With its ominous opening (rain drenched zoo cages surrounding a dead corpse) one easily thinks that they are about to see a Hammer film. Michael Gough then appears and without a doubt it has to be a Hammer Film, right? The title however doesn’t feature the word “Frankenstein” or “Dracula,” but that doesn’t really matter either. Black Zoo (1963) is not a Hammer Film, yet it has all the ingredients to be one of their B or C pictures.
Horror films can range from a variety of subjects and characters. More often than not, the films of this era dealt with monsters or their prodigy returning from the grave. Black Zoo has a different setting, but still contains the madman and his creatures.
Michael Conrad (Gough) is a congenial Zoo owner who loves to have the Hollywood Tours arrive at his place. His Zoo is a refuge for some animals and a home for others as many were born there. The animals obey his every command and, clearly, there is a mutual respect and admiration between Conrad and his creatures. Enter the wealthy developer, Mr. Stengel (Jerome Cowan). He wants all of Conrad’s land and is willing to cut him on the profits once it becomes homes. After two visits by the persistent Stengel, Conrad decides to take matters into his own hands.
A brief tune on his grand organ reveals that Conrad has more than just the love of his animals. He has their complete control. Conrad has the animals do his bidding and Stengel is out of the picture with none the wiser. The terror takes flight as the congenial Conrad becomes a man obsessed in getting his own way. Black Zoo gives Gough a great chance to be both the villain and the tragic hero. Clearly, this man cares about all his creatures but only because he can control them. His wife, Edna (Jeanne Cooper) on the other hand is another matter. When Edna has the chance to be a star again (with the circus) Conrad puts his animals to work to keep her around.
For 1963, Black Zoo deals with some very heavy issues about marital abuse and possession; draped in guise of a “horror movie”. The red herring of Black Zoo is Conrad’s assistant Carl (Rod Lauren). This young man is mute, yet has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Carl knows all that Conrad is up to and yet does nothing to stop him or his animals from committing murder. It is only when Edna threatens to help Carl get away that Conrad truly turns on his wife.
The Hammer Film elements are all here, making this an interesting turn for Warner Brothers. Michael Gough in the starring role does help to elevate this picture a great deal. Young audience members will marvel at how this Tim Burton regular (2 Batmans, Sleepy Hollow, and Alice in Wonderland) could stir up the screen in his younger years. There are plenty of gruesome deaths, secret society meetings, and redder- than-red blood to entice the Hammer Film fan. Sadly, there just isn’t even Goth to make it one. Thankfully, there is plenty of Gough to make up the difference.
A Clip from Black Zoo:
Robert Trate writes two weekly columns for Mania the DVD Shopping Bag and the Toy Maniac. Follow Robert on Twitter for his for Geek ramblings, Cosplay photos and film criticisms.
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