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Dr. Zaius

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Dr. Zaius
Planet of the Apes character
Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius
First appearancePlanet of the Apes (1963)
Last appearanceReturn to the Planet of the Apes (1975)
Created byPierre Boulle
Portrayed by
Voiced byRichard Blackburn
In-universe information
SpeciesEvolved orangutan
OccupationPolitician

Dr. Zaius is a fictional character from the Planet of the Apes franchise, first appearing in Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel Planet of the Apes (La Planète des singes). He appears in the first two films of the franchise, where he is portrayed by Maurice Evans, in the television series, where he is played by Booth Colman,[1] and in the animated series, where he is voiced by Richard Blackburn.

Dr. Zaius serves as the primary antagonist of the original film.[2] Dr. Zaius is an orangutan politician and member of the Ape National Assembly, as well as Minister of Science and Chief Defender of the Faith. He is aware of the true origins of the ape society, and the reason why humanity fell as the dominant species, but does not wish the other apes to learn of this fact.

Development

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Dr. Zaius first appeared in Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel La Planete des singes, published in English as Planet of the Apes.[3] A screen test for the 1968 film of the same name cast Edward G. Robinson as Dr. Zaius.[4] For the film itself, Maurice Evans played the character, and he reprised his role in the first sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970).[5] In the 1974 television series, Booth Colman depicts the Zaius character.[6]

Depictions

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Novel

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In Boulle's 1963 novel, Dr. Zaius is antagonistic orangutan, appearing as an authority on simian science who believes talking humans are dangerous.[7] When the apes' congress releases from captivity the novel's human protagonist, Ulysse Merou, on the grounds that he can speak, Zaius is dismissed from his position, though Merou fears that Zaius could return to power and threaten him again.[8]

Original films

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In Planet of the Apes (1968), Zaius is an orangutan simultaneously appointed as Minister of Science and Chief Defender of the Faith.[9] Zaius knows the true origins of the ape society, how humanity fell as the dominant species, and the reasons why the "Forbidden Zone" is so named, and he blames human nature for it all. Zaius prefers an ignorant ape culture to the scientifically open one posed by Cornelius and Zira. Intelligent humans like Taylor (and human technology) cause Zaius to fear another downfall, along with the possibility of a human resurgence. Zaius destroys the archaeological findings of human artifacts predating the ape society. Zaius' actions are to protect the world from humanity, but he has respect for Taylor, advising him not to pursue the mystery as to how the apes evolved from humans because it will not help him and he may not like what he discovers.

In Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Zaius leaves on a military expedition with General Ursus to invade the "Forbidden Zone" and meets Taylor once more, in a showdown between the gorillas and a mutant human race living underground in the Zone. Taylor tries to keep the mutants from activating a Doomsday bomb, being shot in the process by gorillas. Mortally wounded, Taylor begs Zaius to help him stop the bomb; Zaius refuses, declaring "Man is evil, capable only of destruction!" In Taylor's dying moments, his hand accidentally falls on the bomb's triggering mechanism, causing it to activate and destroy Earth.

Television series

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Zaius appears in the 1974 Planet of the Apes television series as an orangutan who chases the human protagonists in an attempt to hide the existence of intelligent humans. Although depicted by a different actor than in the films, the costume is the same, and the character occasionally seems to make references to the events of the movies.[10] However, the series does not call him "Doctor", and according to Critical Studies in Television "[i]t's not entirely clear what Zaius is in the TV series but he seems to be more of a government official".[11]

Reception

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A punk band from Anchorage, Alaska named Dr. Zaius, after the character, performed at the 1994 New Music Seminar.[12] In 1996, The Simpsons episode "A Fish Called Selma" depicted an animated version of Dr. Zaius, voiced by Hank Azaria, as the subject of a song entitled "Dr. Zaius" (a parody of "Rock Me Amadeus").[13] Starting in 2012, comedian Dana Gould began performing as a parody version of the character in live performances and later in a recorded talk show format.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Actor Booth Colman Dies At 91".
  2. ^ "Why Planet of the Apes' Doctor Zaius Wasn't Actually a Villain". 11 October 2022.
  3. ^ Ulin (2014).
  4. ^ "The Screen Test That Saved Planet of the Apes From Oblivion". 15 February 2024.
  5. ^ Greene (1998, p. 215–216).
  6. ^ Greene (1998, p. 218).
  7. ^ Montoneri & El Hajj (2024, p. 18).
  8. ^ Montoneri & El Hajj (2024, pp. 15, 18)
  9. ^ Greene (1998, pp. 21, 38)
  10. ^ Benson (2019, p. 29).
  11. ^ Benson (2019, p. 36n3).
  12. ^ Strauss (1994, p. C1); Greene (1998, p. 169).
  13. ^ "An Oral History of The Simpsons' Classic Planet of the Apes Musical". 13 July 2017.
  14. ^ Liebenson (2022).

Sources

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Books

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Journals

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Periodicals

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