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The Forgotten Horrors of INGAGI
Diana Fox Jones' Original Material Picture Gallery New Additions from Diana Fox Jones Coming Soon GORILLA MEN Contributions Charles Gemora (A LOST SOULS Biographical piece written for THE IRISH GOTHIC AND HORROR JOURNAL) The Forgotten Horrors of INGAGI Fragments of THE GORILLA (1927) Charles' Gorilla to Quit Aping (1949)
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The memory of Charles Gemora's most infamous gorilla suit appearance in the
Depression era exploitation film INGAGI has almost faded into the ether, but
2 years before KING KONG appeared, INGAGI shocked and enthralled the movie
going public. Released in 1931, INGAGI claimed to depict a British
expeditions' discovery of a gorilla worshipping tribe in the primitive and
remote African jungle. The film was patterned after other popular
travelogues which brought first hand accounts of the extreme environs of the
world to the movie houses of domestic America. INGAGI's producers upped the
ante by purporting that the savages they had captured on film, not only
worshipped apes, but offered up their women for interspecies coupling. It is
deeply disturbing to contemplate that this ugly and degrading material was
depicted as a genuine account of African culture. Swift box office business
in film industry communities lead to movie professionals recognizing that
not only were the 'explorers' actors but so were the alleged brides of the
beast. The
films' high profile and dubious material sparked an investigation launched
by the Hays Office, an organization created by the major Studios to police
the morality and integrity of filmmaking. Oddly, the Hays Office did not
take issue with the racist depiction of Black women having relations with
animals, but rather that the advertisement and hype contained inaccurate
claims about the veracity of the contents.Despite an eventual ban on INGAGI, box office receipts ensured the film would continue to play across the US at independent movie houses and later on the roadshow circuit under tents and at other improvised locations. The notorious reputation of the film only fanned the burning curiosity of audiences, who desired to partake of the forbidden. And what of the beast?  Charles
Gemora's reputation in Hollywood as the premier Gorilla Man had been
solidified by the time of this films release and investigators naturally
pursued him for questioning. Nearly six months after INGAGI erupted onto the
national scene, Charles was brought before the powerful Hays Office. Charles
had no choice but to cooperate and recant his public denials of appearing in
this manufactured documentary. Any other action would have resulted in
serious repercussions - the threat of being blacklisted for interfering with
Hays Office was unacceptable and terribly real for a Industry professional
like Gemora.INGAGI represents a twisted milestone for Gemora. Although the popularity of the film put it second only to FRANKENSTEIN in ticket sales and also resulted in the absorption of the word ingagi into the period vernacular, this film has been reduced to a historical footnote that speaks to attitudes about race and humanity, that ,thankfully, have evolved. It's deplorable tale of bestiality laid the groundwork for KING KONG and spawned an entire industry of gorilla and girl exploitation films. The appearance in an exploitation film of this type was unusual for the Filipino immigrant who distinguished himself as the greatest of all golden age Gorilla Men in a range of films that spanned from slapstick humour to cold blooded horror. I do not doubt that Gemora's appearance in this picture was anything more than another job, but modern sensibilities limits our enjoyment of this performance. It is paramount to acknowledge the nature of this material before appreciating how fascinating the images and ephemera remain. |
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Simian Cinematheque |
The article below was published in MOTION PICTURE magazine and gives some measure of insight into how significant INGAGI was to the movie going public of the early 1930's.
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