(1954)
3
Bruce Eder
In a way, it's a shame that Gorilla At Large is such a silly movie in so manny respects -- because whatever its shortcomings, it is a lot of fun, and not just in 3-D, the way it was released (though that element does help). There are some scenes of such colossal (and delightful) silliness, that modern audiences may stare with momentary disbelief (and we won't spoil it by describing them); other shock scenes that are so well put together that you have to admire it -- and then there are the sincere performances by Lee J. Cobb, Anne Bancroft, Raymond Burr et al, which add to the fun. Lee Marvin seems to be having fun with his role, as a uniformed officer who isn't half as smart as he thinks he is. Most of the twists -- except for the final one, which is unbelievable but nicely unexpected -- are more clever than inspired, especially a denouement that's a sort of low-rent homage to King Kong.
Gorilla at Large on AllMovie
Gorilla at Large (1954)
