Planet of the Apes

Arthur P. Jacobs is a former press agent (Gregory Peck, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly were among his clients) who started in the film business as a studio messenger, determined that some day he would be a producer. He achieved this dream with "What A Way To Go!" and followed this hilarious comedy with the costliest musical ever filmed, "Doctor Dolittle," with Rex Harrison in the title role. He will film "The Chairman," a suspense espionage story starring Frank Sinatra, for 20th Century-Fox later this year and is also at work on a musical version of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," to star Peter O'Toole and Petula Clark.

Franklin J. Schaffner, who directed "Planet of the Apes," directed such Broadway hits as "Advise and Consent," "12 Angry Men" and "Caine Mutiny Court Martial." He has also won four Emmys for TV directing and production. Schaffner was born in Tokyo, the son of a missionary father. After World War II service he became an actor, but soon turned to direction.

Makeup artist John Chambers designed the fabulous disguises which transform this film's stars from humans to believable apes. He worked on the project for six months prior to start of filming, spending much time in the experimental laboratory where he and his associates perfected new paints, materials, adhesives and techniques. Chambers then set up a school to train young apprentices to supplement the veteran makeup men already pressed into service on the film. Working closely with him was Dan Striepeke, head of the studio makeup department.

Pierre Boulle, the author of "Planet of the Apes," was born in 1912 in France, and after an engineering course went to Malaya in 1936 as a rubber planter. During World War II he served with the Free French and later with the Special Forces in India. He infiltrated Indo-China as a guerilla, was captured in 1943, and escaped a year later. He returned to France in 1947, at which time he decided to become a writer. He is a master of subtle suspense.

Mort Abrahams, Associate Producer of "Doctor Dolittle" and "Planet of the Apes," and Executive Vice-President of APJAC, came to this estate through the somewhat unusual route of statistics. Son of a New York stockbroker, Abrahams took a mastered degree in economics at Columbia University and shortly theater became a statistician at Columbia Pictures.

Later he was motion picture consultant to the Bank of America and began writing for television as an avocation. In 1950, Abrahams produced a television series, "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet," the first science-fiction serial.