael Wilson got together to change ("adapt" seems to be a word that doesn't apply in this circumstance) Pierre Boulle's novel, who would have imagined that such a motion picture would unfold. It wasn't just the powerhouse acting from; Maurice Evans, Kim Hunter, Roddy McDowall, James Whitmore, Linda Harrison, James Daly and Charleton Heston that made this film so memorable from a great script but all of the elements; the director, Jerry Goldsmith's haunting score, art direction, cinematography and of course...the one aspect of film making that could have made this film box office poison - John Chambers incredible make-up. That Oscar winning make-up forever sits inside the minds of Baby Boomers and Brady Boomers.









Sure there were films like Andy Hardy and later James Bond that were so successful that sequels were a cash cow. The popularity of "Planet Of The Apes" spawned sequels long before Hollywood made it a habitual habit. They use the term "franchise" now but back then audiences couldn't get enough. Five films and two television series later (What? Two series? Yes. Primetime on CBS and animated on Saturday morning.), not to mention Tim Burton's version (with Tim Roth, Mark Wahlberg, Paul Giamatti, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Lisa Marie, Kris Kristofferson, Estella Warren, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and a cameo from Charleton Heston), Chris Doohan from the band
Muddflaps (and his earlier band Urban Circus), shares a childhood memory that any girl or boy in that time frame would have loved to have happened in their youth. Okay...maybe it's just the staff of "The Time Machine" that envy Chris Doohan's wonderful memory...so take it away Chris:






Here's another story from when I was about 15 years old. I was good friends with the Dryer family who lived down the block from me, and I hung out with the youngest daughter, Dee Dee and her brother, Moosie. Some of you may remember Moosie as the kid in the tree house on the show "Laugh-In". I think his segment was called "Moosie Dryers' Kid news for kids". Danny Bonaduce moved in to their house for a short time after his parents divorce, and that's how we became friends. Anyway, Mrs. Dryer was a Hollywood agent, so there were celebrities stopping by all the time. One night, during one of the many poker games that she hosted at her home, we got a big surprise. The doorbell rang, and in walked two apes that spoke in an English accent...Yes, you read that correctly. Actually, it was Roddy McDowell and Kim Hunter in their Planet of the Apes costumes. They had just left the set after a long day of shooting and decided to keep their masks on for the shoot the following morning. That way, they didn't have to spend hours in the make up chair the next day.





They were there for a while, when Roddy said that he was starving, and he asked if we would all like to go out for dinner. We all (Moosie, Danny, Dee Dee and the Ape couple) drove over to Dupars restaurant on the corner of Sepulveda and Victory Blvd in the heart of Van Nuys. We walked in to the restaurant and of course, every eye was on us. We were at the table for less then 1 minute when the first person came up to ask for an autograph (that was the first of many). To make it easier and faster, we passed napkins around the table for everyone to sign. Actually, I was the only one at the table who wasn't a celebrity, but I signed too.

Finally, it was time to order food. We decided to get the only food in the restaurant that Roddy and Kim could eat. Can you guess?? No, you're wrong, it's French fries. Because of the protruding, ape like mouth, they would stick the fry in, and ¾ of it would come out. It may be one of those "you had to be there" moments, but it was very funny to all of us at the table. Anyway, after dinner, they went with us to the 7-11 store near our house and then drove us home. They walked me to my front door and scared my sister to death. She still talks about it to this day.

The strange part about this whole thing was that I spent the evening with two big stars (big in the 70's) and never once saw their faces.



Posted by Chris Doohan


Check out the music of Chris Doohan's band Muddflaps:

MUDDFLAPS



The Time Machine



November 21st, 2006

I still remember an episode of the game show "What's My Line" when Roddy McDowall came on as a contestant dressed up in costume and full make-up as Cornelius. Apparently none of my friends saw this show and think to this day that I'm making it up. That's how sacred this subject matter is. By the way...no one on the "What's My Line" panel guessed that it was Roddy. Fools.