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Paris Cinema - previously known as The New Empire Theatre.

Seventy years ago on May 14, 1954, the second and final 3-D release from 20th Century Fox GORILLA AT LARGE had its gala world premiere at the 1,600 seat Empire Theatre in Portland, ME.

Independently produced by Leonard Goldstein’s Panoramic Productions, the film was intended to provide exhibitors with widescreen, non-CinemaScope 20th Century Fox product. The intended aspect ratio during principal photography was 1.66:1.

Originally shown in 3D, 20th Century Fox’s Gorilla at Large does what it says on the tin, showcasing not one but two gorillas on the loose in a carnival, where corpses keep turning up with broken necks as a result of run-ins with the creatures.

Despite the horror genre possibilities, however, director Harmon Jones’s film isn’t particularly suspenseful, lacking tension due to its ultimately pretty dopey script contrivances and cookie-cutter characters. (It also probably won’t take most viewers too long to work out the real culprit behind the murders.)

The cast features six of the best actors around - the aforementioned Mitchell (coincidentally the second 1954 film I’ve watched this weekend in which he acts the bare chested beefcake and… I don’t mind? I’m turning into someone I don’t recognize), Anne Bancroft, Lee J. Cobb, Raymond Burr, Peter Whitney and Lee Marvin - so of course they’re as entertaining as can be in such a dumb story, but just be aware going in that you won’t find more substance than hairy ape antics.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -