Zoos in the Movies

[Pertinax]

There was a movie from 1955 called A Kid For Two Farthings, filmed in London, about a boy who bought a baby goat with a single central horn believing it to be a unicorn. The zoo isn't listed in the locations for filming (on IMDB) but it could be that one.

I vaguely remember seeing Cinema hordings for this film though I did not see it.

Two other mainstream films, both from the 1960's, I remember that feature Zoos were 'Morgan, A Suitable Case for Treatment', starring David Warner. An early scene was filmed in the London Zoo Monkey House. And 'Hannibal Brooks' starring Oliver Reed, early scenes shot in Munich Zoo as it was about an Elephant supposedly led across the Alps during wartime. Apparently its based at least in part on a true story about an elephant rescued from Vienna Zoo.

 

[Tim May]

.......I remember that feature Zoos were 'Morgan, A Suitable Case for Treatment', starring David Warner. An early scene was filmed in the London Zoo Monkey House.....

There is an interesting snippet of the film here

Morgan: A Suitable Case For Treatment (1966) -- (Movie Clip) Lowland Gorilla

 

[Pertinax]

You can see how they choreographed this for the filming, letting 'Guy' come in from outside so he was active and posing for the camera/film.

I remember those talking information boxes too. Was that Desmond Morris' voice or somebody else?

 

[Tim May]

I remember those talking information boxes too. Was that Desmond Morris' voice or somebody else?

The original ones definitely featured the voice of Desmond Morris although I believe the later ones were voiced by somebody else.

 

[Pertinax]

The original ones definitely featured the voice of Desmond Morris although I believe the later ones were voiced by somebody else.

This doesn't sound like Morris- I can still envisage his voice from 'Zootime' etc.

 

[Tim May]

This doesn't sound like Morris- I can still envisage his voice from 'Zootime' etc.

I agree; the voice in the film doesn't sound like Desmond Morris to me either but the early "talking labels" were by him.

I'm not sure if this is actually a recording of one of the "talking labels" anyway.

 

[Pertinax]

I agree; the voice in the film doesn't sound like Desmond Morris to me either but the early "talking labels" were by him.

I'm not sure if this is actually a recording of one of the "talking labels" anyway.

Yes, I can remember Desmond Morris's voice on them. I agree in the film this may not be the actual recording either.

 

[Ned]

There was a movie from 1955 called A Kid For Two Farthings, filmed in London, about a boy who bought a baby goat with a single central horn believing it to be a unicorn. The zoo isn't listed in the locations for filming (on IMDB) but it could be that one.

Thanks @Chlidonias, I'm pretty sure that's the one. I'll have to try and find a copy.

 

[Ned]

There is an interesting snippet of the film here

Morgan: A Suitable Case For Treatment (1966) -- (Movie Clip) Lowland Gorilla

From the clip it looks as if there was glass in front of the bars which would make sense, is this court? I assume the gibbon shot wasn't at London.

 

[Tim May]

From the clip it looks as if there was glass in front of the bars which would make sense, is this court? I assume the gibbon shot wasn't at London.

Indeed; the old (built 1927) Monkey House at London Zoo had glass in front of the great ape exhibits. I am sure that the gibbon shot wasn't at London Zoo!

 

[TheMightyOrca]

Good Luck Chuck had some scenes shot at the Vancouver Aquarium.

The Cetacean Institute in Star Trek IV was shot at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

According to the Buffy Wikia, the Sunnydale Zoo scenes were shot at the Santa Ana Zoo.

Animated example: the Marine Life Institute in Finding Dory was heavily based on the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

 

[birdsandbats]

When I went to see Star Wars, I saw an ad for a movie called Every Day. It looked like there were some scenes shot in an aquarium. Not sure which one.

 

[SealPup]

A forgotten 1933 classic, is Zoo in Budapest. Not sure if I'm biased by the subject matter given my usual preference for darker fare, but I thought it delightful, and many people find the setting and main character charming. At the very least, it has been described as unusual enough to slip through the Hollywood net of cliches, whilst still delivering such familiar elements as a love story.

Zoo in Budapest (1933) - Reference View - IMDb
Zoo in Budapest - Wikipedia

 

[FelipeDBKO]

Split, where a character works at Philadelphia Zoo.

 

[Hipporex]

In Jurassic World (2015), the baby dinosaur petting zoo was filmed in the elephant exhibit at the Honolulu Zoo on Oahu, Hawaii. Fun Fact: This was also the first scene ever filmed for the movie.

