Planet of the Apes is a 1968 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner loosely based on the novel La planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. The film stars Charlton Heston and features Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly and Linda Harrison. The script was originally written by Rod Serling but had many rewrites before eventually being made. Changes included character names and a more primitive ape society, instead of the more expensive idea of having futuristic buildings and advanced technology.
The film was ground-breaking for its prosthetic makeup techniques by artist John Chambers, and was well received by critics and audiences, launching a film franchise, including four sequels, as well as a short lived television show, animated series, comic books, various merchandising, and eventually a remake in 2001. Roddy McDowall, in particular, had a long-running relationship with the Apes series, appearing in the original series of five films and also in the television series.
Planet of the Apes was Mego's first attempt at making toys based on a movie property and they put in that extra effort to get it right. In February of 1974 they unveiled their Planet of the Apes line at Toy Fair to a very positive response from retailers. That years offering consisted of five figures based on characters from the original film; Cornelius, Zira, Dr. Zaius, the Soldier Ape, and the Astronaut along with a Treehouse and Village Playset and a remote control horse, the Action Stallion. All are costumed in exquisitely detailed outfits. Planet of the Apes was a huge hit for Mego and helped make 1974 Mego's most successful year to date. In both 1974 and 1975 Mego Apes made the list of "top ten best selling toys".
Between 1974 and 1975 the market was saturated with Ape merchandise and the public couldn't get enough. With the seemingly insatiable appetite for anything ape related, 20th Century Fox decided to bring the Apes to TV with an hour long weekly series. In anticipation of the show Mego developed and produced a second series of figures consisting of Galen, Alan Virdon, Peter Burke, General Urko, and General Ursus. 1975 also brought more playsets and accessories in the form of The Forbidden Zone Trap, The Fortress, The Catapult and Wagon, the Battering Ram, The Jail, Dr. Zaius's Throne, as well as six 5-inch Bend and Flex figures.
