i would love to be able to see the robot monster costume in person and an online search did not come up with anything.
shareThe ape suit is long gone. Bob Burns owns the helmet.
-J. Theakston
The Silent Photoplayer
http://www.thephotoplayer.com/
Don't quote me on this, but it sure looks like that crappy thing John Landis was wearing in KONG 76.
"If you don't know the answer -change the question."
I bet Phil Tucker rented the Ape suit and could only afford to make the space helmet.
shareThat's not true. The ape suit was owned by George Barrows, the man who played Ro-Man. It was the body section to his ape costume. The helmet was bought from Western Costume (it was originally made for another scifi film... DESTINATION MOON, I think) in LA and modified.
-J. Theakston
The Silent Photoplayer
http://www.thephotoplayer.com
You are seriously amazing! How do you know all this?
My holy grail of film props would have to be the mask Claude Rains wore in his version of Phantom of the Opera. That serene blue, owl-like thing was the epitome of what art/production/costume design is all about.
"If you don't know the answer -change the question."
Wikipedia (which is always right) says that George Barrows' ape suit is currently held by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Barrows
Vargas the Gaint From the Unkwown used the Helmet when he fell off the bridge at the end of the movie. Just Kidding. I hope the ape suit and the helmet were both destroyed just like the movie should be.
shareA recent photo of the Robot Monster helmet is shown on page 98 of Bob Burns' book "It Came From Bob's Basement" (c) 2000, published by Chronicle Books. It's part of a large collection of science fiction movie memorabilia owned by Mr. Burns.
shareA replica was used in a music video by The Cars back in the 1980s.
shareHanging in my garage is a metal contraption, with moving jaw and teeth, signed by George Barrows. It is the head of an ape costume that he made.
George Barrows' wife Jane gave it to my husband some years ago, when he was doing some work at her house in Oxnard. The fur covering has long rotted away.
I don't know which movies this head was used in, but it has been fun looking into the history of it.
Has anyone noticed, that the little girl in the ad for the Nexus tablet has a helmet that is identical to Ro-man's helmet!
"That mans' nuts!!! Grab 'em!"
Yes, it sure looks like Ro-man's helmet.
shareI'm glad someone else noticed it!
"That mans' nuts!!! Grab 'em!"
Burrows played the ape in Gorrila at Large, Has anyone noticed if its the same suit? An identical suit appears in Konga. Burrows also appeared as a Gorrila performer captured by Ellie May in The Bevely Hillbillies, in a worn out version. He must have had several suits.
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