In 50 First Dates (2004), Adam Sandler's character, Henry Roth, works at Sea Life Park on Oahu, Hawaii. The scenes by the dolphin tank and with the Hawaiian monk seal were actually filmed at Sea Life Park, but the scenes with the walruses and the the shark tank were filmed at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California.

In Old Dogs (2009), a film staring John Travolta and Robin Williams, scenes were filmed at the "Amazon's Edge" exhibit at Santa Ana Zoo in Santa Ana, California.

Parts of Rampage (2018) were filmed at Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia.

Parts of Clint Eastwood's True Crime (1999) takes place at the Oakland Zoo.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) briefly takes place in the Sn Francisco Zoo and a few of those scenes where actually filmed there. (I couldn't find a picture of one of those scenes)

Also, parts of the second episode of the old The Incredible Hulk TV show, "The Beast Within" (1978), were filmed at the L.A. Zoo in Los Angeles, California.

 

[Daktari JG]

off the top of my head, the following had scenes at Central Park zoo:
Marathon Man (Dustin Hoffman)
Eraser (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
The Day After Tomorrow -most of the zoo scenes were not filmed at the zoo,but the sea lion shown was

 

[DavidBrown]

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) briefly takes place in the Sn Francisco Zoo and a few of those scenes where actually filmed there. (I couldn't find a picture of one of those scenes)

I think that the zoo scenes were filmed at the old closed zoo in Stanley Park in Vancouver.

 

[Hipporex]

@DavidBrown[/USER] The scenes where they show the chimp exhibit probably were filmed in Canada however, there is one, very brief, couple second aerial shot where the apes can be seen running through the San Francisco zoo's front entrance. As I said this clip is only a couple of seconds and thus is forgettable. Watch this video below and at about 00:27 to 00:34 you can see the main entrance of the SF Zoo.

 

[Great Argus]

@DavidBrown[/USER] The scenes where they show the chimp exhibit probably were filmed in Canada however, there is one, very brief, couple second aerial shot where the apes can be seen running through the San Francisco zoo's front entrance. As I said this clip is only a couple of seconds and thus is forgettable. Watch this video below and at about 00:27 to 00:34 you can see the main entrance of the SF Zoo.

Hipporex is correct, if you compare the scene to satellite views of the San Francisco Zoo, it is obvious the buildings and path match perfectly. You can also briefly see the giraffe viewing platform and part of the African savanna.

 

[katinakalinakaterina]

Killer Whales in Film/TV
* Jaws 3 (1983)(SeaWorld Orlando) featured Kona 2, Kahana and Kotar (all now deceased)
* Tentacles (1977) (Marineland of the Pacific) featured Orky 2 (deceased) and Corky 2
* Mary Kate and Ashley Shamu Adventure (Kalina (deceased)) and Mary Kate and Ashley Shark Adventure (Taima (deceased)) were both filmed at SeaWorld Orlando
* Analyse This (1999) (Miami Seaquarium) featured Lolita
* Phil the Alien (2004) (Marineland Ontario) featured Kiska and Hudson (deceased)
* Free Willy (1993) (Reino Aventura) featured Keiko (deceased) and Free Willy 3 (1997) (Vancouver Aquarium) featured Finna, Bjossa and K'yosha (all deceased)
* Orca: The Killer Whale (1977) (MarineWorld Redwood City and Marineland of the Pacific) featured Nepo, Yaka, Kianu (all deceased) and Orky 2 (deceased) and Corky 2
* The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) (Marineland Antibes) featured Valentin (deceased)
* Moon-Warriors (1992) (Ocean Park Hong Kong) featured Hoi Wai (deceased)
* Keiko en Peligro (1989) (Reino Aventura) featured Keiko (deceased)
* Orca-Fighters (1987) (Marineland Ontario) featured Kiska
* Dr Dolittle 2 (2001) (SeaWorld San Diego) featured Kasatka (deceased), Takara and Keet
* Rust and Bone (2012) (Marineland Antibes) featured Valentin (deceased) (originally planned to use Freya but she (apparently) did not like Marion Cotillard and refused to cooperate with her so they used her son, Val instead)
* WildBoyz (2005) (Mundo Marino) featured Kshamenk
* Brilliant Creatures (?) (Marineland Antibes) featured Sharkane, Freya, Valentin and Kim 2 (all deceased) as well as the frst zoo vet, David Taylor, giving instructions on how to take blood from a killer whale (Kim 2)