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Original Production Overlay Artwork from Beneath the Planet of the Apes by John Chambers

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia / Movie - Memorabilia Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:NA
Original Production Overlay Artwork from Beneath the Planet of the Apes by John Chambers
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Early concept design for the look of the Human Mutants in the 1970 sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, depicting a male human face on a 12 1/2" x 15 1/2" sheet of acetate with a smaller 7 1/2" x 8 1/2" sheet of overlay depicting the same but disfigured face. The artwork is by John Chambers, who used an image of Martin Landau--likely a holdover from Chambers's work on Mission: Impossible. Or, it is entirely possible that Landau was considered to play the role of Mutant leader, Mendez XXVI. In any case, the artwork represents the very first Mutant concepts in Paul Dehn's earliest draft, Planet of the Apes Revisited, where Dehn had envisioned "a figure who looks like the Grand Inquisitor grotesquely lengthened by a distorting-mirror. The immensely tall, cadaverously lean body is topped by a head discernibly human, though the great aquiline nose suggests an eagle's beak. Even the long fingers are raptorially curved like claws. But the eagle seems blind. Where there should be eyes, there is facial flesh. Then a curious thing happens. Mendez says: 'Let me look at you' and turns slowly into profile to reveal that his eyes are at the sides of his face and not in front. He can, like a great bird, look outwards but not forwards." Ultimately this concept was discarded in favor of other designs. But a fantastic artifact nonetheless. In fine condition.