Black Zoo

Black Zoo

Directed by Robert Gordon
Produced by Herman Cohen
Written by Aben Kandel
Herman Cohen
Starring Michael Gough
Jeanne Cooper
Rod Lauren
Virginia Grey
Jerome Cowan
Elisha Cook, Jr.
Music by Paul Dunlap
Cinematography Floyd Crosby
Edited by Michael Luciano
Distributed by Allied Artists Pictures Corporation
Release dates
May 15, 1963 (U.S. premiere)
Running time
88 min.
Country United States
Language English

Black Zoo is a 1963 American horror film produced and co-written by Herman Cohen. It is a violent, gore-filled tale directed by Robert Gordon.

Plot

Michael Conrad is a private zookeeper who owns Conrad's Animal Kingdom. He leads a cult group who literally worship the animals he tends — especially the big cats: a lion, a lioness, a pair of cheetahs, a tiger, and a black panther; as well as a gorilla. Conrad plays organ music to the animals in his living room, and uses them to kill anyone who gets in his way. Conrad is married to Edna and forces his mute son Carl to assist him.

Cast

Production

Herman Cohen had the idea for the film, and hired Aben Kandel to work with him on the script.

Cohen had worked with Gough previously in Horrors of the Black Museum and Konga.

The animals were provided by Ralph Helfer. The zoo was built at Raleigh Studio (formerly Producers Studio) on North Bronson in Hollywood, California. The entire zoo seen in the picture was an interior set.[1]

Publicity was done with the cats—including an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.[1] Cohen did not like the title, preferring Horrors of the Black Zoo.[1]

Availability

Black Zoo was produced on a VHS tape published by The Fang (Floral Park, NY) in 2001. OCLC 48234539

Real life copycat crime

A real-life crime occurred that was like Black Zoo's.

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 Tom Weaver, Attack of the Monster Movie Makers (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. 1994, ISBN 0-7864-0018-8, ISBN 978-0-7864-0018-8) http://www.hermancohen.com/interviews/interview-attack5.html

External links

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