Hollywood's Gorilla Men of Film and Television

An Italian immigrant who came from poverty, Luigi Montagna, later reborn as Bull Montana, would come to embody the American Dream. Arriving in the land of possibilities, he built up his physique swinging a pick axe in a Connecticut quarry. The young lad had some wrestling experience earned in his homeland which he quickly put to use, proving himself adept in local matches. A missed workday lead to a pink slip but Bull was making progress as a professional wrestler. Fortune smiled on Montana when he encountered Douglas Fairbanks while training in New York. The brawny fellow was encouraged to pursue acting and subsequently appeared in several of Fairbanks films.
Bull Montana made a number of striking ape-man appearances. The most notable role was in the genre landmark, THE LOST WORLD, where he played a curious though beastly creature that shadows the intrepid party of explorers. Bull also appeared in similar roles for the feature GO AND GET IT and the serials VANISHING MILLIONS and FLASH GORDON (where Ray 'Crash' Corrigan battled Crabbe as an 'orangapoid', a gorilla-like alien with a single horn).
Bull Montana made a number of comedic shorts demonstrating his versatility but his screen credits terminated in 1937. After he concluded his wrestling career in the early 30's, Bull continued in the ring as a referee until 1949. Declining health lead to a heart attack in 1950.

RELATED BLOG ARTICLES AND REVIEWS

Reviewing APE FIENDS FROM THE SILENT ERA - a review of Gary L. Prange's excerpt from his upcoming book (featuring extensive coverage of GO AND GET IT)

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