SWEET FRIDAY THE 13TH TREAT

Thought I'd forgotten, eh? Sometime back I posted a story about THE MOST BEAUTIFUL APE IN THE WORLD CONTEST. The winner would swing into a bit part in the latest POTA film, BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES. I also mentioned that I would let you know that if I had my own pick in the matter it would be someone . . . related in some fashion to the politically-correct-gone-wild beauty contest held in Century City that fine sunny day back in 1972, a pick worthy to be mentioned here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD. So, without further ado, I give you a scream queen who is more than worth mentioning here (or anywhere else for that matter). I give you --

The lovely Miss Harrison was born in Berlin, Maryland on 26 JULY 1945. She was Miss Berlin at the age of 16. She spent some time as a model in New York's famed Garment District. She returned to Maryland entered the Miss International contest. During the finals held in Long Beach, California, she found herself living the Hollywood dream of being "discovered" by a talent scout from 20th Century Fox. Her first film was with Jerry Lewis in WAY...WAY OUT (1966). Two years later she was in the back hills of Malibu playing Nova in the first PLANET OF THE APES movie.

In an interview entitled "Woman of the Apes" with Tom Weaver in STARLOG #213 , April 1995 (later reprinted in Weaver's IT CAME FROM WEAVER FIVE from MacFarland & Company, 1996), Harrison looked back fondly at her role in one of the most innovative and unique science-fiction/horror films of the 60s: "Nova was a very good part for me, I had kind of the quality for it . . . looking the way I looked, I got those more sexy roles." You'll get no argument from me, there, Nova!

While she isn't as statuesque as say, a Raquel Welch (who never starred in any real horror movies), or as smoldering as a Barbara Steele (who starred in plenty of horror movies), Miss Harrison, in her PLANET OF THE APES roles nonetheless wears her oft-touseled mane of dark hair and feral feline moves on a voluptuous figure that is only amplified by her version of the ONE MILLION YEARS, B.C. skin suit, which I'm sure even got the apes' heads turning during the shooting of this film! In conclusion, I have just two words for Linda Harrison: "Hoo!" and "Ha!"