Black Zoo

Infobox Film
name = Black Zoo

---

image_size =
caption = film poster by Reynold Brown
director = Robert Gordon
producer = Herman Cohen
writer = Aben Kandel
Herman Cohen
narrator =
starring = Michael Gough
Jeanne Cooper
Rod Lauren
Virginia Grey
Jerome Cowan
Elisha Cook, Jr.
music = Paul Dunlap
cinematography = Floyd Crosby
editing = Michael Luciano
distributor = Allied Artists Pictures Corporation
released = Premiere: flagicon|USA 15 May 1963
runtime = 88 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:85273
imdb_id = 0056872

"Black Zoo" is a 1963 horror film produced and co-written by Herman Cohen. It is a violent, gore-filled tale directed by Robert Gordon.

Plot

Michael Conrad (Michael Gough) is a private zookeeper who owns Conrad's Animal Kingdom. He leads a cult group who literally worship the animals he tends — especially the big cats: a lion, a lioness, a pair of cheetahs, a tiger, a black panther; and a gorilla (George Barrows, who has had a long run of playing simians; see list here). Conrad plays organ music to the animals in his living room, and uses them to kill anyone who gets in his way.

Conrad is married to Edna (Jeane Cooper) and forces his mute son Carl (Rod Lauren) to assist him.

Production

Herman Cohen had the idea for the film, and hired Aben Kandel to work with him on the script.

Cohen had worked with Gough previously in "Horrors of the Black Museum" and "Konga".

The animals were provided by Ralph Helfer. The zoo was built at Raleigh Studio (formerly Producers Studio) on North Bronson in Hollywood, California. The entire zoo seen in the picture was an interior set. Tom Weaver, "Attack of the Monster Movie Makers" (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. 1994, ISBN 0786400188, ISBN 9780786400188) http://www.hermancohen.com/interviews/interview-attack5.html ]

Publicity was done with the cats—including an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson".

Cohen didn't like the title, preferring "Horrors of the Black Zoo".

Availability

"Black Zoo" was produced on a VHS tape published by The Fang (Floral Park, NY) in 2001. OCLC|48234539

Cast

*Michael Gough as Michael Conrad
*Jeanne Cooper as Edna Conrad
*Rod Lauren as Carl
*Virginia Grey as Jenny
*Jerome Cowan as Jeffrey Stengle
*Elisha Cook Jr. as Joe
*Warrene Ott as Mary Hogan
*Marianna Hill as Audrey
*Oren Curtis as Radu
*Eilene Janssen as Bride
*Eric Stone as Groom
*Dani Lynn as Art Student
*Susan Slavin as Art Student
*Edward Platt as Detective Rivers
*Douglas Henderson as Lieutenant Duggan

Footnotes

External links

*
*amg title|id=1:85273|title=Black Zoo
* [http://www.hermancohen.com/interview-attack5.html "Black Zoo"] at a Herman Cohen fansite