As the young actor aged, he made the transition to less precocious roles, famously donning prosthetic makeup to play a talking simian in the Planet of the Apes franchise. He also appeared as a regular guest in popular small-screen fare such as "The Twilight Zone," "Fantasy Island" and "The Carol Burnett Show."
In 1960, McDowall earned two major acting awards: an Emmy for an episode of "Sunday Showcase" and a Tony for "The Fighting Cock." Although his performance in the big-budget epic Cleopatra (1963) was widely considered one of his best, a clerical goof on the part of the movie studio likely kept him from earning an Oscar nod. McDowall died from lung cancer Oct. 3, 1998.
Battle for the Planet of the ApesAfter the fall of humanity, Earth is run by highly evolved apes. But tensions have risen as the intelligent beasts, led by General Aldo (Claude Akins), threaten to enslave the remaining humans -- while a faction of human fighters have set their sights set on regaining the planet. The peaceful ape... Read More
My Friend FlickaThis ageless story about a beautiful colt and the young boy (Roddy McDowell) who loves her seems to get better every year. The boy's rancher father (Preston Foster) has misgivings about the horse, as it's the offspring of a wild mare that could be mad. Flicka's training is arduous for both the boy... Read More
Tales of the Gold Monkey: Complete SeriesAmerican pilot Jake Cutter (Stephen Collins), his mechanic, Corky (Jeff MacKay), and his irrepressible Jack Russell Terrier experience all sorts of adventures as they transport various characters through a remote part of the South Pacific in this action-packed series set in 1938. Judge, bar owner... Read More
Planet of the Apes: The TV SeriesThis hit 1974 television series -- based on the much-loved cult film -- follows the adventures, successes and failures of two wayward human astronauts who must make their way in a future Earth dominated by apes. Their situation is eased when a sympathetic chimp befriends them, but the humans must... Read More
The Shuttered Room / It!This double feature of 1960s horror films delivers star power along with the shocks. Gig Young and Carol Lynley are a young couple investigating a sinister secret in their inherited New England home in The Shuttered Room (1967), an H.P. Lovecraft adaptation that also stars Oliver Reed. Then, creepy... Read More
