MovieChat Forums > Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) Discussion > Isn't it obvious that Zira switched the ...

Isn't it obvious that Zira switched the baby??

posted 16 years ago by Valentino55
28 replies | jump to latest

I'm amazed at how many people on this thread never seemed to pick up on this. I thought it was made pretty obvious that, while in the Circus, Zira switched her newborn, baby Milo, with Heloise's baby Salome. When Zira says she wants to "say goodbye to Heloise," you can tell what she's thinking as she closely examines the 2 babies. (Cornelius, of course, does not know she does this, because later, at the oil rig, she says the baby - "HE," she says - wants feeding.) Now, if you happened to miss it there, surely the very end of the movie must make it clear what Zira did, yes?

Please tell me that there are other people out there who had no trouble grasping this on the first viewing.

[–] Zando777 16 years ago

No trouble.

[–] jerekra 10 years ago

Yeah the first time I saw this I had a feeling that was what she did. When my sister watched it with me she knew right away that Zira was gonna switch the babies.

[–] liamarcher 16 years ago

Not only is it obvious (as intended), but if you look close you'll see that AN ACTUAL FOAM-LATEX PROSTHETIC was glued over the baby chimp's nose in the final shot, to make it resemble the cute little noses make-up artist John Chambers gave the intelligent chimps (it was feared that more realistic noses would be repellant to viewers). Salome has a real chimp nose and so either Cornelius isn't paying attention or knows what happened and keeps his mouth shut about it.

It's amazing that a baby chimpanzee put up with such a thing, but there it is. An admirable piece of consistancy.

[–] GreatLummoxFilms 16 years ago

What threw me off, when I watched it, was that the circus guy was all 'You're smart. Just like your parents' Or something along those lines. Did he know the switch was made?

[–] Valentino55 16 years ago

Of course he did. The baby was wearing the St. Francis medal that he had placed around its neck. Zira, presumably in her haste to make the switch, hadn't taken it with her.

"Wicked tiger. He looks proud."

[–] GreatLummoxFilms 16 years ago

Guess I didn't pick that up when I first watched it.

[–] lokis_angels 10 years ago

The medal was a gift to the child not to the mother. And yes, that is why the dude knew.

[–] avia2 14 years ago

I thought it was obvious.
But Zira kept repeating 'Mama' to the normal baby while giving birth, so I've also considered whether the normal chimp picked up on that (however unlikely).

[–] ibbi 12 years ago

When she's trying to get the baby to talk doesn't Cornelius also say something about the offspring of two common apes never being able to speak? Unless I'm mistaken in what he says, I always thought it was pretty obvious.

_______
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIMBC7PA_uo

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] lokis_angels 10 years ago

Cornelius makes that remark when Zira is saying mama to the circus baby.

[–] jztzt 12 years ago

I missed this when I watched the film. The ending came as a complete surprise. It was optimistic and at the same time poignant. I was touched by how the baby called out to mom in the final shot.

[–] NutzieFagin 12 years ago

I believe that Ricardo Monteban was fully aware of the switch because when the cops came to search the circus for the apes, he refered to the baby as "he" and the first chimpanzee to be born in the circus. ---The big clue is all you have to do is look at the baby's.....well.\, you know whateee, Salome is Female, Milo is male!

[–] Fletcherj119 11 years ago

Zira left the necklace on the baby to show Armando that she switched babies.
And I wish the writers had remembered Cornelius' line- referring to the offspring of two primitive apes would never learn to speak- because there it is- 18 years later Lisa says "no", then 12 years after that every primitive ape speaks perfect English.

[–] THOMASSU 11 years ago

I wouldn't try to take away a chimp's baby. It could be bad for your health.

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe..." - Roy Batty, Blade Runner

[–] Fletcherj119 11 years ago

Unless you're another chimp, like Zira.

[–] gheilers 10 years ago

I am incredibly surprised that not a single person has yet jokingly pointed out, that "Baby Milo" obviously grew up to be the adult "Tattoo."

[–] Fletcherj119 10 years ago

Good makeup job - making an ape look like a Hispanic midget.

[–] coolaree 10 years ago

It was so obvious, are you suggesting people didn't notice it? lol.
I admit though I am baffled as to how she made the switch with the other mother chimp.

[–] Fletcherj119 10 years ago

Heloise may have thought it was just for a minute, but then Zira flew the coop. Luckily the primitive ape didn't go nutty afterwards, killing little Milo.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] dollvalley 10 years ago

No it's not obvious at all. There are many things that are more obvious in the series and yet did NOT happen. Why should this one be the obvious one that did happen?
I totally missed the prosthetic nose and I've watched this three times now.
I also thought: how did she get the other mother not to throw a fit, she can't be so stupid not to recognize or feel her own baby, even though an animal, those are ANIMAL instincts!
And I also did wonder about the necklace. Did everyone but the doctors know about the switch? I remember Cornelius's speech about a baby of two primitive apes not being able to speak but did not think much of which baby he was speaking of, after all Zira did try to make the other baby say "mamma" while at the zoo.

PS: the loop at the end of the movie is so freaking cheap!

[–] TheChamCham 9 years ago

Circus.
Forty-four years ago they apparently could not think of a better way to do it. I suppose now it would be CGI and a better voiceover artist.

"Life is uncertain, eat dessert first!" -HOMER J.SIMPSON

[–] moosefeathers 9 years ago

No it's not obvious at all. There are many things that are more obvious in the series and yet did NOT happen. Why should this one be the obvious one that did happen?
I totally missed the prosthetic nose and I've watched this three times now.
I also thought: how did she get the other mother not to throw a fit, she can't be so stupid not to recognize or feel her own baby, even though an animal, those are ANIMAL instincts!
And I also did wonder about the necklace. Did everyone but the doctors know about the switch? I remember Cornelius's speech about a baby of two primitive apes not being able to speak but did not think much of which baby he was speaking of, after all Zira did try to make the other baby say "mamma" while at the zoo.

PS: the loop at the end of the movie is so freaking cheap!

Well, she obviously communicated with Eloise and convinced her to trade babies. Like speaks to like.

Forty-four years ago they apparently could not think of a better way to do it. I suppose now it would be CGI and a better voiceover artist.

a good way to show it would have been to show a shadow come over Baby Milo in the cage and have the camera pan around him so we see the back of his head and catch Armanodo's reaction to the baby chimp speaking. Whaddya think? More dramatic, and we don't see the baby speak but we know it's the baby.

She left the chain on the baby so that Armando would know it was Milo.

Swing away, Merrill....Merrill, swing away...

[–] Fletcherj119 9 years ago

They should've observed "Lance Link's" techniques. They could mouth all kinds of things.

[–] wears-alan 9 years ago

They could have done this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgzEBLa3PPk

It wasnt me, it was the other three. Hang them!

[–] Fletcherj119 9 years ago

Yah, see?